My Blueprint For the Pats

[mayoclinic]

Unfortunately, speed on defense is not something BB seems to value all that highly. Size and stoutness on the other hand is.

I'd like a fast attacking defense but that would require almost a complete rebuild. And for it to be truly effective, it would require a few years of high draft picks I suspect to get those dominant athletic JJ Watt/Fletcher Cox types.

I suspect BB's two gap more passive style is as much about the draft value of a perpetually winning team as it is about defensive preferences.

I think that you can build a faster and more aggressive defense without entirely abandoning some of BB's principles. But regardless, as a hypotethical, if you had been trying to evolve the Pats' D in that direction over the past 3 years, given where we had drafted and who was realistically available (sorry, no JJ Watt or Fletcher Cox, much as we might have wanted both), who would you have considered?

On the front 7, I think we should assume that Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo were a given as the backbone of any rebuilding of the defense. Those guys weren't going anwhere, and personally, I wouldn't want them to. I'm very happy with Chandler Jones.

I wanted a big DE with speed who could play in 3-4 or 4-3 schemes, particularly Carlos Dunlap in 2010, and I wanted the Pats to look at LBs with speed and playmaking ability who could play in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes (Sean Lee and Daryl Washington were both on my list). Lavonte David was my binky last year, and I wanted projected day 3 (though they actually went 3rd round) guys like Demario Davis and Akiem Hicks who fit into a faster, more aggressive style but who were still strong at the point of attack. I have guys like Ziggy Ansah, Alec Ogletree and Dion Jordan on my short list this year, with guys like Kyle Van Noy, Anthony Barr and Trent Murphy high on my wish list for 2014 (obviously, I'd love a freak like Clowney, but I'm trying to keep this semi-realistic).

In the secondary, I wanted a playmaking safety in 2010, and hoped Earl Thomas might slip to 22. I'm happy with Devin McCourty evolving in that role now. I badly wanted Richard Sherman in 2011. I liked big CB/S hybrids like Brandon Hardin and Trumaine Johnson last year.

I'd be curious what kind of players you would envision fitting into a "different kind of defense", and how different a defense you have in mind.

 

[Marqui]

Aggressiveness on defense has almost nothing to do with what the base scheme is. It comes from playcalling and having the players coaches feel confident in to call more aggressive plays.

They don't need to change schemes or personnel preferences to have an attacking defense. In SB 39 the Pats ran the almost exact same 4-3 scheme they're running right now. They only difference (other than having an absolutely loaded Dline) is they blitzed a lot more and called many 1-gapping plays from the front 7 to penetrate Phily's OL. What they need now is a great veteran safety like Harrison to QB the secondary and give Patricia confidence to attack. That's why I want Ed Reed next year.

 

[Off The Grid]

I can see it now:

Shakespeare's Macbeth
By "Off the Grid"​

Macbeth is one WEIRD play. I mean, literally, WEIRD. It starts with three really WEIRD sisters sitting around a cauldron out in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. I mean, what the hell is that? Mackenzie would have 6 Tivo screens going checking out all the games at the very least, but all they can do is mutter dumber predictions than Marshall Faulk.

Then this poor guy Macbeth comes along. All he wants is to be Thane of Cawdor and coach his team, but his freaking wife is more ambitious than Giselle. So what do they do? They kill the King of Scotland, right when he's staying at their Castle. :bricks: Dumb move. I mean, talk about obvious suspects. But the police are just about as smart as Mike Tannenbaum, so the guy gets away with it, but then he and his wife start to implode just like the Jets' locker room. I mean, she sees blood on her hands and he starts muttering stupid soliloquys to himself and hallucinating about the trees moving. It's enough to cause a Butt Fumble!!! :rocker: I mean, no wonder the McDuff team gets a bunch of turnovers and puts up 35 points in one quarter on them.

Jesus Scottish football is WEIRD! It makes less sense than trying to run a Wildcat with Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez.

I can't believe it took me 3.5 days to find this!!

What can I say?? My ISP's been up to Phuckery, so I've had to pick my spots on a Limited InterNet Diet.

