(05-07-2021, 11:03 AM)J24 Wrote: No it's not an important position anymore. If you don't play on third downs you're position isn't important.

(05-07-2021, 03:40 PM)Joelist Wrote: I would also say that we went for secondary players who are ABLE to play Man but who are excellent in Zone. What they aren't is flashy. Like our draft our Free Agency was meat and potatoes. What we had before (the players we let leave) we people who in Man were effective but in zone were incompetent. We also were doing what ZT said needed to happen once the season ended - restock the depth. When the "next man up" is someone like LeShaun Sims the result is disaster (and yes I know the injury/opt-out avalanche on the DL would have ruined ANY team's defensive line). 

As to Hendrickson, I actually went and studied the stats at Pro Football Reference - and what I saw did not support this notion that he was made off of the success of others. What it did support was he broke into the starting lineup late in 2019 and in 2020 he was a force. Yes you can say one year wonder and yes it is a small gamble on his 2020 being his new norm, but a worthwhile wager to take. At worst he is the same as Lawson and the upside is considerable. Then there is Ogunboji at DT who gives us the interior pass rush that was absent last year. Hubbard is competent at his spot and not only may bring more results in this lineup but has a platoon mate who is a top EDGE prospect out of college.