Lifelong Falcons fan checking in. I agree with everything Mullinator said, except:
I disagree; we keep Duckett. When it’s third-and-one, he’s rock-solid, and I think his strength makes a good contrast with Dunn’s agility. The combo keeps defenses guessing. I wouldn’t change a thing about our running game.
I confess, though, that there have been a couple games–chiefly late in this season–when I’ve screamed at the TV that Matt Schaub should be our starting QB.
I think Alexander is great, hell of a back, but depending on how high the pricetag is I would let him go. Signing Hutchinson, Jurevicius, Bailey and Bernard are all more important, and Alexander’s money could retain at least 2 of those guys. If someone steals Hutchinson for a huge number, then maybe Alexander so long as he doesn’t break the bank, but of all those positions RB is the easiest to replace.
i said the same damned thing…in a lot more words…and my post got deleted.
well, screw it.
the lions are fine at reciever, but they need to make amends with charles rogers and get him back into the fold. he’s a good talent, and a number two overall pick. you can’t just waste that.
the quarterback will get upgraded when we draft jay cutler. we’ll see if martz (i’m a huge fan of him running the offense…big critic if he’s a head coach. he and marty schottenheimer and bill cowher are all morbidly wretched at clock management. holmgren isn’t too far behind now after his super bowl hiccup.)
the running back situation is good and happy.
martz is going to help the offense out immensely because we’re not going to limit the offense. as of the beginning of the year, i said if i were the coach, i’d spread three wide recievers out with a tight end and run that formation about 80 or 90 some odd percent of the time.
we need some help at the offensive line. hopefully we can get some diamonds in the rough on the o-line.
the defensive line was good. we could use another young defensive tackle to spell dan wilkinson. he’s getting old and i think we could get ourselves a young, cheap guy with a good motor in the second or third round
perhaps gabe watson from michigan or rodrique wright from texas would be ideal (they would both be gone by the third round, however…hell, they might sneak up into the first).
the linebackers are decent and young. if we can upgrade or get depth, i’ll be cool with that. we just don’t need a rash of injuries like last year.
the secondary is good and relatively deep. dre bly is unhappy, but he’s a helluva player.
out return game is fine. i like eddie drummond, but if we can’t get him back, we draft jeremy bloom in the third round. problem solved.
oh yeah…and we get rid of the ford family and make it so they stop running the team like their floundering business.
i said the same damned thing…in a lot more words…and my post got deleted.
well, screw it.
the lions are fine at reciever, but they need to make amends with charles rogers and get him back into the fold. he’s a good talent, and a number two overall pick. you can’t just waste that.
the quarterback will get upgraded when we draft jay cutler. we’ll see if martz (i’m a huge fan of him running the offense…big critic if he’s a head coach. he and marty schottenheimer and bill cowher are all morbidly wretched at clock management. holmgren isn’t too far behind now after his super bowl hiccup.)
the running back situation is good and happy.
martz is going to help the offense out immensely because we’re not going to limit the offense. as of the beginning of the year, i said if i were the coach, i’d spread three wide recievers out with a tight end and run that formation about 80 or 90 some odd percent of the time.
we need some help at the offensive line. hopefully we can get some diamonds in the rough on the o-line.
the defensive line was good. we could use another young defensive tackle to spell dan wilkinson. he’s getting old and i think we could get ourselves a young, cheap guy with a good motor in the second or third round
perhaps gabe watson from michigan or rodrique wright from texas would be ideal (they would both be gone by the third round, however…hell, they might sneak up into the first).
the linebackers are decent and young. if we can upgrade or get depth, i’ll be cool with that. we just don’t need a rash of injuries like last year.
the secondary is good and relatively deep. dre bly is unhappy, but he’s a helluva player.
out return game is fine. i like eddie drummond, but if we can’t get him back, we draft jeremy bloom in the third round. problem solved.
oh yeah…and we get rid of the ford family and make it so they stop running the team like their floundering business.
If I were the Lions’ GM:
I’d sit around and twiddle my thumbs all day.
I’d still do a better job than Matt Millen.
