We re-signed Crowder last year, guess the FO think he's worth keeping. Ayodele and Torbor are due a lot of money, and are not worth it. JP is likely gone, shoulda been last season. JT is 50/50. Anderson and Moses are backups at best, and Wake played DE. So, we need 6 or 7 LB's. Whatever happened to Tuna saying you can never have enough of them? Dansby is a long shot, and FA offers little else. Where do they come from? Anyone have a problem with drafting a LB in each and every round?
the linebackers are the weakest group on this football team by far jt and porter gotta go at the outside no one to back them up except wake who needs to move over for success imo inside linebacker can be completely cleaned out and replaced they all stink i would love to grab mcclain and start fresh maybe grabbing dansby i understand fans get mad when i say jt has got to go but look at it realistically does he really give us the kind of play we need to get to the next level he really doesnt and porter is the same situation time to burn down the linebackers and retool
Some may point out the need at WR, NT, and FS. I'm looking at a very real possibility of having just Crowder, as a starting LB, who ranked #50 at ILB in the league. That's hard to believe.
We have see what we can do in FA, trades, then the draft. Our scouting is going to be even more important here for the later rounds, and for the non drafted players. It will be very hard to take care of this in one year. More then likely it will take two years. We maybe able to get more non drafted players in here because they will know there is opportunity here with our team.
I know what the other needs are. IMO none are greater than that of linebacker. NT + OLB are Tony S's. key positions to running a 3-4 defense. I would link the article if I could find it.
JT did play well, and is MUCH better on the weak side. However, how much can we still expect from him? How the hell do you find 3 starters, and backups in one off season with next to no one in FA?
Very true bro, very true. I hate to admit it, but the Jets did a nice job making more out of the undrafted Jamaal Westerman with Rex Ryan than they did with Vernon Gholston, so we know it can be done. I wouldn't mind checking out Westerman's former teammate George Johnson in the late rounds/UDFA group. Decently productive, has a lot of game experience: http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/DE/George-Johnson.php Adrian Tracy of William & Mary is another late-round prospect as well I'd be interested in.
With no new CBA, there is nothing in FA other than maybe Dansby or Banta-Cain. Maybe we get LUCKY with the contract dumping which is inevitable, and hit on a couple in the draft. I sure hope so.
The draft is the way to go, though I'd hope we can get a Karlos Dansby and/or a Tim Dobbins type in free agency, but it's not likely. I wouldn't mind drafting any of the following though: McClain, Morgan, Weatherspoon, Spikes, Graham, Lang, Sheffield, Schofield despite his injury, Tracy, among others.
All we need to do is combine our luck of 96 and 97, getting a JT in the third, and a Zach in the fifth. Think we can hire JJ and Buttercup for a bit of help? LOL
Well, Torbor, Anderson, Walden and Porter are still under contract and I think (not sure) Ayodele is too. You already mentioned Crowder. JT is an UFA. It's not like they will let all of them go. I hope that Peezy is gonzee, but we'll have to wait and see about that. FA is coming up, but because of the unsettled CBA, the pickings (for all positions) may be slim. What do you suggest ?? Should we neglect all the other needs we have (and there are several) and concentrate specifically on LB ?? It's pretty easy for us to sit here and talk about cutting this guy and signing another, but it's just not quite that simple. Have some patience and lets see what the specifics are going to be for FA before we worry about the sky falling...
We need Crowder on this team. If you need evidence, just look at how poorly the defense performed when he was not in there. As for Ayodele and Torbor, I agree with you there that they need to be gone. As for JT, I don't think he needs to go. He might not need to be a starter next year, but he doesn't HAVE to go. Not only is he playing on the cheap but he can still get to the QB. As for Porter, why in the hell did he need to go after last season when he had 22 sacks? I'm honestly excited to see what Porter can do in Mike Nolan's system. He was hurt this year and improperly utilized in Paul Pasqualoni's system that made EVERYONE on our defense look terrible. I also think letting Roth go was a mistake. I agree with you that ILB is a major need and that we need to upgrade OLB but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as you make it out to be.
I do suggest that we concentrate on LB's over all other needs. We can get a good-VG NT in FA. The other need are not as important as LB. The players you mention are under contract but, what does that matter. Name one who would be starting for another team? GOD forbid, you can even include Detroit, Oakland, and St. Louis. The sky is falling. It's a black cloud between the DL and DB's.
Mike Nolan is the "wild card" in the upcoming season, it's hard to tell exactly who will be going and who will stay and flourish in his system. I look for possibly two first day selections to go linebacker.
Madd Matt agrees with letting Madd Matt Roth go as a mistake. LOL I'm all for keeping JT. JP had 9 sacks last year, and was a disaster doing anything else. If the Phins have one legit starting LB, in Crowder, it is a dire situation.
