My Blueprint for the Defense

[mayoclinic]

Here's a somewhat provocative (and perhaps heretical) thought, based on the idea of getting faster and more disruptive on defense:

FA:

- Re-sign Aqib Talib and Dane Fletcher.
- Cut Isaac Sapoaga and Adrian Wilson ($3M in additional 2014 cap space).
- Cut or restructure Vince Wilfork ($4-7.5M in additional 2014 cap space).
- Sign UFA DE/DT Lamarr Houston (Oakland). Houston will probability hit FA. He's a 6'3" 300# guy with good explosiveness (72 score) and mobility who can play inside or out. If Houston is too pricey or gets tagged, Red Bryant could be an option (if the Pats cut Wilfork outright they could probably sign both, though that seems even more unlikely). Michael Johnson could also be an option, but Houston fits a 4-3 under scheme nicely.

The 2014 cap space freed up from Gregory/Sapoaga/Wilson/Wilfork ($10-13.5M) should provide enough for those moves, and still allow the Pats to address the offensive side of the ball.

- Trade Mallett and Stevan Ridley to Houston. For now.
- Trade #29 and Dont'a Hightower to Pittsburgh for #15.

Draft:

15. Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh.
33. Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St. If Shazier is gone at 33 then I trade back and get Christian Jones later on.
- Get a big NT like Justin Ellis or Daniel McCullers in the draft to pair with Sealver Siliga.
- Also get Antone Exum as a safety/CB hybrid and another big DB day 3.

Then you could run a 4-3 under with the following:

DL: Houston - NT - Donald - Jones (imagine if Wilfork actually could come back to a meaningful level)

LB: Collins - Mayo - Shazier/Jones

S: McCourty - Exum/Harmon

CB: Talib - Dennard

That defense would have tremendous disruptiveness up front and tremendous speed, range and playmaking capability in the middle, with a top 5 secondary.

Rob Ninkovich could get time at both DE and LB, and would get a very large number of snaps. He could back up Jamie Collins at SAM as well as rotate as a DE. Dane Fletcher can play all 3 LB positions. Armond Armstead could hopefully come back and back up Lamarr Houston. Chris Jones would back up Aaron Donald, and Michael Buchanan would hopefully progress enough to back up Chandler Jones, giving the Pats 2+ depth at each position front 7.

Why would Pittsburgh go for this? They reportedly were very high on Hightower in 2012, and would have taken him at 24 in David DeCastro hadn't slipped. They need a SILB to pair with Lawrence Timmons. Hightower still has 2 years left on his rookie deal, so he's cost-effective for a cash-strapped team. At #29 they could almost certainly get one of Louis Nix / Stephon Tuitt / Ra'Shede Hageman, all of whom would fit beautifully into their 3-4 scheme.

Will it happen? No, of course not. But just a thought.

 

[mayoclinic]

The more I've thought about it, the more I'm convinced that Wilfork needs to be cut outright
and immediately. If, as the off-season continues, Wilfork shows signs that his rehabilitation
is progressing to the point that his availability at an acceptable level of proficiency is more
likely than unlikely, then a new, more realistic contract can be negotiated. If he happens to
sign with someone else in the meantime, then Thanks for for your service and Good Luck
(unless it's Miami).

From Felger, FWIW:

"Let's just say Vince Wilfork was younger and playing at a high level and he wasn't injured. Let's just say he's an $11 million nose tackle. Do you want to pay your nose tackle, no matter who he is, $11 million? Now, on top of it, his age [33 in November], his injury, his weight. Do you try and ease it out and restructure him...or do you rip the Band-Aid off and say, 'Hey Vince,we love ya, mean it, but go to free agency and get the best deal you can and move on. And I think there's a case to be made for that second thing, to be moving on."

Felger: Time to move on from Wilfork? | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com

Then there's Richard Hill's more sentimental point of view:

Wilfork may be old, but he has the heart of a champion and you know he'll do everything in his power to come back and be an impactful player on defense. While the odds may be stacked against him, the dice have yet to be tossed.

