If Peppers leaves

[Thelt]

via trade or just walks what do we do with the DL? Even if we get a mid first round pick for Peppers it would not be automatic that a good DL prospect would be there.

It looks like this this to me right now.

LDE Johnson
LDT Lewis
RDT Kemo
RDE Brayton

That is not as horrible as you might first think. The two big weaknesses are that there is no depth behind the DTs which leads to a weak run defense when the starters get winded. The other is that there is not much talent as rushing the passer.

Anyone think that adding a solid DT to the rotation and getting a situational pass rusher would make this unit decent? The linebackers are solid so if the DL can just occupy blockers against the run we should be OK.

I think all this will cause the need to do some stuff to the secondary. It is not going to have a strong pass rush to help it out any more and it looked shaky even with one. Gamble is solid. Marshall is questionable. Lucas is probably gone. Harris is a liability in coverage but a keeper. Godfrey is still an enigma. If we get a first round pick for Peppers I could really see it going to acquire a corner. If Meeks has a different philosphy on the role and value of safeties I could also see us putting some resources into a real ball hawk. It is a copy cat league and the top teams this year had some good safeties: Polumalu, Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins....

 

[Collin]

That is not as horrible as you might first think.

Yes, it is. It would be one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL.

Anyone think that adding a solid DT to the rotation and getting a situational pass rusher would make this unit decent?

No.

Also, thanks for creating your ten thousandth Peppers thread.

 

[chipshotx]

wait...what's this about Peppers leaving? I haven't heard anything about this. Why hasn't this been brought up?

LDE Johnson
LDT Lewis
RDT Kemo
RDE Brayton

seems like dog shit to me


birds and squirrels ate all of my peppers' leaves

 

[presidence99]

Why would Brayton, who is less athletic and not the best pass rusher, be at right end?

And it won't matter if they are tired or fresh, if they lack the talent to stop the run it won't matter one bit.

It is a copy cat league and the top teams this year had some good safeties: Polumalu, Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins....

Those teams also have good pass rushes...

 

[magnus]

via trade or just walks what do we do with the DL? Even if we get a mid first round pick for Peppers it would not be automatic that a good DL prospect would be there.

It looks like this this to me right now.

LDE Johnson
LDT Lewis
RDT Kemo
RDE Brayton

That is not as horrible as you might first think.

It's fine for running downs, especially if there's a good backup DT for Lewis. We won't have much rush, even assuming that Johnson's numbers do trend upward.

We'd need more than that for rushing the passer. I don't believe it'd be "one of the worst" but we'd need to be better. Taking away a top player and expecting things to be just fine without change won't work.

Anyone think that adding a solid DT to the rotation and getting a situational pass rusher would make this unit decent? The linebackers are solid so if the DL can just occupy blockers against the run we should be OK.

A situational guy isn't completely out of line IF we can become dominant against the run, but I don't know that we would be. If you can force a lot of third and longs a situational guy can do well. The downside is it's easier to pass on first and second, and so on. I think starting an Alex Brown type player could net good results, or if we took a Bertrand Berry with some experience. If we received a top pick and spent it on a top DT, we probably get more impact right off than a top DE.

At either rate, my current worry is that sitting on Peppers' franchise tag costs will hurt long term if it takes a while to get him out. Given the costs, the first wave of free agency would certainly be done, and Peppers himself could stall negotiations past that. And while Terrell Suggs is talking "hometown discount", he may be the one part of the Baltimore equation that does want to stay. Berry probably cashes in on his ability to play in either edge scheme despite his age. Then there's not a lot left.

I think all this will cause the need to do some stuff to the secondary.

Lucas may be gone, partially fiscally, but most of the work would be done at corner.

Unless Godfrey gets moved back to corner, which I see no particular reason to do so, I'd expect we stay with what we have at safety. We have a four-deep there, and while I can't stand RFA and the added costs, we'll include Salley in that.

 

[Collin]

I don't believe it'd be "one of the worst"

Only someone ignorant would honestly think that Brayton/Kemo/Lewis/Johnson wouldn't be one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL, and you're not ignorant, which means you don't honestly disagree. This presumably goes back to you absurdly insisting that the defense could become more talented despite losing Peppers. Those four guys combined accounted for 14 total sacks this past season. Fourteen. 1-4. And that's with them not being good against the run either, except perhaps for Brayton.

Realistically the best we can do is to turn every guy into a situational player. Lewis needs to go back to the bench and only come in for passing situations, while we need a DT to pair with Kemo who can either shoot a gap or hopefully push back the pocket on passing downs. Hilee Taylor has some potential as a pass rush specialist, so you could either have him sub for Brayton or keep the current Brayton/Johnson rotation at LDE and bring in a new starter at RDE for running downs. A Rucker-type who is good at containment and has a few pass rushing moves would be the kind of DE we could shoot for at the bottom of the second round. Personally I'd still very much like to add a two-gap DT to play in Buckner's old spot and slide Kemo over, as he and Lewis could rotate semi-effectively at RDT, but the important thing is to add someone adequate who can push Lewis back to more situational duty.

Why would Brayton, who is less athletic and not the best pass rusher, be at right end?

Hopefully Thelt just got left and right confused again. Many children have a problem keeping them straight. Hell, even magnus didn't know that Kemoeatu plays LDT and not RDT.

 

[Thelt]

I do not see our starting DTs as garbage like most on here seem to. Until they got banged up and their depth was depleted they were fairly solid. We certainly missed Kemo against the Giants. You really need a guy who could start to be in the rotation off the bench at DT. If we can add a couple of solid guys to back up Lewis and Kemo I think they will be adequate.

Regardless of which side you put Brayton and Johnson on the DL our DEs should be fairly solid against the run. We just need some pass rush.

Some guys like Rocky Bernard, Bertrand Berry, Kevin Carter, Jovan Haye are going to be available and realtively cheap.

 

[presidence99]

Some guys like Rocky Bernard, Bertrand Berry, Kevin Carter, Jovan Haye are going to be available and realtively cheap.

3 guys at or above 30 and a smallish DT that won't stop the run.

 

[Thelt]

3 guys at or above 30 and a smallish DT that won't stop the run.

It is a band aid but that is about all we can do right now.

 

[magnus]

Only someone ignorant would honestly think that Brayton/Kemo/Lewis/Johnson wouldn't be one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL, and you're not ignorant, which means you don't honestly disagree.

Or, you like starting combative posts with the insult then discredit combination. It's not a terrible starting four for base downs, as each of the four showed they could start. It can stop the run. It won't rush, but I've already said each of these things already.

This presumably goes back to you absurdly insisting that the defense could become more talented despite losing Peppers.

It is, of course, impossible that a team of 11 starting spots and a number of situational players can become better because of the loss of one player, so that's why you already know what we did in the offseason and how we finish the 2009 season. So tell me more about that.

Trust me, it won't be easy to do, and will be especially tough if he's not franchised, but it's doable and I'm not going to give up on this team.

Hell, even magnus didn't know that Kemoeatu plays LDT and not RDT.

oh look, a comeback route.