SBNation.com User Blog: starmesh23

Mayock's top 100

starmesh23 — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:12:44 -0000

Mayock's top 100

Former UW-Milwaukee Basketball Player to Visit Cowboys

starmesh23 — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:10:51 -0000

Former UW-Milwaukee Basketball Player to Visit Cowboys

Demetrius Harris is hoping to become the next Antonio Gates as he ditches hoops for the gridiron. A former high school All-State football player in Arkansas, Harris failed to qualify academically for Arkansas State and went to a community college to play basketball.

In a workout with the KC Chiefs, Harris reportedly ran 40 yards in 4.52 seconds to go with a vertical jump of 36½ inches and a broad jump of 10-2. He also needs work in the weight room only putting up 2 reps of 225.

Harris will be in Dallas on Monday, as a total of 12 teams have shown interest.

Great Resource for Combine and Pro Day Measureables

starmesh23 — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:22:45 -0000

Great Resource for Combine and Pro Day Measureables

If you are a visual person and a fan of the mock draft season, this website is a must. It includes the measurables of players from past drafts to compare and contrast percentiles with this years class. For fun check out D-Ware, it puts his greatness in perspective.

Schefter: D-Ware's contract being restructured. Dozen players also in line

starmesh23 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:52:22 -0000

Schefter: D-Ware's contract being restructured. Dozen players also in line

"Dallas restructured contract of DE DeMarcus Ware, converting $5 million of his base salary into signing bonus, saving $4 million against cap"

Pioli's top Underclassmen

starmesh23 — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:20:11 -0000

Pioli's top Underclassmen

1. Luke Joeckel, T, Texas A&M. Strong candidate for the first overall pick. Three-year starter at left tackle in the Big 12 and never red-shirted. A true height-weight-speed prospect who plays with good athleticism and body control. Will play early while he develops better hip and core strength. Good teammate too.

2. Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama. One of the youngest players in the draft (20), but a very experienced corner from the best-coached DB group in the country. Milliner has the flexibility, intelligence and experience to play outside corner and also line up in the slot. Should contribute on special teams early in his career.

3. Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida. Also 20, Floyd is a strong, athletic defensive lineman who, at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds, has position and scheme versatility. Good competitor and tough player against the run and pass. Not great sack numbers, but consistently disruptive in the pass rush, and the type of player who makes those around him better by making the offense concentrate so much on stopping him.

4. Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State. Born in Germany, Werner learned football while at a Connecticut prep school as an exchange student. Played just two prep years before signing with Florida State. Two-year starter at left end in FSU's base and sub packages who shows surprising natural instincts, good hand strength and athletic ability. Pretty impressive to see he had 13 sacks in the ACC in the 2012 season.

5. Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State. At 6-3 and 335, he still has the athleticism to line up at multiple positions on the line -- not just at the nose. Active and instinctive, and showed improvement from 2011. Very good player versus the run that needs to continue to improve his every-down consistency.

6. Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama. Low-mileage rusher (355 carries in three seasons with the Tide) who played behind two outstanding backs early in his career (Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson). Averaged 6.8 yards per rush in his college career behind an offensive line better than some NFL lines. Good receiving skills, and a willing blocker. He should be an every-down back in the NFL.

7. Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia. Began his college career at USC in 2009 and transferred closer to home after suffering a neck injury his true freshman year. Highly instinctive and productive college player, but at 6-3 and 241, could be a tough positional fit. Dominated certain games (Florida), disappeared in others (Alabama).

8. Keenan Allen, WR, Cal. Originally committed to Alabama out of HS, but decided to join his QB brother Zach to play together at Cal. Allen is a big (6-3, 210), savvy and highly competitive WR who has played the slot and outside. Lacks top speed, but is very natural and quick. In a WR class that appears to lack elite players, he may be the best.

9. Alec Ogletree, MLB, Georgia. Tremendously talented athlete at 6-3 and 232, and should be an every-down NFL inside 'backer or middle 'backer. Has the skill and ability to contribute immediately all defenses as well as special teams. Jumps off the tape and could have the most upside of any underclassman in the draft. But some off-the-field issues will need to be studied before giving him a final grade.

10. Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State. Three-year starter who was hampered this season by a knee injury that he played through. Good height-weight-speed prospect at 6-6 and 255 who right now is more receiver than blocker. I'm high on his ability to produce as an offensive tight end right now in the more wide-open NFL offenses. He's what we call an "F-type'' tight end, a receiver who can play off the line probably more productively than as a blocker right now.

