I just checked our depth chart and I was amazed at how old our starting LB's are. Taylor is 35, Torbor is 28, Ayodele is 30 and Porter is 32. This is an average age of 31.25 years. This explains why they have been a step too slow and using arm tackles because their feet are out of position. Fortunately this years draft is very deep in solid LB talent. Last year we went through the DB's - this year will be the year of the LB. Interestingly enough this is also a banner year for NT's as well. I wish I had a nickel for every RB that burned us up the middle this year while our NT and ILB's were unable to make the play. It looks like this draft is tailor made to solve most of our problems. With an easier schedule next year and a good draft we will make a lot of noise twelve months from now. I just can't wait
Any reason in particular you didn't put the younger members of the LB corps in the sample for average years? You can't take an average if you don't include the entire sample. You have to include: Crowder: 26 Wake: 28 Anderson: 28 Folsom: 25 and Johnston: 23.
Linebackers who can tackle and maybe bring a hit now and again would be nice. ILB has to be priority one in this draft while SOLB is also an area of great need (Merling?). I'm kind of surprised the organization has not addressed this area of the team but when you are in transition you cannot fix everything in two years. I have no idea if there is a Ray Lewis type linebacker in the draft but I'm hoping we find one who immediately changes the physical nature of our defense.
The reason I averaged out the ages of the older LB's and not the younger ones was on www.miamidolphin.com their depth chart showed the older LB's as the starters. I was trying to focus on what they had listed on the last game (before they pulled it for the off season). We have good solid younger LB's but no one that can really set the AFC East on fire (IMHO). With a whole new defensive overhaul that kinda tells me that the boys upstairs are getting anxious ( I know we are). I think we will see a lot of focus this year on: NT, LB, and S in the draft.
I've been trying to make this point. Linebackers are our oldest and worse unit. Our WRs and Secondary is perhaps the youngest in the NFL. It is logical to try the hardest to replace the oldest and worse players rather then spend early draft picks on adding another rookie to what are already very young areas. This would go with any business in any area.
Torbor was a starter because Crowder was injured. we went with Taylor, Crowder, Ayodele and Porter for most of the year. it doesn't make us much younger on average though.
