Plus I've seen nothing that says Wade's system prevents a 2nd ILB from being on the field in passing downs. It is just a matter of who is the best guy to defend the pass in obvious passing situations. Logically it is your 4 best pass rushers, your best 6 DBs, and a MLB who can cover/zone a bit. But not always. This year Cushing has been less in coverage and actually blitzes a fair amount or spies and then rushes when he determines the spy is not needed.
That is why on passing downs I actually think we could actually get away with mixing in a standing Brooks Reed in the middle the rest of the year. He is definitely not a MLB, but if 5 are coming, why not. To avoid tendencies he can still occasionally drop into zone blitz coverage (as can Barwin a tiny bit), so you could still bring a DB for confusion's sake. But if it comes down to Brady James/Dobbins/Ruud not covering a RB/TE or Brooks Reed being an obvious 5th pass rusher, I'd go with Reed.
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10-12-2012, 03:41 PM
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