DB or LB or DL

[Harry10]

let me put it another way:

Deion Sanders and Mel Blount

or

Joe Greene and Reggie White

or

Lawrence Taylor and Dick Butkus

[Basketball Jesus]

LT and Butkus with nary a thought.

[studcrackers]

i think if was running a 3-4 id go with linebackers but if i was running a 4-3 id go with the DL, id probably go with whatever positions can generate the most amount of pressure. but id say the best type of players are the hybrid type DE's like D-Ware or Julius Peppers (though he's struggled this year)

ever since parcells brought the 3-4 to dallas ive liked that type of defense and would prefer it. so in the end lb's win out

[Fatty]

Current Teams in the NFL with 2 good(pro-bowl level) LBs
Pats
Ravens
Steelers
Redskins
Bears
Packers
Vikings
Bucs
Seahawks
I know the pro bowl level is very arguable description but of that list all those teams also have a very well balanced and effective defensive line. I am a firm believer in that a good O-linemen will take out a good LB easily out of the play so without those d-linemen taking the o-linemen out, LBs will not be effective.

The top 10 teams statistically also have good defensive linemen.

1 Pittsburgh Steelers- Keisel, Smith, Hampton all good linemen
2 Indianapolis Colts
3 New England Patriots-best d-line rotation in the league
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5 Tennessee Titans-emergence of albert haynesworth
6 Baltimore Ravens
7 New York Giants-deep line rotation
8 Dallas Cowboys
9 Kansas City Chiefs-Allen, Hali and Boone leading the charge of defensive improvement
10 Washington Redskins- Andre Carter and Co. better than anyone predicted.


I think LBs are generally the playmakers of a defense but without good linemen pushing/holding the LOS, defenses will not be successful. Look at the past Super Bowl Champs and the perennial contenders and you will notice that the defenses usually have elite linemen.

[enuggz]

DL by far, great DL men can make average DBs look like HOFs.

Where average DL men will get even the best corners burned because you can only cover so long.

[Monkeyfeng06]

didn't the giants tonight prove that having a great DL means having a great defense? i mean they got to tom brady early and look at the effect! tom brady's accuracy fell and his play selection limited. i guess after tonight's game, i can say having a great DL means a lot!

[hermes]

i think the 2 lb's
they are the heart of most defenses

[Grenerd686]

A good DL helps your LB and DBs. The DL pick up blockers for the linebackers to make plays. Also a good DL can get pressure on the QB and improve the secondary by allowing them to pick off passes.

[Harry10]

LT and Butkus with nary a thought.

wow passing up Greene and White, i don't know how many GMs would do that.

[Shaqsquatch]

DL without a doubt and its not even close. Which is why GMs are always taking DLs so high in the draft. Steve Eatman. Big Daddy Wilkerson ring a bell? Those guys didn't turn out to be HOFs but no doubt GMs will risk it again and again. A great DL will terrorize an offense. LBs and DBs will make their big plays a few times a game... but a very good interior DL is a problem pretty much every down. Even if they dont make the play.

[kdawg32086]

I'm biased but I'll take the two DB's. If it's two corners, give me Champ and Nnamdi.

[CentralQB5]

Id rather have the DB's but you do need a good pass rush and with out that no matter how good your DBs are they will eventually get beat...so i think its a tie for me DB and DL

[CentralQB5]

I'm biased but I'll take the two DB's. If it's two corners, give me Champ and Nnamdi.

What about Revis and Nnamdi ?

[kdawg32086]

Revis and Nnamdi works too, although I'll take a prime Champ over what we've seen of Revis so far. In 5-7 years that might change, depending on how the rest of Revis' career goes.

[Triple M]

Give me 2 elite DL especially if we are talking about DT. Elite DTs can make the entire defense look much better whether it is taking double teams and putting DE in favourable one one ones, or taking up blockers allowing LB to fill the gaps and make plays on ball carriers, or generating pressure up the middle not allowing the QB to step up in the pocket which can be very favourable to DBs.

[ZedgetRedd]

Come on... A great DL can make an awful secondary and linebacking core look decent. No contest.

[Ong_dynasty]

I would like to say DB's as I love that position.
But realistically, say you have nnamdi and prime champ but average line and lb, theyd just run the ball the whole game.
Id take two top DL's. Imagine Haynesworth and a Warren Sapp in the middle, I could probably play LB for those two (not really, but you get the point)

[CLEsports]

Hayensworth/Mario Williams

Ray Lewis/ Patrick Willis

Revis/Asomugha

I would take Revis and Asomugha.

Whether people beleive it or not revis was the key to the Jets defensive success last year. When you have one shutdown corner you see what happens. If you had the two top guys in the league at corner then you culd load the box with 8 guys almost every play and i dont care who you play, no one is running on a 8 guys in the box.

[reedhopps]

I 100% agrea on the DBs. I really enjoyed watching Rex Ryans defense, and everything in that defense is predicated on the DBs being able to lock down 1 on 1 and often times no S help over the top. Plus in the 3-4 you just need to find some big lineman that can occupy space so that the blockers can't get to second level as easily, and then you put pressure on the QB with the OLBs ILBs and whatever other DBs you don't need to cover people on a particular play. It worked for them last year, and teams seem to have a lot of problems picking up his pass rush. This forces bad throws, and I would want my 2 top notch CBs back there to make the pick when those forced early throws go up. Turnovers, can also make up for a lot of other deficiencies on defense, so the DL don't look as important in Ryan's type of scheme. Look at how they lost Jenkins last year, and this year, and they still can stop the run very well, with guys almost everyone has never heard of, at least at DT.

[Zeitgeister]

Hayensworth/Mario Williams

Ray Lewis/ Patrick Willis

Revis/Asomugha

I would take Revis and Asomugha.

Whether people beleive it or not revis was the key to the Jets defensive success last year. When you have one shutdown corner you see what happens. If you had the two top guys in the league at corner then you culd load the box with 8 guys almost every play and i dont care who you play, no one is running on a 8 guys in the box.

You'd be better off taking better Defensive tackles like Ndamukong Suh or Kevin Williams.

But I agree with the sentiment that a good/great DL proportionally makes the rest of the positions great as well. Generally the linemen aren't very well known (except defensive ends) but they are nearly the most important players on the field.