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That's more clear thanks.
#gmstrong
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j/c
I expect us to add at least 4 new faces to the d-line this offseason. 2 via FA and 2 via the draft.
Our roster currently lists the following players as D-linemen:
Ted Washington - FA, should not be resigned, as mentioned he is just not effective any longer.
Shaun Smith - Signed, love his motor, needs more time at NT and imo is a good rotational player for both NT and end.
Louis Leonard - Not sure how long we have him, may be a FA this year as he was an UDFA and we got him from another teams (StL) PS. Would like to bring him into camp, but can't see him making the final roster.
Alvin Smith - Former Europe player, also think his contract is up, was on the non-football injury list this year. Not likely to be with the team in camp or for sure on the final roster.
Orpheus Roye - Signed. Age is catching (or caught) up to him. Hopefully he has one more year in him, as his leadership and presence is invaluable, imo. But he could be a bubble player depending on who we bring in.
Robaire Smith - Signed. Solid player, as mentioned doess tend to disappear from time to time, but he can be a very effective player/starter, and good for the rotation.
Simon Fraser - FA. Good motor, just doesn't have the strength. Was quite versitile for us playing all over the line, but can't see him sticking to the final roster, however I would like us to resign him as training camp depth.
Melila Purcell - Signed. Drafted in 07, spent all but SF game on PS. Good size and has a good motor, based on his Hawaii days, but don't know that he sticks to the final roster.
Chase Pittman - Signed. Drafted in 07, spent all year on PS. Good motor but not quick enough for the NFL, imo. Not to say he can't make it, just think we can do better. Both draft picks from 07 could provide depth as Fraser did, not outstanding players, but not huge liabilities either.
Ethan Kelley - FA. Did much better than Big Ted, but EK is not a long term solution for our NT woes. He will probably be resigned, but I would hope we get deeper and better players and thus eliminating a spot for EK.
Bobby Hamilton - FA. One game injury replacement, will not be back.
Zach West - FA. One game PS player signed when Purcell was bumped to the active roster. Doubt he sticks around.
As to the draft, I would like us to spend our first pick on a DLineman as well, but would not be surprised if we pick up another position alltogether.
Some other names for the NT position in the draft are (in addition to Athyba Rubin, whom I have seen just a few tapes of, and he is quite formidable from what I have seen).
Frank Okam, Texas, 6-5, 320. May or may not be around when we pick, have seen him projected as early as late 1st to as late as a 4th. I have him in the late 1st to mid 2nd, so he may go jsut before we pick. The 2nd round is a busy trading round and someone could jump up to get him before we do.
Pat Sims, Auburn, 6-4, 312. Quick and agile for a big man, good motor, but little chance he makes it to our pick, if the draft were today.
Those are just some of the early guys for NT position.
As for FA. I like Corey Williams from GB, big enough to fill both NT and end if necessary, great motor, good quickness. Doubtful GB lets him go.
Tommy Kelly is another from Oakland, 6'6 300# but had a knee injury this year that I would want to be 100% on before any big contract were given. He would be a good DE and was just starting to come into his own as a good DLineman before the injury.
Chris Canty is a Restricted Free Agent. If Dallas doesn't tender him higher he would cost at minimum a 4th round pick, might be worth it as it's not guaranteed you will get that kind of productions out of this years 4th. (38 tackles, 3.5 sacks)
Jovan Haye, another RFA, but with no compensation if he is not tendered anything. Spent 2005 or 06 on our very own Practice Squad, but blossomed with Tampa Bay (65 tackles, 6 sacks).
Randy Starks of Tenn is another I'd like us to take a look at, unrestricted, and a good rotational player.
The 2008 roster could be different but we carried only six defensive linemen for the whole year, so we can only assume we would do the same this year, and obviously no more than seven. Based on that I think Robaire and Shaun Smith are locks to stick around. We bring in two more via FA, and two via the draft to get to our minimum of six. I think then that Orpheus, if healthy is the seventh and that makes for a stronger and deeper unit. (Not saying Orpheus is the seventh best or most likely to be inactive for games.)
There are A LOT more draftable players that I have in my list, as well as other free agents, however I felt the post was long enough to post the top two or three and move along. 
Statistics are like a bikini; what they show is interesting, but what they hide is vital.
Drive for show (1st round), Putt for dough (rest of draft).
