What is the Plan for Defensive Tackle?

Daniel McCullers

 

according to rotoworld, soliai is a lock for atlanta and starks had a fallout with philbin, so neither of those guys will be back. what should we do now? go after a low price free agent and draft one in the 3rd or 4th round.

 

Probably 2 DTs in the draft and a vet. Had to get cheaper at DT with Odrick coming up on the end of his deal next year

 

It would. We have DTs on the roster. I think McCullers is a must have precisely because of short yardage and goal line. As far as the every down DT, Odrick will move over, and there are backups.

 

I can't imagine that the team has a lot of interest in Daniel McCullers. He spent his entire career scouting for a team that uses < 320lb. fireplug type 1-techniques, and Coyle's defense isn't really in any one that requires a massive guy.

Probably the most ideal guy in this draft to replace Soliai's position is Timmy Jernigan, that'll fit the positioning and style of defense. I'm not sure they're going to go in the direction of a 1-technique type player, some of the names that've been bandied around suggests they might go with another 3-technique type guy. They could just get a cheap role-player for the base defense and go with an expensive passing-down duo.

 

Shelby and Odrick are still pretty solid, that being said we still should bring in maybe a lower priced FA or a 2nd-4th round pick.

 

and we can keep developing Francis, he showed some nice flashes last year.

 

One mid-tier DT in free agency and two in the draft, early in the 1st/2nd rounds and then later in the 4th/5th rounds.

 

Linvel Joseph please.

 

I think it depends on what Coyle wants in a DT for hid scheme abd how big a priority it is. In my opinion it must be low if you're sitting with cap space and letting two guys walk.

 

I think Linval Joseph is the only big-bodied 1 tech guy Miami has been linked to. I'm kind of surprised more 3 tech guys have been connected than 1 techs considering how the run D struggled (big part was the LB's though), and I thought they'd focus on more of the 1 tech guys. That said, Mitchell and Melton would be intriguing. Melton can get to the QB, but he had that ACL or Achilles injury last year. Mitchell I thought played an undersized nose tackle in Wade Phillips' one gap 3-4 defense, so he may be able to fit next to Odrick in Coyle's scheme. Not sure if these guys will be cheap, since most of them are ready to get paid with that 2nd contract coming into their prime, but that's a need and Miami has some money to spend.

 

I'd like to see the team sign a solid, reasonably priced veteran and then look to the draft as well. Depending on how the first round breaks, Id be happy with them taking Nix at 19.

 

Not re-signing starks is the dumbest move this team could make. The guy is a flat out beast both rushing the passer and against the run. Would create a huge hole.

 

If we are going to let go two all-pro players at the SAME position Plan B better be pretty damn good.

It might not be a terrible idea for the two to talk and try to come to an understanding, but I honestly don't know if that is how Philbin rolls.

 

Soliai would be one thing because he isn't really a 3 down player but to me letting Starks go when we aren't in cap difficulty makes no sense.

If he doesn't get along with Philbin then Philbin needs to change. How many players is that in the 2 years he has been here? How often do you say that for any other team? The guy is an all pro and was the best DT against the run and rushing the passer and we are letting him go because he has an attitude. That is flat out stupid. We do have Odrick but we are turning a position of what would be strength into a position of need for no reason other than he doesnt get along with the coach.

 

Melton, Mitchell, and Joseph seem good choices. Dallas has been linked to Melton and the Chargers linked to Mitchell. Would like to see one of these guys.

 

Would not mind a high draftee. DT/DL seems to be a fairly important spot in the game today - got to bottle up the rushing attack with minimal resources, and pressure the QBs at the same time. Truth be told, I would much rather go DL than OL in the first - more bang for the buck imo.

 

We don't need a high draftee though if we just re-sign a top 5 dt in the game in Starks. Makes no sense to me to let him go.

 

If he isn't happy with Philbin it may not be our choice. These guys do have free will.

