Front 7 will be solid in 2011

[rayzor]

the major problems have been with DT and that can be addressed via FA pretty easily. much better choices there than in the draft.

[MadHatter]

Trading down would be nice. Until I see Clausen improve, it would be stupid to pass on Luck. As for the Haynesworth idea, the idea has to enter the thought process, but I would not touch him unless we reconstructed the contract, making it incentive-based.

If Luck does not come out, trading down will be very difficult. There is not a player that many teams woudl covet enough to give up anything of value to move up.

[panthers55]

DTs are really not that hard to find if we will spend in free agency. Don't even need a big name either just a big guy who can stand in the middle and not get bowled over. 2 years ago we found a very decent guy in Hollis Thomas last year for cheap. There are other guys out there. Why draft a guy in the third and lower rounds and take two or three years to develop him. Do what we have done in the past. Bring in 4 or 5 guys who have had an issue for one reason or the other and see if you can find a diamond in the rough. Landri is actually decent and Ed Johnson could be decent if he dropped 20 lbs- They list him at 296 but he must be 315. With a better scheme we could be fine.

[Cyberjag]

A ton depends on the scheme the next DC runs. I'm fairly sure we stay with a 4-3, given our personnel, and our LBs will be set. I also think our DEs are set, but both DTs need upgrading. Imagine our current defense with Buckner and Jenkins, or Jenkins and Kemo. I think we can find some decent help in Free Agency, and I think we will, but that's a spot where we are going to have to make a splash. I can't imagine trying to go through another season with a third-tier signing that's designed to patch a hole. If we want a strong defense, we need to start in the center of the defensive line.

FWIW, I think Haynesworth would love it here and would be on his best behavior. We have enough to surround him with on defense that he could just go wild and play. He's not a good fit in Washington, and that's why he's unhappy.

And JaMarcus Russell looked like a man among boys when he was at LSU, and that's who Newton reminds me of. I would wait to see the wonderlic results before I went near him.

[micnificent28]

Me too, now that you mention it. However, I give the SEC more credit for exposing frauds than the PAC 10, which is why you could say the same for Luck. Imagine how dumb even the experts are when it comes to picking QBs--Ryan Leaf and the best QB to ever play NFL football were considered a toss up. I suppose that is why work ethic and character are so important.

Speaking of Character, I know Peyton Manning used to conduct the band at UT, but I see Newton as more of an ego that is accepted because times are good, but potentially a problem during adversity. Not fair to say that without concrete evidence, but there is some smoke that suggests he was not raised under a strict code of ethics. Manning and Leaf may have been equal at one point, but after they got paid, Manning went to work, while Leaf thought his natural ability would carry him. Newton's natural ability is awesome, but a QB in the NFL needs to study and improve. Leaf, Vick I, Vince Young, Jamarcus Russell, and countless others had the tools, but not the noodle to succeed. Hard work and humility are part of the equation.

On that note, I have seen stuff that Clausen supposedly sent out on Twitter that suggests he is not matured by his new responsibility.

maybe you should take vick's name off your list seeing as how he's going to win mvp...

[MHS831]

maybe you should take vick's name off your list seeing as how he's going to win mvp...

You are referring to Vick II. Reread my post. I refer to Vick I.

[Icege]

To be optimistic (that means to look on the bright side, App Nation), you have to like the LB situation here. First, I really like what I have seen from Jason Williams. Anderson should stay and get paid, Beason and Conner give us the best MLB combo in the NFL, and TD should re-sign on the cheap. Throw in special teamers Senn and Norwood, and Jamar Williams--wow.

Expect to see improvement from Hardy and Brown. Johnson is becoming a beast. Don't expect to see Brayton back, but who knows. Norwood to step in as DE more? depends on the coaches. Damn I hope we could somehow keep Brian Baker (DL Coach).

At DT, Landri has shown his ability to penetrate, but only against run blocking (as far as I have seen). Because Hurney can't draft DT in the middle rounds (Hayden, Irvin, Ellison, etc.) and the Ed Johnson experiment is ending sadly, we need a free agent 1 technique who will draw double teams to free out LBs. We could also use a 3 technique to collapse the pocket. If we draft Luck as many suggest, since we have Armanti Edwards instead of the 33rd pick in the 2011 draft, we will not have another pick until the third round. DT has to be that pick, but getting what we need in the third will be tough. We better be scouting the second tier prospects hard.