The captain will return. Don't count him out just yet.

http://www.patspulpit.com/2014/2/27/5455292/dont-count-out-wilfork

 

[patfanken]

Since I've banned myself from the main board to avoid having my head exploding from ANOTHER thread dedicated to Danny Amendola hate, I have skimmed through this excellent thread after reading Mayo's excellent OP. Here are my comments on the 5 or 6 pages I have read of the 42 this thread has elicited.

1. Though I am sympathetic to the rush to emulate the Seattle model, I am not entirely convinced. Seattle's model has worked for 2 seasons (that's the number of consecutive seasons the Seahawks have had winning seasons). I would suggest that as offenses break it down this off season, we will see some slippage from them.

BB has won a lot of games WITHOUT a lot of talent with his defensive philosophy. It may never look dominant, but even at hits historic worst in 2011, it WAS effective, with the scoring D being much more effective than the total D stats.

2. The call for a "big" strong safety in the Kam Chancellor image is a nice wish, but I think very over rated for a couple of reasons. First - Pryor will be long gone before he gets to the 20's let alone 29. Second - the Pats don't flop their S's in order to better disguise their coverages. Having a "true" SS would take that advantage away. Don't forget that's one of the reason's the Pats get so many TO's despite the lack of talent and injuries of the last several seasons. Third - after Pryor there is really no one else with the physical skill set that merits a draft pick. The drop off after the first 2 S's is very precipitous. Fourth - I think we have a solution for what people are looking for that I will discuss later.

3. Vince Wilfolk - Sometime during this off season, Vince Wilfolk will eventually be released. Get used to the idea. If can beat the long odds and recover, he WILL wind up with the Pats. He's not going anywhere. But I truly believe that regardless, he won't be playing under his existing contract.

If I read Miguel right, releasing Wilfolk after 7/1 would add about $1.5/MM to the dead money list for the next 2 years, but will give us over $8MM in immediate cap relief. But as far as planning goes, I think the Pats have to figure that Wilfolk is done, and hope for the best. But as of today, I think the odds are better that Vince is on the Pats sideline in 2014 as a coach, than as a player.

4. With that in mind I see DT is absolutely the top need for the Pats in this draft, and its deep enough that its likely we will be able to get a decent one at 29. I am currently in Binky love with RHageman. I love his length, and ability to push the pocket. The thought of Kelly at 6'5, and Hegeman at 6'6 getting 3 yds penetration and getting their hands up, will make it a difficult task for QB's to throw over the middle past THAT picket line. Arm slot adjustments will have to be made, throwing lanes cut off, and accuracy will be lost.

5. I think Siliga has shown he can be an effective run stopper in the middle. CJones had 6 sacks a lot more pressures and hits that we have any right to expect. In fact IIRC the DT's combined to have around 11 sacks. Add a 6'5 Armstead to Hageman. Kelly, CJones, and Siliga, I think the Pats can have a very strong DT group going into next year.

6. DE is a critical need as many have mentioned. However I don't see the draft as being the solution to finding an answer to the need for a viable 3rd and 4th option. There is no question that Chandler and Rob were worn down by all the snaps they had to take. Who wouldn't have been. I'm hopeful that Buchanon can be one of those guys. To that end I will be anxiously waiting for reports that Mike has won a parking spot, gained 15lbs, and looks great at the OTA's. But I think we are going to need to bring in a veteran FA to fill that need. Jared Allen would be my first choice if he could be had in the $5MM range, but I'm open to suggestions.

7. I think we are really undervaluing our LB's, especially Mayo and Hightower. Hightower improved his game immensely over the last quarter of the season, and will be a big improvement over Spikes next year. People forget that Mayo is a 4.5 OLB who is a tackling machine. For some reason he's been a target for the "whiners" on this board, and even though he's picked up his "big plays" over the last few years, it still doesn't matter. Having him back will allow the DL to be more aggressive.

