Isaiah Bruce has new digs, which sounds as though it makes the linebackers and the entire defense better, and Doug Rigg has said the defense will go as far as the linebackers can take them. As for interesting subtext, Rigg believes this defense will evolve more effectively than it did a year ago.

“Later on in the year, we were trying to be too simplistic because guys were playing the wrong technique,” Rigg said.

“During camp last year, we were trying to put in so much stuff that we didn’t get good at any one thing. This year, we’re worried about the base defense and getting great at that and then building off of that. We play base in everything we do, no matter if we’re at a disadvantage or if we have an advantage to stop them.”