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I don't know much about the d-linemen available in Free Agency, but it seems like there is at least some depth. I'm a huge fan of Frank Okam out of Texas. He has the size and athleticism to play either end or nose. Sort of like Ngata. We need at least two, preferably three solid defensive linemen. I like Shaun Smith and I think he has potential. Robaire played well this year, but he is getting close to being 30 years old. Some solid D-Linemen would help our pass rush as well as our rush defense considerably.
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Oh look Peen's pimping a WR already........that didn't take long..lol. Way to keep up the tradition bro.
If that is what you get out of my comment.....oh well 
At least you agree with my comment about Roye.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
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As for FA. I like Corey Williams from GB, big enough to fill both NT and end if necessary, great motor, good quickness. Doubtful GB lets him go.
I like this guy too and it's possible we may be in a position to get this guy as opposed to Haynesworth. I'd rather have Albert and I'm not terribly concerned about issues with him.. mind you I'm not wild about them but I think they can be overcome. The big problem with AH is the Titans are in decent cap shape and I just can't see them letting a human wrecking machine go without a fight.
Corey Williams on the other hand, I think we may have a shot at this guy.. GB is around 18 mill and change under the cap (yes, it's early and these figures are going to change.. this is for discussion only) and the Browns are one of the teams in the 30 mill and up range. We may be able to get in the NT sweepstakes during the FA period and come out winners.
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Tommy Kelly is another from Oakland, 6'6 300# but had a knee injury this year that I would want to be 100% on before any big contract were given. He would be a good DE and was just starting to come into his own as a good DLineman before the injury.
Knee injuries in big men just worry me.. Most likely I would be inclined to pass here
Just another peek at the salary cap figures.. Askthecommish.com has a list as of 12-27
http://www.askthecommish.com/salarycap/numbers.asp
Projected 2008 NFL Salary Cap Space for Each Team
Rank Team $ Under the Cap
1 San Diego Chargers $43.03 M
There are currently 44 players under contract.
2 Tennessee Titans $40.85 M
There are currently 39 players under contract.
3 Miami Dolphins $35.56 M
There are currently 48 players under contract.
4 Jacksonville Jaguars $32.69 M
There are currently 43 players under contract.
5 Buffalo Bills $32.05 M
There are currently 49 players under contract.
6 New Orleans Saints $31.69 M
There are currently 39 players under contract.
7 Cincinnati Bengals $31.45 M
There are currently 48 players under contract.
8 San Francisco 49ers $30.91 M
There are currently 48 players under contract.
9 Cleveland Browns $30.31 M
There are currently 42 players under contract.
10 Arizona Cardinals $30.27 M
There are currently 34 players under contract.
11 NY Jets $27.72 M
There are currently 45 players under contract.
12 Oakland Raiders $25.98 M
There are currently 40 players under contract.
13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers $25.9 M
There are currently 48 players under contract.
14 NY Giants $24.47 M
There are currently 49 players under contract.
15 Detroit Lions $23.5 M
There are currently 42 players under contract.
16 Houston Texans $22.91 M
There are currently 43 players under contract.
17 Dallas Cowboys $20.61 M
There are currently 40 players under contract.
18 Kansas City Chiefs $20.27 M
There are currently 44 players under contract.
19 Chicago Bears $19.8 M
There are currently 52 players under contract.
20 Pittsburgh Steelers $18.61 M
There are currently 43 players under contract.
21 Green Bay Packers $18.37 M
There are currently 48 players under contract.
22 Philadelphia Eagles $17.17 M
There are currently 49 players under contract.
23 Denver Broncos $16.77 M
There are currently 49 players under contract.
24 Minnesota Vikings $14.88 M
There are currently 49 players under contract.
25 New England Patriots $10.93 M
There are currently 41 players under contract.
26 St. Louis Rams $9.61 M
There are currently 45 players under contract.
27 Seattle Seahawks $9.55 M
There are currently 44 players under contract.
28 Indianapolis Colts $8.49 M
There are currently 48 players under contract.
29 Carolina Panthers $6.05 M
There are currently 35 players under contract.
30 Atlanta Falcons $5.79 M
There are currently 52 players under contract.
31 Baltimore Ravens $5 M
There are currently 42 players under contract.
32 Washington Redskins $-20.72 M
There are currently 45 players under contract.
SaintDawg™
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Those cap figures are before we restructured LCB...we will have closer to 40 mil I believe
you had a good run Hank.
