LDE
Bryant Young is still here, and I love him. He’s not his former self, but IMO he is still a viable player either inside or outside. Clearly we’ll need to find a replacement STAT, but in the meantime, I think BY can hold it down for another year, maybe even 2.

The Solution: Throw every $$$ you have at the best FA you can find in 2008, or draft the top prospect at this position in the draft

NT
Isaac Sopoaga, Anthony Adams, and Ronald Fields are all pretty good players for this spot as I see it. For a 3-man rotation, I honestly think we could do A LOT worse. If Adams is gone after this season, I think replacing him with a mid-round draft choice in one of the upcoming two drafts would be fine. NT is arguably the spot we need the least help at IMO. Could we use an upgrade? Perhaps. But as Fields and Sopoaga continue to mature and learn technique, I think they both have potential.

The Solution: Stick with what you got

RDE
I think Marques Douglas does a pretty good job all told. His job isn’t to rack up numbers, but to create space for the LBs, and I personally feel that he does a good job doing that. However, I still think we could use another guy to bring in either situationally, or pushing Douglas to a more situational role.

The Solution: Sign Chad Lavalais this upcoming offseason

OLB
I don’t know about anyone else, but Brandon Moore has impressed me with his play outside, especially considering the fact that all the coaches seem to think he’s better suited as an inside player. Perhaps I haven’t been paying close enough attention to his coverage, but he seems like a winner outside. I think a mixture of Moore and Parys Haralson is a good combination for that spot.

The Solution: Stick with what you got

ILB
While I’m not nearly as vociferous as many in claiming that Derek Smith is the cause of all our problems in life, I agree that we need an upgrade inside. Smith is what he is: a guy who makes a lot of tackles. IMO, he’s a solid tackler and seems to diagnose plays pretty well…he just can’t seem to do anything about the diagnosis he made. Let’s get some young’uns in here.

The Solution: As badly as I want Calvin Johnson…draft Patrick Willis

ILB
Everything I just said about Derek Smith…I say about Jeff Ulbrich. I think he’s a good player, but I think he’d be even better if he were a rotational guy behind someone else.

The Solution: Sign a free agent with some mileage on him (like London Fletcher) to groom Philip Wheeler, who I like more than D’Qwell Jackson, who I love. Wheeler might be undersized, but he destroys everything in his path. I fucking love that guy.

OLB
Manny Lawson.

The Solution: Manny Lawson

RCB
Shawntae Spencer just got extended, and despite a subpar game yesterday, he’s still been a fine developing young player who I still believe will be among the top CBs in the league by the time he reaches his peak.

The Solution: Stick with what you got

LCB
Walt Harris is my hero. But he’s also a little old. We’re gonna need someone behind him to mature as he grows older. If it were possible to trade up like gangbusters and land both Willis and Antoine Cason, that’s the move. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem likely.

The Solution: Sign Nick Harper this upcoming offseason. He’s a young player who has continued to improve steadily, and even though he’s been in a Cover 2 scheme, I think he has natural talent in spades, and would make a fine CB2 opposite Spencer. Oh, and for the love of God, draft a CB on Day 1 just in case. Marcus McCauley or Fred Bennett would be two options.

SS
Tony Parrish is done. Plain and simple. Mark Roman is a nice stopgap, but we could definitely use an upgrade.

The Solution: Sign Michael Lewis this upcoming offseason. While I agree with Jordan that he could possibly play FS, I think he’s an outstanding SS, and is exactly what we need back there. And of course, Vickiel Vaughn will be around at some point (I love you Erickson!)

FS
As I’ve said numerous times, Mike Adams is a guy I’d love to keep as a “utility” DB; a guy who can be a nickel/dime CB, play a little FS when necessary, etc. But obviously an upgrade is absolutely vital.

The Solution: Draft Josh Gattis. He doesn’t have the hype of LaRon Landry and Brandon Merriwether because he plays for Wake Forest, but IMO he’s every bit the prospect. I THINK we could get him with our 2nd rounder at this point, but if not, he’d be worth trading back into round 1 for.

So, our defense would look like this down the line as I see it:

LDE–Bryant Young —-> Top FA or draft choice of 2008
NT–Isaac Sopoaga, Ronald Fields —-> Sopoaga, Fields, a mid-round prospect in 2007
RDE–Marques Douglas —-> Douglas, Chad Lavalais
OLB–Brandon Moore —-> Moore, Parys Haralson
ILB–Derek Smith —-> Patrick Willis
ILB–Jeff Ulbrich —-> London Fletcher —-> Philip Wheeler
OLB–Manny Lawson —-> Manny Lawson
RCB–Shawntae Spencer —-> Shawntae Spencer
LCB–Walt Harris —-> Nick Harper (or a prospect like McCauley or Bennett)
SS–Tony Parrish —-> Mark Roman —-> Michael Lewis
FS–Mike Adams —-> Josh Gattis

We win!

BTW, if you’re wondering where the rest of our FA $$$ in 2007 are going in my dream, at least some of them are for Ernest Wilford from JAX, who would be a big, physical, grinding possession guy and safety valve. I love Wilford.