Analyzing Pete Werner's Potential and Could He Be Next In Line as the Next Great Saints LB

MV2 said
You throw around alot of words that aren't fitting. Our LB depth in years past stepped up and played "excellent"? No sir. That's a bit of a stretch.

Yes we have relied on players that haven't made a name for themselves in the league, but other than ATL seemingly wanting to get their hands on every saints defender they could this offseason, how many of our excellent backups have garnered league wide attention?

They came in and played well for a backup, but none of us saw them come in and play so well that we wanted the starter to take longer to come back. If they played in the fashion you suggested then that would have been the case.

It's not just about names, but the experience part is what you are missing. A name comes with the experience of playing in the league under multiple situations so its easier to have confidence in that players mental ability. When we say our depth is unproven, it has nothing to do with the physical part of the game. Football is just as much mental as it is physical. Our depth has not proven to be mentally sound yet so that's the part that worries me. Stephone Anthony had the physical tools, but mentally he couldn't get it done.

I prefer your reasoned argument to some pithy meme.

I understand what you're saying and I think it just illustrates a dichotomy of thinking about this. I respect the other point of view you bring.

I think the coaches know their job well enough to identify the right players for their system and put them in position to play meaningful snaps, without needing to rely on retreads. I also see the last few seasons as showing that the team has consistently had the next man up ready to play and contribute. Empirically, I find that evidence hard to ignore when considering our set up for the coming season, particularly as I've heard the cry of 'Who's the backup? We need better!' each of those last few seasons. Turned out just fine.

I do have to disagree with your idea that our depth is only excellent if the backup steps in and start to outplay the starter. That's a bit of a nonsense, the starter is ahead of them for a reason, at least at that point in time. If their career arcs are heading in opposite directions, then sure, the coaches will be looking to the future at the position, but often times, the backup is the backup for good reason. Expecting to have a third, redundant starter is not all that realistic in the salary cap era. You work to get better all the time, but that doesn't mean you have starter calibre players all over your bench.

I think we've done this dance often enough to know we hold different views. I am comfortable with mine, I sense you're comfortable with yours. Let's reconvene in December after D'Marco (or Baun?) gets called on to be next man up, as will surely happen at some point.