Hello.
I need to beef up the D. Is dline or LB more important?
Thanks.

If you don't blitz your LBers much then I feel they really don't matter much, typically I go after dline before LBers in this game.

The elephant in the room is that a lot of guys are using LB's on the DLine. It works, but probably won't for too long, it will probably be corrected in the next release. But for the time being, it makes LB a little more important in my books....

They're smaller & faster. Most use them as LDE or RDE. DT tend to be bigger & slower. Definitely put speed on the ends. (In regard to the elephant, I hope it gets fixed in the next update. I agree, totally, with you guys that the interactions between O-line & D-line needs tweaking).

It works just as well at DT, love me some athletic DTs. So much so in fact that I refuse to draft slow DTs.

D-line is phenomenally more important than LBers, who really do very little all things considered. However, as eyeballlll noted, you can play LBs at DE (and even DT) with great success right now. So if you had the choice between drafting or signing a 100 rated DE and a 100 rated LB, the LB is the better bet, since he's more versatile in being able to play either position.

I agree that DL is more important that SLB and MLB. However, WLB is an incredibly important position. Most of the running plays that are at all effective go to the weak side. That means having a good WLB will help prevent your opponent from going completely ballistic running the ball.

I actually think my LBs are very key to my success in MFN-7 as Denver.

While I did convert one to a monster DE... their ability in Coverage helps a ton, and both of my OLBs can get after the QB as well for a bonus. But then I have 100 SPD 100 ACC 100 STR guys at those OLB Spots (and the DE Spot).

So I'm not yet in the 'LBs do not matter' Camp... I just think you need them to be really good to matter.

Would my D be better if I put all 3 of these studs on the DL? No clue. I'd get a ton of sacks for sure... but I already get a ton of sacks. So I still value my OLBs and their Speed/Coverage.

I don't lose in MFN-7 because your Offense is better than my Defense... I only lose in MFN-7 because my Offense operates on a High School Level (spent all the Resources on my pretty Defense). But to let you know how effective my Defense is... I go to the Play Offs every Season now, with a QB rated less than 70 and another QB rated less than 60. They take turns trying to get hot for a streak. I can only do that because my Defense is so good.

A look at my 43 Defense in MFN-7 as Denver.

LDE Bolden 24: 100 SP 100 AC 100 ST 100 INT 100 DIS 55/75 TL 84/89 PR 82/90 RD
DT Sexton 26: 24 SP 100 AC 100 ST 100 INT 100 DIS 96/100 TK 89/100PR 98/100 RD
DT Klinger 26: 26 SP 57 AC 88 ST 100 INT 61 DIS 97/100 TK 97/100PR 98/100 RD
RDE Evans 25: 100 SP 69 AC 61 ST 34 INT 49 DIS 49 TK 39 PR 75 RD

SLB Velasquez 24: 100SP 100AC 100ST 100 INT 100 DIS 68/69 TK 91 PR 75/79 RD
96 PUN 78 ZC 78/82 M2M
MLB Humphreys 28: 77 SP 73 AC 79 ST 69 INT 84 DIS 90 TK 98/100 PR 96 RD
100 PUN 100 ZC 100 M2M
WLB Shepard 24: 100 SPD 100 AC 100 ST 100 INT 100 DIS 58/70 TK 73/83 PR 68/79 RD
83/87 PUN 64/73 ZC 54/73 M2M

CB Jones 27: 83 SP 98 AC 59 ST 98 INT 91 DIS 72 TK 22 PR 82 RD
83 PUN 81 ZC 75 M2M
CB Bradley 27: 70 SP 95 AC 48 ST 100 INT 94 DIS 86/88 TK 91 RP 46 RD
100 PUN 91 ZC 83/84 M2M
FS Powell 26: 100 SP 100 AC 79 ST 89 INT 23 DISC 96/100 TK 94/96 PR 29/36 RD
54/57 PUN 100 ZC 59/66 M2M
SS Fletcher 29: 100 SP 99 AC 97 ST 95 INT 94 DISC 100 TK 14 PR 100 RD
98 PUN 100 ZC 99 M2M

So you see Speed at RDE, LDE, WLB, SLB, FS and SS. The rest of the Defense is a combination, my CBs aren't fast but one can Pass Rush while the other can Run Stop and both can Tackle fairly well. Both Safeties can Tackle, one can Pass Rush and one can Run Stop... Both can Zone and the SS can M2M. I just keep the FS in Zone or Blitz.

The DL is awesome... 2 Strong DTs eating the OL, two Fast DEs blowing by for Sacks.

The OLBs are Fast and Strong, can get all over the field and Punish or get to the QB. The MLB is slower, but can Cover like a dang CB and is also great at Blitz and Run D. While not the best Tacklers, my OLBs make up for it by swarming.

And it all starts with LDE Phillip Bolden getting about 2.5 Sacks per Game and getting a billion Pressures so my CBs don't have to cover long and my LBs can quickly collapse to interrupt any weak passes.

Without my OLBs, this Defense isn't nearly as effective... despite how stocked it is. While Bolden is the biggest Impact, his Impact would be lessened if guys were passing all over my LBs.