If you haven’t heard the phrase “It’s a passing league,” repeatedly over the last several seasons, you don’t watch much NFL football. It has become a popular phrase for seemingly every broadcaster working on Sundays. Cris Collinsworth won’t let us forget it. Jon Gruden zealously implores us to recognize it. Even Phil Simms is aware of the Pangea-like shift that the league has undergone.
General managers across the NFL have evolved their entire philosophies to account for the shifting landscape of the league. Along with quarterback, two positions have become essential to hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy: cornerback and pass-rusher.