http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/07/08/making-the-grade-3-4-defensive-linemen-2008-2010/ It's good to see some of our guys getting credit for what they have done as 3-4 DEs, where stats are hard to come by. These two have done one hell of a job. Soliai is not listed at NT because it is for three years.
Sadly McDaniel will most likely not be here this coming season because of Langford, Starks and Odrick. Merling has been out of shape, injured, and hasn't proven he's capable of making a significant impact in the NFL yet and he's running out of time. Personally I feel McDaniel would be a better option to keep than Merling, but if he could put it all together and stay healthy, and if Odrick's injury wont be one with lingering affects then we will have one of the most talented DE rotations in the NFL. Here's to hoping. But it is nice to see our guys getting the recognition they deserve. I know there were "better" (or at least more attractive) options when we selected in the 3rd round in 08, but Langford has been a stud.
It's also good to see that Starks and Langford have been this good for the past three years. Not many give them the credit they are due. Ask our LBs how good they are.
The topic of losing MCD for nothing, after how we aquired and developed him, is maddening to me..Its a hard pill to swallow.
I don't like losing him either, but with Odrick, Merling, and some of the other guys it wouldn't make sense to pay him a ton of money. We have plenty of talent there.
My minds goin blank on the rule?, does he fall under those parameters?, whatta you think we could get?
It's actually a fairly complicated formula based on net loss of free agents, with the amount of picks, positioning and determination of who is eligible to be included in the formula dependent upon salaries, playing time and post-season honors.
Thanks PG, that was a VG run down. Bottom line, we have no idea of what we get, if anything, until the dust clears on FA. IF we get what we ant, we will get nothing in return.