Thanks** Omni ** – I heard that “fact” repeated so much I took it for granted and never actually checked
Soulmurk I like 90% of what you wrote. On that remaining 10% I have a sincere question, a severe disagreement and a slight quibble
Question
I am sincere when I ask this not chesty: Is there something up with Randy Thomas? Last I heard he was coming back? Do you know something different or are you just slyly casting aspersions about his style? AFAIK Dockery and Thomas are both back next season …
DISAGREE
I disagree completely about Patten. I know you are not alone in your opinion, many smart Redskin folks put a lot of stock Patten (incl. Gibbs and staff in 05); this is almost entirely based on his playoff run the year before with the Pats and Brady. Patten never has had more than 825 yards in a season & in fact in 9 years has only gotten near that mediocre mark twice.
This season paired with Moss and with Brunell playing well, he started 7 games (And played in 9) he had 22 catches for 217 yards. If we give him all the credit in the world and just use his 7 starts over 16 games that is 50 catches for 494 yards.
Which really is NOT an Anomoly - it is just about an average David Patten year
The Redskins, being the Redskins overpaid him – and he is an excellent, if overpaid, third receiver - not a number 2
Quibble
We will need to agree to disagree about Taylor who IMHO is a game changing/difference making player… but he is also a (lesser) TO style problem and I get your point … LOL at the Special Teams being the Star Trek OS Red Shirts
I’m about as in the dark as you are; I was flipping through the depth chart and noticed that there’s no one listed as a 1st string RG. Could just be a typo…
Fair enough. I did read an interview with Moss where he self-deprecatingly noted that he felt himself a 2nd receiver to Patten’s number 1, but the statistics don’t lie.
Maybe Patten won’t be the panacea to cure what ails the passing offense, but he does have the ability to make some plays, and that’s all they need to get the double and triple covers off of Moss, even if it’s only for a few plays per game.
If nothing else, he’s a step up from James Thrash.
Oh, I quite agree that he’s a game changer. The guy has incredible raw talent, but he’s a loose cannon. Calling him a cancer (especially with the connection of the word to T.O. of late) may be a bit much, but any way you look at it his off-field problems are at the least a distraction, and at worst a morale breaker.
I’d love to see the guy stick around (partly because I’d fear whatever team he went to), but the coaches have to be concerned with his behavior both on and off the field (two different spitting incidents in as many years… that’s just not cool), and consider carefully whether or not it’s worth keeping around, assuming he’s even available.
Jimmy’s covered the Iggles, (mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a pork sandwich … genius, I tell ya ) so some of mine will be a response to his.
Coaching I agree with his assessment about what Reid did wrong this year, and what’s more, I think Reid does too. I expect to see them running the ball next year. I tend to think that Simon’s departure was more of a Joe Banner move than Reid.
QB Donovan McNabb is one of the five best quarterbacks in football, and will be through the end of the decade. He needs a backup, as McMahon sucks. Kitna is wishful thinking, but the Cardinals might also cut Josh McCown loose, or we might be able to get Jeff Blake back.
RB They need a power back, but I disagree with the thinking that says they should take LenDale White. A 14 pick shouldn’t be wasted on a ten-carry guy. I’ve been wanting for years to get Davenport. He would be just F’in perfect for the Birds – and I know because I always trade for him when playing Madden :D. Line up with him at FB, then split Westbrook out. With Samkon Gado, we can dream the Pack will let him go. But more probable is Lamar Gordon or someone like him.
WR Reggie Wayne will likely only be a wet dream, but contrary to rumor, there are some other decent WRs out there. Reggie Brown alongside Antonio Bryant, Randle El, Givens or Gaffney would be a better pair than they had from 2001-03.
TENeed to find a complementary blocker for Smith. Not hard to find.
OLRunyan goes. If Herremans isn’t ready, Andrews moves to tackle, and we find a guard somewhere.
DLI’m with Jimmy here: they need to get a functional free-agent AND spend the #14 pick here. I’d prefer Kyle Vanden Bosch over Howard, but (say it with me) he may not be available. Orpheus Roye would be a good DT if they want to go DE in the draft; actually I kind of prefer that option.
