10-18-2016, 08:39 PM
(10-18-2016, 07:39 PM)Joelist Wrote: There is a tendency on this forum to overrate physicality and underrate football smarts. That's why both Dhani and Crocker get dissed a lot. The simplest way to get the value of both to the D is that before Zimmer basically made Dhani the QB of the front 7 we had major problems with getting snookered by misdirection, taking bad angles and just broken plays and after he did it those issues almost totally disappeared. Ditto Crocker in the secondary. Both of them set the alignments of their respective units and both were excellent at getting players positioned properly for the play.
Part of our issue this season is that while Burflict had taken over that role in the front seven his suspension meant we did not have him for a while and he is rusty. Meanwhile there is no one doing that in the secondary.
I view smarts and physical skills (not physicality) as nearly equal in importance. Dhani brought stability with his ability to "QB" the defense, but he had the body of a washed up LB. So while he was useful, I think some overrate him because he brought stability and because he was such a likable guy.
Fwiw, I was a bigger fan of Crocker than Dhani. Both very intelligent players, but I felt Crock had more in the tank when he signed.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
