JSn

Who's the big-time LB that comes along to replace the loss of Vrabel?

I understand there are guys on the roster who could technically play starting OLB, but not likely at a level that replaces Vrabel and makes our defense noteworthy again. Who would you choose? Why?

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BradfordPatsFan

I am not sure who is available but I would not be surprised to see the Pats try to swing a trade for an OLB/DE who may be a little deeper on a teams depth chart that they think could step into a role like Vrable did coming here from Pittsburgh.

I am not familiar enough with other team's depth charts for such a name...

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mayoclinic

Who says you can't do more than one?

For example, get Suggs or Peppers and then draft a day 1 LB like Connor Barwin. Move Adalius Thomas inside we are set at ILB for the next 3+ years with Mayo-Thomas-Guyton. Use Pierre Woods as a one year stop gap at OLB opposite Peppers/Suggs while Barwin develops and then have Peppers/Suggs and Barwin as bookend 3-4 OLBs, with Crable (and possibly Woods if we can sign he long term) as backups.

Assuming we gave up #23 to get one of Peppers/Suggs, we would still have #34, 47 and 58 as day one picks. We could target Barwin with #34, and use the others on the secondary (or possibly trade one back into 2010, especially if we went the Suggs route).

As an alternative scenario, get Suggs/Peppers and draft Clint Sintim in the 2nd round to play SILB. Suggs/Thomas/Crable/Woods would be the OLB rotation, and Mayo-Sintim-Guyton would be the core ILB rotation.

Either way, we would probably end up with the best LB corps since Baltimore had Suggs-Lewis-Scott-Thomas in 2006, if not better.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

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rblee83

Suggs and Peppers would both be amazing additions to the defense. I think Peppers can be had for less compensation that Suggs, though. Baltimore really wants to keep Suggs, and would require offering the two first round picks for a contract that Baltimore would have the option to match. You could put poison pills in the contract offer, but it would be more complicated.

With Peppers, you have a situation where he is threatening a hold out and says he doesn't want to play there. The Panthers would probably accept less than two firsts, like maybe a first and a third this year.

All things being equal, signing Peppers would be the better deal because we have to give up less. Where it gets tricky is whether Peppers would convert well to playing OLB for the first time. Suggs has played that position his whole NFL career and is younger.

I guess my answer would be Peppers, but only if BB is confident he can thrive in that role.

mcsully

Suggs and Peppers.. So are we talking about 2010 when there is no salary cap? Cause right now both are Franchised and even with 20 million to spend, we'd never been able to do it..

BradyFTW!

I think the assumption that everyone's making here is that the deal only happens if the player in question agrees to a long-term contract with more guaranteed money, but less of a cap hit in 2009.

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Mack Herron

Neither Suggs nor Peppers is coming. It will either be a rookie or a cheap veteran. Since rookies will not be able to learn the position right away, it looks like Woods (or Crable or Redd) on day 1. The only hope I see is a surprise TC casualty. I hope I am wrong.

rblee83

That might be the conventional wisdom, but if history is any guide, BB is not conventional. If he sees a way to improve the team, he isn't afraid to pull the trigger. He's paid big bucks for AD and Colvin in free agency, traded for Randy Moss, traded a 2nd for Dillon, traded a 2nd for Welker which left people scratching their heads, etc, etc... You can never predict what BB will do in a given year. If anything, this would be a CLASSIC surprise BB move!

JSn

Peppers Highlights - YouTube - The Best Of Julius Peppers 2008 Season

Suggs highlights - YouTube - Terrell Suggs Highlights

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DW Toys

I will run this one by you. Philly has a big PR problem right now with the losses in FA they have taken including Dawkins mostly. McNabb is whining that he has not gotten any "toys" in FA and they have a ton of CAP. They are sitting still. They lost RB Buckhalter and TE LJ Smith is an FA. They need to make a splash to quite the natives.

We have just signed RB Taylor and TE Baker. We didn't get Taylor to sit at 4th string behind Maroney, Morris and Faulk. Watson and Baker are the top TEs on our roster. Thomas will be the man left out even though he has much better hands than "METAL MITTS" Watson.

In the 06 draft we all wanted Chris Gocong. 6'2" and 263 with speed and pass rushing ability. He is smart and still young. He went to the Eagles and after some nicks year one, is now starting and coming on as an OLB pass rusher. He is about where Vrabel was when we got him from the Steelers.
The Eagles have been desperate for a bigger RB to spell Westbrook and a better playmaking TE for some time now.

Thought:
Swap Maroney (who was not needed last year and we still had a decent running game. Fred Taylor will more than compensate. I see twelve to fifteen touches for Morris, ten or twelve for Taylor and eight to ten for Faulk),

and TE Dave Thomas who is not bad but under the radar and buried behind Baker and Watson.....to the Eagles for Chris Gocong and a third rounder?


Too much? Too little?

I think Maroney and Thomas are dispensable right now and we might even save a little in CAP with this trade.

The Eagles get some needed pieces and quiet the screams in the locker room and the stands. They get two potential starters (Maroney will share with Westbrook and at this time we all can agree he is not suited to be a full time 30 carry NFL back)


Chris Gocong is that Mike Vrabel type piece ,and better yet has the BB valued experience (huge point) that a Barwin or Matthews does not bring to the table. He can start day one.

It all makes sense. We give up something and get something and so do the Eagles..... Fair trade.... Do we really need Maroney? Can we draft a back like a Donald Brown in round two? Can we pick up a TE we can utilize more than Watson who can split out in the slot like Whitten, Clark, Cooley, Gates or Gonzales like a James Casey at the end of round two?
Watson cannot do that and I think Baker is a better receiver but not fast enough to split. Casey can play WR/TE/RB.

This is a Peppers, Taylor and Barwin (because we are not guaranteed Barwin will be available at our pick, and we can use this pick for a CB, WR or S as in CB Sean Smith, WR Macklin or Harvin, and/or S Delmas or Chung) type of pick-up that won't break the bank this year.

P.S. Sitting here thinking, it has become apparent that a top tier WR pick might even be a more desperate need than OLB at this point in the draft besides a S.

I am not saying they are Vrabel, Peppers, Taylor impact, but perhaps Crable, Redd, TBC, Woods, Rudd, Angelo and Guyton can develop better and faster than expected, so we have quantity anyway for the single Vrabel replacement slot. At this time Cogong would be the best fit and player and he costs us a reasonable scenario.

DW Toys