Alright, I'll preface this by saying we're comparing apples to oranges here, but let's be frank. There is no nose tackle in the league I'd rather have than Kris Jenkins. Aside from Ed Reed, there is no safety in the league I'd rather have than Kerry Rhodes. Aside from maybe, MAYBE Nnamdi Asomugha, there is no corner in the league I'd rather have than Darrelle Revis. If any of these guys went down, our defense would crumble. David Harris is one of the best inside linebackers in the game. Patrick Willis is pretty damn good, so is Jerod Mayo, Ray Lewis and Bart Scott are damn good, etc. My point is even though we've been playing without David Harris, we're still a damn good defense. If Jenkins went down, that would not be the case. If Rhodes went down, that would not be the case. If Revis went down, that would not be the case.
I agree with your aples to oranges preface. I think the problem is the position that Harris plays just has less of an 'impact' than something like a corner, or a DT. I would say on any team, defences would prefer a solid secondary or a solid defensive line than a solid group of linebackers. I feel like a stron DL can shut dwon the run game and pressure/sack the QB. A solid secondary forces turnovers, sacks, makes there tackles, and can stop the run behind the line (i.e. safety playing up). But linebackers... they are kind of like second-line defence? There contributions are less spectacular than the other 2 parts of defence. I might tnot be explaining myself very well, I'm in class and trying to listen (ha!), but as a midfield player in soccer for years and years, I compare myself to a linebacker. You're expected to help stop the run AND the pass, (in soccer, offence and defence), and you laregely get little credit for it. It's just that kind of position that is harder to reallyy REALLY change the game, but a good group of linebackers also really helps a defence. [edit] And I realize as I just finished writing that that I can recall a few linebackers winning defensive MVP in recent years, and linebackers often win the DROY.... so maybe my point is moot.
Agree, totally. Any of the ones you mentioned would hurt if they went down, I think the biggest of the bunch is Jenkins. Our defense is just not the same at all without him. If Jenkins goes down teams will be able to run on us. It also frees up a better attack on passing over the middle because now both ILBs have to be occupied with the run.
That is all well and good. I said Jenkins is the one player this defense would miss bigtime in the edit portion of my reply. So what is the point or argument there? I just disagree with you as far as the Revis or Rhodes and we can probably end that now as it is going to be a circuitous argument. They are not anymore important than Harris imo. You can count how many players at the position you would rather have and it is true there are more ILB's that are close to Harris then there are players that are close to Revis. Rhodes, however, that is not the case as there are a bunch of freakishly good safety's in the NFL. I do not see what plugging in other players from other teams have to do with importance in regards to those 3 on the Jets or shows how one is more important then the other. How much worse can the pass d get if you took Rhodes out and stuck a healthy Harris in? What, the Jets would have given up 500 yards to Cassel instead of 400+? How much worse would they or could they have been? No way in hell would this defense crumble. The run stopping would continue to be stout and the Jets would continue to have the same troubles stopping the no huddle spread offenses that gash them anyway....... even with 2 of the best DB's in the entire league in their secondary. So we can agree to disagree at this point hopefully this argument will continue to be folly, as Harris comes back healthy and Revis/Rhodes do not get hurt. To be honest I do not care to see who is or isn't correct as that......... well you know what I am driving at.
