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I know that this has been covered to an extent in several other threads but I think it is the KEY to the defense being good this year. So here it goes:
I think the moves we've made thus far are good, I love Vilma, I really like the McCray and Gay signings. FO has done a good job of adding pieces to to every tier of the defense, but unless we get a push up the middle with a dominant tackle, the best we can be is mediocre to decent this year.
Great defenses start at the line of scrimmage, if you get a dominant player in the middle of your defensive line, this frees up your ends to attack, allows your linebackers to flow unhindered and lets your corners pick off poorly thrown passes because of the pressure from that key tackle position and pass rushing ends.
We have the ends, now including McCray, we have the Linebackers, Vilma and Fujita are good to great and hopefully we add a will through the draft because it's deep, and we have decent corners with Gay and barring a setback with the predator. The biggest piece of the puzzle that is missing is a dominant DT... I think our defense last year would have been much better if we had a push up the middle.
Young is oft injured and Thomas is old... this to me is the key to having a great defense this year. There is absolutely nothing in Free Agency and we know that we'd be hard pressed to get Dorsey or Ellis sitting at 10. The 10 spot is worth 1300 points and I think the only way we get either of the two is to trade with the Jets at the 6 spot which is worth 1600 points. Our second is worth too much at 490 and and our third round is just short at around 220-230 (not sure which pick in the third).
The Jets to me are a good trading partner because they need multiple picks to upgrade their team. Their biggest needs are wide receiver and right offensive tackle. So this could be an attractive option for the because they could get our ten and third and still pick up Clady at the ten spot or We could switch first rounders and trade them Devery or Robert Meachem... preferably Devery IMO.
A third option is Balmer... I didn't like this at all when I first saw a couple of mocks with his name linked to the Saints, but with Dorsey and Ellis being as close to proven commodities as you get with the draft they will be gone at 10 and if we don't trade up for them do we try to trade down?
Kentwan Balmer is one of those late bloomers where the light came on late. He is your typical Boom or Bust player... do you take the huge risk of drafting him hoping that his late bloom in college continues in the pros... physically he has the tools so to speak and he compares to Richard Seymour... but this is a big risk.
This is all bringing me back to my original point... I don't think we will be a great defense until we get someone in the middle to dominate... I hope that's someone we can get this year, if not maybe next year... what do you think?
I think the moves we've made thus far are good, I love Vilma, I really like the McCray and Gay signings. FO has done a good job of adding pieces to to every tier of the defense, but unless we get a push up the middle with a dominant tackle, the best we can be is mediocre to decent this year.
Great defenses start at the line of scrimmage, if you get a dominant player in the middle of your defensive line, this frees up your ends to attack, allows your linebackers to flow unhindered and lets your corners pick off poorly thrown passes because of the pressure from that key tackle position and pass rushing ends.
We have the ends, now including McCray, we have the Linebackers, Vilma and Fujita are good to great and hopefully we add a will through the draft because it's deep, and we have decent corners with Gay and barring a setback with the predator. The biggest piece of the puzzle that is missing is a dominant DT... I think our defense last year would have been much better if we had a push up the middle.
Young is oft injured and Thomas is old... this to me is the key to having a great defense this year. There is absolutely nothing in Free Agency and we know that we'd be hard pressed to get Dorsey or Ellis sitting at 10. The 10 spot is worth 1300 points and I think the only way we get either of the two is to trade with the Jets at the 6 spot which is worth 1600 points. Our second is worth too much at 490 and and our third round is just short at around 220-230 (not sure which pick in the third).
The Jets to me are a good trading partner because they need multiple picks to upgrade their team. Their biggest needs are wide receiver and right offensive tackle. So this could be an attractive option for the because they could get our ten and third and still pick up Clady at the ten spot or We could switch first rounders and trade them Devery or Robert Meachem... preferably Devery IMO.
A third option is Balmer... I didn't like this at all when I first saw a couple of mocks with his name linked to the Saints, but with Dorsey and Ellis being as close to proven commodities as you get with the draft they will be gone at 10 and if we don't trade up for them do we try to trade down?
Kentwan Balmer is one of those late bloomers where the light came on late. He is your typical Boom or Bust player... do you take the huge risk of drafting him hoping that his late bloom in college continues in the pros... physically he has the tools so to speak and he compares to Richard Seymour... but this is a big risk.
This is all bringing me back to my original point... I don't think we will be a great defense until we get someone in the middle to dominate... I hope that's someone we can get this year, if not maybe next year... what do you think?