Vernon can't play DT except on clear passing downs. Even then, one might question how effective he would be on the inside. He's strong and good against the run but just not powerful or big enough to handle ordinary run downs at DT. If we brought one back then that might make a difference. You still need a 3 man rotation at DT because it is too physically a demanding position and that means not just on passing downs but on normal down/distance - especially if one gets hurt. The reality is, in round 1 of the draft, if the DT slot is the BPA - say Aaron Donald - and you are looking at a Cyrus Kouandjio as the OT option (with the top four - Matthews, Robinson, Lewan, Martin - off the board, a very strong possibility) … you have to look elsewhere other than OT at that point. You can't go with Cyrus at OT or really any other OT beyond those four in round 1. That would be an awful reach. But, you can go with a guy like Donald at DT and come back with OT/OG in the other rounds. Some of that depends, of course, on what we are looking at in Free Agency. We might even be able to drop down a few picks in round 1 and get a DT. So, it can clearly make sense to go after DT in round 1 if he is the best player on the board at that draft slot and you have lost one or both of Starks/Soliai.
I think Ireland was hoping to hit a home run with the young guys - not really worried about cap stuff. Sad reality is, he could have gone with other guys at journeyman level salaries and gotten the same or even better production. And, Jelani Jenkins flashed as much as those guys in the last few games. Hindsight is 20/20 but that miscalculation at LB is one, not the only, reason Ireland is out of work. Would have been much better off not trading up in the draft and getting a couple of other rookie LBs in there. Imagine had we traded down some slots in round 1, picked up more draft picks (maybe even one or two this year), kept our 2nd round pick and drafted Ogletree and Kiko Alonso (OLB/ILB)? The cap space would be insane this year! We'd be set at LB. And, we'd have potentially an extra pick going into this draft? (This was the problem - Ireland was hoping to save his job and focused on last year; that is what hindered him and that ultimately is on Ross - but sorry to bring that sore spot up).
I know phinsanity It was a shallow statement and a shallow POV, it's just how I feel..cut the hair and flip the hat, grow up, stop worrying about your looks and play some freakin ball, of course not all true in some cases but I do think it is in other cases.
Respectfully, I think youve got a little tunnel vision going there. Ireland could have done things differently, we've talked that to death. However if you look at what Coyle had on defense when he got here you have to ask yourself why he'd switch away from the 3-4 in the first place. Soliai, Starks and Wake are elite players in a 3-4. Ellerbe made his name as a 3-4 guy, Dansby and Burnett too. Ditto for Misi. Jordan was built to play 3-4 OLB, he doesn't really have a niche in a 4-3 and that's why he played so sparingly. We went from having a perennial top 10 run D to struggling and finishing 24th, I'm sorry but that can't be blamed on Wheeler and Ellerbe. They didn't just morph into bad players when they got here. Now we are set to lose both Soliai and Starks, don't be surprised when they go elsewhere and have great success like Dansby did in AZ. Ireland did a great job building the DL and front 7. He found good value in late rounds with Jones, Clemons, Carroll and Wilson, Grimes was a good get, Patterson too if he could stay on the field. The tools were there to field a dominant defense, a dominant 3-4 D especially. Obviously Philbin wanted to go in a different direction, IMO that's why Ireland is no longer here. The jury remains out on who was right.
You hit it on the head! It speaks to more buffoonery from Philbin. He doesn't coach to the strength of the players, but wants players to fit into his favored system. (A good case can be made he doesn't coach at all!) If he wanted to make the system switch smoothly, he should have waited till he needed to replace aging players. What a waste of talent!!
I agree on the move to the 4-3. But, Wake is basically a 4-3 end, not a 3-4 OLB. I think they system is much more of a hybrid than a straight 4-3 and I think one problem is with Wheeler in his position. But, I also think the other problem was not playing Starks enough. That said, I also think we way over-paid for those LBs and it would not have mattered where we put them. And, to add to the overall point of the thread - the draft is also strong with DTs. Different sites and groups have a large number of DTs rated highly. CBS' site has 12 DTs as 3rd round or higher talent. That also adds to the leeway. And, if we can offer Starks slightly more than anyone else and give him a 2, maybe 3 year deal, we would be smart to do so. I don't think he'll be offered a big deal but I may be wrong. One team that may go after him is New England but I can't recall what their cap situation is. And, they have other needs as well. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2014/DT