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Chris Canty is a Restricted Free Agent. If Dallas doesn't tender him higher he would cost at minimum a 4th round pick, might be worth it as it's not guaranteed you will get that kind of productions out of this years 4th. (38 tackles, 3.5 sacks)
if they dont give him the highest tender they are nuts..... its like 2-3 mil? thats nothing
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Those cap figures are before we restructured LCB...we will have closer to 40 mil I believe
That would be correct. I did note that it's early and these figures will change quite a bit in the next few weeks. I believe we should be in good shape and it's possible we could be winners in FA. Obviously, I wish I could post exact figures.. kinda difficult to do.. it is what it is.
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S. Smith: He gets a lot of love on this board. I don't think too highly of him. Chooses as gap and goes, much like Big Fatty did. He either makes a nice play or takes himself completely out of it. Big runs are the result. Will stay as part of the rotation.
Fraser: I like his effort, but he's terrible. If he is here, we are in trouble. He's just not strong enough to eat blocks.
First off, I agree with you about Fraser. Someone mentioned him as a good spot player. Fraser is not even a body. I love his work on special teams but he as no businessseeing time in the regular defense, offering neither a push nor any type of ability to get off a block.
But I couldn't disagree with you more about Shaun Smith. In the last five games of the year, during which he spent more time at the nose than in any other stretch during the season, Shaun had 30 tackles! That's an average of SIX Tackles a GAME, from the nose. Many of these tackles were at or behind the line of scrimmage and the man played with his hair absolutely on fire, constantly disrupting the center of the line. And, quite unlike Penny, Shaun Smith is squat enough to sit at the line of scrimmage and clog an area. I really thought that Shaun emerged at the end of the year and, so long as he and Ethan kelley, should we resign him, continue to develop, I think we're set at the nose for a while.
T_
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I am one that actually thinks you can keep Roye for 10 maybe 15 snaps a game next year. So I can live with him in the rotation just not as a starter anymore.
I don't understand this line of reasoning at all. Don't get me wrong, I love Orpheus and all that he's done for this team, and in many seasons here, he was doing it on some very lousy squads.
But I don't understand how people can expect Orpheus to be good from 10- 20 (someone said twenty) snaps a game in a rotation next year when he couldn't consistently be available for that many snaps this year. And he was coming off of clean up surgery (it might have even been two Sx). Unfortunatley, I don't expect Roye to be able to make it back. And if he does stick as a sub (certainly Romeo has kept dead weight on this roster before) I will be genuinely surprised if Roye contributes much. Of course, his contract will have to be reworked as it's not conducive to a back-up role.
T_
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I say stick with Roye for several reasons.....
1. We cannot add 2 starting DL and 2 rotation guys on top of a stud ILB and OLB like everyone wants...........plus the RB and WR a lot of people want as well. We do have cap room, but that is a lot of new additions to pay for and sign in one off season.
2. We are going to have a lot of new additions on the Defensive side of the ball, and we need a veteran like Roye to help ease the transition to what would be a new philosophy to quite a few of the new guys
3. Limiting Roye's snaps and using him as rotational player for 10-15 snaps he can still be effective. When Roye was healthy this year the D actually got better, and hopefully with the limited snaps he'll recieve he'll have a better shot at staying healthy.............not near the wear on the old man's body.
Roye can still be a very valuable member of the team, but you are right in the fact that his old body can't take the rigors of a starter's role anymore.
Against logic,the most effective armor is willful ignorance.
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I'm saying that you can't expect Roye to be available for 10-15 snaps because he couldn't even do it this year coming off surgery. He's not going to all of a sudden feel better and be able to play. Sure from a continuity stand point you'd want him to stay and help groom the young guys we're sure to draft/ sign. But his contract needs to be worked on first. Plus I could see us sign a starter and then draft a guy early and draft a guy late/sign an UFA and that would give us six or seven if we resign Ethan Kelly.
T_
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I like Frazer but Geez sometimes he gets knocked so far off the LOS he looks like a DB covering Randy Moss. To bad because he definatly has the heart.
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Not to steer the topic, but just for the sake of posting it since this was mentioned: Quote:
Those cap figures are before we restructured LCB...we will have closer to 40 mil I believe
Before the Colts/Bolts game today they were interviewing one of the "gurus"....can't recall which one....Clayton? I dunno....anyway, they listed the top 5 teams with the most cap space going into 2008, and the Bengals were 5th on the list of those that had the most cash, sitting at 28.1 mill.
