Key to that is "release Starks Wake (Odrick and whomever)"

Odie is an unknown and "whomever" is a good way to describe the #4 pass rusher, we really do not have one unless Misi does improve.

Really like Dansby as you can do so much with him, as you say, especially if Edds works out.

 

Odie is an unknown Deej, or as you call him "Hong Kong Fuey!", the one guy who sort of interests me is Phil Merling, contract yr, McD leaving, he knew how close he came to being cut in 2010 if the fountain of motivation was his beverage during this down time his skillset still should be there and there are snaps to be had.

BTW, formatting 4 laptop hard drives this evening, can recall once having a life.

 

HD's are fine, it is the old as dirt laptops that I'm messing with that causes the issues...recall the days of floppies?

That is where I am with this..:lol:

A half against poor quality Tackles is not exactly a resume enhancer Deej, not that I'm down on Odie, merely being objective, Merling on the other hand does have a good body of work, he does need to take things seriously or he is on the cut list, however if he is focused he could break out this yr.

 

One of the reasons why I like laptops, easier to work on stuff like that on them.

Biggest drawback is 1 drive bay, you need both a floppy and cd drive, bios won't boot CD so Sys C: is needed and wrong version you are sol.

Recall what he said when he was activated in 2010?

"I'm just glad to have a job, they could have waived me so I'm grateful"

O was saying he had weight problems towards the end of the yr, have to think that was a lingering effect from the Achilles, with months and months since the season ended, imo he took a lesson from Soliai, one time screwup who took it seriously, played like a beast, got 12 million.

Merling's as talented as anyone, his problem was motivation, so he should be someone to watch if we ever have a Training Camp.

 

I'd much rather see Odrick over Merling at this point. Merling has been nothing and if he needs to be in a contract year to finally bust out, I'd be leary of signing him to another contract.

 

Actually Ozman, from 08 and 09 Merling was right there with Kendall Langford (per PFF) his problem was he was not as willing to put in the grind hours in that time, in 2010 when he tore his Achilles he was working out on his own on passrushing moves, which is a great sign, coming back to quickly from the Achilles though, to me was not a good idea but with all of the extra time due to the lockout he will have had plenty of time to work on himself this offseason and that is what makes him compelling to watch.

As for Odie, no one knows what he has to offer, and with McD leaving the #4 DE slot will be open for sure and Merling would be quality depth and maybe more.

 

You don't really want to know how I'm trying to get around that...:shifty:

Well, indeed, thought JA was just wearing a target, he was the weak link, he'd get his int's he'd also give up bit plays, same old with him.

As for the DE situation, KL and Merling will be FA's after 2011 if things stay the same, both should be highly motivated, and with McD leaving opportunity is knocking for one of them to step forwards.

Would love to get something out of Sheets.

 

Sean Smith is potentially the perfect antidote to Aaron Hernandez. I mean, it's true that Smith isn't very good at getting off blocks, but Hernandez can't block for ****, either. The Pats almost never ran his way last year. The key, I think, is to treat him like a WR and then have a guy who can cover him, which I think we do. Smith likes playing against the bigger, physical guys anyway, rather than the smurfs of the league. I think he instinctively knows he's going to be quicker and more athletic than anyone his size, which is generally true.

In man coverage, I think ideally you'd see either Dansby or Edds on Gronkowski (the other, depending on the look, either sitting in zone, blitzing or covering a back out of the backfield), and Smith on Hernandez, who they typically split out, sometimes wide but generally in the slot. Then we'd have some combination of Vontae, Will Allen and Nolan Carroll on the perimeter (preferably Will Allen -- assuming he's back physically -- on Welker, who's a really crafty WR. Probably too crafty for Vontae right now).

