Right Tackle and Free Safety

Trade down and draft Brandon Scherff in the first round.
Move Hall or Amerson to safety.
Problem solved.
But I would get more serious about safety next year.

People talk about DHall's lack of size being a detriment at FS but I look at his skill set. He has the ability to cover a lot of ground as well as exceptional ball skills to make a play when he gets there. He also has a nose for the ball when it's on the ground and he can return a turnover all the way to the house. I think we could possibly get some game-changing plays by moving DHall to FS. He certainly has the knowledge and experience to quickly make the transition.

RT - compton/polumbus

FS - thomas/duke/vet added late after roster trimming


there doesnt seem to be any real starting caliber options at FS and id rather wait another year than force a multi year deal on a player we dont really want.

next year is not a contending year so there is no urgency to force a move.

Polumbus?! Please change your location from "close to the edge" to "gone over the edge".

I think succumbing to the natural tendency to solve every roster spot in the first season is how you get yourself into trouble. Scot McCloughan has laid out a clear vision for the kind of player he wants on this team: eats sleeps breathes football, bigger is better though not the end all be all, has an incredible passion inside to be great, build from the trenches out, etc.

The last thing you want to do is bastardize that vision just because you have a need. I wouldn't just pick up the next best safety or RT to fill a hole. I would accept that in 2015 we're going to have a hole or two.

I would stay McCloughan's course. Continue bringing in free agents for visits. Continue to interview them and assess their inner passion and inner drive. Continue watching tape until I get a headache. And continue calling their high school coaches to get a sense of their character.

And if after doing all that I still haven't found a FS or RT who I think is a diamond in the rough, then I roll with Compton and Phillip Thomas.

The goal is not to make the playoffs this year. The goal is to win a Super Bowl sometime in the intermediate future.

We keep having these discussions b/c: (1) We haven't drafted to address the need - or when we have it didn't pan out immediately (Morgan); and (2) the free-agent market for these positions the last couple of years has been either pay big early or pick through a bunch of Just-A-Guys. On top of that, there didn't seem to be a plan in place for addressing problem areas.

We made a play for Rolle, he went elsewhere. It seemed like the marquee names at safety were at SS not FS. At tackle, outside of Baluga, who is there that is a definite upgrade over Polumbus? I agree, Compton doesn't look like the answer, but is there any reason to believe Barksdale is either?

I think we should have spent money last year to address the FS position - not Byrd but one of the other guys getting $5-6M/yr. At tackle, they drafted a guy lots of folks wanted to take a round earlier and who was, as I remember, the best tackle on the board at the time. Still keeping my fingers crossed.

Don't know why these two positions are so difficult to fill but, in truth, every team has problem areas. By definition, every team can't have above average starters at every position. Just like every team has some above average starters, they are going to have some below average starters as well. We just keep getting stuck with them at these two positions.

^ good point Schneed, I think there were some really really bad contracts for Right Tackle in Free Agency this year. I mean really terrible

Last year, remember the Jarius Byrd contract for the best free agent Free Safety? horrible mistake which has cost the Saints on the field as well as this year in free agency.

Sure I expected us not to fill every hole this year, but we still need starters.

Im convinced Doug Free would have been a Redskin if he didnt resign in Dallas. And I think McC has a Free Safety eyed in the draft.

I think succumbing to the natural tendency to solve every roster spot in the first season is how you get yourself into trouble. Scot McCloughan has laid out a clear vision for the kind of player he wants on this team: eats sleeps breathes football, bigger is better though not the end all be all, has an incredible passion inside to be great, build from the trenches out, etc.



The last thing you want to do is bastardize that vision just because you have a need. I wouldn't just pick up the next best safety or RT to fill a hole. I would accept that in 2015 we're going to have a hole or two.



I would stay McCloughan's course. Continue bringing in free agents for visits. Continue to interview them and assess their inner passion and inner drive. Continue watching tape until I get a headache. And continue calling their high school coaches to get a sense of their character.



And if after doing all that I still haven't found a FS or RT who I think is a diamond in the rough, then I roll with Compton and Phillip Thomas.



The goal is not to make the playoffs this year. The goal is to win a Super Bowl sometime in the intermediate future.


Nailed it.

I think this is the year to find a RT to start developing, but that doesnt mean the problem will be solved this year. Hopefully this year will solve the problem for the future. I agree with what Schneed said, stay the course and understand that Rome wasnt built in a day... and neither was the Seattle Seahawks.

i played right tackle in pop warner

Here's the thing ... I think Scot McC has a long term plan to build the team with, as Schneed indicated, certain types of players. Holes will be plugged as necessary but not unless the pluggee fits McC's long term plan.

It's a process folks. What we've seen in free agency is a glimpse of it. Given that, I am cautiously optimistic.

Yeah safety is a spot where you can find players in the mid rounds. You won't get a Sean Taylor but at the same time with McC's history it's not unreasonable to expect a contributor. Still need the chips to fall your way in the draft, but he can fill that spot.

As for right tackle, if a RT is the best player on the board at our 2nd rounder, then ideal. But I wouldn't draft for need, I'd still draft BPA, even if it means we have to start Compton or Moses.

I'm counting on McCloughan to start geting us the guys who we'll never let hit the free agent market. It's easy to look around at free agency and set your expectations for available talent based on that. But it's important to remember that it consists almost entirely of B level players. The A level players never make it to free agency, except for the very rare Ndamakung Suh exception, teams lock up those players to extensions before they ever sniff free agency. Like we'll surely do with Trent and Kerrigan.

We need the A level guys. I hope McC drafts according to his vision for successful NFL players, position and need be damned.

If we get the next Luke Kuechly in the 3rd round and we have to start Tom Compton at RT, I'm definitely good with that over the long haul.