2014 Recap: The LB unit is definitely the most overpaid unit per production on our team. WR is not far behind, as Ellerbe can claim injury this season but I ain't buying lol. Wallace I thought had a much better season this year and he did have 10 TD's but he is damn near annoying at this point. His demeanor is obvious on the field and that display the last week is awful. Regardless, play for your teammates or at least your pride. He quit plain and simple. Hartline might be the most overpaid in the NFL, just as Wallace may be. Gibson is overpaid too. TGF Landry as our 2nd round pick caught 84 balls besides playing mop up duty the 1st four weeks. He will become an upper echelon slot WR in the coming years but he is not the type of WR that can take over alone. He is more a nice piece to a bigger puzzle, if you catch my drift. I liek Rishard Matthews or I did before this year. I can't get a grip on him despite the staff's persistence to not give him a fair shot.
The Unit: God Ireland went out in a big way and a lot of people foresaw this happening with Wallace/Hartline/Gibson spree. It seems great at the time but injuries, lack of chemistry, and overall lack of fit has made this expendable. Landry is a piece to keep and build with. The problem is again we have many needs and to cut those three would leave Landry and who knows about Matthews, our 2013 pick Matt Hazel was on PS and was a decent prospect coming out but he is similar to Landry is anything. That would be a full unit reconsturction with all those cuts but it would create some $$$ as well. What we have lacked is an Alpha WR, which we had a few years back but traded for some vagisil and toothpicks. A big target who goes up for the ball would be a better weapon for our QB than a speed guy with a bad attitude.
Areas of Concern: Size; Alpha WR; Depth; Production per $$$
Free Agents: None
Possible Cuts: Mike Wallace; Brian Hartline; Brandon Gibson; Rishard Matthews
Potential Free Agents: Kenny Britt (STL); Dez Bryant (DAL); Randall Cobb (GB); Michael Crabtree (SF); Leonard Hankerson (WASH); Jeremy Maclin (PHI); Hakeem Nicks (IND); Eddie Royal (SD); Cecil Shorts (JAX); Torrey Smith (BAL); Demaryius Thomas (DEN)
Top Draft Options: Amari Cooper (ALA); Devante Parker (L'Ville); Kevin White (WVU); Jaelen Strong (ASU); Dorial Green-Beckham (OU); Sammie Coates (Auburn); Devin Funchess (MICH); Nelson Algholor (USC); Justin Hardy (ECU); Josh Harper (Fresno); Rashard Greene (FSU); Phillip Dorsett (UM); Tyler Lockett (KSU); Breshard Perriman (UCF); Tony Lippett (MSU)
Cooper is a Top 10 pick and we won't even be able to consider him while on the clock. Parker and White very well be as well. Green-Beckham could be a Top 10 based on talent of round 3 or 4 based on reputation. He is 6'6" and has the speed/hands to be an AJ Green type player, more than likely not a Philbin guy. I got to watch more Jaelen Strong as I struggle to fall in love with Pac-12 WR's but he is big, physical, faster than most, and has a ton of heart. I like that. White reminds me of a Larry Fitz/Deandre Hopkins type. Parker is long and more frail than my liking but there wouldn't be a frown to hear his name called. I am not nuts about Coates but in 2nd or 3rd wouldn't hate it. Funchess kind of the same deal but he is a weird prospect to me. Algholor fall out of favor for me being from USC (not a fan at all of their WR's). Hardy is like Landry and we don't need that many slot type guys. Harper don't know too much about. Greene in the 3rd would be great depending on FA we bring in being a big guy. Dorsett I love especially hearing he'd love to play here. If Wallace leaves and we got FA for size option I'd take Dorsett in 3rd if he is still ther as there is a lot of buzz. Lockett in the 3rd with a FA big guy is ok by me. Perriman in 4th is a big option but needs polishing. Not nuts about Lippett but is big guy.
My Plan: The more I read rumors and think that Wallace is gone. That is fine with me but it's not easy to find that speed and replace 10 td's but his attitude sucks and he isn't worth his price for being more of a one trick pony. If he and RT17 were connectnig on big plays I could take the BS but that isn't his game and with the week 17 debable just move forward without him. Hartline and Gibson I'd let find new teams as well. With us needing to create money this and LB should be purged for their lack of quality for their pricetage. I would bring back Matthews if they view him as a fit. He could replace the possession type like Hartline and hopefully stay on his feet. Having to replace 3 WR's possibly will be enough of a task, asking our QB to incorporate 4 new WR's would be ruthless. With MW/BH/BG gone we need a Big WR and a Speed Element.
