2011 NFL Draft

Bryant was good and should be in a rotation for playing time at NT, but not as a starter. We need help at NT and DE really bad. Our D-Line was the weakest area of our team IMO.

For much of the season that seemed the case, though the o line is still pretty sub par. Late in the season, say the last 3-4 games, the d line seemed to really pick up its play. Carriker looked good & Bryant really liked like a legit starting NT. Jarmon showed flashes too.

In particular the last 10 quarters they have looked like a different defense, and the d line was a big part of that.

Dallas won the division last year and ended up with an easier schedule then we did. That sucks.

Well it's something you kind of can't see coming. Each schedule is predetermined after the regular season ends each year. Every team plays 6 divisional games, 1 out of conference division (for us an AFC division), one in conference division, and the final 2 opponents are in conference opponents determined by where you finished in the division.

We played the same 14 teams as they did, including us/them twice, and their final 2 games were first place teams from the two NFC divisions that we don't play this year, which were New Orleans and Arizona, while we played the Bucs and St. Louis, because they both finished last in their division last year. Since the NFC East played the NFC North division this year, that means the two opponents we played would be from the NFC West and South divisions.

That's why we had the harder strength of schedule, because both the Bucs and St. Louis became pretty good teams this year while the Cardinals hugely regressed and the Saints regressed slightly.

Interesting comment from J.Jones about the pending lockout....

Perhaps the most telling observation in recent weeks drew far less attention that it deserved. In the web-only version of a 60 Minutes interview featuring Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, reporter Scott Pelley asked Jones if a lockout would be “disastrous” to the league.

“No. I do not,” Jones said.


Comments from Jerry Richardson, Jerry Jones suggest lockout is coming | ProFootballTalk (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/04/comments-from-jerry-richardson-jerry-jones-suggest-lockout-is-coming/)

Should I start working out now? lol. I wonder how much scrubs make?

I honestly don't think our LB corps is as bad as some people think - certainly we need to address our DL before LB as far as our defense goes. You'd have a hard time convincing me we should take a LB at 10 overall - Blades, Fletcher, and Riley will be solid in the middle. Orkapo is obviously a very good starting OLB and Lorenzo Alexander and Rob Jackson are not bad enough that i would replace them with a top 10 pick, especially when free agency is full of young, decent linebackers.

Makes sense, since the guy is earning such rave reviews. I think the possibility of them trading out of that pick makes sense too. It will cost them big $ to sign the #1 pick & a head coach, and I'm sure they'd like to have some picks to build on.

What's scary is the team w/the most ammo to do it is New England. They could package a no. of 1st day picks & draft Luck to groom him to replace Brady. That kind of trade would be out of character for NE, but finding a replacement for Brady wouldn't be.

New England is too smart to do something like this. Brady isn't going anywhere for several more years. He's at the top of his game and is one of the most durable QB's in the NFL. I see him playing into his late 30's.

I'm not all that high on Mallett. If he could be had in the second round, I'd be cool with him or Locker there, but not with the #10 pick. If we stay at the ten, we should be able to draft and impact rush linebacker. Tandem that with Orakpo and our 3-4 defense suddenly looks much better. The way Joseph played on the line near the end of the season, I think we can look for depth there as opposed to instant impact. A free safety at some point it a must. Kevin Barnes may be the answer but we'll have to see if he can make the transition. I'm of the mind that he can.

I'm not either. He reminds me of David Klingler. Plus his feet are like bricks.

I honestly don't think our LB corps is as bad as some people think - certainly we need to address our DL before LB as far as our defense goes. You'd have a hard time convincing me we should take a LB at 10 overall - Blades, Fletcher, and Riley will be solid in the middle. Orkapo is obviously a very good starting OLB and Lorenzo Alexander and Rob Jackson are not bad enough that i would replace them with a top 10 pick, especially when free agency is full of young, decent linebackers.

Well, Fletcher's not getting any younger. Blades is decent but I don't see him as much more than a backup. Riley, I like. Carter and Rocky could both be gone. Wilson is one dimensional. Alexander and Rob Jackson are decent but not sure they have what it takes to be 16 (18?) game starters. Maybe in a platoon situation. Especially, Alexander. Not so much because he's not good but because he's asked to do so much. You could see him wearing down toward the end.

They played some of their best football against Jacksonville when Orakpo was not playing. Of course, I'm not saying they're a better team without Orakpo. But without him they were more unpredictable. I believe they need someone who can line up on the opposite side of Orakpo and inflict much of the same damage he can.

The LB corps definitely needs some work. We could really use a stud 3-4 run stuffing type. And a guy that can bring some heat opposite Orakpo would go a long way too.

Interesting comment from J.Jones about the pending lockout....



Comments from Jerry Richardson, Jerry Jones suggest lockout is coming | ProFootballTalk (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/04/comments-from-jerry-richardson-jerry-jones-suggest-lockout-is-coming/)

Should I start working out now? lol. I wonder how much scrubs make?

Could this happen again like 87? I sure hope not. In the end the players are going to have to bend, even though the owners are being greedy. They're making a ton of TV money.

So if not Luck, then who do you guys think the Panthers should take no. 1? Consensus seems to be Fairley