8. And then there is Jamie Collins - His skill set and obvious development is going to allow the Pats to be much more aggressive. I see HIM being even a bigger Kam Chancellor in certain coverages. He can match up with just about any TE. He can be the big hitter over the middle. I don't see him as true edge rusher, but more like a very big blitzing DB, either off the edge or up the middle

He is the guy who is going to allow Patricia to truly get back to a different D for every team, because depending on the challenge, he can be put in so many positions, from the DL to LB, and the secondary.

9. I'm very confident that we WILL find an adequate 2nd S from the mix of TWilson, Harmon, or Ebner. Rather my focus would be to add another CB will some size to add to our depth. I think Dennard is going to keep getting better. He plays way bigger than his actual size, but I worry about long term health. With Ryan and Arrington, I think we are fine in the slot. What we really need is a bigger CB who can be in an outside rotation with Talib (who is going to be here) and Dennard

10. On offense - briefly - we are going to need at least 2 TE's to upgrade the position and depth, and one of them should be a veteran.

11. I'd tell Cannon that he's going to be the RG next season, Cut or restructure Connolly to reflect that he's going to be a back up next season if he makes the team.

12. So here is what we do in FA - The Pats are currently around $11MM under the cap as we speak. If you followed Miguel's reasonable recent cap thread, you could easily see how that number could grow to around $30MM. For this case, lets be even more conservative and set the number at $25MM. Subtract 4MM for our rookies, and another $4MM for reserve, we will like have about $17MM to actually spend on FA's.

1. Sign - Talib, Fletcher, and Svitek - from our home grown FA's - I would be willing to bet that whatever kind of contract Talib signs with us, it will only cost around $4-5MM on this year's cap. Fletcher will come back at around $1MM, and Svitek at $2MM (About $8MM on this year's cap.

2. Sign - TE Scott Chandler, C- Alex Mack, and Everson Brown - Chandler for about $2.5MM, Mack for around $6MM, and Brown for about $1MM

You could also make a case to keep Wendell and use the big money to sign a higher profile DE like Jared Allen. However there is only room for 2 big signings and Talib is one of them. Personally I think Mack is the better long term signing, but.....

13. Draft - This is easy IMHO. There are specific needs in just a few areas. We need to find a starter at DT, a contributor at TE, plus OL and LB depth. My strategy is to find a DT, TE, and OL in the first 3 rounds - After that point I'd be looking at selecting the highest risk/highest reward players left in the draft. That means small college guys, guys who were hurt last season, guys with "red flags", guys that may have been playing out of position. If in the next 5 selections the Pats can find just ONE diamond in the rough to go along with hitting on the 3 major needs, this will be a good draft.

14. DT - Hageman is my first choice among the DT's likely to be available where we pick. I would go so far as to hope that if he gets to the early 20's, I'd be willing to trade a 4th or 5th round pick to move up to grab him like we did in 2011.

15 - If Amaro is there in the 2nd, I'd grab him, but I doubt he'll be there. So late in the 2nd I'd grab the best OLman on our board, ideally someone with position flexibility. If there is a speed LB sitting there that is rated higher on the board than any of the OLmen, then I'd be OK going there.

16. In the third round, I'd use the same process depending on who I took in round 2. If it was a TE in round 2, then I'd be looking for an OLman, or visa versa. All the time looking for that speed LB anomally

17. Again, after getting my starting DT, and TE, and OL/LB depth, I'm open to anything after that.

 

[Coach42]

We've been calling Wilfork "the elephant in the room" for a while and he definitely represents a difficult decision. I think resigning Talib is the bigger decision. Most of the offseason plans I've seen have us resigning him as a top priority, but what happens if some team comes in an offers him an absurd mega deal? What's the better optio, sign another FA like Grimes or attempt to draft a replacement?

 

[mayoclinic]

Since I've banned myself from the main board to avoid having my head exploding from ANOTHER thread dedicated to Danny Amendola hate, I have skimmed through this excellent thread after reading Mayo's excellent OP. Here are my comments on the 5 or 6 pages I have read of the 42 this thread has elicited.