I think we have to spend on DT in free agency. Period.

Agreed, the front 7 are looking to be super solid. The team has great depth at LB and we're developing well on the edges.

I'm hoping we can get lucky and Jarvis Jenkins fall to us and sign a solid DT FA just in case. It'd make sense with the business model of having "local" talent since Jenkins will be coming out of Clemson. Kendrick Ellis is another possibility. He's bigger than Jenkins and played at South Carolina, but failed drug tests while he was there. I'm not sure how that will effect his draft status with some teams.

[Matthias]

Haynesworth's hometown is in the Carolinas, so if we gave him a reasonable contract (due to his lack of performance in Washington), I think he would love to play here. We run the 4-3, so he would have no excuses there. Haynesworth would be our new Julius Peppers, this time coming from South Carolina. (As Peppers was from North Carolina).

Yeah, if we can get him, along with a safety and corner, I think our defense would be top notch again. Some other guys I would look at are Myron Rolle, Jake Bequette, and maybe even make a trade for Nnamdi Asomugha. (Al Davis is getting older and his reasoning skills arent getting any better, maybe we can get Asomugha for a deal that doesn't cost us a whole lot. I would package Richard Marshall with that deal.)

This would be my starting defense in 2011........

DE Jake Bequette

DT Albert Haynesworth

DT Ed Johnson

DE Charles Johnson

OLB Thomas Davis

MLB Jon Beason

OLB James Anderson

CB Nnamdi Asomugha

FS Myron Rolle/?

SS Charles Godfrey

CB Chris Gamble

And just for good measure, here is my starting offense........

QB Ryan Mallett (If we trade down for a Herschel Walker deal, If not, then Luck)

RB DeAngelo Williams

FB Tony Fiammetta

WR Steve Smith

WR Brandon LaFell (and hopefully in 2012 it will be Alshon Jeffrey)

TE Kyle Rudolph

T Jordan Gross

G Travelle Wharton

C Ryan Kalil

G Logan Mankins

T Jeff Otah

[SuperMan]

Haynesworth's hometown is in the Carolinas, so if we gave him a reasonable contract (due to his lack of performance in Washington), I think he would love to play here. We run the 4-3, so he would have no excuses there. Haynesworth would be our new Julius Peppers, this time coming from South Carolina. (As Peppers was from North Carolina).

Yeah, if we can get him, along with a safety and corner, I think our defense would be top notch again. Some other guys I would look at are Myron Rolle, Jake Bequette, and maybe even make a trade for Nnamdi Asomugha. (Al Davis is getting older and his reasoning skills arent getting any better, maybe we can get Asomugha for a deal that doesn't cost us a whole lot. I would package Richard Marshall with that deal.)

This would be my starting defense in 2011........

DE Jake Bequette

DT Albert Haynesworth

DT Ed Johnson

DE Charles Johnson

OLB Thomas Davis

MLB Jon Beason

OLB James Anderson

CB Nnamdi Asomugha

FS Myron Rolle/?

SS Charles Godfrey

CB Chris Gamble

And just for good measure, here is my starting offense........

QB Ryan Mallett (If we trade down for a Herschel Walker deal, If not, then Luck)

RB DeAngelo Williams

FB Tony Fiammetta

WR Steve Smith

WR Brandon LaFell (and hopefully in 2012 it will be Alshon Jeffrey)

TE Kyle Rudolph

T Jordan Gross

G Travelle Wharton

C Ryan Kalil

G Logan Mankins

T Jeff Otah

Hey rule is puff puff pass not puff puff puff puff post!

[Ohio]

We have stick figures for Linebackers, they all get hurt. It's like their limbs are made of twigs

[panthers55]

We have a good linebacking corps if Davis makes it all the way back.

As for the defensive line, we have 1 good DE right now, Brown who is still a project and a potentially good one in Hardy who needs to add 20 lbs of muscle and learn better technique and leverage moves. At DT it is hard to say any of them are good. When Hayden who was laughable 2 years ago is your best DT, it isn't exactly as if your cup is overflowing with talent. The d-line has some potential and could significantly improve but to call them solid or good as this point is extreme hyperbole.