We weren't on the list.
None of that stuff out there is accurate right now..........
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Considering there is not 1 nose tackle in free agency who is better than Shaun Smith that I saw on the list, and the chances of a rookie second round pick should it be a NT starting immediately are slim, I think we either have to trade for a NT (Shaun Rodgers?Kris Jenkins?) or are stuck with a platoon of Shaun Smith and either Kelley or a rookie like Red Bryant or Frank Okam or Terrance Taylor should he declare. DE is a different story, lots of good DEs in FA and the draft.
I disagree about not taking an offensive player day 1. If there isn't any good D-Linemen to take in round two and no LB worthy either (which is the case at this point in time regarding late round 2 possibilities, but could change), then taking a RB who will slip to us or a WR would be a great pick. This year there are not many good first day DLinemen at all, but the RBs this year are the best RB class I've ever seen: McFadden, F.Jones, Stewart, Mendenhall, Slaton, Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice, James Davis, wow! One of those would be better than drafting a project like Frank Okam or the Arkansas DT IMO. If Terrance Taylor declares and falls to us we should grab him though.
![[Linked Image from i232.photobucket.com]](http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/keylime_5/keylimesig.jpg)
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a rookie like Red Bryant
I wouldn't be surprised if he is the selection....Looks like a natural for the position.
That said.....it is a very deep RB class....if one of those guys with a 1st round grade falls to our position...Savage wouldn't hesitate to draft him.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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This draft is full of quality 3-4 ends and RBs.
DE: Pat Sims, Chris Long, Glen Dorsey, Frank Okam, Keilen Dykes, Dre Moore, Kentwn Balmer, Andre Fluellen in no particular order.
RB: McFadden, Felix Jones, Kevin Smith, Matt Forte, Johnathan Stewart, Ray Rice, James Davis, Rashard Mendenhall, and numerous others that I might've forgotten.
It's why I'm not eager to break the bank for Jamal, nor do I think we have to double or triple dip on the d-line in FA.
T_
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Dorsey might have the size to play DE but he is not a great fit for it
he is an UT in a 4-3
also for a later round guy i think nick hayden could be a good fit as a DE.... he looked great against michigan in the game i saw
Last edited by eliteeagle; 01/13/08 08:24 PM.
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I posted that info from the commish.com noting the info was dated 12-27. I have no doubt it's not accurate at this date, my intent was to provide a rough guide as to the figures.
I suppose it's all in who you believe has / knows accurate figures. My guess is that everyone is guessing and we'll know more later.
At the site they note that:
Keep in mind that these numbers remain tentative -- and are changing on a daily basis. These "unofficial" figures are approximate as of December 27, 2007 and were compiled from various media sources including the NFLPA, ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
Like I said, It is what it is..
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Quote:
This draft is full of quality 3-4 ends and RBs.
DE: Pat Sims, Chris Long, Glen Dorsey, Frank Okam, Keilen Dykes, Dre Moore, Kentwn Balmer, Andre Fluellen in no particular order.
RB: McFadden, Felix Jones, Kevin Smith, Matt Forte, Johnathan Stewart, Ray Rice, James Davis, Rashard Mendenhall, and numerous others that I might've forgotten.
It's why I'm not eager to break the bank for Jamal, nor do I think we have to double or triple dip on the d-line in FA.
T_
It might not be possible to double or triple dip in free agency. It appears that there is not enough supply of 3-4 linemen to satisfy the demand. By the time we pick in round 2 or later there may not be enough good DL available and even then other needs may be targeted. I'll be surprised if there are three new DL on the final roster and shocked if there are four. 
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I guess i still have faith that one of either Purcell or Pittman is ready to step in and be better than a Frazier as an example. Simon has had his 3 years or so, so it is a pretty good read on him.
IMO If Purcell, or Pittman were going to step up, we would have seen them late in the season when we had all the injuries on the D-line. Neither one could beat out Frasier, and we even picked up an OLD Bobby H. who had not played all year instead of giving either of those two playing time. That should tell you how the coaching staff feels about both of those guys.
I AM ALWAYS RIGHT... except when I am wrong.
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Quote:
I guess i still have faith that one of either Purcell or Pittman is ready to step in and be better than a Frazier as an example. Simon has had his 3 years or so, so it is a pretty good read on him.