1. Though I am sympathetic to the rush to emulate the Seattle model, I am not entirely convinced. Seattle's model has worked for 2 seasons (that's the number of consecutive seasons the Seahawks have had winning seasons). I would suggest that as offenses break it down this off season, we will see some slippage from them.

BB has won a lot of games WITHOUT a lot of talent with his defensive philosophy. It may never look dominant, but even at hits historic worst in 2011, it WAS effective, with the scoring D being much more effective than the total D stats.

I think that that to be successful in the NFL today defenses have to be a bit more proactive than the classic "read and react" BB 2-gap defense, particularly against the better QBs who will pick anyone apart if given time. Seattle let Matt Ryan march down the field in the last 30 seconds to win the 2012 NFC Divisional game after Chris Clemons got injured and they couldn't mount any pressure - even their secondary wasn't good enough without pressure up front.

As Kontra has noted, BB one-gapped this season more than he has in the past, and we saw a bit more aggressiveness and disruption at times. I personally think it's taking him time to move away from his roots, but that he's getting there.

2. The call for a "big" strong safety in the Kam Chancellor image is a nice wish, but I think very over rated for a couple of reasons. First - Pryor will be long gone before he gets to the 20's let alone 29. Second - the Pats don't flop their S's in order to better disguise their coverages. Having a "true" SS would take that advantage away. Don't forget that's one of the reason's the Pats get so many TO's despite the lack of talent and injuries of the last several seasons. Third - after Pryor there is really no one else with the physical skill set that merits a draft pick. The drop off after the first 2 S's is very precipitous. Fourth - I think we have a solution for what people are looking for that I will discuss later.

9. I'm very confident that we WILL find an adequate 2nd S from the mix of TWilson, Harmon, or Ebner. Rather my focus would be to add another CB will some size to add to our depth. I think Dennard is going to keep getting better. He plays way bigger than his actual size, but I worry about long term health. With Ryan and Arrington, I think we are fine in the slot. What we really need is a bigger CB who can be in an outside rotation with Talib (who is going to be here) and Dennard

Kam Chancellor is a rare beast, and I'm not sure that he can be easily replicated. OTOH, the Pats' safeties have been pitifully non-physical over the past 3 seasons, and I think that needs to change. Devin McCourty has great range but he's not particularly physical. No one made opposing receivers think about wandering over the middle of the field, and I think that has to change. The idea would be a more physical safety who isn't a coverage liability. I agree that Calvin Pryor will be gone, and I really don't want to go safety at 29 anyway. I think someone like Antone Exum would be a tremendous fit. I also think that more speed at the LB level would help tremendously.

I've been arguing for more depth at outside CB for years. I see that as a very important need - I really don't want to be putting Kyle Arrington outside, or switching to a soft zone if Aqib Talib gets hurt. I love the day 3 DB talent in this year's draft - Exum, Dontae Johnson, Phillip Gaines, Jonathan Dowling, Aaron Colvin. Outstanding. I really hope we get one of those guys.

3. Vince Wilfolk - Sometime during this off season, Vince Wilfolk will eventually be released. Get used to the idea. If can beat the long odds and recover, he WILL wind up with the Pats. He's not going anywhere. But I truly believe that regardless, he won't be playing under his existing contract.

If I read Miguel right, releasing Wilfolk after 7/1 would add about $1.5/MM to the dead money list for the next 2 years, but will give us over $8MM in immediate cap relief. But as far as planning goes, I think the Pats have to figure that Wilfolk is done, and hope for the best. But as of today, I think the odds are better that Vince is on the Pats sideline in 2014 as a coach, than as a player.

