How do we address the secondary this offseason?

[top dawg]

Buster Skrine would be a nice, solid addition with a decent price tag. We could switch Skrine and Bene at the nickel to see who is more effective at what position, and probably end up with a very decent ball-hawking secondary, efficient in both the run and the pass, especially if we can upgrade the Safety position.

[Bj-Monster23]

I'm also intrigued by the idea of Taylor Mays. Would come pretty cheap. Kids a top tier athlete and very physical. Our staff is pretty good fit to coach him up. Big Physical guy like Mays would be big facing TE's like Graham. Him paired with Boston, between Norman and a 2nd round Corner (Alex Carter or Darby) with Bene at Nickel. Would look real good behind our front 7.

I agree. Taylor Mays would be good in our secondary if we can get that 2013 pass rush. Mays is big, strong, and fast and can be our Kam Chancellor in our secondary. He would come at a pretty cheap price too. He struggles in coverage at times but I think Wilks can coach him up.

[top dawg]

This is one of my chief overall complaints ere about the current staff. They are painfully slow to make depth chart adjustments, even when it is painfully obvious that a change desperately needs to be made.

I mostly agree, but I will say that you shouldn't force a youngster into the starting lineup until they're ready. I think that this is especially pertinent in the defensive backfield where guys are more on an island.

To your point, I look at it more from the angle of mid season cuts and pick-ups. I think that there were a couple of people on the market who we could have tried out/rented to fill an obvious need, even if they weren't anything but a Band-Aid (and I am not talking Austin Pettis) to try and give us a better chance at masking deficiencies.

[Woodie]

Why not sign someone else then?

 

Who?  It's easy for fans to make blanket comments like this, but the reality is that the chances of finding anyone worth anything at that point is highly unlikely.  Pretty much all of the decent guys were already on other rosters at the time. 

 

   

 

[Mol3m4n]

Who? It's easy for fans to make blanket comments like this, but the reality is that the chances of finding anyone worth anything at that point is highly unlikely. Pretty much all of the decent guys were already on other rosters at the time.

You're telling me that we couldn't find one guy better than Charles Godfrey?

[panthers34]

Draft Durell Eskridge from Syracuse in the 3rd or 4th round. 6'4" 205 hard hitting ball hawk safety  

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Cut Harper

[Pejorative Miscreant]

I don't know who but I think it is an area where we upgrade the rotation. Good thing is we have the money to do this without breaking the bank. I don't want a superstar I just want to get a bit better.

[Thorrez]

Harper is a keeper, the NFL switch towards no huddle and better coverage lbs are playing into his hands.

With hbs being able to split wide you must defend both power running and empty sets with the same personal, as you cannot substitute. I like Harper better than Klein or Glanton as the third lb in those situations.

[MV%doe]

Its not sooo bad as I thought. Checkout the depth after the starters, lester and jones...... not all-pros like the huddlers want at all 53 roster spots. Plus they got a young guy on a futures contract. I've almost given up hope on lester and jones played fine as a nickle back so FS shouldn't be that much harder. Drafting one and signing a cheap vet should be fine.

Mike mitchell maybe cut, he's having as hard time fitting into the "steeler way".

[MHS831]

I hope we can address safety in FA...this is not a great

year for that position in the draft.

 

It is a good year for cb's though, and I think we can get a starter

level guy in rounds 3 through 5 if we're lucky.

 

It is a weird year for CBs.  Not great at top, but the rest of the draft--day 3 I am guessing, is solid.

 

I think we go CB in the fourth or fifth round again, and find a good one. 

[ncfan]

Why all the love with Taylor Mays? I know he was good in college but before this season he was a back up and special teams guy. He has speed but so does Colin Jones so what makes Mays different?

I haven't seen his stats this season so maybe someone has some pff stats to post that would change my opinion of him.

He has tremendous speed. But he's big really strong and physical. He struggles in coverage but we have some of the best defensive staff in the nfl and some good DB coaches. With our Front 7 and the way Gettleman likes to build the team with the strong pass rush. he would do well with us especially if get another corner in the 2nd-3rd in this deep class to go with Norman and Bene.

Mays will also come pretty cheap helping use that money at a couple other position of needs (OT, WR, Pass Rushers)

[davos]

It is a weird year for CBs.  Not great at top, but the rest of the draft--day 3 I am guessing, is solid.

 

I think we go CB in the fourth or fifth round again, and find a good one. 

 

I have to strongly disagree unless you're looking at slot guys in the later rounds and think Bene will be on the outside next year.  Just curious: why don't you like the top-5-7 guys but the later round projections?

[Snake]

I'm not trying to forget we have Harper but...well I'm trying to forget we have Harper. 

 

I just don't see why he can't fill in as a rotational guy at SS though if we find a clear upgrade. 

 

Need a vet to call coverage obliviously. I would not be surprised if we add some young buck to back him up though.