Quote:
Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon
Someone was mentioning all the Skins' defenders who could "start for virtually any D in the league" and then mentioned:
Landry: You think he starts in Pittsburgh over Polamalu? I don't. How about in Baltimore over Ed Reed? Not this week... Bottom line here is that Landry is better than average but his role as an "impact player" usually is to give up a long TD to the opposition.
Orakpo: Agree here. No team in the league has two OLBs better than Orakpo.
Fletcher: Can he start for either Baltimore or Pittsburgh? No. Would he start over Bradley in Philly? Perhaps but not certainly. Can he start in Chicago or Minnesota? I doubt it.
The Skins' defense has some good players - - but they are not good enough to overcome the lack of skill in so many other players on that unit.
BTW, listing McIntosh here as one of the stalwarts on the defense could set you up for disappointment later on - - because his deal is up this year and I don't know that the Skins even want him back.
|
I said "virtually" any team in the league, and I stand by that. There are a few teams where these folks wouldn't start (and I generally agree with your identification of such teams, with the possible exception of the LBs in Minnesota). But my overall point is that there is SURELY enough talent on this D to avoid being last in the league. They're at least a middle-of-the-pack squad (and perhaps better; it isn't as though we lost key players last off-season).