Brother Mayo, I have been defenestrated by a Master. I BOW to Thee!! :rocker: :youtheman: :rocker:

 

[manxman2601]

I think that you can build a faster and more aggressive defense without entirely abandoning some of BB's principles. But regardless, as a hypotethical, if you had been trying to evolve the Pats' D in that direction over the past 3 years, given where we had drafted and who was realistically available (sorry, no JJ Watt or Fletcher Cox, much as we might have wanted both), who would you have considered?

On the front 7, I think we should assume that Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo were a given as the backbone of any rebuilding of the defense. Those guys weren't going anwhere, and personally, I wouldn't want them to. I'm very happy with Chandler Jones.

I wanted a big DE with speed who could play in 3-4 or 4-3 schemes, particularly Carlos Dunlap in 2010, and I wanted the Pats to look at LBs with speed and playmaking ability who could play in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes (Sean Lee and Daryl Washington were both on my list). Lavonte David was my binky last year, and I wanted projected day 3 (though they actually went 3rd round) guys like Demario Davis and Akiem Hicks who fit into a faster, more aggressive style but who were still strong at the point of attack. I have guys like Ziggy Ansah, Alec Ogletree and Dion Jordan on my short list this year, with guys like Kyle Van Noy, Anthony Barr and Trent Murphy high on my wish list for 2014 (obviously, I'd love a freak like Clowney, but I'm trying to keep this semi-realistic).

In the secondary, I wanted a playmaking safety in 2010, and hoped Earl Thomas might slip to 22. I'm happy with Devin McCourty evolving in that role now. I badly wanted Richard Sherman in 2011. I liked big CB/S hybrids like Brandon Hardin and Trumaine Johnson last year.

I'd be curious what kind of players you would envision fitting into a "different kind of defense", and how different a defense you have in mind.

My point really was that putting together an attacking defense without being in a position to draft the likes of Watt or Aldon Smith is really difficult and that I'm fairly happy with BB's approach as a result. One could pick a dream defense from picks that were available to us (you've got some good guys there), but when 31 other teams are factored in, suddenly it becomes less easy (as well as having to satisfy offensive needs).

As for who I'd pick, I haven't really given it any thought. Perhaps, my defense, a couple of years hence, would look something like:


Ansah - Wilfork - Akiem Hicks - Chandler Jones

Van Noy - Mayo - L David (or Ogletree)


Dennard - Ed Reed - McCourty - Casey Hayward/Leon McFadden
(with Lamarcus Joyner to replace Reed in the future)


I haven't worked out the mechanics of that to determine whether that's possible but I think that both fulfills a more attacking D without compromising BB's approach too much.

 

[Water Boy]

Unfortunately, speed on defense is not something BB seems to value all that highly.

I think BB would disagree with this statement.

 

[mayoclinic]

Brother Mayo, I have been defenestrated by a Master. I BOW to Thee!! :rocker: :youtheman: :rocker:

It was a labor of love. :eat3: We can meet in Prague to celebrate your defenestration.

 

[mayoclinic]

My point really was that putting together an attacking defense without being in a position to draft the likes of Watt or Aldon Smith is really difficult and that I'm fairly happy with BB's approach as a result. One could pick a dream defense from picks that were available to us (you've got some good guys there), but when 31 other teams are factored in, suddenly it becomes less easy (as well as having to satisfy offensive needs).

As for who I'd pick, I haven't really given it any thought. Perhaps, my defense, a couple of years hence, would look something like:


Ansah - Wilfork - Akiem Hicks - Chandler Jones

Van Noy - Mayo - L David (or Ogletree)


Dennard - Ed Reed - McCourty - Casey Hayward/Leon McFadden
(with Lamarcus Joyner to replace Reed in the future)


I haven't worked out the mechanics of that to determine whether that's possible but I think that both fulfills a more attacking D without compromising BB's approach too much.

Looking at the 2013 and likely 2014 drafts, the way I would add speed and playmaking ability to our defense:

1. Interior pass rush: Sign an athletic guy like Armon Armstead who can be an interior pass rusher but also play outside. BTW, Desmond Bryant from Oakland (6'6" 300#, 4.9 speed) is a UFA this year and could be a good under the radar Pats kind of target if Armstead doesn't pan out.

