Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

If this team gets that elusive ring this season, Jones is going to play a major role in it
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You can't have top veterans at every position, that's why it's important to know when to cut bait and go with a less expensive younger stud. Nobody wants to lose top talent but in a salary cap world you have to make tough decisions. That's why Veach makes the big bucks.
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You have to have strong lines. Neglect them at your peril.

Good line play makes everything behind and outside them better.

OR ruins the efforts of the other levels.

I have no problem investing heavily in the defensive line.
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I would imagine that we will try to run this team like the Steelers did for many years with Ben. Never went on a big spending spree once they paid him, but got some good smaller deal guys and drafted mostly well.

If you have the right staff (we do) you can find cheap players and depth and rotational guys for cheap.
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This decision may well make Veach either a hero or a turd.
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I'm torn on it. I really like Jones. That said, I've watched New England for a decade and a half be a perennial contender and winner based on letting big contract guys walk or trade them at the right time and keep many more of the middle-tier guys. They don't have the bigtime guys, but nobody sucks either. I think it's just a better overall plan to have a solid of a roster from 1 to 53 as possible. With that, you also don't have the big dropoffs when players get injured.

I think, if it's a top half of the round pick, I'd strongly favor letting him go. I'd much rather replace him with our late pick with a guy like Marvin Wilson and gain a stronger player at LB or CB in the top 15.
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Yeah but let’s address the elephant in the room...

New England has been cheating for a long, long time. They can’t be used as a reliable example.
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I think we have a decent duo with Saunders and Nnadi and Pennel is good as well. I think we could have a solid DL even without Jones. If we could get a 1st and 4th for Jones we would have some decent ammunition to restock the roster and extra cap room to still add solid talent in FA.
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Spags likes his defensive lines. I could see us keeping him.
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I agree. May those smarmy fucks rot in the deepest depths of hell. Fuck all things Cheatriot.

However, it doesn’t mean the team building strategy is invalid. You don’t even have to look much further than our team.

Have Marcus Peters? Cool. We’ll throw at Gaines. Good at rushing the passer? Cool. Well run it down your throats because your IDL and LBs can’t fill a gap. Have Jared Allen and Tamba Hali? Cool well throw down the seam because Squirmin Herman Motherfucking Sack of Cunt Edwards runs Tampon 2. Think you can beat Cleveland? Cool. The LB you have spying Manziel can’t beat him to the edge and we’ll be a play away from embarrassing you with Johnny Fucking Manziel.

IMO Defensive team building needs to eliminate exploitable weaknesses before building a top of the league aspect of the defense.

Of course that’s easier said than done unless you know the opponents play calls, but that’s the say I see it after decades of underachieving Chief defenses.
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Been stewing on this a little more lately cause Andy was talking about the importance of OL and DL in his presser yesterday.. made me think they probably really do wanna keep Jones.

But as much as I love him and believe that you have to win the LOS, you gotta have competent coverage to make that work. Otherwise QBs just negate your DL by getting the ball out.

Might be one of those deals where they trust Spags, Madison, Merritt, Badger, Thornhill to get young and/or cheap DBs up to speed and let the scheme do most of the work back there.
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I think this exactly.

Jones has been playing scheme sound too, this last half-season, which was my only complaint about him.

He's the best DT in the NFL not named Aaron Donald. He's versatile, you can play him in or out. He and Clark make a stud duo when healthy.

CB is the most overvalued position salary-wise in the NFL. Mediocre corners get a ton of cash. You gotta draft and develop there.

IF your front 4 is bad-ass, it covers a lot of sins. With this coaching staff and the veteran leadership of Matthieu back there, I think we'd be okay.

I think you have to let Fuller walk. Hitchens June 1. Watkins, too.

You can re-sign Jones.
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Agree. Very good take.

In the end I think its faith in Brendan Daly, plus the impact you can make on the roster and salary cap with the pick acquired from trading Jones. And it's not like the cupboard is bare if you let Jones walk.

You have the following guys under control:

Clark - age 27 - signed through 2023
Oakafor - age 28 - signed through 2021
Kpassagnon - age 25 - signed through 2020
Speaks - age 24 - signed through 2021

Nnadi - age 24 - signed through 2021
Saunders - age 24 - signed through 2022

The only guy that I could see not being on the roster next year is Oakafor. As a position group I think DL is pretty damn solid, especially if you can get a guys like Pennel and Ogbah back. The same can't be said about our LBs, DBs, TEs, and Oline. Which is why the picks Jones could bring would really help the roster moving forward.
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I don’t think Fuller is going to command a ton on the market. And he has versatility with being able to play CB and S in this defense. I could see him signing with us this offseason. Breeland will leave because he wants that contract that he never got with the Panthers and his injury.

Sorensen needs to go.

And honestly it will be telling with how much Spags uses DOD in the playoffs. Is he finally learning his defense?
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Coaching and scheme only go so far though. At some point, you need ass kickers and guys that can just fuck plays up.

Did you guys see what Fletcher Cox did last weekend? Yeah, I think you keep JOnes around.
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