Draft a nosetackle ?

[respectdatstar]

I think that if Dallas brought somebody in like a Kris Jenkins/Shaun Rogers that could soke up a double team, Ratliff and Spencer would be hard to block on the left side. Especially if Spears is playing DE on the right and Ware is blitzing right behind him. ILB does need to be improved. With Ryan's ties to D'Qwell Jackson, he could be had. Maybe Roy Williams could be traded for a key piece on defense.

 

[bayeslife]

We had Ratliff playing NT only because of Wade Phillips' defense. Wade really runs a 43 front disguised as a 34, it's a 1 gap system. Depending on who the new DC is will ultimately decide where Rat plays next season. There's no way he can play NT in a true 2-Gap 34 system. Honestly, our entire front 7 outside of D Ware isn't really designed for a true 3-4 so it will be interesting.

Ware, Bradie, and Spears all played in that true 3-4.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

24 sacks from both DE's in 64 games. Ware gets 20 in a season by himself. Ellis had about 10 a season.

Rat would not be the same player at DE.

Rat, Price, Spears, Bowen, Lessimore, *Mid round pick

Thats all you need

so it's a coincidence that the 2 years when the DEs generated less of a pass rush, the defense was worse?

 

[respectdatstar]

After a bit of research, here is a list of players that fit the bill as space filling DTs.

Kellen Heard, DT, Buffalo Bills - 6'6" 355
Paul Soliai, DT, Miami Dolphins - 6'4" 355
Kris Jenkins, DT, New York Jets - 6'4" 360
Terrence Cody, DT, Baltimore Ravens - 6'4" 349
Lamar Divens, DT, Baltimore Ravens - 6'3" 343
Haloti Ngata, DT, Baltimore Ravens - 6'4"350
Kelly Talavou, DT, Baltimore Ravens - 6'2" 350
Shaun Rogers, DT, Cleveland Browns - 6'4" 350
Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Cleveland Browns - 6'2" 330
Terrance Knighton, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars - 6'3" 336
Shaun Smith, DT, Kansas City Chiefs - 6'2" 325
John Henderson, DT, Oakland Raiders - 6'7" 335
Vaughn Martin, DT, San Diego Chargers - 6'4" 330
Cam Thomas, DT, San Diego Chargers - 6'4" 335
Linval Joseph, DT, New York Giants - 6'4" 328
Anthony Bryant, DT, Washington Commanders - 6'3" 376
Albert Haynesworth, DT, Washington Commanders - 6'6" 335
Ma'ake Kemoeatu, DT, Washington Commanders - 6'5" 364
Howard Green, DT, Green Bay Packers - 6'2" 340
Sammie Hill, DT, Detroit Lions - 6'4" 329
Frank Okam, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 6'5" 350
Alan Branch, DT, Arizona Cardinals - 6'6" 338
Gabe Watson, DT, Arizona Cardinals - 6'4" 338
Dan Williams, DT, Arizona Cardinals - 6'2" 327
Red Bryant, DT, Seattle Seahawks - 6'4" 323

 

[dwmyers]

Haloti Nagta is 6'4" which is a bit tall for NT as well, but the Ravens are very creative in how they use him. He'll line up at NT, End, at times he doesn't even get in a stance, you see him roaming around like a LB.

Kelly Gregg is the Raven's NT. And for those people who keep bleating about how size is a factor at NT, do you guys recall how big Gregg was coming out of college?

He was hardly a 340 pound behemoth. More like 260ish, with a motor. People can grow into the position.

D-

 

[dwmyers]

No one gets sacks at end in our defense. Ratliff was previously getting unheard of pressure up the middle from the nose.

Get Spears back and replace Igor.

Bingo. I like the idea of having a 2 gap NT, but I like the idea of a NT rotation even better. Silly to have a 2 gap NT on 3rd and 15.

If the guy can play the position, why are we complaining? He was doing it before Wade arrived on the scene, under a 2 gap 3-4 system.

What a 2 gap NT would give you, in terms of flexibility, are two things:

1) The ability to play a 2 gap 3-4 and spell Ratliff, so he can be most effective when it matters most (2nd or 3rd and long)

2) The ability to let Ratliff play the 3 technique in a traditional 4 man front, with the NT/DT now playing the 2 gap role on the interior.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

so it's a coincidence that the 2 years when the DEs generated less of a pass rush, the defense was worse?

There are so many variables that play into this. The top two being them quitting on their coach and the flop at FS.

And the difference in sack totals is negligible anyway.

7.5 sacks in 07'
5 sacks in 08'
8 sacks in 09'
3.5 sacks in 10'

4 sacks out of almost 1,000 defensive snaps is the big difference in the defense?