Agreed on Hitchens and the penalties being bullshit. Just a week or two ago I thought in an ideal world Hitchens is a guy you want in a super-sub role, a guy you could start but ideally you'd like to upgrade, but the more he plays the more I think this guy could be a long-term starter.
He doesn't really have any elite physical attributes but he's just solid in all aspects, and he's very physical, a trait we've lacked for years. The fact that he has been cross-trained at several of the LB spots is a huge plus as well.
If we keep the coaching staff intact I think the defense could be very good next year if we keep adding to the talent base. Young guys who were huge question marks coming in to the season like Wilcox, Crawford and Hitchens have proven themselves to at least be guys who you can count on to do their job within the scheme, not to mention older guys like Mincey. The secondary in particular has impressed me with their physicality and ability to play the ball in the air, something our secondary hasn't been able to do consistently since God knows when.
If we just continue to add talent on that side of the ball, keep the staff intact for the most part and let the young guys continue to grow within the scheme, we could definitely have something.
