I'm not panicking or anything.. just noting that this is a pretty massive bloodletting.

This almost certainly makes us better in the future and if we're lucky we may even be better next year (that'll be tough). Either way, we will look very different.
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It comes down to usage. I'm a believer in toolbox approach at RB so just get me 4 cheap guys.
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Yeah - they can't just keep going to the Bank of Mahomes. At some point they have to have a de-compression year.

Granted, you'd have liked to have seen that in 2020 but it's just hard to overstate how badly the Clark/Hitchens stuff tied our hands. And throwing money at Watkins that off-season stung a fair amount as well.

2021 was an excellent off-season but we're feeling the sting from 2020 and the cap maneuvers that those failures required in 2021 to get that OL fixed.
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Good. This is exactly what he should be doing.
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We lost because of no pass rush. You are not going to fix that at the bargain bin.
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The issue being that any of those 4 guys need to be interchangeable enough to not telegraph what you're up to. That's how you pressure a Cover 2.

We couldn't do that last year. Teams could tell from the RB we had on the field what we intended to do. That or they just didn't care if we went against scheme because someone like CEH just couldn't run that outside zone.

We need a lot more versatility in the RB Room than what we've got...
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Cardinals are giving RB James Conner 3-year, $21 million deal that could grow to a maximum of $25.5 million and includes $13.5M fully guaranteed, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2022

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Za’Darius Smith looked pretty good coming back from his injury in the playoffs. Had a sack, TFL and additional QB hit
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Remember guys, Clay said we are getting Metcalf!!
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Sure you can, if that's all you're looking for. Especially if you're willing to deal with an older player.

There are 2nd tier older one-dimensional pass-rushers who slip into the 2nd wave of FA and sign for reasonable figures every year.

And don't get me wrong, it's harder to do it this way. But it's the only real alternative we have.

Still chaps my ass that we don't have Hendrickson. Man the Bengals stole that guy last season.
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Like I said earlier, my concern with him is his long-term health. Back injuries are a curse.

But if we sign him to a 2-year deal that's voidable after 1, that's quite reasonable.
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Our best edge rusher was a bargain bin signing.

If we have 2 Ingram’s, and a young rookie pass rusher with upside, this defense would’ve been really fucking good.
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The Chargers are going to be a real pain in the ass this year.
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Pass rush is a great place to bargain shop. Go get 3 or 4 guys for the price of 1, rotate them thru.
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It looks even better when you consider it was reactionary after Carl Lawson blew them off for the Jets and blew out an Achilles.
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