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Originally Posted by Beerfish
Harris would be a better MB with two disruptive DT's if you ask me.
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I'm not sure if I'm getting this right...
You want Coples AND Wilkerson to play inside? Who's playing the 1T? If that's what you're suggesting, that would be putting one guy wayyy out of position and you're probably throwing more bodies at Harris. Oh, and you're asking him to cover more ground in zones/man coverage on passing plays. Not smart.
Unless you're confident in Pouha or Ellis filling that role and bumping one of Wilk/Coples out to LE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beerfish
Also I've said it before, I'll say it again about Wilkerson and Coples, get used to their top end sack totals being about 6 rather than double digit if you stick them 3-4 De's most of the time. Our best players are out Dlineman right now of the front 7, free them up to make plays rather than be in the restriction of a 3-4 end.
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This isn't some magic trick where you just switch them to 4-3 end and say "Voila! Here come the sacks."
There's a reason why these guys play on the interior; it's because they play better matched up against guards. From the interior, they're quicker than guards and can still handle them with strength. On the outside, neither Coples nor Wilkerson has the bend or speed to beat a tackle on the edge. Sure, they can win occasionally with a bull or swim, but you're not putting your valuable players in their ideal positions if you're asking them to beat tackles every down.
I see Coples as a guy who can have a season or two at 8+ sacks. I see Wilkerson as a 4-5 sack guy. That's totally fine with me because not only are they providing some pass rush, but they're occupying guys in the process and will allow our potential speed rushing OLB to see consistent one on ones...and if they want to double the OLB, then I'm fine with Wilk/Coples manhandling a guard one on one.
Think about the Steelers and Patriots dominance as defenses during the mid 2000s. A lot of their respective coaches attributed the defense's overall success to Aaron Smith/Brett Keisel and Richard Seymour/Ty Warren. Granted, we don't have anyone in Seymour's class, but you're vastly underrating the importance of Wilkerson/Coples in our base front.
This is the draft to get that edge rusher. We do that and I couldn't give two sh!ts what we do with Revis or Cromartie or Landry.