When you take away Freeney, the whole complexion of our defensive line changes. Defenses no longer have to double team Freeney, and what was once single blocking on Mathis is now double. This team really needs to draft a pass rushing specialist who can really bring the heat from the edge. We tried this a while back with Johnathan Welsch from Wisonsin to backup Freeney and Mathis but he flopped, and we haven't tried it since.
I'd say our biggest needs are:
DE (need speed from the edge)
G (probably will lose one of Scott or Lilja)
RB (Not sold on Kenton Keith behind Addai, a bigger back perhaps?)
OT (Depth is an issue)
WR (Depth although having Roy Hall back could help)
Playoffs? You wanna talk about playoffs? (chatter here)
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I'd throw DB in there too, PR07... After Hayden and Jackson, there is a significant drop off, in talent, hitting power, and height... the Pats killed us whenever 5'9 Jennings was on Moss. We need another in the mold of Hayden and Jackson: at least 6'0, 190-lbs.
As much as we need an understudy to DFree and Mathis (both in similar molds of 6'1, 265), we need the same for our CBs, especially b/c in a couple of years, we're gonna lose one or both.
We have understudies at DT (Too many to name), OLB (Sessions, who is much better than I initially thought), S (Giordano, beast), WR (Aromashodu and I think Thorpe will be back and fit that mold of 6'0, 190, good hands, good speed, and can learn good route running), H-Back (Hall, who is a buffer Dallas)...
I never worry too much about the OL, b/c Mudd can take mud and make it into gold. We have new guards in there every year, but as long as we have the bookends of Ugoh and Diem, and Jeff as leader in the middle, I can live w/ a 5th or 6th rounder at G.
RB is tough. I like Keith, but I feel that the drop-off in talent from him to Addai is too great. Keith had a couple of good games this year, but I feel that is more b/c of our WRs opening up the middle than Keith. And, Kenton had that terrible, heart-breaking, crucial drop at the 3 in the SD game that should've been a TD. I'd like him to get another chance next year, just b/c of his experience and knowledge of our system, but he disappointed me more than he impressed me.
I think w/ a full off-season to heal, re-sign the right pieces, and bring in yet another return specialist who's masquerading as a CB (or vice versa), a strong draft, we should be good for next season. We'll be loading up b/c it may be Dungy's swan song, Peyton will be extra-motivated (even tho he works really hard anyway) as will the rest of the team, either b/c of young Eli catching up to Big Brother, or Brady and the Pats being the greatest team ever. Add in the new stadium, which will hopefully be more hospitable to us than the Dome for home playoff games, we should be in the AFC Title Game in 2009!
As much as we need an understudy to DFree and Mathis (both in similar molds of 6'1, 265), we need the same for our CBs, especially b/c in a couple of years, we're gonna lose one or both.
We have understudies at DT (Too many to name), OLB (Sessions, who is much better than I initially thought), S (Giordano, beast), WR (Aromashodu and I think Thorpe will be back and fit that mold of 6'0, 190, good hands, good speed, and can learn good route running), H-Back (Hall, who is a buffer Dallas)...
I never worry too much about the OL, b/c Mudd can take mud and make it into gold. We have new guards in there every year, but as long as we have the bookends of Ugoh and Diem, and Jeff as leader in the middle, I can live w/ a 5th or 6th rounder at G.
RB is tough. I like Keith, but I feel that the drop-off in talent from him to Addai is too great. Keith had a couple of good games this year, but I feel that is more b/c of our WRs opening up the middle than Keith. And, Kenton had that terrible, heart-breaking, crucial drop at the 3 in the SD game that should've been a TD. I'd like him to get another chance next year, just b/c of his experience and knowledge of our system, but he disappointed me more than he impressed me.
I think w/ a full off-season to heal, re-sign the right pieces, and bring in yet another return specialist who's masquerading as a CB (or vice versa), a strong draft, we should be good for next season. We'll be loading up b/c it may be Dungy's swan song, Peyton will be extra-motivated (even tho he works really hard anyway) as will the rest of the team, either b/c of young Eli catching up to Big Brother, or Brady and the Pats being the greatest team ever. Add in the new stadium, which will hopefully be more hospitable to us than the Dome for home playoff games, we should be in the AFC Title Game in 2009!