Originally posted by NCommand:
Absolutely we'll be copying that defense...
You can run the same scheme with vastly different personnel. You don't have to follow the exact same player model, nor should you. Jacksonville runs the same scheme and they have invested heavily up front with Malik Jackson and Calais Campbell. There are a dozen different ways to approach it, the key is getting as many great players as possible.
You don't pass up on a potential franchise cornerstone because "that isnt the way Seattle does it."
Shanahan himself has said there is far too much focus on "scheme fit." You get yourself some damn good football players and you fit the scheme around their abilities, just as the 49ers did the last time that they won the SB having two dominant interior players.
How much more is Thomas going to give you over a healthy Armstead + Blair?
Thomas is a much better prospect than Armstead was and far far better than Blair. Neither guy is someone whp stops you from upgrading if you think you can get a much better overall player.
No comparison between Thomas and Armstead. Thomas is far more athletic, has a much better motor and was a lot more productive in college.
It's not copying their approach but rather, the very blue print of the defense itself. Kyle Shanahan wants to face a defense that makes you earn every yard. He's installing the defensive scheme here...therefore, they'll look for players who fit it just like his WCO.
Nothing about Thomas isnt a fit for this defense and he could be used much in the same way that Seattle uses Bennett. Its crazy to me to make the claim that any single defense in the NFL can't use a potentially dominant DL. You still win football games up front and Thomas is perfect for running the kind of stunts that Seattle and Atlanta love to do.
Its Armstead that is a very peculiar fit for this defense when you already have a guy in Buckner who does all the same stuff but at a higher level.
IMHO we already filled that need with Armstead/Blair last year..
Armstead hasn't filled anything thus far. He's looked like a low motor guy who gets washed out on the run. I don't think you can count on him for much. If they draft Thomas and Armstead steps up and plays well, great the NFL's worst defense against the run a year ago now has a nice rotation and you have a decent trade chip in Armstead.
If Armstead sucks and is another Baalke bust, well now having Thomas helps soften the blow just a tad bit.
[ Edited by Phoenix49ers on Mar 20, 2017 at 4:16 PM ]
