Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

[kernowboy]

With the league’s desperate stampede to sign any injury riddled or character issue addled big man for the middle of their defensive line, we have overlooked a position of potential need: Defensive End

The current situation is this
Aaron Schobel – good player coming off a down year and now 31
Chris Kelsay – big contact but coming off surgery = Injury Flag?
Ryan Denney – big contract but injured all last season = Injury Flag?
Al Wallace – UFA but 34, and injured all last season = Injury Flag?
Anthony Hargrove – suspended for the season
Ryan Neill – time to panic

I am not too concerned about the failure to sign a big DT, as there is quality and depth in the draft, and we could easily draft the likes of Dre Moore and DeMario Pressley/Frank Okam in Rounds 2 and 4 respectively and get a superior starter to Larry Tripplett and Kyle Williams, plus the size we need to stop the run.

However the draft at DE is lighter. Not wanting to spend a Day1 pick might leave us having to choose a Chris Harrington or Jason Jones. Picking earlier might give us a Calais Campbell (who was slow enough to be 0.15 seconds slower than Moore) or Lawrence Wilson if they fell. We might luck out on a Mark Anderson (Bears) type third down specialist but no more than that.

With more teams moving to a 3-4, there are fewer options for the traditional 4-3 End plus a few who might get cut. Plus they are not going to be demanding the monstrous sized overpriced salaries the DTs are asking. Candidates still available include

Greg White, Buccaneers, 6ft3, 268lb, Age 28 – 26 tackles, 8 sacks
Chris Clemons, Raiders, 6ft3, 240lbs (light) Age 26 – 20 tackles, 8 sacks
Travis LaBoy, Titans, 6ft3, 260lbs, Age 27, 13 tackles, 6.5 sacks
Darion Scott, Vikings, 6ft3, 289lbs Age 26, 46 tackles 5.5 sacks (2006)
Bo Schobel, Cardinals, 6ft5, 264lbs Age 26

Not the sexiest of signings I admit but we ignore this situation at our peril. We are two injuries away from starting Neill or a DT out of position

[Mahdi]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

With the league’s desperate stampede to sign any injury riddled or character issue addled big man for the middle of their defensive line, we have overlooked a position of potential need: Defensive End

The current situation is this
Aaron Schobel – good player coming off a down year and now 31
Chris Kelsay – big contact but coming off surgery = Injury Flag?
Ryan Denney – big contract but injured all last season = Injury Flag?
Al Wallace – UFA but 34, and injured all last season = Injury Flag?
Anthony Hargrove – suspended for the season
Ryan Neill – time to panic

I am not too concerned about the failure to sign a big DT, as there is quality and depth in the draft, and we could easily draft the likes of Dre Moore and DeMario Pressley/Frank Okam in Rounds 2 and 4 respectively and get a superior starter to Larry Tripplett and Kyle Williams, plus the size we need to stop the run.

However the draft at DE is lighter. Not wanting to spend a Day1 pick might leave us having to choose a Chris Harrington or Jason Jones. Picking earlier might give us a Calais Campbell (who was slow enough to be 0.15 seconds slower than Moore) or Lawrence Wilson if they fell. We might luck out on a Mark Anderson (Bears) type third down specialist but no more than that.

With more teams moving to a 3-4, there are fewer options for the traditional 4-3 End plus a few who might get cut. Plus they are not going to be demanding the monstrous sized overpriced salaries the DTs are asking. Candidates still available include

Greg White, Buccaneers, 6ft3, 268lb, Age 28 – 26 tackles, 8 sacks
Chris Clemons, Raiders, 6ft3, 240lbs (light) Age 26 – 20 tackles, 8 sacks
Travis LaBoy, Titans, 6ft3, 260lbs, Age 27, 13 tackles, 6.5 sacks
Darion Scott, Vikings, 6ft3, 289lbs Age 26, 46 tackles 5.5 sacks (2006)
Bo Schobel, Cardinals, 6ft5, 264lbs Age 26

Not the sexiest of signings I admit but we ignore this situation at our peril. We are two injuries away from starting Neill or a DT out of position

My top pick for the Bills if he falls to us is Gholston... after that its Derrick Harvey.

[DraftBoy]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

Clemons would be a great signing for us

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

Gholston, Merling, Harvey, Campbell... any of these guys would due nicely.

[don137]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I am not sure if he is still available but I thought Calvin Pace would be a good pick up...He is starting tome into his own and a Kelset, Pace and Schobel rotation would be nice. Send Denney down the same road as Tripplett

[Mahdi]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I am not sure if he is still available but I thought Calvin Pace would be a good pick up...He is starting tome into his own and a Kelset, Pace and Schobel rotation would be nice. Send Denney down the same road as Tripplett

I dont know about sending Denney down the road. He seems to play just as or even more consistent than Kelsay. I would like to see them play Denney inside more. His height would be a distraction to QBs.

[DraftBoy]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I am not sure if he is still available but I thought Calvin Pace would be a good pick up...He is starting tome into his own and a Kelset, Pace and Schobel rotation would be nice. Send Denney down the same road as Tripplett

Pace is a LB now not a DE

[kernowboy]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I am not sure if he is still available but I thought Calvin Pace would be a good pick up...He is starting tome into his own and a Kelset, Pace and Schobel rotation would be nice. Send Denney down the same road as Tripplett

Signed with $20m upfront with the Fins. Always struggled with his hand on the ground anyway.

We've got too much money in DE, to go R1 with a DE. Plus it looks like we'll need Day1 picks for a DT. I think we need a No4 End who can start in a pinch.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I am not too concerned about the failure to sign a big DT, as there is quality and depth in the draft, and we could easily draft the likes of Dre Moore and DeMario Pressley/Frank Okam in Rounds 2 and 4 respectively and get a superior starter to Larry Tripplett and Kyle Williams, plus the size we need to stop the run.

A rookie DE is gonna be sitting on the bench . A rookie Dt is not gonna fix our biggest problem overnight. I doubt he's gonna beat Kyle WIlliams either. No way is a DE a priority over the DT.

[Mahdi]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

Signed with $20m upfront with the Fins. Always struggled with his hand on the ground anyway.

We've got too much money in DE, to go R1 with a DE. Plus it looks like we'll need Day1 picks for a DT. I think we need a No4 End who can start in a pinch.

I dont agree at all that we have too much money in DE. Those contracts may look big but I doubt they are difficult to work with. Plus Schobel is getting older and Kelsay is inconsistent.

The whole point of Cover 2 is that you invest a lot in DL and little in CB. Jauron knows we need a pass rush im sure he is looking at DE early in the draft. Thats why he is trying to address all our other needs in FA... DT, LB, WR, TE.

[RedEyE]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

Signing Mitchell for the weak side helps alleviate some of the bleeding on the outside as he will provide a sigificant amount of aide to the Bills DE. This enables the Bills to at least focus more on the interior portion of the line. They've got to grab a run stuffer.

[B-DON]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

Signed with $20m upfront with the Fins. Always struggled with his hand on the ground anyway.

We've got too much money in DE, to go R1 with a DE. Plus it looks like we'll need Day1 picks for a DT. I think we need a No4 End who can start in a pinch.

POSTED 10:09 p.m. EST, February 29, 2008

CONFLICTING REPORTS ON PACE

We're certain of one thing -- either Calvin Pace has struck a deal with the Dolphins, or he hasn't.

The Miami Herald says that the soon-to-be-former Cardinal hasn't signed with the Fins, and that he'll visit the Jets on Saturday.

But Pace sounds like he's leaning toward signing with Miami. ''I'm happy here,'' Pace said. "But I just feel like I should still take that trip. I've got one more trip to take, and we'll see what happens."

Bucky Brooks of SI.com reports that Pace has agreed to terms with the Fins.

We suppose that both reports could be accurate, and that Pace has a tentative arrangement in place with the Dolphins but wants to hear the Jets out before finalizing things. We suppose that we'll find out more soon.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

Signing Mitchell for the weak side helps alleviate some of the bleeding on the outside as he will provide a sigificant amount of aide to the Bills DE. The enables the Bills to at least focus more on the interior portion of the line. They've got to grab a run stuffer.

Our DE's needs to stop supporting the run up the middle and should just concentrate on gettting to the QB. Without anyone clogging up the middle , our DE's will end up having to make tackles after a runner has crossed the LOS. Stuff the middle and maybe our DE's can make tackles behind the LOS or at least make the runners run outside where our DE"s are known to be good pursuit guys.

[kernowboy]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I still don't think we should overpay for a DT in Free agency.

If we consider Barry Cofield. He was drafting in Round 4 of 2006. The Giants were really poor in the DT role, so he had to start alongside Fred Robbins. Despite this combination being unheraled, Robbins had a career season of 45 tackles and 5.5sacks repeated in 2007, whilst Cofield has had a 44tackle, 1.5sack rookie season and in fact tailed off in his second year.

McCargo had better figures than Tripplett despite not starting and there is no reason to think that if we stuck a R2 or R3 rookie with size alongside him, we couldn't get a 80 tackle, 7 sacks response between them. Cofield is 306lbs and Robbins is 317lbs - if we add Dre Moore to McCargo that gives us 311lbs+307lbs with probably more speed.

Anyone complaining about the performance of the Giants DTs at the Superbowl?

[justasportsfan]

Re: Defensive End a bigger need than thought?

I still don't think we should overpay for a DT in Free agency.

Without a stud DT maybe we can find one that can clog up the middle but I doubt a mediocre DT is gonna collapse a pocket . It's common knowledge that to stop any team you have to pressure the QB from all angles especially the Patriots who are still the team to beat not only in our division but entire league.

Lets not aim for mediocrity especially when it comes to stopping the run and pressuring the qb. Rookie DT's and mediocre ones are just gonna prolong our getting to the playoffs and being the Pats' beeiotch .