 

While I want Starks back too, there is definitely some behind the scenes stuff going on with him and the coaches. Remember last year when he wasn't a starter, and flipped off the slidelines during a game.

 

Who the hell cares. Philbin needs to be better with the players. How many guys has he not gotten along with in his 2 years here alone that have gone on to be great on other teams last year. Dansby didn't seem to be an issue in Arizona. Vontae was great last year. Bush i actually agreed with him leaving but that was only because he wasn't used properly at all.

At what point do we need to stop talking about the players getting along with the coach and start talking about why Joe Philbin is having so many issues with so many players.

Randy Starks is a top 5 DT in the game, a 3 down player who is great against the run and rushing the passer. Sign the guy and keep a position of strength a strength. If it was a thing where he is asking for way to much money that would be one thing. But to let a great DT leave because he didn't get along with the coach, mostly because they were decreasing his playing time while he was still playing great, is flat out bad management.

Why is this guy having so many issues with so many players while other teams bring in guys with character issues and they behave perfectly?

If we let him go only to draft Nix in the first round it is a study in the ineptitude of a franchise. We have the cap space. Re-sign him and draft an actual position of need in the first round.

 

And yet Vontae and Dansby are FAs this year. Hmmmmmm, cracks are forming in your stance........

 

And they also were top 5 at their position last year...

I can understand not signing them if it is money issues where the team and player don't agree to those terms, but we traded them because Philbin had problems with them like he has had soooo many other players since he took over. Maybe we just had a lot of bad attitude guys on the team, I'm just saying this is an awful lot of very good players that have been not retained because of problems with Philbin.

 

Been saying resign Starks, draft a DT in the first 2 rounds. Starks, Draft Pick, Odrick as the key 3 rotation

 

Maybe pick up Pat Sims and Alex Carrington. Start Sims and Odrick, rotate Carrington.

 

Point being even their new teams have jettisoned them and they played even better for them. You gotta wonder why these other teams wouldn't really try to keep a "Top 5" player.

 

The fact that Davis and Dansby haven't come to terms does not mean they've been 'jettisoned'. Both the Colts and Cardinals are trying to keep them.

 

You don't have to chase the performance you had last year at defensive tackle, as in you're so unwilling to lose it that you pay a bunch of money.

If you can't do it right, find another strength.

 

I think the fact Indy and all that cap space didn't lock up Vontae speaks volumes.

 

Lol. Because keeping a top 5 player is expensive, especially when said player knows he's top 5.

Vontae is looking for his first big pay day after a great year. He was going to test the market no matter what, imo, and it looks like a seller's market for corners so he's looking pretty good, smart move. It's his best chance at big money in his career. There's also this: http://tracking.si.com/2014/03/09/vontae-davis-colts-free-agent-contract/

Cards already made their offer to Dansby, I believe it's like 6/yr or something. But he's coming off a phenomenal year and wants to get paid, like Vontae.

Do you consider the Steelers offering Wallace 10/yr in 2012 to be 'jettisoning' him? Did we jettison Jake Long last year?

It speaks volumes about the corner market, yes. Did you see what Sam Shields just got? That's a game changer, imo. I'm guessing the eyes of Vontae and his agent lit up when they saw that. Makes a ton of sense for him to test the market.

 

No Soliai apparently.

 

Adam Beasley ‏@AdamHBeasley · 2m
Dolphins are def in the mix for DT Earl Mitchell. Getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability and motor. He's only 26.

 

Mitchell I think very much shows the type of player that Hickey is going to prefer as 1-technique type guys. He's going to be less interested in massive blocker-absorbing masses and more interested in shorter, quicker penetrating-type players.

 

Kinda shows how dysfunctional this franchise is when we are changing the type of players we want every offseason. First parcels wants big tough guys, then philbin changes everything on offense to his style of players and now hickey wants different guys on defense. God it's tough to root for this franchise

 

Consistently inconsistent.

 

How is it dysfunctional? It's changed from what it was in 2008 once.

 

Indy is flush with space and they didn't extend him yet.....hmmmm.