"Missing piece"

[JohnTurney]

Some called Charles Haley the 'missing piece" -- the edge rusher Dallas need to up the diefense to CHamp. level

Fred Dean trade -- same thoughs for SF in 1981

Micah Parsons? Would be called same if somehow Pack can get it done soon. Love is good QB. They have a lot of good stuff. Edge rusher a big need --- like Dal and SF had. Not perfect parallel but one to watch and see if it can happen.,

[Gary Najman]

Herschel Walker was the supposed missing piece for the Vikings to get to the Super Bowl when they acquired him in 1989 trading their present and their future, and more than 35 years later Minnesota hasn’t made to another Super Bowl.

[Brian wolf]

Makes sense with a number a of players, and not just pass rushers.

Herb Adderley with the Cowboys in 1970-71
Mike Haynes with the Raiders 1983
Rodney Harrison with the Patriots 2003-04
Ricky Jackson or Deion Sanders 1994 49ers, though they had a number of free agents.

DeMarcus Ware with the Broncos in 2014-15 who was an older version of Parsons. I felt had the Cowboys kept Ware, he might have made a difference in the 2014, 2016 playoffs against the Packers but Jerry Jones let him hit free agency, where he would meet Von Miller at the QB. I felt Jones would never try to let another great pass rusher go but he did with Parsons. I am still not sure why the Cowboys didnt keep Robert Quinn in 2020, but the Bears must have offered more money?

Stephon Gilmore with the Patriots in 2017-18, though they were defending their 2016 championship. Had the 2019 Patriots defense kept their pace after 9 games, they would have had the best defense since the 2002 Bucs. They still barely gave up over 14 points per game.

Frank Clark for Chiefs in 2019-20. After losing Dee Ford and Justin Houston, Clark made a difference in 2019, though he never had the pass rushing impact in the regular season like he did in postseason. Should have had a much better career.

What do you think John? Jalen Ramsey for the Rams in 2021?

[JohnTurney]

What do you think John? Jalen Ramsey for the Rams in 2021?

I think Ramsey was traded for the year before, if you were to go for "missing piece"
Von Miller fits a little more ... since it was same season.

Overall, if the title does not have to come right, right away, then yeah ...
it fits with all your examples --- maybe akin to Adderley who came in 1970 and
the title in 1971 for Dallas ... like that

[Brian wolf]

Thats right ... I forgot Miller joined as well. His rush definitely helped Donald and Floyd but Ramsey was big too. Shades of the 1994 49ers. I wanted to bring up Reggie White and Charles Woodson but those Packer's teams took awhile to get the Lombardi Trophy ...

[Halas Hall]

Maybe not a missing piece, but Preston Pearson was a key addition when he left the Steelers for the Cowboys in 1975.

Good topic

[CSKreager]

Neil Smith, 1997 Broncos

[7DnBrnc53]

Neil Smith, 1997 Broncos

He helped, although adding Keith Traylor inside helped as well, and they also added Trevor Pryce that year in the draft.

[ShinobiMusashi]

I have an alternate timeline fan fiction where the AFL never merges with the NFL and puts them out of business by 77-78, pretty much just rebooking the AFL as the singular pro football league through the 80's. In writing it I came across a bunch of players, coaches, games, etc. that were way before my time that really stood out to me(a lot of stuff from 1981 to 1983 to me seems kind of forgotten or not as glamourized by historians as much as previous or latter eras). One that really stuck out to me was Everson Walls. Had never heard of him but man his stats and roles he had on some of those teams he seems like a Hall Of Famer.

To me I feel like he was the missing piece for that 1990 Giants Super Bowl run. He played for Dallas from 1981 to 1989 then New York got him in 1990, he has 6 interceptions and is a big factor on that secondary. Played all 16 games in 1990 for New York and if I remember correctly he had a huge open field tackle that saved their win in Super Bowl XXV. Belichick must have really appreciated him he brought him to Cleveland in 93-94 when he was 33-34 years old.

[Brian wolf]

I watched Everson Walls' career and he definitely helped the Giants win it all in 1990. He also gave up two huge passes in the NFC Championship to John Taylor and the SB to James Lofton that somewhat epitomized his career. A great ballhawk who could also give up big plays. His play at corner got more solid as the years went on but considering he wasnt even drafted, a celebrated career. If Ken Riley can make the HOF, Walls should as well, but I would put him in the HOVG, which he joined in 2019 before I voted.