The Patriots ran a ton of 2 TE last year (in run looks, with Hernandez out and Crumpler in). It was pretty much their base personnel, so the key to stopping their offense is going to be stopping that grouping. Unlike a lot of teams, who don't really have the athletic inside linebackers to cover Gronkowski or a freakishly big corner or athletic safety to match up on Hernandez, the Dolphins really do have both (unlike a team like, say, the Jets). I really like our chances against that grouping.

 

Pads, how would you feel about allowing Merling to slim down to traditional 4-3 DE size and becoming a situational player/pass rusher for us? IMO we're in good shape @ DE vs the run w/ Starks, Langford & Odrick, I think the defense as a whole is a good run stopping unit. What we seem to be missing is a compliment to Wake who can bring pressure from the other side and help keep Wake fresh through the course of the game/season. Merling was a 4-3 guy at Clemson who has struggled transitioning to a 5 technique, but maybe we can get more out if him if we let him go back to doing what he did best in college. What say you?

 

Screw NE!!! NY showed that if you have two CBs who can hold their own 1 on 1 vs Branch and Tate, you can use your safeties and LBs to flood the middle and the short zones and make life very difficult for Welker, Gronkowski & Hernandez. Smith and Davis are not Cromartie and Revis, but they have similar skill sets. The key will be can the nickel package hold up vs the run game when you're using it vs NE's 2 TE set?

NE took two backs early in the draft to help them punish teams for going nickel to stop Tom Brady, so it's not like Belichek doesn't realize that he got exposed in the playoffs. Woodhead and Green Elllis are decent, but they're not going to force teams to stop focusing on stopping Brady. We'll have to see what these new backs look like, can they grind out the tough yards and keep Brady off of his back? I sure hope not.

 

I don't understand why "hardly ever" take a shot at TE's coming off the line. Can anyone explain?

 

I think his path to the roster is to take McD's old job as a DE/DT/NT GMJ, do think he needs to slim down but can see him as a replacement for Soliai on passing downs with Odie moving to LDE, Starks at RDT and Wake at RDE.

Or let Dansby by a sort of Elephant for us if Edds can handle the ILB coverage duties, Nolan is going to think Christmas came early when the season starts, Odie, Edds, Merling, Will Allen, all added back to the tool box.

 

Last season we had 5 tight ends lead their respective teams in receiving against us
Gronkowski,Pettigrew,Scaife,Watson,and Shiancoe so call me sceptical if we are going to
count on Edds as our savior

 

Their run game was top ten last season (#9 overall) and higher than their pass game. Both of the guys they got (Ridley and Vareen) are in-between the tacklers runners, though Vareen has some good hands too and open field vision IMO.

 

You're correct there, what I would say though, is that their success running the ball was due more to teams' focusing on stopping Brady, moreso than anything else. IMO the Jets exposed them in the playoffs and they want better backs who can take advantage when teams go nickel against their 2 TE sets, b/c Woodhead, Faulk, Green Ellis & Woodhead aren't scaring anyone.

 

:dunno:

 

Edds had nothing to do with that, so why is it viewed with skepticism that he may help?

 

Anything to get Crowder off the field on 3rd down... :up:

 

Yes, but none of that was really Sean Smith or Karlos Dansby. I realize there's some skepticism about PFF, but it's basically free in the offseason so up yours :D

Shiancoe:
vs. Quentin Moses: 1 reception, 19 yards
vs. Tim Dobbins: 1 reception, 33 yards.

Scaife(I wouldn't really consider Scaife's production of 7 catches for 51 yards problematic):
No player gave up a particularly big play or multiple plays.

Watson:
vs. Yeremiah Bell: 3 for 49
vs. Tim Dobbins: 1 for 15

Pettigrew:
vs. Tim Dobbins: 3 for 76

Gronkowski:
Chris Clemons: 2 for 32
Channing Crowder: 1 for 26
Benny Sapp: 2 for 38

What's the conclusion, then? Tim Dobbins is as bad in coverage as Akin Ayodele was. How worked up do you get over your #3 ILB, though? Especially when he'll be competing with the aforementioned Edds.