LBTrotter aside, they do suck. Luckily, there are a bunch of solid LBs out there. Take one or two of them and draft an OLB in round 2 or 3.
DB I think they’ll be fine, but I’d love to get Jerry Azumah. Give him a chance to win a job (he lost his in Chi), and if he doesn’t, you have a hell of nickel package and a kick-ass return man. Much as it hurts to say it: yep, Dawkins is getting older.
First-Day DraftIIRC, they have three fours this year; they’ll probably package two of them to pick up another first-day pick. Assuming we have a one, a two and two threes, I’d like to see DL, WR, OLB and maybe a OL.
Outlook: 11-5 with a last-place schedule. Dallas will be under .500. The Skins will be as good as the Eagles, but with a harder schedule. The Giants I can see finishing anywhere from 5-11 to the Super Bowl.
randle el is going to be overpaid this year. some stupid team is going to open up their pocketbooks, but it can’t be the redskins this year, and it doesn’t look like it’ll be the cowboys either, so someone’s gotta step up and do something stupid (the eagles wouldn’t overpay for their OWN players, or at least not ones named “mcnabb”, so i wouldn’t expect to see him land in an eagles uniform. randle el, not mcnabb. mcnabb already has one for a few more years)
i’ll liken him to az zahir hakim about 6 years ago when the lions overpaid for him.
anything wrong with either of them? no, not at all…but they’re definitely not number one-types. number two, perhaps, but definitely lethal number threes.
…furthermore, there’s NO way haloti ngota slides to 14 for the eagles fans.
i’d be willing to put money on that. he won’t make it out of the top ten.
there are some interesting early second round considerations on the defensive line, gabe watson (michigan) and rodrique wright (texas) being two…one of which i’d love to see in a lions uniform (like i’ve already accidentally double posted about…sorry).
i also think the eagles should spend a third rounder…maybe second depending on the draft day weather…and get a quarterback. mcnabb has had too many major injuries the past couple years for me to be content with having mike mcmahon as the backup.
Quick Update: Today is Day One of the Combine in Indy.
A few guys I’m watching: DeAngelo Williams, Laurence Maroney, Jay Cutler, Vernon Davis, Chad Jackson, Sinorice Moss
Predictions:
[list]
[li]DeAngelo Williams stock is going to plummet when they see how poor his hands are. [/li][li]Maroney’s stock is going to skyrocket.[/li][li]Vernon Davis might be a top 5 pick before the week is over. He’s AWESOME.[/li][li]Culter to the J-E-T-S.[/li][li]Moss will impress with his intensity and speed, perhaps closing the gap between him and Holmes. [/li]
There’s alot of guys projected in the first round on the defensive side of the ball and not a single one blows me away. This is the opposite of my typical impression. The OSU LBs both will be solid, but neither is going to be a perennial Pro Bowler. I wouldn’t mind seeing Carpenter as the weak side LB for the Bears, but he’s not worth a late 1st rouder IMHO. Not over the WRs and RBs that will still be available, anyways. Michael Huff is the only one I’d put in my top 10.
Quick Update: Today is Day One of the Combine in Indy.
A few guys I’m watching: DeAngelo Williams, Laurence Maroney, Jay Cutler, Vernon Davis, Chad Jackson, Sinorice Moss
Predictions:
[ul]
[li]DeAngelo Williams stock is going to plummet when they see how poor his hands are. [/li][li]Maroney’s stock is going to skyrocket.[/li][li]Vernon Davis might be a top 5 pick before the week is over. He’s AWESOME.[/li][li]Culter to the J-E-T-S.[/li][li]Moss will impress with his intensity and speed, perhaps closing the gap between him and Holmes. [/ul][/li]
There’s alot of guys projected in the first round on the defensive side of the ball and not a single one blows me away. This is the opposite of my typical impression. The OSU LBs both will be solid, but neither is going to be a perennial Pro Bowler. I wouldn’t mind seeing Carpenter as the weak side LB for the Bears, but he’s not worth a late 1st rouder IMHO. Not over the WRs and RBs that will still be available, anyways. Michael Huff is the only one I’d put in my top 10.
nah, cutler goes to the lions. it has been spoken.
the jets will take d’brickshaw ferguson, however.