As you may notice I have yet to use our #14 pick yet from my previous posts. That is cause I believe the best use of that pick would be with this year's draft class. Cooper will likely be gone. But there are four others that I wouldn't mind for our pick. Parker/White/Strong/DGB.... I'll say last one is probably out due to character. There are other teams with needs at WR ahead of us in round 1 (OAK, NYJ, MIN, CLE) if I am OAK I'd snatch Cooper right away as they need someone for Carr. IF not them NYJ could take him as QB will likely be gone. I don't see Parker/White/Strong sneaking into Top 10 but CLE I could see taking White or Parker. Regardless of who they take it has to be one of those three guys. Parker I like but his frailness scares the s*** of me. White is growing on me a lot as he is physical, fast, attacks the ball, and has shown improvement his craft. If Strong's name is called I wouldn't complain but may be a little bit of a reach in some minds. I see Strong as a player with a very high ceiling but again the Pac-12 thing worries me. My pick if he is on the board is Kevin White as he is probably most dynamic of the three and would be a nice piece with Landry. Well, with White on board that still leaves at least one WR position open. After shedding all that money we would have 3 WR's on their rookie deals so it would be wise to invest in a FA. I wouldn't break the bank but one player I'd love to see is Hakeem Nicks as I feel he is still young enough to invest in and don't think he got a fair shot in Indy. He is a go up and attack the ball and he isn't going to be nearly expensive as he would've been 3 to 4 years ago. Crabtree is another guy who'd make this unit better. Cobb would be a pipe dream as he will get paid but he'd be dumb to leave GB with Rodgers there. Hankerson is a low risk option who has size and if healthy is talented. Royal is very good from slot but we have one already. Cecil Shorts I am not a fan but he has produced. Torrey Smith I can't seem to like but again I am sure he'd be improvement to what we have had.
Kevin White - Nicks - Landry
Matthews - Hazel/UDFA
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Getting rid of Wallace is bad buisness and I don't think they go that route and leave a huge hole at the position. Hartline is as good as gone and likely Gibson too.
It may be worth a pick in the first two rounds to go WR though, Wallace would be the perfect #2 if you can develop a Kevin White quickly. Was surprised to see all those names at WR and no Devin Smith..
I think M. Crabtree would be a great replacement for the hole that was BH.
Wallace-Crabtree-Landry-Devin Smith -
I definitely want to get rid of Hartline & Gibson and keep Wallace for a year. But if they get rid of Wallace, I'd keep Gibson for his final year. I'm ok with going WR first round as well b/c I think getting a G or DT will be very possible in FA (then get a project in the late rounds).
Pretty much either way, I would want to draft Phillip Dorsett if he is there 3rd round or lower. I know we want all want a bigger WR, but he is like TY Hilton IMO and would be a perfect replacement for Wallace (and better than Wallace most likely). We desperately need to overhaul the WR core to where they ALL are potential playmakers.zwave21 likes this. -
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I don't have a guy at the top of the draft I think is worthy of the value up there. I just want WR's with excellent hands who can track the friggin ball and adjust their routes.
Ball tracking has just recently come back to a place of importance in WR assessment. I have been harping on it for years. It still amazes me how many guys get jobs in this league as receivers and they can't receive.
I do believe Matt Hazel makes the 53 next year and contributes when given the chance. -
How many playoff games or superbowls has Megatron or Marshall or Jones won? Even Bryant dropped the football. Fitzgerald is great too, but when they won he fit the scheme on the team. You don't build around WR's, they must compliment the team with their skill set and be willing to fit. This is what we see with Wallace, unwilling to fit unless it benifits him and ultimately rejecting the idea of complimenting the team. Miami is not in position to pick a WR number one. They have to shore up the O-line and D-line/LBers.
Taco Bob likes this. -
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They didn't build there OL first. They got their skill players in place first.
Dallas did the same thing in the early 90's.Aikman/Emmitt/Irvin first, and then built the OL around them.zwave21 likes this. -
Please tell me that we wont be drafting our 8 th or 9th olinemen in the first round again ! I hope like hell we can add undrafted rookies for the oline and add one more vet lineman but please can we stop with the continuation of using our first rd pick on the oline why cant we draft skill players in the first three rounds and draft olinemen in the later rounds ?
if it were me , would draft 2 defensive tackles this year and three linebackers then add two olinemen in free agency ? -
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If you tell me we could create enough cap space by cutting Hartline/Gibson/Ellerbe/Finnegan/Wheeler/Smith etc. That we can sign resign Odrick, a CB, and a WR like Crabtree or Nicks to replace Hartline. In that case if we were to draft a Scherff or Collins it would be more bearable but I do believe the best route to sign Franklin/Boling who are proven and young 26ish and draft a dynamic WR in the 1st. Dez/DT/Cobb are going to get paid and most likely resign with their teams. That leaves the Torrey Smiths/Crabtree/Nicks 2nd tier to pine off of. Much rather have Franklin paving the way for Miller and Kevin White breaking away in space on the outside.
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If Smith ends up evolving into what Wallace has in regards to intermediate and in throws, than watch out. Because the knocks on Wallace as far as ball tracking, winning jump balls is something Devin is very good at.DPlus47 likes this. -
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I think Smith's speed and ball tracking are excellent just not sure who he will become. Hearing jump balls is something he can do gets me a little more excited. I just don't believe he'd be worth more than a 3rd. -
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Fin-Omenal likes this.
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Not saying Devin Smith will be that good. But he isn't just speed. He has a suddenness to him that Wallace lacks, for example.
Speed + Suddenness > Size. Now, if you're telling me you see AJ Green in any of these big guys maybe. He can move pretty damn well. Or a Mike Evans. -
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Speed/Suddeness are great but I want a physical guy. Thankfully for us Parker/Strong/White all show that ability to not just be big targets but ones that can move. -