I saw a few people talking about Stanback today in a thread then see he has a BSPN top play. Crazy...

starmesh23 — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 06:02:31 -0000

I saw a few people talking about Stanback today in a thread then see he has a BSPN top play. Crazy to think Isaiah Staback is still in the league and has a ring.

Stephen Jones hinting a pressure player to counter RG3 at 14?

starmesh23 — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:39:02 -0000

Stephen Jones hinting a pressure player to counter RG3 at 14?

"We obviously have one of the elite pressure players in the league in DeMarcus Ware," Jones said. "I think we have to get Spencer more involved in terms of productivity. Then you look at our defensive linemen -- Ratliff and Hatcher and those guys, I think we have to get better there but I think we can do that."

"I think the Giants showed, with their late-season surge, when they got healthy in the defensive line, they were able to get that pressure on good quarterbacks," Jones said. "It certainly disrupts."

Jones reiterated that it all comes back to pressure.

"A young player like RG3, if we can get pressure on guys like that, I think it affects their accuracy, I think it affects their productivity and I think it will allow us to have success against them," Jones said.

Bryan Broaddus Mock: Cowboys take Barron, but don't actually like Upshaw?

starmesh23 — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:27:09 -0000

Bryan Broaddus Mock: Cowboys take Barron, but don't actually like Upshaw?

Analysis: The Cowboys could trade back here because most of the defensive players they are holding out for are still on the board -- Fletcher Cox, Michael Brockers, Courtney Upshaw and maybe Dre Kirkpatrick. They need a defensive end in the worst way. Cox visited, Brockers didn't. I don't feel as if they really like Upshaw at 14, and Kirkpatrick would have a better shot if they hadn't signed Brandon Carr. No DeCastro means that this is going to be a choice between Barron, Cox and Brockers. They grab the safety now and work on the defensive ends in the second or third rounds.

Dream Team Player Guarantees a Dream Season in the Next Five Years

starmesh23 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:55:33 -0000

Dream Team Player Guarantees a Dream Season in the Next Five Years

DeSean Jackson adds more pressure to his Dream Team by guaranteeing a Superbowl for the length of his contract.

Potential Free Agent Target: ILB Dan Conner

starmesh23 — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:03:52 -0000

Potential Free Agent Target: ILB Dan Conner

Dallas apparently has interest in Dan Conner. Looks like the team may want him to compete with Bruce Carter, if Carolina can't resign him.

Mark Barron suffers a double sports hernia

starmesh23 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:26:19 -0000

Mark Barron suffers a double sports hernia

He's out until training camps begin. Say hello to our second round pick.

Dilfer: Romo among four underappreciated QBs

starmesh23 — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:09:07 -0000

Dilfer: Romo among four underappreciated QBs

Insider article on BSPN, where Trent Dilfer mentions Tony Romo as an underappreciated QB. I don't pay for insider so I didn't get to see all of the article.

Lack of thigh pads reason to blame for Dez's Injury?

starmesh23 — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:25:05 -0000

Lack of thigh pads reason to blame for Dez's Injury?

I'm surprised I haven't seen this mentioned by the Dallas media. For someone who plays with the intensity of Dez it's something worth looking into.

Players only OTA's begin under Romo's leadership

starmesh23 — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:47:58 -0000

Players only OTA's begin under Romo's leadership

Glad to see workouts have begun. Lets hope the veterans get the rookies who attended up to speed.

ESPN: Is Tony Romo a top 10 QB?

starmesh23 — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:05:38 -0000

ESPN: Is Tony Romo a top 10 QB?

ESPN voted Demarcus Ware and Jason Witten as the best at their positions in this ongoing series. The voters aren't as kind in regards to Tony Romo. Here's how they voted:
1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
7t. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
7t. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
9. Eli Manning, New York Giants
10t. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
10t. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

In MY opinion, Romo should be ahead of Eli and Flacco no question. I'd say he should be 7th slightly ahead of Matt Ryan and about on par with Vick but just behind Rivers.

Jason Witten: Best NFL Tight End

starmesh23 — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:59:26 -0000

Jason Witten: Best NFL Tight End

DeMarcus Ware was voted as the best pass rusher in the NFL by ESPN. A similar survey nets Witten as the top TE by the slimmest of margins.

