Affording Changes To The Defensive Front Seven

[ashley]

JC re-signed
another corner (starter)
step up from two of the front seven
presumably Mills to do well at free safety
contributions from a couple of our draftees

I guess I see this as more "far off" than you do.

I guess it looks like you do.

 

[ashley]

This defense needs to be torn down to the studs and completely rebuilt. This will be a 2-year process at minimum. Any defensive player who is not likely to be able to contribute in 2024 should be gone. That's a long list. Do like BB did in the early years: draft d-linemen in the first round, ala Seymour, Warren, Wilfork. For this year, pick the best-available Georgia DT in round one.

Where were you during the middle of the year when we were the number 1 ranked defense in the league...don't base your opinion on 1 playoff game against Buffalo. Do we need upgrades, yes, but we're not that far off.

 

[captain stone]

My guess is that 1-2 of our top four draft choices will be on front seven players. But that won't be known until draft time.

See below for players with their savings if cut. Basically, that would be the cap neutral amount available to replace them. Note that these are gross numbers. Someone will replace them on the 51. So, cutting Tavai and replacing him someone for $800K on the roster saves $400K.

I have not included Judon, since he is going nowhere. Also, I have not included players where the savings in under $1M and therefore the net cap savings would be under $200K.

$5.00M Godchaux
$5.00M Van Noy
$3.75M Guy
$2.70M Anderson
$2.50M Wise
$1.20M Tavai

Yes, we might cut Godchaux or Van Noy and sign someone to contract with about the same 2022 cap amount. Also, any of the top 3 could be extended with resulting cap savings.
===========================
Our other front players could be cut for very little cap savings, if any. I expect to them all in camp competing for roster spots.
McMillan
Cowart
Winovich
Jennings
Uche
McGrone
Perkins

Note that the above totals 13 players. We would have many more in camp. Anyone about $800K would have a cap cost.

BOTTOM LINE
I don't think that transactions with regard to front 7 players will affect our cap much (other than a top draft choice). If any of the above are cut, the cost to replace would be approximately the same.

From the first list, KVN had the best season... But I still don't know if he'll be worth his 2022 cap hit...

Guy's a tough call.

Anderson should be gone the microsecond it is most advantageous to us financially.

I would do the same with Godsmack, but I doubt that Bill will.

Wise is really just a minimum-wager, but he's one of Bill's pets, so he stays as is unfortunately.

Jalopy Tavai is Straight Trash homey; not even a minimum-wager.

We need TWO New Wide-Bodies in the middle PLUS a DE who can both set an edge and rush the passer, i.e.: a newer version of Tre Flowers.

 

[patfanken]

You are certainly right. Hell, we may already have Wilfork 2 on the roster in Barmore. But if we did get lucky with a later in the first round DL, can you imagine? What if we got a Ted Washington 2 or a Keith Traylor 2 to play beside our Wilfork 2 in Barmore. That could rival the Seymour/Wilfork/Warren line.

Barmore is more like Seymour than Wilfolk. Getting Davis will be ideal, but as the best interior DLman in the draft I worry that even at 21 it will be too late for him, I think we need to send someone down to GA with a bag of great weed and give it to Davis and take a pic of it with him and hopefully he'll drop down to us. BTW on the plus side, didn't we draft Vince at 21?

 

[Ring 6]

JC re-signed
another corner (starter)
step up from two of the front seven
presumably Mills to do well at free safety
contributions from a couple of our draftees

I guess I see this as more "far off" than you do.

Mills is the other corner.

 

[borg]

3 of top 4 picks----->D (at a minimum)

 

[Scotty]

From the first list, KVN had the best season... But I still don't know if he'll be worth his 2022 cap hit...

Guy's a tough call.

Anderson should be gone the microsecond it is most advantageous to us financially.

I would do the same with Godsmack, but I doubt that Bill will.

Wise is really just a minimum-wager, but he's one of Bill's pets, so he stays as is unfortunately.

Jalopy Tavai is Straight Trash homey; not even a minimum-wager.

We need TWO New Wide-Bodies in the middle PLUS a DE who can both set an edge and rush the passer, i.e.: a newer version of Tre Flowers.

And a cornerback ?

 

[TheRainMaker]

As another poster said, blow up the D. Also need a philosophy change with how fast offenses are getting. I’ve asked this for going on 3 years now, but Bill hasn’t received the memo.

 

[Hyped]

Barmore is more like Seymour than Wilfolk. Getting Davis will be ideal, but as the best interior DLman in the draft I worry that even at 21 it will be too late for him, I think we need to send someone down to GA with a bag of great weed and give it to Davis and take a pic of it with him and hopefully he'll drop down to us. BTW on the plus side, didn't we draft Vince at 21?

Throw in a gas mask too....

 

[Scotty]

And a cornerback ?