4. With that in mind I see DT is absolutely the top need for the Pats in this draft, and its deep enough that its likely we will be able to get a decent one at 29. I am currently in Binky love with RHageman. I love his length, and ability to push the pocket. I would go so far as to hope that if he gets to the early 20's, I'd be willing to trade a 4th or 5th round pick to move up to grab him like we did in 2011. The thought of Kelly at 6'5, and Hegeman at 6'6 getting 3 yds penetration and getting their hands up, will make it a difficult task for QB's to throw over the middle past THAT picket line. Arm slot adjustments will have to be made, throwing lanes cut off, and accuracy will be lost.

5. I think Siliga has shown he can be an effective run stopper in the middle. CJones had 6 sacks a lot more pressures and hits that we have any right to expect. In fact IIRC the DT's combined to have around 11 sacks. Add a 6'5 Armstead to Hageman. Kelly, CJones, and Siliga, I think the Pats can have a very strong DT group going into next year.

I've been saying that Wilfork needs to be cut long before anyone else. It's way too soon to know if he can come back - if he can, then the team should welcome him back. It needs to be handled gracefully, but it is a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.

I've been following Ra'Shede Hageman for over 2 years, probably longer than anyone else on this board. He has top 10 physical talent, without a doubt. And he has made enormous progress. But I'm not sure he has the mental makeup to ever fully realize his talent. He will make great plays at times, but I'm not sure he can ever be consistent enough to meet BB's "bar level" criteria. That's part of why I like Aaron Donald so much - the motor, technical skills and football intelligence are so high.

6. DE is a critical need as many have mentioned. However I don't see the draft as being the solution to finding an answer to the need for a viable 3rd and 4th option. There is no question that Chandler and Rob were worn down by all the snaps they had to take. Who wouldn't have been. I'm hopeful that Buchanon can be one of those guys. To that end I will be anxiously waiting for reports that Mike has won a parking spot, gained 15lbs, and looks great at the OTA's. But I think we are going to need to bring in a veteran FA to fill that need. Jared Allen would be my first choice if he could be had in the $5MM range, but I'm open to suggestions.

I pretty much agree that we won't find an immediate rotational player in the draft (maybe Kony Ealy with a 1st round pick, but I really don't want to do that) and that FA is a more logical place to go. I don't like Jared Allen as an option - his play fell off, and he's at the age where DE's start to lose a step. I'd consider him if other options weren't available and if the price was favorable, but only then. Lamarr Houston, Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap (if somehow cut, as rumored by Tony Pauline) would be great options if possible. I think Corey Wootton and Everson Griffen would be very good fits.

7. I think we are really undervaluing our LB's, especially Mayo and Hightower. Hightower improved his game immensely over the last quarter of the season, and will be a big improvement over Spikes next year. People forget that Mayo is a 4.5 OLB who is a tackling machine. For some reason he's been a target for the "whiners" on this board, and even though he's picked up his "big plays" over the last few years, it still doesn't matter. Having him back will allow the DL to be more aggressive.

8. And then there is Jamie Collins - His skill set and obvious development is going to allow the Pats to be much more aggressive. I see HIM being even a bigger Kam Chancellor in certain coverages. He can match up with just about any TE. He can be the big hitter over the middle. I don't see him as true edge rusher, but more like a very big blitzing DB, either off the edge or up the middle

He is the guy who is going to allow Patricia to truly get back to a different D for every team, because depending on the challenge, he can be put in so many positions, from the DL to LB, and the secondary.

I was high on Jamie Collins long ago, and think he will become an impact player. I agree that adding speed and coverage at the second level could help the overall defense tremendously. That's part of why I'd like to add a more mobile LB like Ryan Shazier, Christian Jones or Jordan Tripp. Shazier is probably too expensive, but he would be great; the other two are definitely options.

I'm very excited about Mayo coming back and seeing Mayo and Collins on the field together. I'm less optimistic about Dont'a Hightower than you are. He definitely improved when moved inside, and he's a solid player; I just don't see the explosiveness or the mobility to really fit the kind of defense I want. I know it won't happen, but if it were me I'd move Mayo back inside and get a speedier LB at the WILL position, and then put Hightower on the line (or trade him). He's a good player, but he's really a 3-4 SILB, and that's not the direction I want the defense to go.

