Offseason Plans for team

[cardsfanmd]

I hear a few different assessments of what we should be doing in the offseason, so i just wanted to make a thread for it. Please feel free to add your thoughts. I

Stop talking about bringing in a NT please. His Name is Gabe

• You are being a bit irrational if you expected anything from Watson this year. Give the guy a break, because he really is much better than most of this board give him credit for.
• Talent-wise he was a first rounder in the draft, but fell because of a suspect work ethic. I have yet to hear anyone in this organization complain about it.
• The guy broke his kneecap working out on his own time in the offseason. My son broke his leg on Thanksgiving and had surgery a few days later and is just now being cleared to try to walk again. In that 1 month he has lost the strength to do anymore than stand on the leg for a minute or so. We're talking about a 330lb guy who got no real offseason or conditioning prior to coming back.
• Last year's late decline in pass rush had to do with four equally disatrous things IMO. Berry's injury, the lack of depth behind Dockett, the lack of depth behind Gabe and AW's injury. Look at the first 8 games last year and you will see Gabe consistantly eating up multiple blockers to free up D-Dock. The big guy got tired after a while without anyone to spell him. With Big Gabe back at 100% next year we will be set at NT.
• Hopefully Branch builds on last week's game. NT is one of the toughest positions in the game to master and typically takes awhile. If not, Robinson showed he is capable of giving a starter a breather.

Matt Leinart isn't going anywhere.

• Kurt is the variable here, not Matt. Bank on that one.
• If Brian St. Pierre had something special he wouldn't be almost 30 without a regular season snap. Everyone thought Ahmad Merritt was gonna be a hero a few years ago too.
• No way the Jets make a move for him. The just got rid of a very smart QB who had a weak arm and injury issues with it. If thats what they were looking for Pennington would still be on the team. (like he should be)
• He is the future, whether you like it or not. Matty will be alright. How tough can it really be to feed the ball to our stable of WRs?

Q is staying/going???

• He wants to leave because of one person: ROD GRAVES. I dont blame him, and if I were Bidwill I would take Q, kick RG to the curb and throw everything we have at Scott Pioli, Bill Parcells (who nobody is talking about but is free to leave Miami because Huzingawhatever sold part of the team IIRC), or Belicheck
• This situation is the ultimate test for Graves. What is the heart-to-brain ratio needed to make this decision? Boldin is the most popular Arizona Cardinal ever and the epitome of what you want in a football player, but if done right, moving him could bring our team to the next level.

FA Currently on Our Roster

• Eric green--GONE
• JJ Arrington--Who knows, we will make an offer but I see a ZB team like Shanahan's new home or Houston making a run for him
• Antonio Smith--He hasn't had a good year so I doubt there is much interest for him. Iwebema is a very similar player so if Smith stays great. If not, draft for depth later on.
• Dansby--GONE. He is just looking to get the highest paycheck. I doubt we get into a bidding war over him
• Clark Haggans-- Extended
• Chike-- Price adjustment

draft and FA thoughs coming...

 

[CaptTurbo]

Gabe Watson in his second year in which he played 16 games he had 35 tackes and 1 sack.

He didnt have more than 3 tackles in a game all year except in New England where he had 8.

Sorry but if thats the future then we better get 4 Ray Lewis type Linebackers.

 

[lobo]

Non-emotional and very sensible. Healthy Gabe and bulb staying on in Branch's head is just right. A few small points of contention but thats what its all about.

 

[CardLogic]

Gabe Watson in his second year in which he played 16 games he had 35 tackes and 1 sack.

He didnt have more than 3 tackles in a game all year except in New England where he had 8.

Sorry but if thats the future then we better get 4 Ray Lewis type Linebackers.

Come on, swd, you know better than this...

You said yourself in another thread that the DT job is to keep the OL off of the LB's. NT's never have big numbers in stats, that is not their function.

 

[AzWins23]

You don't get rid of Boldin. He will get his money this offseason

 

[Carddan]

Offseason? Offseason? You're talking about Offseason? (Substitute the word "Playoffs" for "Offseason" and you'll get my point.

No offense, but I've got tomorrow on my mind...

 

[DoTheDew]

Gabe has been solid, not elite. For comparison Pat Williams stats this year 31 solo tackles 13 Asst, 1 Sack, 1 Fumble recovery. He is regarded as a pro bowl NT so Gabe's stats last year are solid SWD.

