Recent Switches to 3-4 Defense Usually Mean Improvement

Come on, sir. That argument is weak sauce. Ngata and Haynesworth played completely different positions.Calling the facts from 2009 weak sauce is a good arguement?
Haynsesoworth played DT in 2009 much harder to get sacks as DT then a 3-4End.
But, even sack total aside how but snaps played?
You can believe whatever you want, but the stats support that Haynesworth played well in 2009.

Now, I will concede that having Haynesworth in there helped the rest of the defense get their sacks by getting double teams, which opened things up for other pass rushers.Agreed.

But he still pulled himself off the field. Playing in 12 games and then leaving some of those twelve games early?In 2009? When did he pull himself off the field? And how did he leave early in those 12 games yet amass such a high % of snaps played?

Moving away from the AH debate (which this thread really shouldn't turn into) I think the key to our defense this year will be the defensive line. I think we are on the verge of having a great OLB group in Orakpo and Kerrigan. Without a D-Line that can push and take up the opponents O-Line, their talents will be wasted.

Also, we need to have a second ILB to play along with Fletcher. Who will that be? I don't know, but I'd like to see a young player step into this role and take over Fletcher once he is done.Re: (AH)I try to get out but they keep pulling me back in.

I think Jenkins fit well as a 2-gap DE and will be a huge improvement over Golston.
I also think Jenkins will be in the rotation at NT with Bryant, Nield and maybe a healthier Kemo.

I just wish that we had someone along the starting DL that had some quick upfield pass rush ability.
I think Holliday, Jarmon and Scott are our best pass rushing 1-gap style penetrating DL.

I think Kerrigan will be an upgrade at the OLB spot.
I don't want to speculate on his upside but I expect at the very least competent level of play and enough pass rush to at least take advantage of some decent match-ups when the OL slide protects towards Rak.
The question and challenge for both he and Rak is to improve in pass coverage.

I'm content to give Riley and Henson their shot at the ILB spot next to Fletch next this year.
Both have a physicality and violence to their games that I think Rocky lacked and I assume they can cover better then Rocky b/c struggled badly there too.

I'm looking forward to watching how our defense evolves.

Don't forget Lo Alexander at ILB, he may be more cut out for that position & he's got great size for it. If Rogers or his replacement (Barnes mabye?) keep the same level at cb, I can see our d being much improved. That cb position is the only one I'm worried about.

I guess because you say so it must be true right?
Despite the facts showing showing otherwise.
You make a great argument, here's my counter:
He wasn't a bum in 2009.
Pretty good huh?

He couldn't even stay on the field for two plays in a row. His sorry ass would fall down and flap around like a fish out of water, get carried off on a stretcher and then when he got his breath he'd come back on the field. And I bet if you took a poll inside the locker room the players would agree with me. The guy makes a great play and then takes the next 10 off. Even the guy on the Rams said he basically tires out after a few plays. To me he's a big fat bum who is also a heist man. I honestly don't know how he can look himself in the mirror taking all that money and acting like dick on and off the field.

The inability to get production out of veteran free agent acquisition seems to plague this team. With a few exceptions (London Fletcher comes to mind), we haven't been able to get productivity out of a big time FA signing, and that includes this FO regime (McNabb). I do hope that they are able to change this in the seasons to come.

That's cause it's stupid to overpay other teams players. It rarely works and that's why I'm 100% behind drafting for the next 2-3 years. It has a better chance of working when a team is already a contender but even then it's risky. I hate free agency and trading for other teams guys.

That's cause it's stupid to overpay other teams players. It rarely works and that's why I'm 100% behind drafting for the next 2-3 years. It has a better chance of working when a team is already a contender but even then it's risky. I hate free agency and trading for other teams guys.

so far w/the exception of the McNabb trade, Allen & MS have shown they value draft picks. Getting 12 this year after starting w/8 was just what the team needed.

I would also like to see fewer free agents, but in Denver Shanny was never opposed to bringing in vets that could help him, even paying big $. Will be the same here, has been so far. I think we'll see greater value but I expect there will still be a no. of signings.

Stupid to overpay? Yes. Stupid to pay period? Not so much.

The thing is...you can't fix every hole you want to in the draft. Even with several good draft classes, you have to think, how many of those guys will be come legitimate starters?

When you really look at it, (thinking very loosely) you're looking for your starters in rounds 1-3, and maybe 4. The rest of the draft is mainly to add depth. That, and every position isn't going to be well represented in the draft.

This year's draft was weak on DBs, safeties especially. It was obvious that last year that free safety was a hole, as well as the depth at strong safety. Kareem Moore wasn't going to be an answer. Barnes played well enough for a corner playing safety, but they really want him to play corner more than anything.

So when O.J Atogwe becomes a free agent, and you're staring down a very weak class of safeties, and you don't have any proven guys who can play the position, then it makes sense to add a free agent. And they not only added a free agent, but they paid him in a deal that was very fair to both sides and was the right amount of money for O.J's skill level and his age.

The problem in the past wasn't that we added free agents; it was that we added free agents at positions we didn't need to add free agents at, and then them made them deals that they couldn't refuse, because Vinny was a ****ing dumbass and would set the market price for a guy too high, and no team was willing to come close to the kind of money we were offering.

Whereas with Bruce and Mike, we invited O.J in, talked with him extensively, offered him a fair deal...and then let him walk out to test the rest of the market place. The Vikings pursued him hardcore, but since he wasn't 1.) pressured into taking a deal from us and 2.) allowed to see what other teams would offer for his services, he decided to come here.

I think a team like Atlanta has done a good job of drafting talented players while also spending wisely in free agency. There can be balance doing both. It's easier when you're already a contender, but when you've got as many holes as the Redskins have, and as little depth, then you need free agency to fill the holes.

Don't forget Lo Alexander at ILB, he may be more cut out for that position & he's got great size for it. If Rogers or his replacement (Barnes mabye?) keep the same level at cb, I can see our d being much improved. That cb position is the only one I'm worried about.

I just don't see that happening. If it were college ball then fine. But to put a guy at a position that he's never played before at the NFL level isn't going to work.

I just don't see that happening. If it were college ball then fine. But to put a guy at a position that he's never played before at the NFL level isn't going to work.

Those rules don't apply for OG/DE/DT/OLB Lorenzo Alexander

Position changes seem to be the norm for Zo, and he excels at whatever he does.