- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
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SECONDARY
The secondary is set for a couple of years. We will need to re-sign Bodden or sign another free agent or two, as we do every year. This need should not obscure the fact that we have a solid core of seven signed defensive backs through 2011: Wilhite, Springs, Butler, Meriweather, Sanders, McGowan and Chung.
LINEBACKERS
This group has been doing much better than posters give them credit for. Banta-Cain, Mayo and Guyton are the core. Ninkovich and McKenzie are the young 2010 prospects (and perhaps even Crable). Woods is the stable veteran backup and top special teamer. Thomas may or not be coming back. It seems much more stable for him to stay for a couple of years as the youngsters (drafted and to-be-drafted) develop.
DEFENSIVE LINE
I suspect that we will re-sign Burgess as a veteran backup (especially with Green gone) and retain Wilfork as a franchisee or through an extension. This gives us a mixture of veterans and youngsters: Warren, Wilfork, Wright, Burgess, Brace, and Pryor. We even have Practice Squad quality players Adams and Richard.
BOTTOM LINE
The defense is NOT a mess. There are NOT needs at many positions. The transition is complete. We now need the normal number of additions in this offseason. This year the need is at DE, OLB and at CB. Sure, we might have filled the DE/OLB need in the 2009 draft. However, the 2010 draft seems very strong at this position, as was anticipated. Perhaps it did make sense to wait until 2010 to find the replacements for Seymour and Vrabel. Burgess is already the replacement for Green.
The secondary is set for a couple of years. We will need to re-sign Bodden or sign another free agent or two, as we do every year. This need should not obscure the fact that we have a solid core of seven signed defensive backs through 2011: Wilhite, Springs, Butler, Meriweather, Sanders, McGowan and Chung.
LINEBACKERS
This group has been doing much better than posters give them credit for. Banta-Cain, Mayo and Guyton are the core. Ninkovich and McKenzie are the young 2010 prospects (and perhaps even Crable). Woods is the stable veteran backup and top special teamer. Thomas may or not be coming back. It seems much more stable for him to stay for a couple of years as the youngsters (drafted and to-be-drafted) develop.
DEFENSIVE LINE
I suspect that we will re-sign Burgess as a veteran backup (especially with Green gone) and retain Wilfork as a franchisee or through an extension. This gives us a mixture of veterans and youngsters: Warren, Wilfork, Wright, Burgess, Brace, and Pryor. We even have Practice Squad quality players Adams and Richard.
BOTTOM LINE
The defense is NOT a mess. There are NOT needs at many positions. The transition is complete. We now need the normal number of additions in this offseason. This year the need is at DE, OLB and at CB. Sure, we might have filled the DE/OLB need in the 2009 draft. However, the 2010 draft seems very strong at this position, as was anticipated. Perhaps it did make sense to wait until 2010 to find the replacements for Seymour and Vrabel. Burgess is already the replacement for Green.
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