Sorry everyone , my mistake , the topic was about the front 7 and I mentioned a cornerback....I will head back under my rock.

 

[jays52]

I don't think the defense is in as much troubles as others do. To me the primary issues hinge upon the linebackers as they're simply too slow to play effectively. They became unable to play man due to the speed issues. When Judon had whatever happened to him they lost their pass rush and turned into a siv. IMO, some speed upgrades at linebacker and Davis in the first fixes a lot of issues.

 

[Spiral]

Where were you during the middle of the year when we were the number 1 ranked defense in the league...don't base your opinion on 1 playoff game against Buffalo. Do we need upgrades, yes, but we're not that far off.

I was watching just about every team start off by running the ball successfully, then stop after the other team's nitwit offensive coordinator decided to "open up the playbook." I never bought into the notion that it was a good defense just b/c they were near the top of the league in least points allowed.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I was watching just about every team start off by running the ball successfully, then stop after the other team's nitwit offensive coordinator decided to "open up the playbook." I never bought into the notion that it was a good defense just b/c they were near the top of the league in least points allowed.

Barmore, Dugger, Judon and Phillips are the only keepers who are currently on the roster. Everywhere else needs upgrades.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Barmore, Dugger, Judon and Phillips are the only keepers who are currently on the roster. Everywhere else needs upgrades.

Ya...ahh...NO.
JJONES is a good Slot Cover, Davis is a BEAST, but he was hurt, Anderson is a good player as well, we didn't get enough look, do you THINK BB wanted his BEST 2 monsters to miss the prom?
I cursed the run D EVERY WEEK During games, I'm WELL AWARE of their deficiency, but if Anderson and Davis were healthy, I don't believe things would be that bad at all..
Stephen Neal getting hurt crushed us twice, he was a lynchpin.

 

[mgteich]

Mills is the other corner.

So, Dugger is our free safety?

 

[Ring 6]

So, Dugger is our free safety?

Phillips and dugger are 2 of our safeties, and we have typically used 3.
Mills played corner all year and did well. It doesn’t seem likely he will change positions.
By the summer I’m sure we will know whether
-McCourty is back
-some one else is brought in
-the 3rd safety is on our roster (Bledsoe?)
-we play less 3 safety packages and run nickel less as the base; or with 3 corners rather than 3 safeties

 

[Ring 6]

I was watching just about every team start off by running the ball successfully, then stop after the other team's nitwit offensive coordinator decided to "open up the playbook." I never bought into the notion that it was a good defense just b/c they were near the top of the league in least points allowed.

Right I mean why would you judge football by the scoreboard.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think the defense is in as much troubles as others do. To me the primary issues hinge upon the linebackers as they're simply too slow to play effectively. They became unable to play man due to the speed issues. When Judon had whatever happened to him they lost their pass rush and turned into a siv. IMO, some speed upgrades at linebacker and Davis in the first fixes a lot of issues.

It was an issue against some opponents but the defense stomped others. That is an indication of a weakness being exposed not wholesale failure.
Personally I think a nickel base defense requires a behemoth DT and a huge beast LB. Out DTs we’re ok just ok and Hightower just wasn’t what he used to be.
The other weakness was depth at corner. When we had to go 5-6 deep on the depth chart due to injuries we had bad matchups that were exploited.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

From the first list, KVN had the best season... But I still don't know if he'll be worth his 2022 cap hit...

Guy's a tough call.

Anderson should be gone the microsecond it is most advantageous to us financially.

I would do the same with Godsmack, but I doubt that Bill will.

Wise is really just a minimum-wager, but he's one of Bill's pets, so he stays as is unfortunately.

Jalopy Tavai is Straight Trash homey; not even a minimum-wager.

We need TWO New Wide-Bodies in the middle PLUS a DE who can both set an edge and rush the passer, i.e.: a newer version of Tre Flowers.

I agree mostly with the Captain.

Guy should go - that is not a "tough call". KVN stays to direct things. Anderson is gone. Carl Davis is gone - he has been very underwhelming down the stretch the last two years - can't let it happen three years in a row. Wise should take a pay cut - agreed. Tavai can go. Two new wide bodies, one rookie and one mid level veteran (Fatukasi?). And a rookie copy of Barmore. It looks like Trey Flowers will be available cheap.

 

[NormZauchin]

They need cornerbacks, and since it's much harder to find a cornerback in the lower rounds of the draft than it is to find a DT, I suggest they get one, especially in a year like this when many stud CBs are available.

I don't understand. The general rule is that it is harder to find a top-quality big body the lower in the draft you go, for the simple reason that there are a lot fewer people who are over 6 foot 3 inches and weigh more than 300 pounds than there are guys the size of a typical cornerback. BB certainly has done better finding some free agent cornerback gems than he has picking up any free agent interior linemen.