Why I think Dat will be gone this offseason...

[InDakWeTrust]

I know I will be bashed for hating on Dat but I have my reasons. I still love him as a LB but..well...just keep reading:

1. The young guns will develop this summer. Shanle, James, Fowler and Burnett could all be fighting for playing time come TC.
2. His salary. It could pay for extensions for James, Fujita and Gurode.
3. His size. I really dont mean to sound like Nors here, but at Dat's size in this defense almost assures him of getting hurt.
4. His age. Sure Zach Thomas has survived a long time in Miami, but that doesnt mean Dat will. He is a leader of this defense but didnt we do alright when he was down with the neck stinger.

And why I think we will keep him:
1. Experience-He has played in the 3-4 before and knows all the tricks in the LB book.
2.BP's respect of the player-Why do you guys think we kept him when we were offered Darren Howard for him? Dat wont make mistakes and has earned BP's respect.

Although I think the reasons why we wontkeep him outweigh the reasons of why we will I would really like to see him back here next year. But if it comes to it I wont be that sad he is traded/cut like Coakley was last year. Dat is one hell of a person and a LB.

 

[Future]

i would expect him to have a similar situation as coakley had this year. I would expect they release him, and if nobody else signs him they would sign him with a smaller deal. It also wouldn't surprise me if he took a pay cut, seeing as how he understands his role in the nickel and has accepted that he is not going to be playing every play on defense now.

I'd say its about 65/35 that he is a cowboy next year.