2. Draft a LDE with size, speed and athleticism who can be a force in both the run and pass games. Ziggy Ansah is my first choice. Trent Murphy in 2014 would be my second. Joe Kruger is my sleeper choice (William Gholston would be on the list too, but too many concerns about inconcsistency, motor and character)

3. Add a hybrid pass rusher/space player who can attack in multiple dimensions. Anthony Barr would be my first choice, with Dion Jordan, Alec Ogletree and Kyle Van Noy very close behind.

4. Add a physical, aggressive safety with coverage ability. Dashon Goldson would have been perfect had we signed him - he's the kind of player I want to complement Devin McCourty. I'm not sure who the best option for this is right now. Probably Kenny Phillips if we had the money to sign him as a UFA, but I doubt we do (I assume Goldson is out of reach). Matt Elam provides the physicality and aggressiveness, but would take a higher pick than I would use, and I'm not sure about his coverage ability.

Make something along the lines of those 4 changes, on top of what we already have, and I think the defense would look dramatically faster and be able to attack more, but still operate within BB's framework. I think that's also pretty consistent with what I've already been outlining as a direction on the defensive side in the "Blueprint".

 

[mayoclinic]

Texas junior DT Brandon Moore has unexpectedly declared for the draft:

2013 NFL Draft: Texas DT Brandon Moore declares early - SBNation.com

I didn't expect Moore to come out, but he's been on my short list of a while (see post #71 above in this thread). He's a 6'5" 324# guy with physical ability reminiscent of Akiem Hicks. He should be a day 3 pick. He would be a nice athletic addition, with a ton of upside.

 

[manxman2601]

I think BB would disagree with this statement.

Thankyou for that helpful contribution.

 

[EwanSellars]

it seems like this draft doesnt have as much elite talent but so much depth there are so many guys that are good in the 3rd 4th 5th and 7th round

 

[mayoclinic]

Going back to the OP, there were 3 areas identified on defense:

1. Fix the secondary
2. A stud LDE opposite Chandler Jones
5. Depth at DT/penetrating DT/successor to Vince Wilfork

It's possible that I omitted another area of need, a coverage LB.

#1 has largely been addressed with the Talib trade, the emergence of Alfonzo Dennard, and the move of Devin McCourty to secondary. Re-signing Talib is key, IMHO. Hopefully Kyle Arrington can be retained as a nickel back, and Marquice Cole as a ST/dime player, both a reasonable cost. I don't see Pat Chung staying. Ras-I Dowling will be back, and could either be the #3 outside CB or could move to safety, where his size and coverage ability could be an asset.

Rob Ninkovich has had a fine season, but I still would like a "power" LDE opposite Jones. The Pats are known to be courting Armond Armstead, the former USC and CFL player, who is supposed to make a decision this week. At 6'5" 300# with excellent athleticism, Armstead has a little bit of JJ Watt/Calais Campbell in his game, with the ability to play outside or inside:

Armond Armstead 2012 CFL All-Star Highlight Video - YouTube

Adam Schefter compares his value to that of a "high" draft choice:

Armond Armstead, formerly of Toronto Argonauts, on NFL teams' radar -- sources - ESPN

Armstead is only 22, and should get better. He could be used outside in tandem with Ninkovich at LDE and inside in tandem with Kyle Love at DT, addressing 2 major needs. The Pats also have the rights to Myron Pryor for 2013, and he could be back as a pass rushing DE, or to compete for spot with promising PS player Marcus Forston. Hopefully we'll see more from Jake Bequette in 2013 as well. Adding Armstead plus those guys would significantly upgrade the DL.

If the Pats can sign Armstead and re-sign Talib and Arrington, they will be in great shape going into the draft, and have a lot of flexibility in terms of how to address needs on defense. They could focus entirely on offense, but could also pick up an impact player like Johnathan Hankins or Jesse Williams if they are available, a safety like Matt Elam, or a hybrid space-playmaker like Dion Jordan (who could slip due to shoulder concerns) or Alec Ogletree. Pete Flutak of College FootballNews.com recently previewed the draft projections of most early entrants, and surprisingly graded Ogletree as a late 2nd round prospect with this note:

Reports are a bit mixed. He can play inside or out with the size and range to do just about anything for a linebacking corps, but he'll likely end up inside in a 3-4 at the next level -- but he's probably not going to see any time in the middle. While he was overshadowed a bit by Jarvis Jones, he's enough of a playmaker to be high on several draft boards. Some creative defensive coordinator will love him.

