Now this statement.. "Norman really carried this unit, and he is the only real, long term bright spot for the team." is a bit misguided and ignorant. Breeland had a down year after two good ones, Dunbar had a pretty good year, and Fuller was a rookie... Do there is no hope for them??
I agree with you to an extent. The Skins were 9th in the NFL when it came to sacking QBs, but that impact was lessened no doubt. Due to our shitty 3rd dn defense that too often had DBs playing 9 yards off the LOS when it was 3rd n 6 or some shit.
So in conclusion I'd opine that having a better scheme is also needed. Better tackling is also a necessary component from every unit of the defense. How many times did we see a DB or LB or DE get carried or dug 2 or 3 or 4 yards downfield after making initial contact. Far too many times imo.