FanPost

Let us gather round for a family discussion.

You see children, when a man loves a woman, and they both love the same team, and the stadium roof is left open, that’s where babies come from. But I’m not here to talk about baby making, I’m here to talk about our D!

Go Team!

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Now, the media and realists alike share many certainties about our 2014 defense. They also claim they knew exactly what was going to happen last year. However, I don’t believe there are ever any certainties, nor do I believe anyone ever knows what will happen. I guess that is another way to say, I don’t believe there are ever any certainties. Um…

This is why I like to discuss the unknown future based on possibilities and likelihoods. While acknowledging anything is possible, but is maybe not likely. For example, it’s possible we’ll have the best defense in the NFL this year; it’s also possible we’ll have the worst. In truth, I don’t believe either is likely. So I’d like to throw out an optimistic view of what I believe is likely.

Now, some of you may take me to task for being optimistic, to that I say #@*$ &@! It’s the off-season and we’ve made a lot of moves, this is the time to be optimistic. Besides that, the moves we’ve been making for several years have been good ones, so there are tangible reasons to be optimistic.

To this end, I’d like to go step by step through what our D issues were last year, and point out what I think has been done to improve it. I’d like you in turn to agree with everything I say and give this Fan Post a rec, then tell all your friends to rec it too.

Or, if you must be insolent; post your arguments below and break my freaking heart…my tears will one day dry. You fargin bastages!

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But I digress. Our safety play was exactly seven hundred and forty seven point nine times worse than we needed last year (I did the math). Other than Church, and even at times Church, it was bad. There is absolutely no hope it will improve so I guess this fan post is over.

Wait what? A fan post is never over! I have things to say! Let’s start with Church if that’s OK with you? OK great. The meme was he’s coming off an injury and may never play again or at least surely not be his old self, yada yada…whatever. As I said last off season, guys come back from that injury all the time and are often stronger and better.

The reason why is simple, you are forced to do things to strengthen that part of your body to rehab you never did before. You can't rely on your talent, you are forced to work hard and fear you may not recover. Once you do work hard, you are now far less likely to re-injure the same thing, not to mention it tends to heal stronger than it was before. Those parts on Church are a lot less squishy than 2 years ago.

Church is now a year removed from his injury and has no mental blocks slowing him down. That is the one drawback to his injury, it typically takes a little while to trust your body again. He’s past that hurtle and should be as good as or better than last year, likely (one of my favorite words) better than last year.

So clearly we can chose his position will not be worse than last year.

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We were lacking opposite Church however. So we can clearly choose the other safety will be worse, yes? Not so fast! Because the facts are, Wilcox was playing well enough early to allow the team to cut the veteran Allen. Only injury derailed his having a decent season. But not to worry, Heath stepped in!

Let’s pretend I did not just say that! Or better yet, let us acknowledge exactly what I did just say. Heath stepped in and he was…God awful. But we must step back and remember why. Ahead of him were Johnson, Allen and Wilcox. If Johnson did not decompose again, Heath would likely either have gone to the PS or have been cut.

He’s back to being a ST’s ace and not being a safety contender this year, so fear not. And even if he has to play, he has gained strength and knowledge. While he won't be great, he will be better than last year.

Still, Wilcox is fighting for the starting spot and we have several prospects like Dixon, Hamilton and even the unicorn who should keep Heath from seeing a starting or even a primary back up spot. So the safety position will not be worse and will "likely" be better. They all have another year of development.

So clearly I can now choose the corners as the reason our D will be terrible, right? You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?

If I told you our corners will be a strength this year, many would probably say, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable. To this I say,

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I think we have great corners. Scandy just keeps proving why we can’t cut him and why we should stop drafting guys to replace him (other than age will one day catch him). Carr is a very good press corner and was not as bad as some claim last year in a bad scheme. He should do quite well in the scheme Rod likes to run and at least be good this year.

Webb continues to develop, Moore has looked good and can step in if Webb does not develop. Another young guy may step up and impress too.

The worry is Mo, he has struggled and there is just no way for even the poop looks just like chocolate seers like me to challenge that. But I will anyway. He’s healthy for the first time in camp and has had time to bulk up and gain strength. He's angry and there IS a reason all teams thought he was a great prospect.

He does not need to be Deion for this defense to be great, he just needs to be good. That won’t live up to his draft position, but it will be good enough for us to have a very good secondary. I think he makes that leap from WTF to good this year.

I believe there are many reasons our secondary will improve. Better scheme, more man, more development, better depth and just because screw ESPN and NFL Network, we're not gonna let them tell us we suck anymore!

I think that’s enough for now, I’ll save the rest of the D for my next fan post as my wife is either asking me to come to bed with her, or signaling if I don’t turn off the computer, she’ll kill me. Either way, I see my signing off as a positive move!

I look forward to your comments and am now trying my hand at my first poll. At least I think it is my first, I’m aging and I drink, what I don’t do is remember. Either way, here’s a poll for your enjoyment!

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.