The addition of safties who can tackle and aren't afraid to get their nose up toward the LOS will help.
If we have that kind of a safety playing in the so-called star position, and maybe another who can play close to the line ( acouple of ways to do this) we should be OK with one linebacker and some run-stuffers on the line in passing/play action situations. It'll be interesting to see how long our basic D (5 backs) stays on the field - there might be fewer snaps for Rozeboom and Reeder.
Shula will be without AD, certainly, but he'll have some exciting options at his disposal that weren't available when AD was playing.
You can play a new brand of hardnosed, tough, physical football and still do it with speed, intelligence, and innovation. I see McVay morphing in that direction in how he is shaping the Rams coaching staff, and what Snead provides for him to work with in the roster. This will be a different type of Rams team from the one that won a Super Bowl.
And I see McVay maturing in the direction of listening more, delegating more authority to his coaching staff. With that change comes more room for his coordinators to be innovative, throw their best ideas into the churn with his. It'll be real interesting to see what rises to the top.
