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Defensive tackles sometimes are treated like tie tacks -- accessories, not necessities. But this spring, defensive tackles are the must-have items.
There was a stampede for the big men in the draft; six defensive tackles were chosen in the first round. Three teams, the Jets, Saints and Patriots, moved up to take one.
Part of it, obviously, is there have been more quality tackles available. But there is more to it. The Super Bowl champion Buccaneers reinforced the lesson last year that great defenses usually begin with great tackle play.
"When you play Tampa, the first guy you're trying to game-plan to stop is Warren Sapp," says Saints coach Jim Haslett. "So if you get a player of that caliber, he can make a difference as much as any other player on your defense. Usually, teams go for rush guys, cornerbacks and guys who score touchdowns. But if you can't stop the run, that's when you decide tackles become valuable. Our tackle play wasn't very good, and we didn't stop the run."
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There was a stampede for the big men in the draft; six defensive tackles were chosen in the first round. Three teams, the Jets, Saints and Patriots, moved up to take one.
Part of it, obviously, is there have been more quality tackles available. But there is more to it. The Super Bowl champion Buccaneers reinforced the lesson last year that great defenses usually begin with great tackle play.
"When you play Tampa, the first guy you're trying to game-plan to stop is Warren Sapp," says Saints coach Jim Haslett. "So if you get a player of that caliber, he can make a difference as much as any other player on your defense. Usually, teams go for rush guys, cornerbacks and guys who score touchdowns. But if you can't stop the run, that's when you decide tackles become valuable. Our tackle play wasn't very good, and we didn't stop the run."
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