 

[patsfaninpa]

One thing I don't get about your desire to get a 3rd linebacker Mayo. How many plays will he play in a game? The base defense is really a 4-2-5. I'm fine with Mayo and Collins being our two there. We've discussed Hightower a lot and we're on the same wavelength. He's better off as a 3-4 ILB in our old system or Steelers. Not in the 4-3 or 4-2-5. I think resources would be better used for other positions. I feel our biggest needs on defense are; dt, de and ss. I'd be happy with a mid-rounder who can run a little as a back-up olb.

I do like your mock's idea of signing Alex Mack. Allows us to cut Connelly. Mack's cap hit is prob about the same as Wendell/Connelly if we brought Ryan back. Slide Cannon to RG. He can back-up Vollmer at RT as well. Would allow us to spend a pick in the 3-5 range on interior OL instead of a top pick. Which, I want reserved for the defense.

For Patfanken. I enjoy your posts. You're a little more optimistic about things in general than me. Draft board allows us to make suggestions/opinions without being
called an idiot. We tend to call ourselves that. Which is cool

 

[mayoclinic]

One thing I don't get about your desire to get a 3rd linebacker Mayo. How many plays will he play in a game? The base defense is really a 4-2-5. I'm fine with Mayo and Collins being our two there. We've discussed Hightower a lot and we're on the same wavelength. He's better off as a 3-4 ILB in our old system or Steelers. Not in the 4-3 or 4-2-5. I think resources would be better used for other positions. I feel our biggest needs on defense are; dt, de and ss. I'd be happy with a mid-rounder who can run a little as a back-up olb.

I personally don't worry about the "where will he get his snaps" argument. You find talent that fits into the context of your team and what you want to do. I think there would be plenty of opportunity for a guy like Ryan Shazier or Christian Jones to make an impact. and talented depth is always good.

I suggested above trading Hightower to the Steelers (see post #421), where he'd fit perfectly as a 3-4 SILB. He doesn't really fit into the kind of defense I'd like to see us evolve into, put he'd be a great complement to Lawrence Timmons.

I do like your mock's idea of signing Alex Mack. Allows us to cut Connelly. Mack's cap hit is prob about the same as Wendell/Connelly if we brought Ryan back. Slide Cannon to RG. He can back-up Vollmer at RT as well. Would allow us to spend a pick in the 3-5 range on interior OL instead of a top pick. Which, I want reserved for the defense.

I'm not very optimistic about signing Alex Mack, particularly given that the new Brown's regime wants him back. I think there's a decent chance he hits FA, but he will allow the Browns to match any offer, and a lot of teams would jump at the chance to get him. I'll dance a jig if it happens, but I doubt it.

 

[captain stone]

Here are my comments on the 5 or 6 pages I have read of the 42 this thread has elicited...

This should be an 11-page thread if the posts/page on your User CP is set to 40 instead of
the 10 to which it appears to be currently set. Having to load that many pages that often
must be a pain in the ass.

Edit: after hitting User CP, find Your Control Panel on left, Settings & Options, then hit Edit Options,
then find Thread Display Options, from which you can select 40 posts per page, as I do.

 

[Off The Grid]

Sometime during this off season, Vince Wilfolk will eventually be released. Get used to the idea.

That's precisely the kind of ignorant arrogance that we try to keep to a minimum in the Draft Forum.

1 ~ Welcome aboard. We've been discussing his possible release for a long time. The idea isn't shocking.

2 ~ No one knows what will happen with Wilfork. To pretend otherwise is juvenile, to put it kindly.

3 ~ We tend to treat each other with a far higher level of Respect around here than on the Main Boards, which are pretty much the Inner City of any FootBall Forum. Pontificating, arrogant statements such as "Get used to the idea." are universally understood to be insulting and offensive. You might want to work on that.

 

[mayoclinic]

That's precisely the kind of ignorant arrogance that we try to keep to a minimum in the Draft Forum.

