Stewart Bradley, aka It didn't take us long to find the clearance bin

[PJ1]

I have always liked this guy. If healthy would be a good signing.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

????

I don't agree with that at all. Have you actually seen Bradley play ?

I dont know who pissed in Eds cheerios but man he is on a role!

I watch ALOT of Eagles games (my wife is an Iggles fan) and I thought Bradley was a stud every time was on the field. He was by far their best LB every time I watched. In fact when he went down last year I thought that's a huge blow. He's not a Pro Bowler but he is the best tackler we have had at ILB in years and much more impactful then Hayes.

I would much prefer Tulloch but Bradley would be my 2nd or 3 rd choice at ILB.

 

[Ed Burmila]

Someone count up the number of times "if healthy" appears in this thread.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Larry Foote. They actually had good linebackers keeping Foote off the field in Pittsburgh.

Paris Lenon looks like hot garbage as soon as you take your eyes off the stat sheet and watch him play on the field. Most of those tackles were made 5-7 yards past the line of scrimmage not because he was cleaning up after someone else, but because he didn't have the ability to make the play. Either in pass coverage or in run defense.

Paris Lenon played as good as Ronald McKinnon ever did, but neither of them should be starting on a team that plans to win more than 7 football games.

I'd rather have Lenon personally. Foote is a scrub, and one that doesn't really run that well anymore either and doesn't offer much in terms of versatility.

I think you're being to hard on Lenon, he's a better player than you give him credit for. Is he a starter caliber player? No. Is he a very good backup who can play both ILB spots in a pinch and play fairly proficiently? Yes.

Hopefully Lenon won't have to play too many snaps this year, and his role can move to being the swing ILB backup that he should be.

As for Bradley, he's one of those hit or miss types right now. He has shown that he can be a very good starter at ILB and is a great fit at the SILB spot. He moves well for a ILB and can take on blocks. He's instinctive and has very good size.

His injury concerns are a redflag, but bringing him in on a reasonable contract instead of scrubs like Reggie Walker is a huge plus. He could end up solidifying the ILB rotation or he could be on the IR. Not too much of a downside if you weren't expecting us to sign a ILB in the first place.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Someone count up the number of times "if healthy" appears in this thread.

20 or 25 at least.

Without a doubt it is the red flag in this situation.

But, if it is brought up so much in the thread, at least that means all those people agree with you on that point.

 

[kerouac9]

I'd rather have Lenon personally. Foote is a scrub, and one that doesn't really run that well anymore either and doesn't offer much in terms of versatility.

I think you're being to hard on Lenon, he's a better player than you give him credit for. Is he a starter caliber player? No. Is he a very good backup who can play both ILB spots in a pinch and play fairly proficiently? Yes.

Hopefully Lenon won't have to play too many snaps this year, and his role can move to being the swing ILB backup that he should be.

As for Bradley, he's one of those hit or miss types right now. He has shown that he can be a very good starter at ILB and is a great fit at the SILB spot. He moves well for a ILB and can take on blocks. He's instinctive and has very good size.

His injury concerns are a redflag, but bringing him in on a reasonable contract instead of scrubs like Reggie Walker is a huge plus. He could end up solidifying the ILB rotation or he could be on the IR. Not too much of a downside if you weren't expecting us to sign a ILB in the first place.

I would have preferred to have signed them both, and had Lenon play his real position--WILB--while Washington got his legs under him. Unfortunately, we only signed Lenon, and he was playing the strongside role AND working the Weakside when the nickel package came in.

I have a friend who's a huge Lions fan (and Steelers fan) and when we were courting Foote I asked him about him. Foote in 2009 was a solid two-down MLB for the Lions, and a great lockerroom presence and leader. We could have used both of those. Even if Foote was only a two-down player, he might have prevented the ridiculous lack or production we had defensively in the running game.

I'd evaluate Lenon just as you do; he's a solid-ish 3rd LB. But as a starting SILB who was on the field more than maybe any other player in 2010, he was awful, and the stats only illustrate how often teams picked on him, and how little he was able to do about it.

