Galian Beast said:
I think we are two or three players away on defense from being a defense like Chicago, or the old Baltimore (only with offensive power on the other end).
Our secondary is almost perfect. We really need that ballhawking free safety, and hopefully we don't JUST go after Marcus Coleman. Not only do we need a player who isn't J.A.G, but we need someone for the future as well. Someone like Chris Hope.
Our linebacker corps pretty much needs to be rebuilt. =/, if Willie McGinest is released, we need to pick him up for a year or two. And probably draft a linebacker in the first or second to plug up the middle with Bradie James.
Our defensive line is set, but we probably want to draft a young tackle soon. Anybody know any good names out there?
I can't not see us having a great defense with players like roy williams, terence newman, anthony henry, demarcus ware, marcus spears, chris canty, jason ferguson, and greg ellis on our team...
I wouldn't mind Hope. I agree... we're one good FS away from being outstanding in the secondary.
McGinest would be fine with me if we wanted to do someone like Carpenter and put him at ILB. A LB corps of Ware, Carpenter, James, McGinest would be light years ahead of last years crew.
Ware will improve a lot just by already having had a year at his position in the NFL. He'll be stronger and you could see the light go on for him right at the end of last year. This season he'll start off the year with the light already on. Plus, with luck he'll have a good player on the other side of the LB's to help take some of the constant double teams and chips away from him. Last year teams just one-manned Fujita and paid all of the attention to Ware. McGinest, or Lawson, or Carpenter, or Wimbley, etc. should be able to draw some of that to the other side. I look for Ware to become a force this season.
Many forget that James will improve a lot too. He's only played one year at ILB in his career too. He played well last year, but I look for a big jump this coming season from him. He has the physical skills and the smarts to become a real difference maker on the inside. He's a load and he moves like a much smaller player. There's no doubt that he found his spot at 3-4 ILB. He wouldn't be anything special at 4-3 OLB... but he is at 3-4 ILB.
So that's two of four LB spots that will be manned by very good players. We need two more. Shanle, Fowler, Fujita... those guys are good backups and role players... but not starters, IMO. They didn't help to take pressure off of Ware and James at all. We need two more LB's to help the two good ones we have now. I'm not sure where they'll come from... but as a 3-4 team, that is an area that just must be shored up.
I like Carpenter and Lawson. Whichever Parcells signs off on would be fine with me. I trust his judgement on LB's. Carpenter just seems like too good a fit for Parcells to pass up, to me. He's got everything a 3-4 'backer needs and he's got the bloodline attachment to Bill.
Lawson though could be a terror at SOLB and he would indeed take pressure off of Ware. Teams couldn't just commit a back or a TE to help over on the left side against Ware because Lawson would be coming like a man possessed from the other side. If we do draft him, that means the Parcells thinks he can handle the coverage duties at SOLB and I'd be thrilled, because we know he can get to the QB. That one addition would mean much more than just one more guy added to the LB corps. It would bring pressure from the right side of the offense while making Ware coming from the left side that much more effective. The sum would be much greater than the parts.
Lawson is my first choice although I do really like Carpenter as well.
As good as our DL is going to be, getting two more good to great LB's should be our first priority and I agree with you... it should put us over the top and bring back Doomsday!
