Cards make offer to Green

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by Russ Smith
Sign Al Wilson and both Darling and McKinnon become superfluous. Small group of LB's but with Fisher, Wilson, Thompson , Hayes and Woods and company we could sure run things down fast.

If we don't end up with Ben or Eli and we take Sean Taylor and add a guy like Wilson or Kearse or Ellis we could REALLY improve on defense quickly.

I don't see any way we can sign Wilson AND Kearse, and Kearse is clearly a bigger need, but I'm a big Wilson fan if you made a list of the top 10 "big hits" this year he'd probably have 5 of them. He's not as big as Lewis and Urlacher and won't make the INT's and stuff Lewis does but he's not that far below those guys.

There's a guy on the Bronco Board who goes by Rolling Thunder who seems to have real insight into how they operate and really understands their cap and he doesn't think they'll try to keep Wilson. he thinks they'll probably franchise him with the intent of trading him, I'm kind of hoping the league cracks down on that this year and Wilson winds up a full fledged UFA.

FYI Kearse and Taylor are the 2 most popular players we should get on the Bronco board too. The more I think about it the more I want Taylor if we cant' get Ben or Eli.

And let's not forget that Denver drafted Terry Pierce last year....

Maybe that was a precussor to letting Wilson walk this offseason?

I love Wilson as well (watched him at UT with Ray Thompson; great set of linebackers) but I would put him at a lower priority than DE and CB.

Even if we stick with Ronnie Mac and Darling, MLB won't be a terrible weakness.

 

[pinnacle]

Russ..I guess it is possible as last year Denver had no cap room and somehow did enough manuevering to sign some free agents (including plummer)...not sure how they did it... But according the theredzone denver is already $2.3 million over the cap...and what would the franchise # be for Wilson? $3.5 to $4 million? not sure - that may be too high.... but - the would have to clear $5.7 million in cap space or so just to franchise Wilson (my understanding is that you can only franchise if the franchise tag # fits under the cap at the time you do the franchise...but this is another item I am not 100% sure on). With Portis wanting a deal, draft picks to eventually sign and shanahan probably looking over the rest of his defense after the disaster in Indy.....it would be tough to franchise Wilson....but then again - they pulled a rabbit out of the hat last year (as far as freeing up space) - so anything is possible.

29 Denver Broncos $80,400,000 $-2,300,000


and by the way..I wanted al wilson since I first saw the list of free agents - because he may actually be available (unlike probably a chris mcalister) and I want an upgrade in the middle...although the guy we currently have in the middle is about the nicest, hardest working guy on the team...

 

[kerouac9]

Originally posted by Krangthebrain
Agunleye (Miami) would be a nice pickup. He is a free agent, I would assume since he was a restricted free agent last year. He is what I call "liquid pass rush", a guy that will always be effective just rushing the passer.

Good eye, Kerouac! I constantly look at "second tier" players. "Second tier" players can quickly become "first tier" players in this league, and Agunleye is one of those guys. He's had, what, 10 sacks the past two years??

I don't know. I think that he may have lead the AFC in sacks this season. Let me check...

He did, with 15. He also had 2 forced fumbles and 5 (!) passes defensed. He'll be a hot commodity, but I thought that he was going to be a restricted free agent this season. Let me check again...

He is going to be an RFA. No way the Dolphins let him hit the open market; it's going to cost a #1 pick. Too bad, really. We'll have to look for someone else. Frankly, I'd almost rather have him than Kearse. While you have to wonder about the guy playing on the other side of Jason Taylor, he hasn't had the injury problems that Kearse had. You'd have to expect to sign Agunleye to KVB/Leonard Little-type numbers. We can afford it, but giving up that pick would be painful.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by kerouac9
I don't know. I think that he may have lead the AFC in sacks this season. Let me check...

He did, with 15. He also had 2 forced fumbles and 5 (!) passes defensed. He'll be a hot commodity, but I thought that he was going to be a restricted free agent this season. Let me check again...

He is going to be an RFA. No way the Dolphins let him hit the open market; it's going to cost a #1 pick. Too bad, really. We'll have to look for someone else. Frankly, I'd almost rather have him than Kearse. While you have to wonder about the guy playing on the other side of Jason Taylor, he hasn't had the injury problems that Kearse had. You'd have to expect to sign Agunleye to KVB/Leonard Little-type numbers. We can afford it, but giving up that pick would be painful.

Frankly, with how pathetic our pass rush has been, I would almost consider giving the pick to the Dolphins.

What if: We offered the number 3 overall, to Miami for their 1st rounder and Agunleye???

 

[kerouac9]

Originally posted by Krangthebrain
Frankly, with how pathetic our pass rush has been, I would almost consider giving the pick to the Dolphins.

What if: We offered the number 3 overall, to Miami for their 1st rounder and Agunleye???

I'm not sure if you can trade RFAs like that. It's different than "franchise"-designated players.

...That being said, it's an interesting option. Where is Miami picking? We could probably get a starting-caliber cornerback. It still seems a little lopsided, though. I wonder if it'd be possible to get Agunleye, Miami's 1st, and their 3rd for the #3 overall and our (compensatory) sixth.

Ooh, that option makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

 

[Russ Smith]

Originally posted by kerouac9
Meh. Al Wilson kind of leaves me cold. If we're going to get a new "Mike" LB, then I prefer we draft one. Al Wilson was also the one who failed to tap down Marvin Harrison last week.

Frankly put, we don't have the defensive line to protect Wilson the way that the Broncos do. Just like Urlacher suffered without the strong DTs this season, so will Wilson outside a system like the Broncs. I think he'd do great at a place like Jacksonville, maybe Tennesee, the Jets might like him (they're looking to add youth and speed to their LBs), but not here.

I think that we'd have been better off to have some vision and drafe Nick Barnett instead of Calvin Pace, but that didn't happen. I think that you can still get very, very good talent at the MLB position in the second and third rounds, and that, even if Hayes doen't work out, you can get someone in the next two or three years.

Denver's DL is basically Pryce and a bunch of journeymen types, Berry, Fatafehi, guys like that it's not like they have a terrific DL.
DT was considered their big weakness coming into this year, that's why they signed Gardener, they changed DC's and got much better play this year. Their starting DL left to right is Pryce, Fatafehi, Darius Holland and Bertrand Berry. Fatafehi and Pryce move around alot so both play both DE and DT. Monsanto Pope, Dorsett Davis and Reggie Hayward are the backups. Really outside of Pryce their DL isn't any better than ours, just a better scheme, better coaching etc.

Wilson kind of held that LB crew together through all the injuries to Gold and mobley, 128 tackles, only 1 sack. Not a coverage LB but he can sure run and he absolutely brings the mail when he hits you.

Again I'd rather have Kearse or Ellis but if those guys can't be signed and we can't get an elite CB, Wilson would be a guy who could bring an instant upgrade, he's also an extremely high energy player and of course played with Thompson in college. But I do really like Hayes and agree MLB seems to be a logical place for him down the line.