Keith Brooking's Future

starmesh23 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:06:25 -0000

Steve Wyche said on NFL Total Access that team officials are leaning towards bringing back Brooking to split time with Sean Lee at ILB.

Hungry for Some Meat and Potatoes This Offseason

starmesh23 — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:22:37 -0000

The signings of Leonard Davis, Marc Columbo, and Kyle Kosier have made this team reliant on overpaid free agents and delayed building the offensive line through the draft. Now that Kosier, Davis, and Colombo are 31 and older, it is time to rebuild this team for the long haul. We should have looked at the line after the playoff loss in 2007 and especially after the 2009 loss, but now we are in a precarius position with the defense performing at a historic low. As pointed out a recent fanpost by BTB member Kegbearer (Perception vs Potential) there are slim pickings at RT in free agency. At guard Logan Mankins will be franchised, Carl Nicks could be an RFA, and other than Justin Blaylock there isn't any other player that would be a significant upgrade from Davis and Kosier at Guard. The tackle free agent prospects is even worse than that. This leaves the draft a likely solution.

The problem with addressing the offensive line in the first round would be there are no players that warrant a pick that high (maybe Tyron Smith but lets wait until the combine). BTB stats guru O.C.C. had a post a while back about trading possibly trading down with the Patriots who hold the 17th, 28th, and 33th picks in the draft (O.C.C.'s post). Some of the trade posibilities listed were:

Cowboys 9th and 140th (1386 pts) = Patriots 17th, 60th and 92nd (1382 pts)
Cowboys 9th and 71st (1585 pts) = Patriots 17th, 33rd and 124th (1578 pts)
Cowboys 9th & 40th & 140th (1886 pts) = Patriots 17th, 28th and 60th (1910 pts)

I chose to bottom option for this scenario. So what does trading with the Patriots have to do with a meat and potatoes draft? It gets the team in range for one of the top offensive tackles in the draft. Tyron Smith and Gabe Carimi should be our targets. The trade also gives the war room a late first round pick to take one of the best interior lineman or a 1st round talent who slids into the bottom of the draft. This should give us an opportunity to select a wide range of players (assuming a few guys drop a few spots) including Phil Taylor, Benjamin Ijalana, Muhammad Wilkerson, Mike Pouncey, Steven Paea, and maybe Danny Watkins. Something to keep in mind is that the Chargers hold 5 draft choices in the 2nd and 3rd rounds if we chose to trade with them. Here is the mock draft:

2011 Draft

1.17 - OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin - 6'7'' 315 lbs

via i.cdn.turner.com

If you watched Wisconsin play football this year then you know that they ran the ball a lot and effectively. Carimi feels like the safest OT prospect (Tyron Smith may need to add some weight) and he can play in a lot of places. In the senior bowl and the practices, he played at guard in addition to tackle to showcase his versatility. Now at 6'7'' he is probably too tall for guard, but showing the scouts he doesn't mind kicking inside was a plus. Mike Mayock said he believed Carimi could play at LT at the next level, but with Doug Free on the left side he can play at RT. He's got some nastiness in him and you can bet Jason Garrett will use his connection to good friend Paul Chryst to get a good evaluation on not only him but teammate G/C John Moffitt, who is a mid-round pick to keep an eye on.

1.28 - C/G Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State - 6'3'' 306 lbs

via i.cdn.turner.com

The war room can't believe their luck when Sean Lee's former teammate becomes the next future franchise center for Garrett's new offensive line. His arrival could allow the front office to balk on resigning aging Kyle Kosier, who makes the line calls. Wisniewski is an smart player who plays with good technique. Mike Pouncey is another option but I think he is strictly a guard at the next level and may be gone at this point. I watched Pouncey's first game at center this season and he struggled snapping the ball out of shotgun. With that I choose Wisneiwski as the pick. With Wisniewski on board, Garrett could move Gurode to guard or play Wisniewski at G until Gurode is gone.