IMO If Purcell, or Pittman were going to step up, we would have seen them late in the season when we had all the injuries on the D-line. Neither one could beat out Frasier, and we even picked up an OLD Bobby H. who had not played all year instead of giving either of those two playing time. That should tell you how the coaching staff feels about both of those guys.
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Glad you brought that up  .. as I was wondering the same thing.. We were getting killed up front ( players down ) but no playing time for either .. Niether Kelly nor Roye could stay on the field , and thats just fro starters .. They couldn't bump Frasier ????
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I posted that info from the commish.com noting the info was dated 12-27. I have no doubt it's not accurate at this date, my intent was to provide a rough guide as to the figures.
I'm not quibbling over the posting whatsoever, simply reminding everyone as I do every year that nobody knows the numbers except for the teams and the league. You can do a search for salary cap space and come up with sites that have some listings that are 10 million dollars off of those that you posted from that site.
That's a very important difference.....
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IMO If Purcell, or Pittman were going to step up, we would have seen them late in the season when we had all the injuries on the D-line.
I should have mentioned them in my original post, but I didn't for this very reason. It's possible that they could grow into a role.....*shrug*
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Were gonna have to hit FA hard for DL help or our Def. will eb the same next year as it was this year. I can see us taking a big shot at Justin Smith and with Eric Stienbach here we just might be able to land him. I do see us signing one more DL FA and than looking at what LB are there, I see us signing one FA LB and than addressing RB, Def. Backs in the draft
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More to GM.......I understand the odds part....just saying both are young. I myself am not ready to say they can't help....I might be by the opener.  I also think the odds of us having 4 new D-lineman is pretty slim too. Two seems more realistic....three at the top end. But who knows....maybe we will have 5-6.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Just to throw my two cents in, I think we stick with Shaun and Robaire Smith, Ethan Kelly, and probably Orpheus Roye too. I don't think they're going to flat out cut him because of his history with the team, and I could see him staying through the duration of his contract, which ends at the end of next season. We can stomach one more year of Orph to allow the team and him to part ways on good terms. Plus, he'd be worth keeping around for his veteran knowledge and occasional rotation in.
I think Tommy Kelly is coming in through free agency, and then we'll get a NT/DE player similar to Shaun Smith in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft. One of Pittman/Purcell will make the team as well, and then we'll add another 5th-7th round NT/DE type to chill out on the practice squad, along with the other one of Pittman/Purcell and probably Louis Leonard too.
That's just how I'd do it. Bring in a fresh body via free agency, a first day (well, traditionally a first day) pick and one of last year's rookies to join with 4 holdovers from last season. Then, when Roye's gone next year, maybe we'll be in position to draft a monster nose if need be, and give Kelly another year to show if he can hang with the big boys or not. He showed flashes, albeit too far between than what I'd like.
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PRIORITIES to create a dominant DL...
1) Axe Washington
2) Release Roye
3) Let Fraser leave
4) DO NOT SIGN KELLY...
Could not agree more with this... Let me say this about Shaun Smith..he wasn't playing nose until he came here so he has to learn it...remember Phil's comments on him when he came here.. I think he is more of a attack style NT than the more eat up blockers type.. But he was moved away from there early and didn't settle down into it game after game because he was being moved to DE, which as I have stated several times is not his best spot. Kelly...Watch this one closely folks...It will say EVERYTHING about where we sit...IF we sign Kelly...It means we r satisfied with Smith as the Starting NT and Kelly as his back-up...IF we do not sign Kelly...We will find another NT...That's pretty cut and dry...
Eh..we don't have to resign Kelly even if the FO thinks Smith is a starting caliber NT..WE MIGHT want better depth Tommy Kelly Oakland...INK EM'...
Get the 2nd one in the draft DAY ONE...1st 2 rounds...DT's in College move outside in a 3-4 much like Seymour and Warren in New England...6'5"+ and right near 300lbs...
Keep an eye on Chris Canty RFA of Dallas...I've seen where we r interested...6' 7" and 300lbs...PERFECT DE in a 3-4...
Agree with Kelly..and Canty..he was on my mock draft in 05..I wanted that guy badly.. Draft..keep an eye out for Red Bryant Texas A&M DT 6-5 324 ..wiil be there from second round downwards.. Guess it's time to start looking..
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Agree on Red.....have mentioned him before....the guy is massive.
I will say a few mocks I have looked at had him selected in the 30's of round 1.
