I could handle Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan as 4-3 ends. Our switch to the 3-4 simply has never been followed up with an investment in resources on the defensive side. I'm more worried about talent and quality of coach than particular scheme. We don't have a single front seven player of any value who would be a much better fit in either scheme.
You can't have Smith and Kerrigan as full time ends. Murphy should play end. Smith is a situational pass rusher, unless you think Kerrigan could play SLB in a 4-3.
I've been perusing message boards and whatnot since the Giants game and I am shocked at the number of people who want to drop Cousins like a sack of potatoes. He crap the bed against the Giants, yeah, but we're Browns-esque without him. Still had a good year against the #1 SOS. I'd love to know how many of those same people were RGIII ballclingers. I'll take Cousins over the Becks and Campbells of the world every day unless Rodgers is walking through that door.
People are balking at investing 13% of the cap on Cousins. If that's really how you feel, you franchise him, trade him for picks, then spend the next couple seasons winning 2-6 games a season. The number of people who don't understand this astound me. For some reason, they think you can't build a good defense while paying a QB that much. In reality, that's what most teams in the playoffs are doing.
