Defense

A new thread here.....mainly cos I'm bored.

I think most would agree offense is headed in the right direction.

My question is what do ya'll make of the defense??

to me there are still a lot of question marks. I was stunned we took Kuechly. Figured we'd go D-line. Though I do like the Frank Alexander pick. He could be a steal.

Linebacking corps keys on Beason coming back and playing at the level we expect. If TD comes back and performs, its gravy but we can't count on it.

in the back, who thinks Hogan or someone else replaces Munnerlyn? He REALLY worries me. Big heart but just got schooled too much.

Of course safety needs help too....

A lot of rambling here, but just wondered what ya'll thoughts are overall on the D??

 

Pray that Ron Edwards and Josh Norman are worth a damn. Otherwise it looks a lot like last year's defense.

 

If we luck out and don't lose multiple starters, I think we'll be better but still no better than about 20th or something.

 

Assuming we avoid a lot of injuries I think the defense will be much better than last year. The main reason for my optimism is that the players will have an entire off season to learn the scheme. They had to learn it on the fly last year and that did not work really well.

From a personnel stand point I think the DL will come around. Johnson is very good and the other DE spot will have a good rotation to choose from. The two DTs we drafted last year should be better in their second season and Edwards should be back.

Linebacker should be the strength of the defense. Anderson, Beason and Keuchly should make a very good unit. If Davis can stay healthy he will make them even better.

The secondary is what worries me the most. Gamble is solid but the rest of it is weak. Munnerlyn is a nickle corner at best. The safeties are pedestrian. Maybe they can scheme around the talent deficiency or maybe someone will step up but it is definitely the weakest link.

 

I just want the dline to play smart angry and aggressive. If they can get some kind of constant pressure then the d as a whole should be alot better.
Normally if the linebackers are doing the tackling then the ball is already past the line of scrimmage.
People won`t be buying their tickets to see the defense anyway so anything positive on that side is just gravy.

 

I like the moves made at safety, although I'd like it better if Godfrey hadn't gotten a huge extension that keeps him a starter for the next couple of years. Linebacker will obviously be a lot better as well, but DL & CB are still total crap.

 

Who do you like at safety? I thought most of the guys they brought in were mostly acquired to help special teams.

The DL has not shown anything outside of Johnson but I am cautiously optimistic about it. There are a lot of young guys who will have opportunities to make an impact. Whether any of them will is the question.

 

None of the other DL were considered very talented, so it's not like there is any particular reason to hope that they'll contribute aside from the idea that they can't be worse than what was put out there last season.

 

hope you're right about that.

 

For instance, people are getting excited about Frank Alexander just because they hope he'll be good. He's not a potential first round draft pick who fell to the third. He's a guy a lot of sites had pegged for the fifth round. That doesn't mean he can't contribute, since Greg Hardy has shown himself to be a valuable rotation player despite being a low round draft pick, but there's just no reason to think that Frank is going to be an impact player.