While it would difficult to do anything other than absolutely love what Craig Robertson's answer says about the cohesive culture of a defense that, to this point, has been biting their bark in trying to one-up last year's unexpected feeding frenzy, it bears mentioning that the dogs in question are too damn big for all of them to eat. A great defensive line is a linebacker's best friend, but training camp is much like life in that it tends to tighten that inner circle over time. At some point, the rottweilers are going to emerge ahead of the pack while the labs are left a stray, so the "dog" label is as vague as it complimentary. That being said, if the reports out of training camp are any indication, there's not one player that's going to let himself get pooched from the trenches without a fight. In fact, though the constant disruption up front has been the most surprising and encouraging aspect of it, an early prognosis that is overwhelmingly positive isn't even defensive line centric. Never mind one play or player, because it hasn't even been one position group that has stood out in getting the better of an offense full of Pro Bowlers. From the presumed strength of a hungry secondary to an unheralded group of the linebackers that have been licking the chops left for them by the dogs on the d-line, the lack of a single defensive standout is much more indicative of their overall dominance than it is any sort of deficiency.
Admittedly, the hype hasn't been hushed by the fact that almost every defensive talent pool the Saints have had access to during the Sean Payton era has been shallow enough for Darren Sproles' feet to scrape the bottom. Perhaps organizations that haven't repeatedly broken their own record for incompetence are much more familiar with the concept of making tough cuts of deserving and impactful defensive players. Still, having an embarrassment of riches on the side of the ball that isn't afforded the Drew Brees' bump is a new feeling for both the Saints and their fans. It's still early and Craig Robertson's opinion might be a wee bit biased, but there's reason to believe that other NFL teams might actually be willing to adopt some of their dogs, and that only stands to strengthen the pick of the litter.
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