Assuming we can't move from 53 or wherever we are, he might be gone a bit earlier than that.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Quote:
Agree on Red.....have mentioned him before....the guy is massive.
I will say a few mocks I have looked at had him selected in the 30's of round 1.
Assuming we can't move from 53 or wherever we are, he might be gone a bit earlier than that.
Red Bryant started out ranked as high as #3 DT on the early draft boards but has fallen as of late. Red had a season ending knee injury on Nov. 17, 2006, ending his junior year.
It could be that the knee is a concern, thus his drop on some of the draft boards. He could work his way back up the draft boards with some good workout stats and performances in the all-star games.
We shall see...mac
FOOTBALL IS NOT BASEBALL
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TW...first off he is not a Brown come 3/1/08 - nuff said and us putting him on IR was like a kind sendoff to him. He had no lateral movement at all it was a shame how he looked in his last games - I felt bad for him...legs were gone.
Roye...maybe will be here for depth pending if we need money or not. But I don't see him as a starter anymore...his prime has come and gone.
Fraser...has great heart but if he is any part of a rotation on the DL it will be symbolic that we are hurting still at the position.
Kelley...I think was on his way out until we got injuries. Not bad in the rotation. But only one dimensional in a NT rotation or Goal Line.
Robaire...was very impressed and his game became better as the season went on. Was very instrumental in a lot of those goal line stands that were successful. He shot the gap in the beginning but as the season wore on he was able to shoot gaps and maintain a 2 gap discipline. As long as his legs hold out he's a STARTER.
Shaun Smith...He was impressive with his leverage, size, strength and speed. He has some stud qualities in him. I don't like his smack attitude but he is young and can learn this defense. But I have a feeling with Grantham gone we will see a little more controlled attack from our D 7...we will look for more penetration with 2 gap responsibilities than before. Smith is a great talent to be utilized. We got lucky here.
Hamilton...irrelevant
Purcella...I'd like to see how he fare's with his off season program. If he's in the 295 area I think we will be surprised with his play next season as a depth guy and its the one that I hope replaces Fraser as an upgrade. This kid has explosion in him and speed comes with that explosion...we'll see. I have no clue if he can stay low (not stand up) and tackle...but trust me he might surprise us.
draft? don't really know it well but lets face it...only a Day one pick really stands a shot at becoming a starter in 08. We will go with BPA and RBs is a strength of this draft...I have no clue on DL - we won't just take one cause of need. I could see us moving up to take one if things were just right and the right guy was there. But we won't take the best DLman at 50something cause of need.
Later in the draft is possible...but that might be a rotational guy at best...last seasons two late round investments went on the practice squad we will see what they bring. Counting on anything better this year cause our need is greater just won't happen.
FA...we will make a move here. Haynesworth has to be big on our list of targets.
That would be a major coup by Savage...similar to Steinbach.
Will we go for more for depth...heck I'll take one or two more of the Robaire/Shaun variety to get in the rotation!
NT pure NT...draft - if we get Haynesworth Shaun gets worked in more there.
No idea of Leonard the young prospect we picked up last year. What little I saw of him he was too erect. We'll see what he brings in training camp. along with Purcella and the other kid from LSU.
Since its a 3 position unit we are not too far away as I view Smith n Smith as legitimate starters...we need another starter...and find at least two depth guys better than Fraser.
JMHO
Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off!
Go Browns!
CHRIST HAS RISEN!
GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
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Quote:
Dayton said..
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Keep an eye on Chris Canty RFA of Dallas...I've seen where we r interested...6' 7" and 300lbs...PERFECT DE in a 3-4...
I have heard his name a lot and think he is a pretty good player. Do you have any thoughts on him?
I think he is a pretty good player who has had a couple of issues. I would love to bring him in here, but I don't know what it would cost...or if he will even be available.
A few other points:
---As I said earlier..........I understand that everyone is in love w/S. Smith. I think he is okay and should be part of the rotation. I just don't like guys who pick a gap and either make a big play or give up a big play. I will caution you all about overrating our players. We had the worst D in the league. Just as I defended DA w/the weather angle, I can say our defense benefited from the bad weather. We have problems. I think S. Smith gets a lot of recognition because he is always dancing around. Hell, we could give up over 100 yds. in the first half and if he makes a stop, he acts like he is King Freaking Kong. Give me a break. I'm not saying he shouldn't be part of the rotation, but you guys are overrating him.
