Linebacker is one of the most important positions in the NFL right now. And there's one major reason for that: There's a scarce amount of true three-down LBs across the league.
In the modern NFL, linebackers are asked to do a lot in coverage. When they can't, teams need to cycle through rotations or use defensive backs at the position.
That's exactly what the Patriots did at the position last year, as safety Adrian Phillips had to play there amid coverage issues there. Bill Belichick has never gone after prototypical coverage linebackers during his career, but could that change?