No chance in HELL that Cutler is still there at #9. The Lions need defense desperately, and will be taking Huff, Hawk or Ngata.
The Jets might take Ferguson if they land a FA QB, but I promise you Pennington will not be back and they need a QB more than a OT.
49ers: Everything.
Hey, that was easy! I could be their GM…oh, wait they don’t have one.
my problem with the pennington situation…
he has a year left at 9 million. they want him to take an 8 million dollar pay cut and have an incentive laden contract to make up the additional 8 million. if they cut him, however, they have to pay something like 12 million.
…um…why not just keep him? maybe he’ll play. maybe he’ll work out. either way, you pay. that just sounds almost too stupid to be true
You’ve got your numbers off a bit. He’s due $8 million this year, not $9. His cap number (due to signing bonus) if they keep him will be $12 million. If they cut him the cap hit is only $10 million.
Unless the Jets are 100% sure that he’s going to be able to play following the injury you have to cut him. They are $20+ million over the cap right now and only have a week to get under that number. Losing Ty Law was part of that, but they still have a way to go and the $2 mil they save cutting Pennington is huge from a cap standpoint. Also, remember if they keep him there’ll be a cap hit when they cut him next year, best to get it over with now.
ah, i wasn’t aware about the cap hit next year, or that they were over the cap, let alone by that much. my bad. then yeah, it makes good sense. hopefully pennington can come back from his injury…there’s always room in the league for an accurate passer.
as a note…why in the hell can’t there be more than a handful “good” quarterbacks? it’s not like everyone in grade school doesn’t want to be the quarterback when they’re younger…so everyone gets/wants to play it…so everyone is exposed to it. you’d think the law of averages with all the kids playing football would reap more good quarterbacks.
I agree, I think that just enforces how incredibly difficult it is. Throwing a football is just one of those things you have or don’t have, unlike speed and strength which you can develop.
I’ll take the opening stab at the Steelers…
Coaching-No major offseason changes here, as the Whiz decided to stay and look at HC openings next year. Not much needed, except maybe give Darren Perry a raise for the job he has done with the young secondary.
QB-Maddox is gone, Batch is a reliable backup, so keep Batch one more year, and draft for 3rd string depth in the draft.
RB-What a mess…Haynes is FA…I waiver between two scenarios…1)restructure Staley, let Haynes walk, draft for depth, let Parker/Staley split carries. 2) Release Staley, sign Haynes if cheap enough, and trade a 3rd round pick for TJ Duckett.
WR-We need a tall, field stretching #1 WR…Ward is honestly a 2…we ware going to lose Randle El, but Morgan is a capable #3. Wilson and Nate Washington actually make a solid #s 4 and 5. Drafting a WR is silly here, since we need a #1 type now, and WRs generally take a couple of years to develop. I would look into a solid, veteran #1 via FA and draft here early in the next year or two.
OL-Hartings is getting old, and if he will restructure, and we can get another year or two out of him, then great. Drafting a C is a top priority(first 3 rounds) We have solid OL at all other positions…I would still draft for depth here in rounds 5 or 6.
DL-Kimo is old, and while Hoke is a solid replacement, we need to resign Kiesel. Again…drafting for depth here when it’s available.
LB-we are solid at all 4 positions, with some young hard hitting backups…I would actually look at Akin Ayodele here via FA…he reminds me of Farrior when Farrior was at the Jets…I’d like to see Ayodele running free inside with Farrior disrupting offenses.
SS- Polamalu.
CB-Another strong position, with Taylor, Coclough, and McFadden all looking like they are developing nicely. I would start Taylor and McFadden next year.
FS-Hope is a FA…he knows the system…and we need an experienced FS to run the zone blitz. IF he can be retained at the right price he needs to be signed, but if not, sign a veteran and draft EARLY(1-2).
We are pretty much drafting for depth everywhere, with the biggest need being FS if Hope leaves. In the first round, I would take the BPA out of the C,FS,orDE. Second round I would keep the same position list but add WR. After that, it’s BPA except for QB.
My biggest concerns are 1)Hope–resigning or replacing and 2)the RB situation