2.60 - SS DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson - 6'1 210 lbs.

via www.vikingsgab.com from Josh D. Weiss Photography

Since Darren Woodson retired, safety has always been a need for this team. This draft offers very little in terms of good quality safeties but with Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh likely gone safety is a huge need. I was one of the people calling for us to draft Morgan Burnett instead of Sean Lee last year, but with that in the past it's time to get a guy that would make players like DeSean Jackson, Steve Smith, and Santana Moss pay for going through the middle. Rahim Moore will be gone by now, Deunta Williams should fall due to injury and off the field issues. And I see Ahmad Black as a third rounder, hence DeAndre McDaniel. McDaniel plays a little bit faster than his timed speed and Rob Ryan will be able to use him immediately on the field. He can come up and make a hit and has enough ability to make plays on the ball.

Here we decide to make a trade with the Chargers to pick up another 3rd round and swap 6th round picks for the rest of our draft.
3rd (71), 4th (109), 6th (171), & 7th (210) for Chargers 3rd (82, 89), (178)

3.82 - FS/CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia 6'2'' 205 lbs.

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

Here's a guy who a few months ago was rated as a 1st round corner and his stock has taken a dip. I've seen him going in third rounds in some recent mock drafts. Dowling is big, tall corner than could even make the move to free safety. He was a teammate of former Virginia corner Chris Cook who we were high on, so I know the scouts have taken a look at him. He and Akwasi instantly provide some flexibility as player that could play both safety and corner. Rob Ryan likes to play a three safety look at times and Ras-I can be the perfect hybrid for that.

We make another trade, this time with Buffalo and get an extra pick for trading down 10 spots.

3rd (89) for 4th (99) & 5th (130)

4.99 - ILB Kelvin Sheppard, LSU - 6'3'' 240 lbs.

via a.espncdn.com

Bradie James has been a solid starter for the Cowboys, nothing great but an above average player in this league. His contract is up after this coming season and it is time to find his successor. Where better than his alma matter. In comes Kelvin Sheppard, who was a fiery and emotional leader for the Tigers. With Keith Brooking likely on the way out and Sean Lee sure to take over the reins, ILB is a spot the will likely need some depth behind the two starters.

5.130 - G William Rackley, Lehigh - 6'4'' 310 lbs.

via media.lehighvalleylive.com

Hudson Houck gets a small school prospect for the interior offensive line. William Rackely may go in the fourth, but lets hope he slides seeing that he never played at Lehigh. He offers some potential to kick inside and develop as a future starting guard, according to Wes Bunting. With Wisniewski already on board, Rackley can wait to develop behind Montrea Holland.

6.178 - WR Jeff Maehl, Oregon - 6'1'' 184 lbs.

via uptopics.com
Almost every mock on BTB has Aldrick Robinson taken as the late round slot receiver, so lets change it up. How about Jeff "The" Maehl(man), a slot receiver who will deliver on Sundays (yeah that's a lame joke, I know). We can use this late round pick to build some depth at a weak spot on the roster. If Roy Williams and Sam Hurd are not on the roster next season like expected, the receiving corp may look thin behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. I think a slot receiver is more of an urgent late round need than a third back. Kevin Ogletree is a player who has flashed some potential but is still can't be counted on yet. While Patrick Crayton ran his mouth, he still was pretty productive as a 3rd receiver. At worst the Maehl man delivers some depth to a position where Manny Johnson, Jesse Holley, and Teddy Williams finished the season on the 53 man roster.

Draft Recap and Free Agent Period

In this draft, the Cowboys hope to have 4 players who could become starters within two years. Carimi, Wisniewski, and McDaniel could start from day one, while Sheppard backs up Bradie James until he departs for free agency. Rackley will take over at guard once Gurode's starting days are over, if he doesn't win the job initially. Ras-I will be utilized by Rob Ryan in various sub-packages and will be a rotational player, and best case scenario he takes over for Newman at cornerback next season. Jeff Maehl will hope to provide a Blair White type option from the slot and will battle Ogletree for playing time until one of them separates themselves from the other.