1 ~ Welcome aboard. We've been discussing his possible release for a long time. The idea isn't shocking.

2 ~ No one knows what will happen with Wilfork. To pretend otherwise is juvenile, to put it kindly.

3 ~ We tend to treat each other with a far higher level of Respect around here than on the Main Boards, which are pretty much the Inner City of any FootBall Forum. Pontificating, arrogant statements such as "Get used to the idea." are universally understood to be insulting and offensive. You might want to work on that.

Now, now. I don't think it was meant that way.

But it's always funny when someone waltzes in and preaches an idea which has been discussed for ages. It was in the OP from 4 weeks ago, but I've been suggesting it for much longer.

 

[everlong]

I suggested above trading Hightower to the Steelers (see post #421), where he'd fit perfectly as a 3-4 SILB. He doesn't really fit into the kind of defense I'd like to see us evolve into, put he'd be a great complement to Lawrence Timmons.

I'd still up for using Hightower as a LB against running teams and working him into the DE rotation. He would offer good depth at a few position while not a perfect fit at any. By all account Bill really likes Hightower and felt he did a great job last year playing out of position so I don't see him getting traded.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Here's a somewhat provocative (and perhaps heretical) thought, based on the idea of getting faster and more disruptive on defense:

FA:

- Re-sign Aqib Talib and Dane Fletcher.
- Cut Isaac Sapoaga and Adrian Wilson ($3M in additional 2014 cap space).
- Cut or restructure Vince Wilfork ($4-7.5M in additional 2014 cap space).
- Sign UFA DE/DT Lamarr Houston (Oakland). Houston will probability hit FA. He's a 6'3" 300# guy with good explosiveness (72 score) and mobility who can play inside or out. If Houston is too pricey or gets tagged, Red Bryant could be an option (if the Pats cut Wilfork outright they could probably sign both, though that seems even more unlikely). Michael Johnson could also be an option, but Houston fits a 4-3 under scheme nicely.

The 2014 cap space freed up from Gregory/Sapoaga/Wilson/Wilfork ($10-13.5M) should provide enough for those moves, and still allow the Pats to address the offensive side of the ball.

- Trade Mallett and Stevan Ridley to Houston. For now.
- Trade #29 and Dont'a Hightower to Pittsburgh for #15.

Draft:

15. Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh.
33. Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St. If Shazier is gone at 33 then I trade back and get Christian Jones later on.
- Get a big NT like Justin Ellis or Daniel McCullers in the draft to pair with Sealver Siliga.
- Also get Antone Exum as a safety/CB hybrid and another big DB day 3.

Then you could run a 4-3 under with the following:

DL: Houston - NT - Donald - Jones (imagine if Wilfork actually could come back to a meaningful level)

LB: Collins - Mayo - Shazier/Jones

S: McCourty - Exum/Harmon

CB: Talib - Dennard

That defense would have tremendous disruptiveness up front and tremendous speed, range and playmaking capability in the middle, with a top 5 secondary.

Rob Ninkovich could get time at both DE and LB, and would get a very large number of snaps. He could back up Jamie Collins at SAM as well as rotate as a DE. Dane Fletcher can play all 3 LB positions. Armond Armstead could hopefully come back and back up Lamarr Houston. Chris Jones would back up Aaron Donald, and Michael Buchanan would hopefully progress enough to back up Chandler Jones, giving the Pats 2+ depth at each position front 7.

Why would Pittsburgh go for this? They reportedly were very high on Hightower in 2012, and would have taken him at 24 in David DeCastro hadn't slipped. They need a SILB to pair with Lawrence Timmons. Hightower still has 2 years left on his rookie deal, so he's cost-effective for a cash-strapped team. At #29 they could almost certainly get one of Louis Nix / Stephon Tuitt / Ra'Shede Hageman, all of whom would fit beautifully into their 3-4 scheme.

Will it happen? No, of course not. But just a thought.

I could get on board with this. A nascar line of Collins -- Chandler Jones -- Donald -- Shazier would be pure havoc.