Nolan made Dumervile, a 5'11" 260 LB into a Pro Bowler. What can he do with Wake, who is bigger, stronger, faster, and much more athletic? I really look forward to seeing that.
i never said it had to be all be done in one offseason my point was that with the current group we aren't going anywhere jt and porter are part time players at best, both are not going to give us what we need from the position if they return we stay in mediocrity yes crowder is our best inside guy and he stinks the only salvageable player from this group is cameron wake and he is still a project we need a mass overhaul at the linebacker position for this d to be anyting better than average i want a great defense on the field and these guys are not the answer nolan will want guys who get after it and are aggressive play makers i didnt see any of that from our linebackers this past season
I think we keep JT and Crowder for leadership. JP needs to go and Ayodele needs to be replaced. we can keep him for depth if we have to but we need a better starter there. Hopefully it's McClain if not Weatherspoon or Spikes would be better. But we need talent badly. Honestly we need at least one new starter at ILB and OLB. And i'd maybe pick another of each later in the draft with our extra 6th and 7th round picks.
#50 out of 32 teams that include Detroit, Raiders, Brown... That's a shame, but just tells you how bad they really are. I have always said he wouldn't even start on another team. I think we keep Crowder for depth. I can't see him beating out two high drafted rookies with skill. I agree with bold.
I think it could be anything from two to four players. There are role player positions that need filling beyond the starter role. Ideally, we find a strongside OLB who can handle a heavy coverage workload and still rush well. If not, you are looking at a separate guy for base 3-4(Mario Haggan in Denver), and a pass rusher(Robert Ayers) at very least in the short term. Likewise, if you find an ILB who can cover very well, you can consolodate the coverage linebacker position Yeremiah Bell is in sometimes.
I agree with ya, but at a million a year, I'd take him back for another year....he is a good leader...
I don't know about faster, athletic or more explosive but Dumervil has a damn good bulrush, just like James Harrison. Dumvervil's also very quick off the LOS.
I always see all these threads that say things like "We should cut this guy" or "we should sign this guy" And while I don't claim to fully understand the process behind personnel movement in the NFL I do know it's not as simple as some of you might like to think. We can't simply cut every LB on our team and say we're gonna sign Dansby and trade for Dumervil and draft McClain. Obviously that's a dream scenario. But they're called dreams for a reason. You throw out that Channing was the #50 LB in the NFL. And I'm not sure where you're getting that from or what criteria they are using, nor does it matter. We all know that Channing isn't the best LB in the league, but he's the best we have. He also did not benifit from playing under Pasqualoni. No one did. We certainly need improvement in the LB corps but I just don't get where some of you are coming from with the things you say. Cut JT who is making close to 1 mil a year and has shown he can still get at the QB? Cut JP who had 22 sacks a year ago before being hurt this year as well as under utilized and improperly used. Torbor also showed some flashes when he was forced into action. So while I agree with the premise of this thread, I think that some of the suggestions in it are way too rediculous. Personally I'm placing my faith in Mike Nolan to come in and identify his playmakers and put together a defense on par with his Denver, San Fran and Baltimore products.
we dont need cheap veterans with leadership capability we need a young stud who can get consistent pressure on the qb from the solb position. Look the longer you settle for a guy at the end of his career who is cheap the farther away you are from bringing in a playmaker who can develop quickly into a force. I want guys like Lamar Woodley on this defense not aging veterans whose time has slipped away. What is the 3-4 about? Its about olb's who get after the qb and we just dont have that. I know all about the sack stat but that doesnt tell the true story about the defense.in terms of pressure and being able to disrupt opposing qb's timing and rhythm. we desperately need that. its time to bring in lb's who can change a game and make plays. The 3-4 scheme is built for linebackers abilities to be all over the field disrupting. we havent seen any of that yet since we switched schemes. Mike Nolan is here now. It's time....
Well said, and good post. Pro Football Focus dissects every player in every game. It's not perfect but, better than anyone else. If you include part time players, Crowder is 112th, Ayodele #113, and Torbor is #106. I was being kind. I do agree on JT but he is an UFA, who we may or may not re-sign. JP had 17 sacks two seasons ago, does little else, and is unhappy in Miami. Ya gotta give Nolan the groceries to make a defensive dinner.
As far as a Bull rush, El Toro (aka Wake) should be in Mexico going against guys with a cape and a sword. I'm betting on Wake, and he looks nastier than a damn bull. Let's see what Nolan can do with him.
im talking about young fast hungry linebackers who can run and be consistent porter put up the sacks and then disappeared down the stretch he fell off the map in the playoff game against baltimore anyways what porter did in '08 holds no bearing the defense need some fresh blood instead of these retreads at OLB sparano told jp he wants to develop and play young players wake fits into that category the rest of the linebackers not so much
I honestly think were good for next year on the weakside with JT and Wake. We need at SOLB, and an ILB. Two if we could, but one would be fine.
I think if we have to Jason Taylor is pretty serviceable on the strongside again next year if he comes back. I'm not so sure his pass-rush skills are what they used to be (i.e. having Wake replace him in passing downs throughout the home stretch of 2009). His run support was fine, and even if his coverage skills aren't the greatest, he'll do for one more year. At this point, what's the alternative? Quentin Moses? One name that would intrigue me, even if it's a pipe dream, is Julius Peppers. I doubt this front office would shell out the cash, but he's got the size, length, strength, and pass-rushing skills to play SOLB IMO. It might take some adjusting, but I think he could pull it off. However, like I said, it's my own pipe dream.
