Defense Could be One Off-season Away from Top 5

[Majic]

You can’t play a 3-4 with 5 DB’s on the field…what you’re talking about is outdated and irrelevant in today’s game.

Talent is FAR more of an issue, and you seem to have your head in the sand about that. Going forward the D has Micah, Overshown, Bland, Diggs, and maybe Kneeland to build off of. The rest is garbage. No where close to a top 5 D anytime soon.

The running game is on the rise and your base it still very important.

 

[The Natural]

Mazi @ NT lol. We should scrub our hands of him this offseason if we're being honest.

 

[nate dizzle]

5th in both defensive categories of scoring and total yardage.

Curious what site are you using? I am using Teamrankings.com and they have them at

9th scoring at 20.2 ppg
7th overall yardage at 306.1 ypg
18th rushing defense 114.1 ypg
5th passing defense 192.1 ypg

 

[tm1119]

The running game is on the rise and your base it still very important.

No it’s not. You’re talking about maybe 20-25 snaps a game in base D. You don’t build a defense around that

 

[MyFairLady]

While I appreciate the optimism I would suggest taking a more critical look at each of the players you listed.

 

[kskboys]

Yeah defense is ok , the offense is what needs a QB

Huh?

 

[kskboys]

While I appreciate the optimism I would suggest taking a more critical look at each of the players you listed.

That is spot on what I was thinking!!!

 

[nightrain]

Mazi cannot play the NT in a 3-4. Geez, come to think of it, he can't play a 4-3 DT either.

 

[Majic]

No it’s not. You’re talking about maybe 20-25 snaps a game in base D. You don’t build a defense around that

If that's the case why do teams only draft a certain type of player to suit their scheme e.g. Ravens, Steelers. There are players on our DEF they would not touch. Teams draft to a scheme.

 

[exciter]

You would be surprised what a difference another playmaker, a couple more role players and a good DC coordinator can make. Suddenly you could see a lot of players you mentioned overachieving.......see the Commanders and Lions. Just read a nugget where fans/media wanted Lions DC Glenn fired a couple of years ago but Campbell got him a couple of solid players and stuck with him. IMO this defense isn't that far away with the right coaching and a couple more solid players.

I think Dez made a good point about the D before the season started ..........Zimm wasn't playing guys to their strength. Good example, forcing Carson to play man coverage and it's killing him.

Yeah,
But they don’t need to go completely backwards to do so! Go back to the 5 man fronts in the 43 under that was generating constant pressure and I bet Carson man coverage skills grow exponentially! 2 DT starters should be a touch easier to aquire than 6 of 7!

 

[exciter]

You have to build around Parsons. A 3-4 makes sense.
How about Williams as a 5T.
Could Overshown become an OLB? with a bit more weight?

A 43 under makes more sense because we’ve actually seen it work pass rush. It’s hard to build around 1 guy if he’s the only guy!

 

[gimmesix]

They literally are one season away from being a top 5 defense.....last season.

Might could have been IF

1) Bland, Parsons, Lawrence, Williams, Kneeland hadn't gotten injured and missed significant time.

2) The front office had done more than bring in a former star at the end of his career to build on what we had. Everyone knew the DL needed help and pretty much all we did was bring in Kneeland as a replacement for Armstrong and add a few rejects to fill roster spots.

3) The team had hired a different defensive coordinator. This one is iffy for me because I don't think Zimmer is a bad DC, I just think he's like the Garrett of DCs ... only as good as the players he has to run his scheme. Quinn, for all the hate he receives, adjusted about as well as could be expected to shortcomings in the roster, and we know with this front office, there will always be shortcomings in the roster.

 

[CCBoy]

Might could have been IF

1) Bland, Parsons, Lawrence, Williams, Kneeland hadn't gotten injured and missed significant time.

2) The front office had done more than bring in a former star at the end of his career to build on what we had. Everyone knew the DL needed help and pretty much all we did was bring in Kneeland as a replacement for Armstrong and add a few rejects to fill roster spots.

3) The team had hired a different defensive coordinator. This one is iffy for me because I don't think Zimmer is a bad DC, I just think he's like the Garrett of DCs ... only as good as the players he has to run his scheme. Quinn, for all the hate he receives, adjusted about as well as could be expected to shortcomings in the roster, and we know with this front office, there will always be shortcomings in the roster.

Quinn's box failed.

 

[FVSTONE]

Despite the doom and gloom, I believe we can be one off season away from fielding a top
5 defense. This will necessitate:

- Hiring a top tier DC
- Switching to a 3-4 and moving Parsons to a more natural OLB position
- Investing through draft picks and FA signings

Projected 2025 D:

OLB: Micah Parsons/ Carl Lawson
DE: Top 10 pick (Mason Graham, Deone Walker)
NT: Mazi Smith/ Free Agent/ Draft pick
DE: Javon Kinlaw/ Gholston/ Keeland
OLB: Sam Williams/ Draft pick/ Free Agent

ILB: Overshown/ Draft pick
ILB: Kendricks/ Liufau

CB: Diggs/ Free Agent
CB: Lewis/ Carson
CB: Bland/ Draft pick
SS: Bell/ Draft pick/ Free Agent
FS: Thomas/ Draft pick/ Free Agent


But I do believe that once we get past the imbedded and warranted pessimism of this season that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Pair this with an emphasis on the run game and we should be back to being respectable.

Mazi is an official bust!!!!!! Second year is worse than the first for this Michigan BUM!!!!!

 

[gtb1943]

We might have adequate one DE; Kneeland. Lawrence is gone or finished
we have no good DTs
we have overshown and Parsons at LB; Kendricks is going and Liafu has not shown a lot
Diggs is what he is; Bland hopefully comes back strong. nothing after them
Our Safeties are just barely adequate.
So we have a total of five people on D that make a difference.

As regards last year, once we met good QBs and good offenses they folded

It was just like in 2003 when we supposedly had the top Defense in the NFL but when we met a Top QB and offense they folded like a cheap suit

 

[ShiningStar]

let me make a strong case for most fans to understand.



Nope