I'm fine with Bradley on a short, cheap contract. But I fear that we'll sign him and believe that Bradley, Lenon, Washington, and Sturdivant will be good enough to go into the season with, and we'll a twisted ankle away from seeing Paris Lenon on the field 95% of the time.

 

[Ed Burmila]

Exactly. I don't think Bradley would be a bad signing, I just think it's a horrible idea to say "Here's our addition to the LB corps. We're counting on him to improve us" when nothing about this guy's history implies that he can be counted on.

 

[splitsecond]

Oops. Sommers retweeted me on this one. Here are the highlights:

kentsomers Kent Somers
no, depressed, apparently. RT @evanbornmann: @Cardschatter @kentsomers are we supposed to be excited about bargain bin Bradley?

BleedingGreen BleedingGreenNation
@
Team docs, trainers should be excited RT @evanbornmann: @Cardschatter @kentsomers are we supposed to be excited about bargain bin Bradley?

CardsWatch Cards Watch
@
He will be best SS ILB on roster. Who u want? @kentsomers @evanbornmann @Cardschatter we supposed to be excited about bargain bin Bradley?

 

[gmabel830]

I would have preferred to have signed them both, and had Lenon play his real position--WILB--while Washington got his legs under him. Unfortunately, we only signed Lenon, and he was playing the strongside role AND working the Weakside when the nickel package came in.

I think perhaps the Cards were planning to get more out of Hayesthen they actually got and what you preferred was the actual plan?

 

[MrYeahBut]

btw gmabel....welcome to the board

 

[gmabel830]

btw gmabel....welcome to the board

Thanks.. joined a few months ago and was mostly a lurker, but decided to get more involved with the free agent frenzy. Going on year 4 of season tix with the Cards. Every week I impress my fiance by usually knowing where at least half of the guys on the opposing team's roster (including the linemen) went to college -- a little game we play.

 

[Mulli]

Thanks.. joined a few months ago and was mostly a lurker, but decided to get more involved with the free agent frenzy. Going on year 4 of season tix with the Cards. Every week I impress my fiance by usually knowing where at least half of the guys on the opposing team's roster (including the linemen) went to college -- a little game we play.

Welcome!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Every week I impress my fiance by usually knowing where at least half of the guys on the opposing team's roster (including the linemen) went to college -- a little game we play.

Lol, sounds like a keeper, those girls are few and far between...

 

[MrYeahBut]

Thanks.. joined a few months ago and was mostly a lurker, but decided to get more involved with the free agent frenzy. Going on year 4 of season tix with the Cards. Every week I impress my fiance by usually knowing where at least half of the guys on the opposing team's roster (including the linemen) went to college -- a little game we play.

Your fiances name must be Mabel...and you must say...'Gee Mabel' alot, thus your screen name...

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Signed by CARDS, according to ESPN

(let the second guessing start)

 

[kerouac9]

I think perhaps the Cards were planning to get more out of Hayesthen they actually got and what you preferred was the actual plan?

Well, what they got out of Gerald Hayes was nothing, so what I preferred was the plan that I stated. Hayes was terrible in 2009, and then non-existent in 2010. Joey Porter thought Gerald Hayes (Pittsburgh, in case you want to impress your lady) was a non-factor last year.

Go back to the board two Marches ago and you can see a number of the more foresighted posters saying that we can't depend on Hayes and we needed to find a solution for him or replace him.

 

[Ed Burmila]

Well, I guess this is the "big addition" to our defense. Might as well hope for the best.

 

[Chopper0080]

Well, I guess this is the "big addition" to our defense. Might as well hope for the best.

HE does bring a ton more size to our ILB position unlike Tulloch who is 5'11" 240. I was pulling for Tulloch as well, but I kinda thought that we would be very small inside with him beside either Lenon or Daryl Washington.

 

[Chopper0080]

He is close to 260 pounds is that right?

Maybe he would be better in a classic 2 down 3-4 ILB role where they take him off the field half the snaps.

I could see a natural competition between Daryl Washington and Paris Lenon for the WILB spot in the base 3-4 and then use both of them for nickel packages.