---I agree w/GM about the two rookies. If they had anything, why didn't they play on such a poor DL, especially one that was decimated by injuries?
---Tommy Kelly's injury worries me. I think we should pass.
---I really like Corey Williams from GB. I hope we have the chance--and do--pursue him.
---For those of you who respect my opinions.....I would encourage you to read BatDawg's posts closely. I get the feeling he knows what he is talking about.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Quote:
I also think the odds of us having 4 new D-lineman is pretty slim too. Two seems more realistic....three at the top end.
I'm just saying to look for four, depends on the free agents and how the draft goes, but we could end up with three free agents, and one draft choice, or two free agents and two draft picks.
I AM ALWAYS RIGHT... except when I am wrong.
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RE: Pittman & Purcell Quote:
That should tell you how the coaching staff feels about both of those guys.
That's what I wanted to say and couldn't figure out how to do it without typing 10 pages of lengthly explanations. 
#gmstrong
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"I think he is a pretty good player who has had a couple of issues. I would love to bring him in here, but I don't know what it would cost...or if he will even be available.
I have pimped him from time to time especially on a thread late last year where the discussion was FA's...prospective ones...don't think you were posting here yet.
Cost...low tender 4th rounder. They do have depth but I would be shocked it gets to that - wish he was and ex-Cleveland suburb native wanting to go back to the Browns. Ala Bentley, JJ, Z
Look to a high tender but you never know with the Cowboys - Jones can go banana's there especially without Parcells around for stability. Talk about pass rushing abilities from the DE position - he would be a very key acquisition if low tendered we would have to put in a poison pill but Dallas has 20 mil in cap space so it would have to be of the sneaky variety. Dallas does have a lot of guys to resign that should take priority over Canty...Barber, Flozell Adams, Hamlin - all pro bowlers. Cowboys have depth with Hatcher, Spears, Bowen and with Spencer ready on the outside....Ellis can gain his weight back and join the rotation at DE.
Canty's biggest issue was medical and that is why he dropped to the 4th round. I had more than once stated (in 05 and 06) that he was the steal of the draft.
JMHO
Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off!
Go Browns!
CHRIST HAS RISEN!
GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
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On S. Smith. I have to say that I think we'll have to be content with him being a starter. Robaire Smith was our best DL if your're counting healthy ones, (see Roye). So we need two starters. I believe S. Smith will have to be one of them and may play more disciplined next season. I'm thinking RAC will be much more involved with the defense both in game-planning and gameday play-calling. He doesn't have to devote a lot of time with the offense save help with the gameplanning and the coaching. So I'm thinking, (hoping), he has the time and desire to get actively involved with the defense. That would do a lot to get S. Smith focused on his responsibility. I mentioned RAC speaking of him in a presser. Though he didn't say much, he looked and sounded pleased to have Smith in teh injured Roye's spot, (instead of at NT). Quote:
---I agree w/GM about the two rookies. If they had anything, why didn't they play on such a poor DL, especially one that was decimated by injuries?
Can some young players like those guys come in with great hands, feet and acceptable technique, enough to learn ours, but lack the strength to step in quickly? Technique and understanding the system could hold them back too. But I've wondered sometimes if it's a matter of strength and the team is long-term thinking enough to wait an offseason or two for that. ???
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---Tommy Kelly's injury worries me.
Me too. I don't really know much about him as a player though you hear of him so there must be something to it. But an ACL injury in a big guy bothers me if were going to spend a load on them and depend upon them to be a stalwart on the defensive line.
I'll second the BatDawg comment. But then I haven't picked a fight with him yet so well see.
#gmstrong
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Quote:
RE: Pittman & Purcell
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That should tell you how the coaching staff feels about both of those guys.
That's what I wanted to say and couldn't figure out how to do it without typing 10 pages of lengthly explanations.
Well it was a long reply for me 
I AM ALWAYS RIGHT... except when I am wrong.
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I don't know that it tells me much.
I don't know when guys started being placed on IR.....but to bring either player up would have meant cutting someone else.
I know Purcell came in late after Ted was put on the gimp list.
I will write them off as I have a few others after we see what the pre-season holds.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Phil brought in Louis Leonard and put him in the 53 man roster late in the season..
So it kinda tells me the rookies weren't ready to contribute...
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I won't argue with that....we will see if those guys suck or not soon enough..
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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