Strategy...

[LittleDavis]

The decision to cut Edge, Hood and Laboy is bittersweet. In reality, we are seeing what happens to good teams. We have accepted mediocrity for so long that we can't see the need for these moves. Edge is still a good player but we have a young potential pro-bowler in Wells. Hightower showed us that he didn't need much of a learning curve. Now he can be the player he needs to be. A tough knuckle r with a decent burst and a tenacious desire to hit. They form a nice duo and add trick plays or wildcat with Boldin, Rolle and DRC and we have a crazy offense.


Hood was always slightly above average but has regressed to average. "Thanks Rod for making me forget David Macklin but DRC showed us your weakness...average in every way". With McFadden and DRC we are in great shape. Of course, I have a lot of hope for Toler...we will see. Our safeties are going to be much more active this year.


Laboy....hmmm....after the San Fran game I was ready to buy his jersey, but man, did he become a bag of bones. Bring on Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema, Cody Brown and a hungry Will Davis. Youth movement!!! I have already forgot Laboy. Actually, I did mid-way through last season.

 

[MoeIsBetter]

The decision to cut Edge, Hood and Laboy is bittersweet. In reality, we are seeing what happens to good teams. We have accepted mediocrity for so long that we can't see the need for these moves. Edge is still a good player but we have a young potential pro-bowler in Wells. Hightower showed us that he didn't need much of a learning curve. Now he can be the player he needs to be. A tough knuckle r with a decent burst and a tenacious desire to hit. They form a nice duo and add trick plays or wildcat with Boldin, Rolle and DRC and we have a crazy offense.


Hood was always slightly above average but has regressed to average. "Thanks Rod for making me forget David Macklin but DRC showed us your weakness...average in every way". With McFadden and DRC we are in great shape. Of course, I have a lot of hope for Toler...we will see. Our safeties are going to be much more active this year.


Laboy....hmmm....after the San Fran game I was ready to buy his jersey, but man, did he become a bag of bones. Bring on Calais Campbell, Kenny Iwebema, Cody Brown and a hungry Will Davis. Youth movement!!! I have already forgot Laboy. Actually, I did mid-way through last season.

Thats cause he stopped playing lol. We might as well have cut him half way through the season.

 

[lauraw]

Good post LittleDavis!

 

[AtlHawksFan]

I couldn't agree more. Hood is/was always an average CB who plays hard and is a real pro. Unfortunately, he just makes too much money especially when he can be replaced by younger and cheaper guys who'll be just as effective. I think the young guys on the D will surprise this year - especially Iwebema

 

[JeffGollin]

I don't think we would have made it to the Super Bowl without these three guys.

That said - time marches on. Cap realities necessitated that we couldn't keep every player we wanted to keep if we were to achieve our 2010 objective (which I presume is to win the Big One).

The question we should be asking is: "After all the dust has settled" (and it hasn't -this story isn't over because we have guys to sign and the possibility of bringing in someone like Foote) will our various personnel additions and subtractions net out a "positive" for the team?"

I think the process the team is adhering to makes sense, but you never know how everything will turn out. Time will tell.

Final note about Edge - I'm glad he signed with us a few years ago. I think he did everything we asked of him (except to flash breakaway speed) and that most of his struggles had to do with the limitations of our offensive line, shift in our blocking schemes and feeling that we had to eschew the run for the pass in order to win early games and secure a division championship. Despite all this, I still felt that Edge was one of the toughest runners after initial contact in the entire league and made the difference between winning and losing in the playoffs.

Thanks to all three; I hope you all land somewhere nice and achieve everything you've set out to do.

 

[PoolBoy]

I don't think we would have made it to the Super Bowl without these three guys.

you dont think we make the Superbowl without Laboy?