This scenario plays out if we win a couple more games and end up picking between 5-10, with Chris Long and Darren McFadden AND Jake Long already off the board. Mangini is a defensive backs guy, so why not give him the best secondary in the NFL? With Phillips, Rhodes, and Revis our defense could be dominant. I know we have specific needs to fill, but most coaches say that in the first round, you should pick up the best player available. I think Phillips has a good chance of being the best player available to us. And I think everyone can agree that Rhodes and Revis are developing superbly under Mangini's tutelage. So why not? Cover our holes later; strengthen our strengths early.
So you think we should not try to fix our weaknesses first? No I am sorry we need O-line & D-line help before all other things. That is like fixing the gutters on your house when the whole roof is blown off. Fix the problems and tighten up the other shit in time.
When was the last time two young safeties led a team to the Superbowl? If Dexter freakin Jackson can win a Superbowl MVP, I'm pretty sure we are good with what we have. Anyways, I'd prefer if our front seven never allowed the play to get to the safeties. That way it doesn't matter who is back there.
If we end up picking that late we should take Gholston. There wouldn't be any value at those positions with the pick we would have.
History has shown us that there is more than one way to build a Super Bowl team. Trent Dilfer, Rex Grossman, Jake Dellhomme and Kerry Collins have led teams to the big game, that doesn't mean you can win with a second tier (or worse) QB.
It means QB isn't as important a piece as it would seem. Stifling defense is a good start but how big of a component is safety play? Pressure and stopping the run seem to be the most important pieces.
Well... 2006: Antoine Bethea and Bob Sanders 2005: Troy Polamalu and Chris Hope 2004: Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson 2003: John Lynch and the afore mentioned Super Bowl MVP DexJax Seems like safeties are kinda important. One of these tandems even played behind Kimo Von Oelhoffen. My point is that sometimes if you can make a position REALLY good, they can cover up weaknesses on other parts of the team. MAYBE Mangini can turn a good D-line prospect into a a solid player, but history has proven that he can DEFINITELY turn a good secondary prospect into a solid player.
I think you may have missed my point. Rambling off every starting safety that has won a Superbowl in the last 4 years was certainly not it. I would hardly say Antoine Bethea would be attributed to winning the SuperBowl. Bob Sanders yes, but Indy sucked with him out of the lineup. So where does that leave Bethea? Polamalu and Hope. Maybe. But even so, Pittsburgh Defense is known for their zone blitzes which makes it more about the scheme than the players. Harrison is certainly not a young safety. If you suggested we sign someone like Rodney Harrison to go along with Kerry Rhodes, I'd be the first to sign up. Unfortunately he does not fit the criteria. Lynch and Jackson. Jackson makes me shudder and for Lynch, see Harrison, Rodney.
Exactly. And if you can stop the run with the front seven, you can leave your safeties deep defending the pass which is at least twice as easy as putting one in the box :wink:
