A look at our DE stable...

[jpdex12]

Schobel = 31 years old
Denney = 31 years old
Kelsay = 29 years old as of 10/31/08
Bryan = 25 years old
Ellis = 23 years old


Two of our top three DE's are getting old and slowing down. We are paying Schobel too much to have him back up players next year and I don't think that he would want to anyway. Denney is still a great rotational player even at his age. Kelsay has the opposite DE position wrapped up for a few more years at least but Bryan is untested and does not show me any blazing results show far and Ellis is young and untested. He wasn't a stand out in college nor has he shown anything yet (like Poz has in his first two years).

I would say that if we don't sign a stud DE over the off season we will draft a premium pass rusher this 2009 draft. We need to!

[yordad]

How old are you? That question isn't meant as an insult. I am jusy wondering if you've started slowing down yet, and at what age.

That said, I think we need help. Our pressure is bad. Week one we looked awesome. I think it was because we had enough confidence in our secondary to throw the kitch sink at Seattle.

Well, McGee is back. We gotta throw some zone blitzes at SD or something. Because our pressure the last game was horrible. Let's Get Mitchell moving forward. Maybe even on a delayed blitz, because LT is killer on those screens, and they do like to throw deep.

So, Mitchell, stop, assess were LT goes, if he isn't out on a screen pattern, blitz. But you gotta do it before those deep patterns fully develop.

Then we throw Poz, Simpson, and Youboty at Rivers at random to keep him guessing.

[Griff]

30 is known as the slow down point in the NFL.

[SABURZFAN]

not much to look at.

[yordad]

30 is known as the slow down point in the NFL.Really? Strahan's (et al.) best stuff came after 30.

[Oaf]

We are pretty crappy there and are in a rut because of Schobel's wasted contract and Ellis' draft status.

We have more urgent needs, but this hole is eating team value without producing.

[X-Era]

not much to look at.

Any idea if a 3-4 DE a.l.a. Terrell Suggs can start at OLB in a 4-3??

Hes not undersized by any means. If anything he may be too tall.

[OpIv37]

Really? Strahan's (et al.) best stuff came after 30.

strahan's a freak of nature though. You can't compare Denney and Schobel to him by any stretch of the imagination.

BTW, McGee might not be back. According to Chris Brown, he wasn't wearing pads in practice today.

[bigbub2352]

I brought this up in another thread, u want to make up some cap room get rid of useless Denney, man he has stole from the Bills long enough he sucks
Kelsay as well, provides no pass rush
Schobel even though posts usually good pass rush numbers is because he is streaky and disappears to long for stretchs
Bryan and Ellis are both very small DEs and would be the new backups i guess
I am not saying to get rid of all of them at once but Denney and Schobel would be a good Start
Trade Schobel and get a nice 2nd round pick for him, or trade kelsay and get a 4-5th rounder for him
Just cut Denney he sucks

[yordad]

strahan's a freak of nature though. You can't compare Denney and Schobel to him by any stretch of the imagination.

BTW, McGee might not be back. According to Chris Brown, he wasn't wearing pads in practice today.I added "et al" after Strahan. My point is (if I had one) I don't think the guys we have have been slipping due to age. They should still be playing at or near the top of their game. You are coming up on that age (I think your around 28?). Do you feel you have lost a step? Do you feel you have lossed strength?

These guys have no excuse for not being in top physical condition, so maybe you or I aren't the best examples. They have all the trainers, assistants, and nutrition they could want.

I think Schobel is falling off due to self motivation. I guess being set for life financially can do that to some people. Others have the determination to be the best. I just don't see that in Schobel.

Oh, and I noticed the McGee thing since posting this too, but I am still holdiing out hope.

[Griff]

Really? Strahan's (et al.) best stuff came after 30.

didn't say it was a law, but 30 is when most players start their decline.

[X-Era]

didn't say it was a law, but 30 is when most players start their decline.

Agreed its a fairly liberal, yet universal timeline. 30 is a magic number.

Really I think it has more to do with years playing, which would be around 8-ish.

[X-Era]

I added "et al" after Strahan. My point is (if I had one) I don't think the guys we have have been slipping due to age. They should still be playing at or near the top of their game. You are coming up on that age (I think your around 28?). Do you feel you have lost a step? Do you feel you have lossed strength?

These guys have no excuse for not being in top physical condition, so maybe you or I aren't the best examples. They have all the trainers, assistants, and nutrition they could want.

I think Schobel is falling off due to self motivation. I guess being set for life financially can do that to some people. Others have the determination to be the best. I just don't see that in Schobel.

Oh, and I noticed the McGee thing since posting this too, but I am still holdiing out hope.
And the players think they can play until 80... their on the field performance begs to differ.

[jpdex12]

Schobel is 243 pounds! Plus he's 31. He admitted he's slowing down and that was caught on camera during practice and a game...remember when Veek *****ed at him about saying something like that.

Ellis is listed at 260. 17 pounds more than SChobel. I'm just saying that it is evident that we need a better pass rush and I dont' know why Ralph extended Schobel's contract unless it was to buy time for a draft pick and I don't see any fire lit under Ellis' a$$ to fill his shoes. This is a major issue to think about and solve before 2009.

I'm 33 by the way and I wake up feeling like a 60 year old some days. Work behind a desk all day then do some yard work and I feel like I played in one of those games on Sundays!