Scout.com: 2013 NFL Draft early entries: Who's leaving?

If the Pats got a power DE/DT like Armstead, getting a "space playmaker" like Ogletree or Jordan (particularly if they slipped, with a trade back to the 50 range and possibly getting an extra 3rd round pick) would be extremely attractive. That would significantly improve the coverage and playmaking capability in the LB area, and provide flexibility in case the Pats can't afford to keep Brandon Spikes after 2013. Dane Fletcher should also be back next year, and could provide tremendous depth at the LB position, and additional coverage ability.

One other early entrant who I like is LSU DB Tharold Simon. Flutak graded him a 3rd round pick, and noted:

Is he a corner or a safety? While he'll be drafted as a corner, at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds he has the frame and the size to add a little more weight and grow into a top safety. A good hitter with nice range, he's a perfect nickel and dime defender if he doesn't find an immediate role as a corner.

I think either Dowling or Simon could move to safety, with the other being the #3 outside CB. That would give the Pats terrific depth and playmaking capability in the secondary.

I would be very happy with a defense that looked something like this:

DL: LDE Armstead/Ninkovich - DT Wilfork - DT Love/Armstead - RDE Jones; reserves: Cunningham, Francis, Bequette, Deaderick, Pryor, Forston/rookie

LB: SAM Hightower/Ogletree (or Jordan) - MLB Spikes/Hightower - WLB Mayo; reserve: Fletcher (?White)

S: McCourty - Dowling (?); big nickel: Gregory/Wilson; ST/reserve: Ebner

CB: Talib - Dennard; nickel: Arrington; dime/ST: Cole; 3rd outside CB/reserve: Simon

I think that could be an extremely talented and competitive defense.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Going back to the OP, there were 3 areas identified on defense:



It's possible that I omitted another area of need, a coverage LB.

#1 has largely been addressed with the Talib trade, the emergence of Alfonzo Dennard, and the move of Devin McCourty to secondary. Re-signing Talib is key, IMHO. Hopefully Kyle Arrington can be retained as a nickel back, and Marquice Cole as a ST/dime player, both a reasonable cost. I don't see Pat Chung staying. Ras-I Dowling will be back, and could either be the #3 outside CB or could move to safety, where his size and coverage ability could be an asset.

Rob Ninkovich has had a fine season, but I still would like a "power" LDE opposite Jones. The Pats are known to be courting Armond Armstead, the former USC and CFL player, who is supposed to make a decision this week. At 6'5" 300# with excellent athleticism, Armstead has a little bit of JJ Watt/Calais Campbell in his game, with the ability to play outside or inside:

Armond Armstead 2012 CFL All-Star Highlight Video - YouTube

Adam Schefter compares his value to that of a "high" draft choice:

Armond Armstead, formerly of Toronto Argonauts, on NFL teams' radar -- sources - ESPN

Armstead is only 22, and should get better. He could be used outside in tandem with Ninkovich at LDE and inside in tandem with Kyle Love at DT, addressing 2 major needs. The Pats also have the rights to Myron Pryor for 2013, and he could be back as a pass rushing DE, or to compete for spot with promising PS player Marcus Forston. Hopefully we'll see more from Jake Bequette in 2013 as well. Adding Armstead plus those guys would significantly upgrade the DL.

If the Pats can sign Armstead and re-sign Talib and Arrington, they will be in great shape going into the draft, and have a lot of flexibility in terms of how to address needs on defense. They could focus entirely on offense, but could also pick up an impact player like Johnathan Hankins or Jesse Williams if they are available, a safety like Matt Elam, or a hybrid space-playmaker like Dion Jordan (who could slip due to shoulder concerns) or Alec Ogletree. Pete Flutak of College FootballNews.com recently previewed the draft projections of most early entrants, and surprisingly graded Ogletree as a late 2nd round prospect with this note:



Scout.com: 2013 NFL Draft early entries: Who's leaving?

If the Pats got a power DE/DT like Armstead, getting a "space playmaker" like Ogletree or Jordan (particularly if they slipped, with a trade back to the 50 range and possibly getting an extra 3rd round pick) would be extremely attractive. That would significantly improve the coverage and playmaking capability in the LB area, and provide flexibility in case the Pats can't afford to keep Brandon Spikes after 2013. Dane Fletcher should also be back next year, and could provide tremendous depth at the LB position, and additional coverage ability.

