Addressing the LB position

[Paintrain]

We need to address LB with the 13th pick. For all of our hope to trade down, it takes two teams to trade so spinning our minds around 'trading down' being a solution to any draft questions is just wasting time. If Orapko is there he should be option one, then either Cushing or Rey if Orapko is gone. We can go into next season with Heyer as our starting RT but we can't enter the season with HB Blades as a starting OLB.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

We need to address LB with the 13th pick. For all of our hope to trade down, it takes two teams to trade so spinning our minds around 'trading down' being a solution to any draft questions is just wasting time. If Orapko is there he should be option one, then either Cushing or Rey if Orapko is gone. We can go into next season with Heyer as our starting RT but we can't enter the season with HB Blades as a starting OLB.

Uh, well, I agree that it's not going to kill us to see what we have in Heyer, but we've seen two abbreviated years of each, and Blades has been much better.

So, from that perspective, I'd say OT is a more pressing need. But the defense in general needs another pass rusher just as bad.

So, long story short, I don't know.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Uh, well, I agree that it's not going to kill us to see what we have in Heyer, but we've seen two abbreviated years of each, and Blades has been much better.

So, from that perspective, I'd say OT is a more pressing need. But the defense in general needs another pass rusher just as bad.

So, long story short, I don't know.

You think so? Blades is so overmatched, IMO, at OLB it's not even funny. He can't cover the TE. If I was an offensive coordinator I would be running my offense thru the TE if I saw that matchup.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

You think so? Blades is so overmatched, IMO, at OLB it's not even funny. He can't cover the TE. If I was an offensive coordinator I would be running my offense thru the TE if I saw that matchup.

Can't cover the TE, or failed to cover Jason Witten on one play last year?

We don't have a linebacker on our team who can consistently cover Witten. I wouldn't worry about that though. Unless we're caught in a bad package, that's a safety's job. Blades has proven to be an excellent short zone defender and a fantastic asset against the run. If he had Rocky's body (minus the knees of course), he'd already be a superstar.

Again, I ultimately agree that if there's a college DE sitting there at 13 like say, Everette Brown who could play WLB for us, we have to pull the trigger. But we'll easily find a spot for Blades on this defense. Heyer, I'm less sure about, because 2009 is a make or break year for him.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Can't cover the TE, or failed to cover Jason Witten on one play last year?

We don't have a linebacker on our team who can consistently cover Witten. I wouldn't worry about that though. Unless we're caught in a bad package, that's a safety's job. Blades has proven to be an excellent short zone defender and a fantastic asset against the run. If he had Rocky's body (minus the knees of course), he'd already be a superstar.

Again, I ultimately agree that if there's a college DE sitting there at 13 like say, Everette Brown who could play WLB for us, we have to pull the trigger. But we'll easily find a spot for Blades on this defense. Heyer, I'm less sure about, because 2009 is a make or break year for him.

Well, I'll agree to disagree. I think he can be a very good MLB but I don't think he's going to be a capable OLB over 16 games.

Originally Posted by Larry Michael is Satan

Go with HB, Fletch, and Rocky. HB was a de facto starter for much of last year, and we finished ranked 4th in Defense. Marcus, Philip, Wynn, they are all just stop-gaps til we can address those positions next year. We don't have the picks to do it now. The O was terrible last year, we need multiple O lineman who could potentially start. I'm pretty sure Justin Geisinger started at LT when we were still in the hunt. That never needs to happen again.

Man, I swear some of you guys are frustrated OL that never got a crack at the show, LOL. We don't need 'multiple linemen that could potentially start' with our 4 picks. We can go into the season with a starting OL of Samuels, Dockery, Rabach, Thomas and Heyer and it won't be a disaster. Of course we can use depth but we have glaring unfilled postions at DE and OLB that have to be addressed. Our #1 priority is generating a pass rush. You realize that increasing the pass rush increases sacks and turnovers which help the offense, right? You can't address every hole with $7 mill in cap room and 4 draft picks so you address your biggest holes and do your best to fill the rest.

[Larry Michael is Satan]

Go with HB, Fletch, and Rocky. HB was a de facto starter for much of last year, and we finished ranked 4th in Defense. Marcus, Philip, Wynn, they are all just stop-gaps til we can address those positions next year. We don't have the picks to do it now. The O was terrible last year, we need multiple O lineman who could potentially start. I'm pretty sure Justin Geisinger started at LT when we were still in the hunt. That never needs to happen again.