It's not "secondary centric", it's defensive talent centric. There's a difference.
If there are two DBs taken in the premium rounds it becomes "secondary centric". Your best chances at getting a starter have been spent on the back half of the defense.
The Patriots have a model for their defense and it mostly centers around pass coverage, that's why they have a good defense just about every year. They're notoriously cheap, and they know secondary are expensive positions. They like to get a #1 guy, and then they fill out most of the guys with high picks, guys with actual talent they can get on the cheap.
Sorry, but this is not a blueprint to follow.
They may center around pass coverage, but they aren't getting there by drafting to it.
They have bought and paid for their secondary. From Revis to Browner to bringing back Chung who they let go. They got fortunate with Butler and have had to patch things at safety.
Now, they have bought more corners with Gilmore. Gee, I wonder why they keep doing that?
Is it because drafting secondary players over and over is a wasted cause?
The key is winning certainly isn't to keep drafting secondary players as they have proven.
Yeah, the game is mostly won in the trenches, but in this league you have to have guys that can cover/force turnovers. It's trending towards a WR, quick step drop and release league. I wouldn't be surprised if this last year had the quickest "time before release" in history. Maybe it's a fad, maybe it isn't. But, in the NFC, if you don't have guys that can cover quick release, high percentage throws, you're going to get smoked.
I know people like to pretend the pass rush is the sole, determining factor in how well you defend the pass, but it's entirely false. The base defense has turned into a nickel alignment. There's a reason. That's also why NYG brought in a handful of DB's instead of just relying on their pass rush.
The primary focus should be on the line, yeah. But, ignoring half your defense isn't how you go about it.
I don't think I was suggesting to ignoring the defense, I just don't think a secondary is "half the defense".
You brought up the Giants. They also bought a run stuffer and LOS pace setter. Harrison perhaps more than Olivier or Jenkins set the tone.
See where I am going here? Oh yes. The trenches, not the perimeter.
We have weak links inside at DT and at LBer too.
But we lost more DBs so of course we have to replace that. But I don't think we look at the roster that way.
We look at bodies. At head count. Well, we have enough DL, so we better get some DBs since we did zero in free agency.
The idea is not to react to a numerical loss and think that solves anything.
Just because the bodies are short in the secondary, that does not mean you draft to it excessively hard.
