You sign a top notch FA safety (Thomas, Collins or Amos) for multiple years and a good DT (McCoy, Richardson, Suh, etc.) for a one-year or two-year contract. You can also sign other players on offense and defense on cheap deals.
Draft
1st round: CB
2nd round: ILB and C/G
3rd round: CB
You restructure Houston. You tag Ford. You trade a 2020 2nd round pick for Patrick Peterson or a lower pick for a decent veteran player who has a year or two left on his contract. I guess you could sign instead a FA CB on a one-year deal.
You end up with:
Houston-Nnadi-Jones-Ford
O'Daniel-Hitchens-2nd round LB
Peterson-Collins-Berri-1st round CB (Fuller in the slot)
You have Speaks and Kpassagnon as backup at DE. You have your FA DT rotating with Nnadi/Jones.
With the Hithens contract, I just don't think you can afford paying big dollars to a FA LB. Plus, recent drafts have showed that you can have a good LB late 2nd round/early 3rd round (Anzalone, Carter, Warner, Cunningham, etc.) and those guys are good early.
The linebackers would be the weakest group but I think they can be decent, especially if Hitchens goes back to his Cowboys' form.
The secondary would be a strong group. Even if Berri doesn't play, you have Watts or Murray (I know he is poor) who can play there. You have Ward and a 3rd round pick as backup CBs. I guess that 3rd round pick could be a safety but I would rather get a CB. If Berri doesn't play, Veach needs to find a scrap heap safety like Dorsey did so well.
I think it would be a defense set up for the next two years where you can draft a 1st round DE in 2020 to replace Houston/Ford or something like that.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Absolutely 100% correct. Hitchens' natural position is WLB.
The only reason people are talking about him as a MLB is because he has played there some and because they're looking for ways to get DOD on the field.
If Hitchens is your starter at WLB, then you need both a Mike AND a Sam. That's a lot of ground to make up considering the needs in the secondary. They only have so many draft picks.
The problem I have with Hitchens playing MLB is that I don’t feel he has the football IQ to excel at the position. Thats just me.
I think he is best at the “will” and DOD should play in sub nickel/dime packages. They could compliment each other like that since Hitchens can’t cover out in the flat, they should make him responsible for getting to the ball carrier on the running downs there and let DOD cover RB’s out in the flats especially on screen plays. Or shift him over and let him cover the TE, slot receivers, etc.
DOD imo is too undersized; I think he would get destroyed against big mauling OL on run D. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
By the way, even if you do consider Devin White to be a Kuechly/DJ type of prospect, he's going to like go somewhere between 8 and 12 unless he absolutely bombs at the combine or something.
The Chiefs would have to trade their ENTIRE draft to get to #10. Just to get to #12 would cost them their first rounder and BOTH seconds.
That is why I said the position is not THAT important. You'd essentially be giving away 3 potential starters for 1, all for a team that has dire needs at CB and S.
Ok cool.
I got your point. You wouldn’t sacrifice the draft to trade that far up. I guess it all depends where he ends up being selected? If he is in the top 10, then maybe its not worth it to sacrifice all those picks? But for sure we do need a MLB...I think he is the best one out there. If they could find a really good one somewhere else without having to give up that much compensation, Im all for it. [Reply]
There is no such thing as trading from the bottom of the 1st round to the middle of the 1st round to get a MLB.
You do that for a QB or a passrusher that's it.
At best, you can trade up a few picks if you absolutely love that MLB.
This being said, I don't think it would necessarily be a strong unit but between Houston, Hitchens, DOD and a 2nd round pick LB I think you have what's needed to have a good defense if the Dline and secondary are strong. To be honest, I'm not a fan of drafting a LB with the 1st round pick considering the state of the defense and if it came to such, I would probably like that they move down rather than up. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buckweath:
There is no such thing as trading from the bottom of the 1st round to the middle of the 1st round to get a MLB.
You do that for a QB or a passrusher that's it.
At best, you can trade up a few picks if you absolutely love that MLB.
This being said, I don't think it would necessarily be a strong unit but between Houston, Hitchens, DOD and a 2nd round pick LB I think you have what's needed to have a good defense if the Dline and secondary are strong. To be honest, I'm not a fan of drafting a LB with the 1st round pick considering the state of the defense and if it came to such, I would probably like that they move down rather than up.
Those guys are good pieces along with the right defensive philosophy, coaching and scheme but Hitchens wouldn’t be the guy I’d want as my MLB. And I don’t think the defense will ever maximize its potential to be great without a really good MLB. I want greatness, I want a dynasty. **** it. Those are my goals w/ respect to this organization. I know thats a lot to ask but they’re not far off from being there imo. So why not go for that? Thats how I think.
They need better leadership and cohesiveness as a unit on D and Im sorry but thats not gonna be brought out entirely by depending on the players you stated above along with that 2nd round pick; they need more. Unless, they draft a MLB with their second round pick and that player ends up being a Bobby Wagner type of player? then yeah :-)
But if they draft a corner, safety....Different story. They’d be better, but, like I was saying I dont think the D would ever maximize its potential to being great. This is my reason as to why Im emphasizing the MLB position its because he is like the QB of the D. They desperately need one imo. Not gonna be easy to find. Those guys are very hard to find.
Its time we get one. Like **** man, its frustrating in that we haven’t had a true MLB since the ‘60s. Willie Lanier era. Thats a long time. Were due for one. [Reply]
question-
Those of you that think Hitchens is not a MLB and should play WLB, but think he's not great in coverage-
Do you have any idea what the responsibilities are for either position in a 4-3? I don't think you do. You should take like...5 minutes and google '4-3 defense' and read up a little on what the skillsets for each position typically are. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buckweath:
If you can read between the lines, that's absolutely what he said.
because that's what you want to believe.
I read what he said as the sort of lip service you would publicly pay a player you hope to shop to the highest bidder. Also because that's what I want to believe. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
because that's what you want to believe.
I read what he said as the sort of lip service you would publicly pay a player you hope to shop to the highest bidder. Also because that's what I want to believe.
And I believe that unlike the past, all options are going to be thoroughly weighed, and WITHOUT sentiment. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
because that's what you want to believe.
I read what he said as the sort of lip service you would publicly pay a player you hope to shop to the highest bidder. Also because that's what I want to believe.
I'm sorry but that wouldn't help drive Ford's value up at all.
GMs look at the film, at the stats, etc. They don't care and are not influenced by what you say in public praising your player other than if it has to do with his attitude or the like I guess. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buckweath:
I'm sorry but that wouldn't help drive Ford's value up at all.
GMs look at the film, at the stats, etc. They don't care and are not influenced by what you say in public praising your player other than if it has to do with his attitude or the like I guess.
then I want to play poker with you.
it's not about changing what the other GM thinks of Ford, but convincing him that you value him enough to not give him away for peanuts. [Reply]