As for canning Graves and keeping Boldin, that would be fine but I don't like that list of guys you mentioned and I doubt Whisenhunt would either. Pioli maybe, but there is no way Whiz is going to want to coach for a control freak like Belichek or Parcells.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Gabe has been solid, not elite. For comparison Pat Williams stats this year 31 solo tackles 13 Asst, 1 Sack, 1 Fumble recovery. He is regarded as a pro bowl NT so Gabe's stats last year are solid SWD.

This makes an even better case for Watson that you are saying. Williams plays in a 4-3, where he doesn't get doubled like Watson does.

As for canning Graves and keeping Boldin, that would be fine but I don't like that list of guys you mentioned and I doubt Whisenhunt would either. Pioli maybe, but there is no way Whiz is going to want to coach for a control freak like Belichek or Parcells.

Except no. Whiz worked for Parcells and with Belicheck in NYJ and I may be wrong, but I think he also worked for Belicheck in Cleveland. I dont honestly think that Belicheck wants to leave the sidelines yet, but I also dont think there is any way we get rid of Graves either. That was just what I would do.

 

[DoTheDew]

This makes an even better case for Watson that you are saying. Williams plays in a 4-3, where he doesn't get doubled like Watson does.


Except no. Whiz worked for Parcells and with Belicheck in NYJ and I may be wrong, but I think he also worked for Belicheck in Cleveland. I dont honestly think that Belicheck wants to leave the sidelines yet, but I also dont think there is any way we get rid of Graves either. That was just what I would do.

Whiz wasn't head coach when he worked for any of these guys. It is a different story being an assistant under someone and being the head coach and taking orders from them.

 

[daves]

Huh??

Q is staying/going???

• He wants to leave because of one person: ROD GRAVES. I dont blame him, and if I were Bidwill I would take Q, kick RG to the curb and throw everything we have at Scott Pioli, Bill Parcells (who nobody is talking about but is free to leave Miami because Huzingawhatever sold part of the team IIRC), or Belicheck

Belichick?!?

...dave

 

[cardsfanmd]

Whiz wasn't head coach when he worked for any of these guys. It is a different story being an assistant under someone and being the head coach and taking orders from them.

You dont think he took orders from them as an assistant?

 

[joeshmo]

Come on, swd, you know better than this...

You said yourself in another thread that the DT job is to keep the OL off of the LB's. NT's never have big numbers in stats, that is not their function.

Yep. Trying to use NT stats to prove if a NT is good or not is about the worst use of football stats in the game today. What they are asked to do doesnt show up on stat sheets.

Someone already brought up Pat Williams. But lets look at the best 3-4 NT over the past decade. His highest tackle total in any given year is only 42. He only has 5.5 sacks his whole 8 year career. Talking about Casey Hampton.

 

[bg7brd]

Linebackers suffer from poor line play and with Watson not at 100% this year both Dansby and Hayes haven't looked as good as last year. I think we need to re-sign Dansby because I don't think it's wise to go into the draft with a big NEED. Hopefully we can shore up the biggest needs (ie Suggs) before the draft and wait for a gem to fall to us.

 

[Totally_Red]

I really like your assessments cardfninmd. But I really didn't like the way Gabe Watson was on roller skates Thanksgiving night in Philly. He has to do much better than that to convince me he's the answer at NT.

 

[DoTheDew]

You dont think he took orders from them as an assistant?

Taking orders as a TE coach and a HC are very different things. TE coaches aren't under the media microscope, don't run the offense and defense, don't have their own playbooks, don't control which players play. You think Whiz's personel choices would be the same as Belichecks? Not likely. Parcells a little more likely but still iffy. If Whiz want's to become a smashmouth team and Belicheck likes running a similar offense to what Whiz has been stuck with this year there is going to be disagreement with coaching and FO. Parcells at least is more balanced in his coaching mentality so that *could* work. The problem with Parcells is that you can't count on him long term.

 

[jaguarpaw81]

Taking orders as a TE coach and a HC are very different things. TE coaches aren't under the media microscope, don't run the offense and defense, don't have their own playbooks, don't control which players play. You think Whiz's personel choices would be the same as Belichecks? Not likely. Parcells a little more likely but still iffy. If Whiz want's to become a smashmouth team and Belicheck likes running a similar offense to what Whiz has been stuck with this year there is going to be disagreement with coaching and FO. Parcells at least is more balanced in his coaching mentality so that *could* work. The problem with Parcells is that you can't count on him long term.

Maybe so, but do you think either one of them would force Whiz to keep craptastic Pendergast around?

Sorry to but in the convo, I just cant resist as chance to slam Pendy.