Was going through some stats since we're at the halfway point of the regular season and found this interesting. In 2021, of the top 5 tacklers on the team (I chose 5 because that's who's getting the bulk of the snaps on the first team defense), two safeties made 158 tackles, compared to three linebackers making 165. This year, through six games, we have two safeties with 52 tackles and three linebackers with 101 tackles.

To me, this a sign of a healthy defense. Last year, runners got to the second level far too often and receivers were making far too many uncontested catches at the second level, forcing the safeties to clean up the mess. This year, the D line is controlling the line of scrimmage in run D, freeing the linebackers to make plays, and the linebackers are much better playing the pass in the middle of the field. Remember that "zone" coverage last year, when a tight end or wide receiver could just sit down in the middle of the field, catch, turn, and run up field? Haven't seen much of that this year, if at all. 

Knowles has worked a miracle. Pay him whatever he wants, whenever he wants.

I also did a very rudimentary extrapolation of this year to equate the number of games to last year, in case anyone wanted to see that in a table. 218 linebacker tackles to 95 safety tackles if things continue as is.