One other early entrant who I like is LSU DB Tharold Simon. Flutak graded him a 3rd round pick, and noted:



I think either Dowling or Simon could move to safety, with the other being the #3 outside CB. That would give the Pats terrific depth and playmaking capability in the secondary.

I would be very happy with a defense that looked something like this:

DL: LDE Armstead/Ninkovich - DT Wilfork - DT Love/Armstead - RDE Jones; reserves: Cunningham, Francis, Bequette, Deaderick, Pryor, Forston/rookie

LB: SAM Hightower/Ogletree (or Jordan) - MLB Spikes/Hightower - WLB Mayo; reserve: Fletcher (?White)

S: McCourty - Dowling (?); big nickel: Gregory/Wilson; ST/reserve: Ebner

CB: Talib - Dennard; nickel: Arrington; dime/ST: Cole; 3rd outside CB/reserve: Simon

I think that could be an extremely talented and competitive defense.

Armstead would hold the key to allow us to fill other holes. Hope we get him. Two guys other than Ogletree who could fill that role are Arthur Brown and Khaseem Greene. Trade back 10-12 spots pick up a three; Brown/Greene, Wheaton and CB. Not sure about your boy Simon. God, I hopes Manx hasn't fathered him too One of the softest cornerbacks you'll find and appears afraid of contact. Yikes. According to this scouting report.

Great Blue North Draft Report

Would allow us to draft an ol with our own third. Or, deal back for a 4 and a 5. Get an OL and a safety. I don't see Arrington taking a pay cut and coming back.

 

[mayoclinic]

Armstead would hold the key to allow us to fill other holes. Hope we get him. Two guys other than Ogletree who could fill that role are Arthur Brown and Khaseem Greene. Trade back 10-12 spots pick up a three; Brown/Greene, Wheaton and CB. Not sure about your boy Simon. God, I hopes Manx hasn't fathered him too One of the softest cornerbacks you'll find and appears afraid of contact. Yikes. According to this scouting report.

Great Blue North Draft Report

Would allow us to draft an ol with our own third. Or, deal back for a 4 and a 5. Get an OL and a safety. I don't see Arrington taking a pay cut and coming back.

I don't see Simon as all that soft, but I do see him as a "poor man's Richard Sherman", some of which is captured in that writeup:

Was a nickel/dime package guy for the first two years of his career, playing behind Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne. Still saw plenty of action leading up to 2012. Full time starter and did really well. Quarterbacks avoided throwing to his side week after week. May be the best deep pass defender in the nation. Incredibly long. Can run with anyone down the field. Long strider with savvy ball skills. Taller, longer athletes are heavily sought after in defensive backfields these days. Simon has that. He struggles underneath however, and he has minimal physical presence. One of the softest cornerbacks you’ll find in this draft class. Appears to be afraid of contact. Simon’s cover skills are close to being first round caliber. He simply needs to add a more physical element to his game and work on his footwork against short and intermediate routes.

I'd draft Simon as the #3 outside CB after Talib and Dennard, and not put him under immediate pressure, and I'd move Dowling to safety - he's very physical and strong in run support. I think a guy described as "can run with anyone down the field", "may be the best deep pass defender in the nation", "quarterbacks avoided throwing to his side week after week" with Simon's height and length is well worth a 3rd round pick.

Sign Armstead, trade back and pick up Ogletree/Jordan if one slips (if not nearly as high on Greene or Brown, personally) and pick up someone like Simon with the added pick, plus add Dowling and Pryor, and the Pats would have essentially addressed all of their defensive needs and still have picks 2 and 3 to use on WR and OL, plus 2 7th round picks. Get a WR and an interior OL, and maybe a late round developmental TE (Nick Kasa) and OT (Terron Armstead, Garrett Gilkey, maybe even Reid Fragel) and the Pats would be in very, very good shape.

 

[stelfans]

i like that mayo, really like but i have a problem with it: you're counting on Dowling to play.
i know he will be back and like him better at safety too but im not counting on him to play any meaningful time.
if he plays great but i would have someone ahead of him.

simon is interesting but i've seen somewhere that he is not very fast?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[mayoclinic]

i like that mayo, really like but i have a problem with it: you're counting on Dowling to play.
i know he will be back and like him better at safety too but im not counting on him to play any meaningful time.
if he plays great but i would have someone ahead of him.

simon is interesting but i've seen somewhere that he is not very fast?

