I don’t want to keep harping on my theme of linebacker issues but I can’t stop thinking that our linebacker play is hamstringing the rest of the defense. And I know Pierce has fired up the team emotionally, and he evidently does a good job of calling the defensive signals(though with the new issue of communication with the sidelines that role may be diminished somewhat) but I wish we were more physical at linebacker. You know, like when Carson, Banks and LT played the position, and every time a running back got the ball he knew he was going to be receiving the punishment instead of giving it.

Now I know that we may never again have linebackers as good as those from our glory years but I’m still not satisfied that we hammer these running backs enough. Too many times I see our linebackers making tackles from behind of being pushed backwards as they make their hit. That just seems unaceptable to me. Every time a runner gets a couple of yards he should get hit so damn hard that he wishes he never tried. Too many guys are sliding off tackles and falling for three or four gift yards.

With our history of great linebacker play it is frustrating as hell to see running backs carrying our linebackers for an extra two or three yards each play.

Well, it is what it is….and we’ll just have to make the best of what we have. Like George says, we did win it all last year with these guys, and I still think Wilkinson has the chance to be very good. Maybe one of the new guys will yet step up and surprise us.

I wonder who we should be looking at in college to draft at linebacker? Maybe we can make those extra picks for Shockey pay off.