I don't think PIT would go for it. I think they like their LB core. I do appreciate the outside-the-box thought process though.

We've been calling Wilfork "the elephant in the room" for a while and he definitely represents a difficult decision.

He's more of a nose tackle than an elephant. (I crack myself up)

I'm not very optimistic about signing Alex Mack, particularly given that the new Brown's regime wants him back. I think there's a decent chance he hits FA, but he will allow the Browns to match any offer, and a lot of teams would jump at the chance to get him. I'll dance a jig if it happens, but I doubt it.

A lot of players say this -- especially when they're still under contract. It doesn't mean anything IMO.

 

[mayoclinic]

I'd still up for using Hightower as a LB against running teams and working him into the DE rotation. He would offer good depth at a few position while not a perfect fit at any. By all account Bill really likes Hightower and felt he did a great job last year playing out of position so I don't see him getting traded.

I agree. I don't really see any chance of that happening, but I wanted to be provocative as far as what kind of defense I'd like to see.

Realistically, I'd be quite happy with what you suggest - Hightower playing MLB in a base rotation, giving way to Collins-Mayo in sub packages, and getting some reps on the DL, with a more versatile LB with coverage skills like Christian Jones added as well.

 

[mayoclinic]

I could get on board with this. A nascar line of Collins -- Chandler Jones -- Donald -- Shazier would be pure havoc.

I don't think PIT would go for it. I think they like their LB core. I do appreciate the outside-the-box thought process though.

IDK. They have Larry Foote next to Farrior, IIRC. It all depends how much they liked Hightower. After back-to-back 8-8 seasons, I'm sure Kevin Colbert will go over the roster extremely careful and evaluate whether their young core needs upgrading. But it's a moon shot idea, and nothing more.

A lot of players say this -- especially when they're still under contract. It doesn't mean anything IMO.

As I said, if the Pats sign Mack I'll dance a jig. But I won't hold my breath. He's inspiring more fantasies in the NFL right now than Lindsey Duke and Katherine Webb.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I could get on board with this. A nascar line of Collins -- Chandler Jones -- Donald -- Shazier would be pure havoc.

.

Well, their pass defense would certainly get much Better because teams would run for 300 yards a game with Collins And Shazier at DE.

 

[mayoclinic]

Well, their pass defense would certainly get much Better because teams would run for 300 yards a game with Collins And Shazier at DE.

What part about "NASCAR line" do you not understand? It's not a base defense.

 

[BobDigital]

Without going to into much depth here is my ideal D after FA & Draft.

DE - Jones, Nink, Everson Griffen(FA) Aaron Lynch(Draft)
DT - Kelly, Easley(Draft), Siliga, Jones, Jay Bromley(Draft)
LB - Mayo, Collins, Hightower, Fletcher, White
CB - Talib, Dennard McGill(Draft), Ryan, Arrington
SS - Bucannon(Draft), A. Wilson
FS - McCourty, Harmon, Ebner

So we would end up asking 2 rookies to play serious minutes in my final roster but I think both Easley & Bucannon can do it. DT is a bit young too but that is a position where you can get away with that. Also I'd like to add another Vet FA... maybe at LB but not an overly expensive one. I'd have to look into it more.

Overall I'd have no issue fielding this D though.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

IDK. They have Larry Foote next to Farrior, IIRC. It all depends how much they liked Hightower. After back-to-back 8-8 seasons, I'm sure Kevin Colbert will go over the roster extremely careful and evaluate whether their young core needs upgrading. But it's a moon shot idea, and nothing more.

Actually I was thinking of Vince Williams and Kion Wilson -- two good, young inside linebackers.

Baltimore would make more sense. They have less depth and also liked Hightower.

 

[mayoclinic]

Baltimore would make more sense. They have less depth and also liked Hightower.

Unfortunately they lost a coin-toss to Dallas, and pick 17th, after the Cowboys, who are probably the most likely destination for Aaron Donald.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Good point