LKelley67

hodge will walk in all likelihood, bockwoldt does have potential but it just and only that. nothing to count on. allen cannot be counted on either even tho the light seems to come on more often. watson is legitimately good and worth developing. i\'d like to see him more outside but he\'ll do there until better is acquired. one veteran big splash free agent like hartwell here would be my prescription. we\'ll be lucky to see a journeyman-second tier like chris claiborne tho.

BreesFN9

As for the corners and safety situations, I\'m with some of the other comments made. I like the CB starters with Mckenzie and Fakhir Brown, Man he made some nice clean hits last year! Brown improved tremondously over the last weeks of the season. Mckenzie seemed to be everywhere near the final weeks as well. I\'ve heard Samari Rolle\'s name come up a few times on other NFL posts as he was released from Tennessee recently. Any truth behind the Saints interest in him? As for
the Safeties, I agree that, that can be handled through Free agency.

JENGA....I Win!

ScottyRo

If Haslet said we\'ll be going after Safety then you can bet we\'re not. He always lies about their intent just before big events such as FA and the Draft. I wish TJones didn\'t cost so much but he isn\'t horrible. I\'d like to see Jones and Mitchell as starters and pick up FAs in more pressing areas of need. CB being one of them. We need to resign Craft and try to get another decent starter. Move Thomas to dime (with paycut) and just cut Ambrose.

it just occured to me...Ambrose is still on the team?

GumboBC

Good thoughts, guys!!

But, just so I\'m clear, I\'m going to list the starting defense, as it stands NOW!!

Tell me who\'s a keeper, who gets cut, who should be moved, etc., etc..

I\'ll get it started.


Defense:
LDE 94 Grant, Charles - Starter
DT 95 Green, Howard - Need someone else.
DT 66 Young, Brian - I\'m gonna say starter but I have doubts.
RDE 93 Howard, Darren - Starter
SLB 50 Allen, James - Need someone else.
MLB 55 Watson, Courtney- Tough one. I\'m going to say need someone else.
WLB 57 Bockwoldt, Colby - Starter.
LCB 43 McKenzie, Mike - Starter
SS 20 Bellamy, Jay - Need someone else
FS 34 Jones, Tebucky - Starter
RCB 35 Brown, Fahkir - Starter

Note: I think Courtney Watson could start but I\'m for getting a standout player at the critical MLB postion. I would get someone and let Watson play in spot duty. I would not move him to WLB. I might would try him at SLB.

Howard Green needs to be a spot duty player also. Hopefully Sully will come around. If not, we need to get someone else.

James Allen: Need someone else. I just don\'t feel too comfortable with him.

Tebucky: I\'m for giving him one more shot and I can live with him if a stud is brought in to replace Bellamy.

Jay Bellamy should be used in only spot duty. He\'s not a starter in this league anymore.

There ya have it.....

I know that many or you are gonna disagree with some of my moves. I\'m interested to hear how you guys see it...

ScottyRo

LDE 94 Grant, Charles - Starter
DT 95 Green, Howard - Need someone else.
DT 66 Young, Brian - Starter
RDE # Will Smith - Starter (Howard\'s gone)
SLB 50 Allen, James - Need someone else.
MLB 55 Watson, Courtney- Starter
WLB 57 Bockwoldt, Colby - Need someone else.
LCB 43 McKenzie, Mike - Starter
SS # Mel Mitchell - Starter (Bellamy backup)
FS 34 Jones, Tebucky - Starter
RCB 35 Brown, Fahkir - Need someone else

Brown may do if we must, but I\'d like to see someone just a bit better.

I can\'t believe you\'d say keep Buckwoldt as starter at WLB and replace Watson as MLB. Of the two I think Bwoldt has more to prove to be a starter than Watson.

James Allen - enough said.

Young wold be good at DT if we had somebody to pair with him at the other DT.

4saintspirit

Adding a different perspective on this topic -- for years I have said our corners are the biggest weakness on our team -problem is that a few years ago we had such a fierce pass rush that our cornerbacks were never really challenged all of the time -- the year we went to the playoffs is a good example -- our defense has a great pass rush (led the league in sacks I think) but Minn torched us big time in the playoffs -Well - our corners this year are better than those days (McKenzie etc) -- Our line should be just as good at rushing the QB. Problem is that our linebackers are so poor that they cannot cover a strong pass rush either by covering the run or the short passes to beat the rush. I think we should concentrate on linebackers (yeah I know they stepped up in the last 4 games but a real experienced stud linebacker is still needed). Then get a top line safety -- with that in place let our pass rushers go -- safety blitz -- and I think our defense will be a whole lot better. And don\'t use the argument about giving up the big play -- we give up plenty of those now --

\"I have a photographic memory -- I just don\'t have any film.\"

GumboBC

.

I simply saw Bockwaldt making plays all over the field. He even ran Mike Vick down from behind. I like this kid a lot. Of course, that\'s just my opinion.

As far as Watson? I really didn\'t see him do too much. He did okay at times. Most of the time, I didn\'t see him around the ball too much. I think we need a TRUE impact player at MLB.

JKool

I\'m not sold on Bockwoldt, but he did have almost as many solo tackles as Watson DESPITE starting fewer than half as many games.

This stat may be confounded only if Bockwoldt had a lot of special teams tackles, which I am not sure of. If that isn\'t the case, there is good reason to think that Bockwoldt can get the job done. Bockwoldt\'s \"playing size\" is a bit low for the SLB though.

Does anyone think that Watson could play SLB and then in the nickle and dime? Bockwoldt could play WLB and in the nickle. We\'d only need a stud MLB for running downs and base downs. Just a thought.

"... I was beating them with my eyes the whole game..." - Aaron Brooks

JKool

I was one of the guys crying for a CB last off season, but I think, as 4ss appears to, that we\'ve solidified that position. I do believe that CB is more important than your third LB, but a second CB is less important than the third LB. We are missing AT LEAST a third LB.

I think Brown can be more than solid. Also, with mixed zone coverages, you only need one CB to play man to man. Having MM gives our defense an awful lot more in terms of defensive options. I think that, along with the rumored coaching change, MM is the most significant defensive element to our December run.

We are looking a little thin at Safety, unless Mitchell has that year that he was supposed to have when we let Sammy go (a sad day). He had the speed, size, and aggressiveness to make things happen back there; it remains to be seen if he still has that, IMO.

I think whether or not we NEED a Safety depends A LOT on Mitchell. I think T-buck is fine, especially if he doesn\'t have to play so deep (now that Brown is developing and MM is here, that should be an option). Althogh, I\'d have to say I\'m thinking they may want to move T-buck\'s cap number - maybe he\'ll restructure? If he were cheaper, I don\'t have much problem with him.

Either way, we still need some depth in the secondary. That is, however, much less pressing than our need for an OT and an LB.

"... I was beating them with my eyes the whole game..." - Aaron Brooks

GumboBC

Let me also note this:

Playing in Rick Venuri\'s scheme hasn\'t allowed me to get a good feel of how good some of the youg guys are.

The only players who have shined on defense have been the defensive ends. That\'s not hard to do in ANY system as all they have to do is pin their ears back and rush the passer. Also, I think the defensive ends would have done better with a different defensive coordinator.

Mike McKenize looked awful before SOMEBODY switched the scheme to man-to-man. Then McKenzie started to shine.

I would not be surprised to see some of the guys that have underachieved to really shine if the defensive scheme is the same as the last 4 games.

Last thing:


4saintspirit-- I agree with that 100%...