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.
Houston would take a pay cut IMO. I’m just not sure how much.
He’s not gonna get $21M per on the open market. And he has to know that this is his last best chance to win a Super Bowl, in Kansas City where he has worked for that ring for so long.
Plus you don’t have to uproot your family completely if you stay. Idk, maybe wishful thinking on my part. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
You have to assume that your young players improve and become players. It's not possible in the modern NFL to play any other way.
It's not true that Speaks didn't show anything. he showed pretty well as a pass rusher, and decent against the run. he looked bad at coverage, which he won't be asked to do anymore as a DE.
Exactly right.
It's not wishful thinking, it's an absolute necessity. If he's on the bench again this year, they wasted yet another 2nd round pick. Going to be really hard to win a Super Bowl wasting 2nd round picks every year. [Reply]
I fully expect Ford to be here another year and they'll try to do something with Houston to keep him around.
Keep this in mind when talking about players and fronts. Daly and House both come from backgrounds of shifting and using tons of hybrid looks. We are moving from a stubborn old DC that didn't adapt to guys who are constantly doing those things.
I think while Ford and Houston are most likely to be DE's in this scheme they could also play some LB I think Speaks and Kpass see time and there will honestly be lots of moving around and different looks.
Where the real overhaul is needed is in the secondary and a sideline to sideline MLB. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I fully expect Ford to be here another year and they'll try to do something with Houston to keep him around.
Keep this in mind when talking about players and fronts. Daly and House both come from backgrounds of shifting and using tons of hybrid looks. We are moving from a stubborn old DC that didn't adapt to guys who are constantly doing those things.
I think while Ford and Houston are most likely to be DE's in this scheme they could also play some LB I think Speaks and Kpass see time and there will honestly be lots of moving around and different looks.
Where the real overhaul is needed is in the secondary and a sideline to sideline MLB.
Great take.
I'd love to Speaks and Kpass have breakout years. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
I fully expect Ford to be here another year and they'll try to do something with Houston to keep him around.
Keep this in mind when talking about players and fronts. Daly and House both come from backgrounds of shifting and using tons of hybrid looks. We are moving from a stubborn old DC that didn't adapt to guys who are constantly doing those things.
I think while Ford and Houston are most likely to be DE's in this scheme they could also play some LB I think Speaks and Kpass see time and there will honestly be lots of moving around and different looks.
Where the real overhaul is needed is in the secondary and a sideline to sideline MLB.
They can't afford to overhaul anything if they tag Ford and don't do anything with Houston. They can't just keep them both. [Reply]
That's why you tag and trade Ford. Houston will restructure and can play the run, drop back, or rush. We all saw what Ford did when he was asked to do anything else but pass rush. [Reply]
Originally Posted by YontsRBake:
You guys need to realize that we have to sign 70 mil+ within the next 2 years
Mahomes - 30 mil
Hill - 21 mil
Chris Jones - 15 mil
That’s 66 mil alone right there.
You need to stop expecting guys like Landon Collins in FA. It’s not happening and you’re just setting yourself up to be letdown.
I like the Peterson idea but feel like Cards will demand more.
And their cap hits won't be that much in years 1, 2 or 3 of the new deals they sign.
They are going to go out and sign a stud safety. Veach's past behavior has dictated future results. He wanted to upgrade safety in season last year and now he has his chance with a player like Collins that played his best under Spags.
People getting up in arms about the cap is hilarious. The cap has been manipulated by countless organizations. How many players have the Saints lost? Packers? If you want a player, there's always a way. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
They simply can't afford to keep them both the way things are now.
If they tag Ford, they HAVE to do something with Houston.
Houston's great games were few and far between last year. There's no way you keep him at the current number and it would take a substantial salary reduction to see him on this roster. [Reply]
We have a killer new set of defensive coaches, guys.
They can't do the job by themselves, no. We do still need more and better talent. But there WILL be some spots that are currently holes on paper that will be solidified through players already on the roster who stand to really benefit from the new scheme and coaches.
Like, I'm not a homer. Even at his peak in Dallas, Anthony Hitchens wasn't the greatest LB ever. But he did play pretty well, and that's the form I think he'll resemble more than what he was last year. There will be a few players like that, even if they're just depth guys. They'll probably still be depth guys, but their play is going to improve.
That being said, for the love of God draft some defense. And hit on a couple picks where guys can contribute immediately, please. [Reply]
