Size or Speed?

[ghst187]

We all know the importance BP put on getting big LBs for this 3-4 defense and we all know that he won with big defenses. We all also know that 3-4 'backers have to be bigger to take on OL more frequently.
HOWEVER, is BP's emphasis on size over speed antiquated?
We won those SBs in the 90's with pure speed. Then we won an average of 5 games per year for a while (partially due to the incompetence and lack of talent on offense) but it might have been 0 wins were it not for the speed of the defense.
I believed in BP and his philosophy until I saw it all year, I'm ready to go back to speed.

 

[Cochese]

This is the 00's. Size and speed arent mutually exclusive any more.

 

[D-BOI99]

both size and speed.

 

[wileedog]

We won those SBs in the 90's with pure speed. .

Because to his credit, Jimmy was ahead of the curve. You see much more emphasis on 40 times and combine scores these days since Jimmy's days, and that's because the rest of the league caught on to the fact that speed is important.

Its one of the reasons he didn't do as well at Miami, because everyone else got faster too.

But now players are bigger *and* faster. Ware would have been a complete beast in those days, as he is as fast and quick as Norton ever was, and even bigger.

 

[MetalHead]

Speed...size you can get anywhere.

 

[wileedog]

Speed...size you can get anywhere.

These days you can get speed anywhere.

You need the right combo of size and speed and guys who can play.

 

[theogt]

I think it's entirely possible to have a LB the size of Bradie James but with better speed.

Ware, Ayodele, Carpenter, Singleton, and Burnett do not lack sufficient speed. Bradie James does.