Little insight to the defensive woes

This. Shazier made the same stupid mistakes everyone else does but he had the speed to recover. It's a huge problem that none of our defenders, even our top ones, seem to know what they're supposed to do.

 

Burnett is not entirely the issue here. I say not entirely because, from a communications standpoint, he is needed BADLY.


What is the issue is the schematics and personnel. Rather, neither are compatible with one another; hence the growing level of resentment for players.


One final statement I would like to add. Generally speaking, when players question the system, this also means that the system itself has been flawed for quite some time and requires some fine tuning. Why Butler has not done this since the 2016 AFC Championship Game is something I have not the foggiest.

 

He may not have been the greatest player on earth but for this team, void any other linebacker speed, he was that important. Stats don’t always tell the tale but look at the stats since his injury. We are arguably the worst defense in football since he was injured. Besides being loyal to that inept head coach the loss of Shazier killed any chance to get one more with Ben.

 

.....and why no one else has either is alarming as well

 

You Cannot and should not rely on a system or scheme in which the main cog is a free agent signer who is unfamiliar with your scheme, who has missed MOST of the regular and pre season with an injury and whose injury (Groin) may limit his ability to see the field and be effective the entire season (Groin pulls and tears only heal over time with rest and theres no specific timeframe)

As a Coordinator it's up to you to implement the scheme that best suits your personnel case closed!