Connor

is he a Free agent? can he start in TD's spot?

 

yes


no

 

He's a nice luxury to have as a backup who can play MLB or strongside, but he'll get an offer to start somewhere.

 

if the idea was to keep him as a starter, you'd put him strongside and JA would go weak

 

He won't be here next year. He can start somewhere else.

 

is that favorable to success?

 

if you're living in a world where you have Anderson and maybe Beason, and that's it, then Connor is a good strongside, he's under rated as a blitzer, and he can still back Beason as needed.

Is it ideal? I don't know, and if you're going to go get another guy, IMO you go get inexpensive vets and back that with a more prototype SLB for us like Ronnell Lewis, OSU's versatile 244 lb rush end who seems to have the lateral agility to play pro OLB or, in some opinions, 3-4 ILB. The first issue I had in retaining all 3 of our guys was that Rivera had nothing to choose for himself.

Plus, Anderson has never been as good weakside, because he just doesn't seem to have that instinctive thing down as much.

 

I'd like to put Davis at strongside.

 

Yeah, I left Davis out cause after the knee problems I don't trust him to ever be healthy again, but he's under contract and already said he'll renegotiate it to stay here..

so anything he can bring is gravy but I was wondering if we had enough, on paper, if we retained Connor.

 

It all depends on if the team goes to a 3 4 predominantly, or just as a package. With Anderson also a FA, the uncertainty of Beason and Davis coming off their injuries, I suspect that LB will be where the big moves will be. Rivera remakes the defense in his own image with all that money Hurney left him.