I'm not counting on Dowling, though I think he could surprise. Just like Shane Vereen, he has talent, even though it hasn't come through yet. The Pats saw the talent. Just because circumstances have gotten in the way doesn't mean it's not there. He may or may not be able to stay healthy next year. If not, we're no worse off with Gregory/Wilson along with McCourty and Dowling in a reserve role, and Wilson should be better with a year's experience. Or Simon could potentially be moved to safety if speed is an issue at CB.

As for Simon's speed, people said the same thing about Richard Sherman 2 years ago. Simon is 6'2" and a long strider. He's able to make up ground in a hurry, and he covers a lot of territory. I don't know what his timed speed is, but he's been consistently good at defending the deep ball and covering speed receivers in the SEC. Again, I'm not counting on throwing him in immediately as more than a reserve. But I think he has a ton of upside.

 

[DocHoliday]

I am so eager to see Fletcher back. We'll have some decent coverage against TEs again

 

[cstjohn17]

Not ready to do a full analysis, hats off to those who have. A quick look at the free agents, Welker, Talib, Vollmer, Edleman, Woodhead... In an ideal case 2 of the 3 of the big names (Welker, Talib, Vollmer) could be brought back, that may be difficult.

Looks like another year of hard decisions. Of all of them I would make Vollmer a priority, he shouldn't be too expensive and would allow the Patriots to return their entire starting offensive line. The O Line should get even better next year. I still believe in building from the trenches and hope the Pats look long and hard at a defensive tackle in round 1, it looks like a solid year for DTs.

Peace out, Go Pats.

 

[Marqui]

I am so eager to see Fletcher back. We'll have some decent coverage against TEs again

I'm surprised they didn't even bother to keep Carpenter around. I'm starting to think Belichick would rather just go dime and put a big DB on the field, like Wilson, to cover TEs instead of a cover LB. That may be why he's been passing on the Sean Lees and Lavonte Davids of the world.

 

[patsfaninpa]

I'm surprised they didn't even bother to keep Carpenter around. I'm starting to think Belichick would rather just go dime and put a big DB on the field, like Wilson, to cover TEs instead of a cover LB. That may be why he's been passing on the Sean Lees and Lavonte Davids of the world.

The Giants had a huge set of lb's back in the day too. Sure looks that way. But, we give up too many east yards on a basic swing pass. Which we might be able to defend better with a faster olb.

 

[kennyb]

I'm not counting on Dowling, though I think he could surprise. Just like Shane Vereen, he has talent, even though it hasn't come through yet. The Pats saw the talent. Just because circumstances have gotten in the way doesn't mean it's not there. He may or may not be able to stay healthy next year. If not, we're no worse off with Gregory/Wilson along with McCourty and Dowling in a reserve role, and Wilson should be better with a year's experience. Or Simon could potentially be moved to safety if speed is an issue at CB.

As for Simon's speed, people said the same thing about Richard Sherman 2 years ago. Simon is 6'2" and a long strider. He's able to make up ground in a hurry, and he covers a lot of territory. I don't know what his timed speed is, but he's been consistently good at defending the deep ball and covering speed receivers in the SEC. Again, I'm not counting on throwing him in immediately as more than a reserve. But I think he has a ton of upside.

My impression of Simon in a what little I've seen of him was similar. He's very long but kind of ungainly and not physical at all. I'd pass on that. I hate it when CBs dance a WR down instead of actually tackling or are totally useless in run defense.

My blueprint is for them to get a couple fast OLB types in the draft who can cover. A CB, maybe a late round safety, like the Richmond kid who's doing well at the shrine game. A WR or two who can get open and have good ball skills, stedman bailey looks good although he isn't very tall. He has enough speed and quickness. And maybe another TE (I have them taking Gavin Escobar) in the 5th if they can acquire picks. I don't have them drafting a DL high b/c they're too bustprone and hard to project. They've had good success taking late round guys and getting a lot our of them - deaderick, myron pryor, etc.

That also assumes they resign Welker for reasonable money, let vollmer walk and resign talib to reasonable money.