Free Agents We Should Resign:

LT Doug Free, DE Stephen Bowen, DE Marcus Spears

Free Agents Who Should Go:

FS Alan Ball, SS Gerald Sensabaugh, WR Sam Hurd, DE Jason Hatcher, LG Kyle Kosier, OT Alex Barron, QB Chris Griesen

Players Under Contract Who Should Be Cut or Seek a Trade:

RB Marion Barber, WR Roy Williams, ILB Keith Brooking (stay on as a coach?), RT Marc Colombo, RG Leonard Davis, DE Igor the Russian Dancing Bear

Signings:

You might be wondering why the defensive line get a high draft choice during the draft. With the RT, both Guards, ILB, CB/FS and SS addressed; free agency can focus on making a splash with the CBA being an issue we should try and go for quality and not quantity. The remaining holes in the starting lineup are at S and DL. By splash I don't mean Haloti Ngata, Lamar Woodley, or Nnamdi Asomugha (even though I wouldn't be opposed to getting another elite player outside Ware and Rat) but this seems unrealistic and far too expensive. But IF a guy like Cullen Jenkins (who is a tier below elite) hits the free agent market we should go after him. Same goes for Richard Seymour and Sean Ellis, although early indications are that the Raiders plan to bring back Seymour. Ellis may be a possbility since the Jets have 16 other players becoming free agents. Paul Soliai and Aubrayo Franklin are also options if Ryan plans to move Ratliff to defensive end, even though I think Brent is capable to play run downs However, we decide to sign 30 year old Cullen Jenkins.

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

Speaking of the Raiders, Ryan may like to bring in a familiar face like Michael Huff to run the secondary. Brodney Pool and Dawan Landry may also be considered if Huff goes back to Oakland. Pool and Landry have played with Rex Ryan so they know the defense Rob likes to play for the most part. I like the signing of Huff in the short term since he already knows the Rob and can line up at safety right away unlike a rookie. Ryan can also use Akwasi, Huff, McDaniel, or Dowling in his three safety looks; these guys have enough athletic ability to lineup in various places. With the CBA likely limiting the amount of cap space the Cowboys would like to work with to sign Jenkins and Huff, Jerry can get creative to create enough space to get these guys on board like restructuring contracts (Romo and Ware). We also save money by releasing some of our players (ie. Barber).

via media.trb.com

Here's what the roster would look like with these acquisitions:

Offense (25)

QB (3): Romo, Kitna, McGee                                            OT (4): Free, Carimi, Young, Parnell

RB (3): Jones, Choice, Miller                                     OG (4): Wisniewski, Holland*, Rackley*, Brewster

WR (5): Austin, Bryant, Ogletree, Maehl, Holley             C (2): Gurode, Costa

TE/FB (4): Witten, Bennett, Phillips, Gronkowski

Defense (24)

NT (2): Ratliff, Brent                                                MLB (4): James, Lee, Sheppard, Cummings

DE (4): C. Jenkins, Spears, Bowen, Lissemore    CB (5): Jenkins, Newman, Scandrick, Dowling, McCann

OLB (4): Ware, Spencer, Butler, Williams           S (5): Huff, AOA*, McDaniel*, McCray, Church/Sendejo

Key: Starters, * Denotes a camp battle

This free agent and rookie class focuses on the middle of the offense and defense. The Cowboys have enough flash and skill players on offense such as Miles, Dez, and Felix; so I made the O-line a priority. They will struggle early on, but lets hope they gel and become a strength for team for year to come. The defense is littered with first round draft picks and other quality talents like Ware, Newman, Jenkins, Spears, Spencer, Ratliff, James, and Lee that Ryan has yet to work with previously in his career. These players obviously have talent and it didn't just disappear in one offseason. I'm impressed by the staff Garrett put together and I think they can mold this team into a tough playoff team won't shoot themselves in the foot.

So what do you think? Are there too many rookies on the offensive line? Not enough change on the front seven? Did I make some unrealistic trades? Are Jenkins and Huff a pipe dream? Give me your feedback.

Poll

How thrilled would you be with this offseason?

I love it! With some solid coaching, the sky is the limit.

77 votes

It's solid, nothing spectacular but we hit some major needs.

100 votes

Completely unrealistic. Try again.

37 votes

214 votes | Poll has closed

Spring Cleaning: A Look Foward at the 2011 Starters

starmesh23 — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:29:35 -0000

The 2010 NFL season is nearly over for our Dallas Cowboys. With no playoffs to look forward to, it is time to look forward to the 2011 season. This is the time of the organization should be evaluating all the players on the roster, deciding which free agents should stay or go, and identifying positions of needs based on departures and the player evaluations:

The Offense

This is our projected lineup for 2011:

~~Roy~~Bryant Free Kosier? Gurode (TBD) (TBD) Witten Miles

Romo

Gronk/Phillips

~~Barber~~F. Jones

Projected departures include Marion Barber, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo, Roy Williams, Alex Barron

