re: Pat Kirwin mock 4/3/12 - UConn DT Kendall Reyes & trade for CB Lardarius Webb
I think everyone is missing the point. We lost two guys with ten sacks apiece.
Last time I checked, we lost one guy who greatly overachieved and was a product of the system.
You keep saying that 'we lost 2 guys with 20 sacks,' but that's just not true. Where has it been stated that Andre Carter is not returning?
There are several thoughts to this post:
1. We need to come close to replacing 6-8 sacks out of the '10' that Anderson left with. Why would that be so hard?
2. The sacks and pressure will come from a
collective unit and scheme, not from any one guy anyways.
3. It can be argued that the sacks will increase with an improved
secondary. With the return of Dowling, Chung (1/2 the season missed), an upgrade with Gregory, and a possible draft pick--that can very well happen.
4. It can be argued that 'sacks' themselves are overrated anyway. It's points allowed that matter, and the possibility of shaving a point off of our average is very realistic. This would put us in the top 12 defenses in pts allowed. It's not all about sacks. The defense made great strides down the stretch, and a healthy return really made all the difference in the world with Spikes, Chung, and Fletcher.
5. They may very well draft a pure edge rusher, which combined with the return of Pryor, the addition of Scott and Fanane, and the probable return of Carter will be more than fine to replace Anderson.
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As far as your point on the defensive line pick---yes, it is definitely needed for additional depth and competition. There are some great front 7 picks this year, and the front 7 in general is a major need for us. With 4 early picks in the top 63 choices, the team is in a pretty damn good position to make some improvements.
Once again, you are pulling these "fan based fantasy trade scenarios" out of thin air...what makes you believe that the Minnesota Vikings are willing to part with one of the top 3 rushers in the entire NFL? There isn't any reason. You are not being realistic, you are simply playing Madden G.M. in fantastical terms.