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PHDram
you said "top DLs". i interpreted that as "specific defensive linemen". apparently you meant "top defensive lines"
nevertheless, they made it to the superbowl with him and there is no reason they cant again. plus hes young and still likely to improve. that being said, can he be replaced? sure. in fact i think hes a fa next year and im not sure at this point id spend big money to keep him. so at least we agree on that.
finally, speaking of things no one said, i never said blythe was invaluable. at said his cost to production ratio is a "god send." i dont think you could say the same for joyner given he was making about 12 mill per year.
All you did was rephrase what I said into something I didn't say. I didn't put it in terms of one on one match ups, but deliberately said top DLs: Blythe did not play well against top DLs. I then named them. The game doesn't consist of multi-snap one on ones...it's DLs attacking the OLs, playing stunts and games with different players lining up in different spots, so I have never just sat there and watched Blythe against individuals (and a number of the teams I named were 3/4s which means they don't line up directly over the guard regularly anyway.) I deliberately put it as top DLs, not the more simplistic one on one thing. Heck NE didn't beat the Rams OL because of a great DT attacking AB, they beat it through tactics and strategy--they attacked it in a deliberate way, exploiting weaknesses they knew full well were there.
IMO Blythe is a weak link DLs can exploit (Sullivan too) and the superbowl was not the only time that happened. As I said I listed the teams.
Speaking of things I didn't say, I did not say money doesn't matter. I said I don't care if a player is cheap IF he is a weak link that can be exploited.
And they reached the superbowl with Joyner too but did not keep him. So being one of the 22 doesn't make you invaluable. To me what made the line work most of the season had much more to do with Kromer, Whitworth, and Saffold.
Blythe had his moments as an outside zone blocker but he is not enough of a physical player to last that way. My bet is they don't extend him.
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