Strategy question

show me a guy out there that can cover a WR when the QB has as much time as our D permits, it doesnt happen, a sorry pass rush will eat every secondary in the league...it all starts up front, on both sides of the ball, we need to address those issues, best player available, either D or O line.

 

Our corners held up pretty well this year despite a lack of a pass rush. Call me crazy but we need to find a guy who is worthy of being an NFL starter for our safety. These street free agents and unproven second day picks have no place in the starting line up. We do not have to go with a safety in round one but we need an upgrade from somewhere.

 

upgrade the dline and our secondary will look like probowlers

 

Agreed. That extra 3-5 seconds to throw is why we make cast-offs and rookies have Pro Bowl MVP games. It's pathetic and I party blame playcalling although I did like how we changed it up those last few games. That's what I wanted to see all year. But I consistently saw the same base vanilla play called during our little 5-game losing streak and that was rush 4 and drop everyone else back to react. And we got lit up over and over and over...

 

Agreed

Upgrading the D-Line and adding more Blitz will make the defense top notch again

 

Agreesome about focusing on defense first. Need an upgrade at FS, and really need to start bringing in significant talent along the entire DL.

 

Both. Mostly up front, though WR needs addressing as does FS. Not investing enough in a threat to compliment Smitty will hurt a lot more than failing to stud up FS.

Also, I feel this is overlooked: we need much better blocking from the TE position if the run game is going to thrive.

 

If you are having to hide the fact that your safeties can not cover anyone then it makes you less aggressive. You tend to only send four guys and put a bunch in coverage. If we felt good about our safeties we might blitz more.

The DL starts and ends with Peppers. If he can return to form our pass rush instantly gets much better. If he can not then trade or cut him and give his money to a guy like Jared Allen or Justin Smith. Somewhere between Johnson and McClover we should be able to find a Rucker replacement. If he wants to come back though I would make him a cap friendly offer.

 

the problem is that Peppers can't return to form in the offseason and you'll have to wait until he actually plays to make that determination. Then you're looking at a guy who's in the last year of his deal that teams won't be willing to give up a ton in return for what may amount to part of a season or unless they've seen enough to work out an extention prior to a trade.

 

I agree I think you have to either extend or trade Peppers during this offseason. That means you have to do it before you know how he will play next year. That is not a good position to be in but "it is what it is". Hopefully Fox and Hurney know more about his status than we do.

I am about as afraid of giving him a Freeny topping deal as I am of just cutting him. If we give him that kind of money and then he puts up three sacks per year and gets beat by most tackles he lines up against then it will make the Sean Gilbert deal seem like a bargain.