Lets take a closer look at the up for grabs starting positions on offense for 2011 (New starters needed)

Offensive Line (2) - Marc Colombo is on his last leg. Leonard Davis is simply not getting it done at his position and is a liability. While Doug Free and Kyle Kosier are free agents, I believe they will both be back. Kosier may be allowed to test the market. If he is somehow not resigned, Montrae Holland may play at LG as a stop gap option if a rookie draft pick is not ready. Logan Mankins and Jared Gaither are the premier free agent options, however indications are that Mankins will resign with the Patriots. Relying on Sam Young to be the RT is not a smart gamble and the team should look to the draft if they strike out at this position in free agency.
Wide Receiver (0) - Roy Williams has been a disappointment throughout his career. Coming into this season, I had hopes he would play better and he has. It seems to me that he has outlived his welcome in Big D. Bad things seem to happen when he is thrown the ball and Dez Bryant certainly makes this decision easier. While there is no proven player to take over the third receiver role Sam Hurd and Kevin Ogletree should be able to compete for the job. Also the return of John Phillips should give this offense another capable receiver out of TE heavy packages.

The Defense

(TBD) Spencer Ratliff Brent ~~Igor~~Bowen Ware Jenkins

James ~~Brooking~~Lee

~~Sensabaugh~~Akwasi

~~Ball~~(TBD)

Expiring contracts include Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher, Alan Ball, Gerald Sensabaugh

Projected demotions/cuts include Terence Newman, Igor Olshansky, Keith Brooking

Lets take a closer look at the starting positions for 2011 (spots that need to be filled)

Corner (1)- Terence Newman may or may not be on the roster next season. This may hinge on the pipe dreams of Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara dropping down in the draft. If either player does not end up in Big D, Newman may have to fight nickel corner Orlando Scandrick for the starting spot opposite Mike Jenkins. Jenkins, however, must return to his Pro-Bowl form for this defense to become one of the better units in the league. Better pash rush and safety play will mask the deficiencies of this unit that ranks in the bottom three in numerous pass defense categories. If an elite corner does not fall in the draft, I still see a corner being brought in around the mid to late rounds.
Safety (1)- Since Darren Woodson donned the star, this unit has since searched for his replacement. Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh were not the answer and both will likely not be resigned. The only chance Ball stays is as a backup. Sensabaugh has played better of late, but will likely leave for more money. I pencilled in Akwasi as one of the starting safeties with the hope that he emerges any potential camp battles (Andrew Sendejo?) and shows a good grasp of the pro game, after dominating at a lower division football program. The other safety spot should come from the draft, where options include Rahim Moore, DeAndre McDaniel, and Deunta Williams among others.
Inside Linebackers (0) - Keith Brooking is done and Sean Lee is ready to take over. Lets hope he can overcome some of the injuries he has had to fight through since his knee injury at Penn State. While Bradie James may be nearing the end, I believe he still has some tread left on his tires. He should continue to be a starter until his contract expires after 2011. Depth is a real issue here, and maybe Kenwin Cummings can provide some after Bart Scott and Rex Ryan gave him high praise as a Jet. He is a player I will keep an eye on in training camp.
Defensive Line (1?, 2?) - This position could go through the most change this offseason with 3 free agents. There are a few different scenarios that could take place. There are also some key decisions to make:

(2) Which free agents should be resigned, if any? Stephen Bowen seems the most likely, since he can rush the passer from the nickel. Marcus Spears has been steady for most of his career in the run game and a true professional in the locker room, but he cannot rush the passer. It should be taken into consideration that Spears has made Ratliff better and the run defense has performed better when he is in the game. I think Jason Hatcher will be out of the mix since he has reached his potential. This question should be revisited once we figure out who is running the defense and what scheme we play.

~~much~~

LeSean McCoy

Bradie James

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By my count at the least 6 new starters (2 on o-line, 4 on the defense) must be brought in through free agency and the draft. This means more or less three draftees and three FA pickups should be counted on to start (assuming guys like Brent, Young, Scandrick, Bowen don't take advantage of potential open starting jobs). So what does the BTB community think? Is Roy Williams good as gone? Will Newman be a starter next year? Or should Ratliff move to end? Discuss.

Poll

Should more personnel changes be made than I projected happening?

More changes better be made

74 votes

This seems about right

97 votes

171 votes | Poll has closed