Brooks Reed is not the player you think

[GP]

Originally Posted by badboy

After 11.5 sacks and 15 (my projection) this season, his leverage will be sky high next offseason. I am really hoping he settles for a team friendly deal but why should he? I think there will be a market for OLB with double digit sacks.

DeMeco was wanted by Philly, to the tune of giving us fairly good compensation.

So I buy into your theory. A guy like Barwin, if he has at least a 10+ sack season and stays healthy all year long...teams will want him. We're going to go through LBs every few years, which is why I think Wade keeps getting those shelves re-stocked (and will continue to do so).

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

Not sure where you get Barwin is going to demand a gigantic contract. I like him but his leverage isn't sky high yet. He hasn't made a pro-bowl. He isn't a top 5 pass rusher yet.

& he's an OLB in a 3-4 defense. He's not going to demand any where near the money that Mario's rookie contract set him up for.

I'm not saying 3-4 OLBs are a dime a dozen, but they're much more affordable than some would have you believe.

[badboy]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

& he's an OLB in a 3-4 defense. He's not going to demand any where near the money that Mario's rookie contract set him up for.

I'm not saying 3-4 OLBs are a dime a dozen, but they're much more affordable than some would have you believe.

It will not take a Mario contract to put him out of range of our cap.

[hadaad]

Originally Posted by Doppelganger

Teams like the Giants and Steelers draft pass rushers seemingly every year. They use rotations and allow younger players to adjust to the rigors and complexity of the pro game. Then when a passrusher becomes too expensive, they let him walk, go to the next man on the depth chart, and draft another one.

If you do it right, its the right way to go.

Who have the Giants let walk, as a pass rusher? I thought they still had all their dudes, except Strahan who retired, but retired a Giant...

[GP]

My name is Connor Barwin. I have seen a lot in my few years in the NFL. I've seen guys like Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning get paid really nice money to come to a struggling defense such as ours just a year ago. I've seen veteran guys, guys who are solid contributors, get cut and traded.

If there's one thing I know, it's that other teams will want ME if I (and the defense I'm on) end up doing really well again in 2012. If that happens, either the Texans can pay me or another team will. But I'm going to collect on it either way. NFL stands for Not For Long, and I have to approach this from a business mindset. I have to get the most I can while I'm still able to do so.

--------

Folks, when you're a team who HAS...other teams will WANT what you has. We operated like that for 99% of our team's history. We would overpay for other teams' players, whether those players were worth it or not. Teams who need a pass rusher and solid run tackler will go after Connor Barwin.

We don't need to act like there won't be a push for the guy. We need to understand that this is the price of success--The price of individual success and the price of team success.

Drafting is what will make this team. Not whether we can always retain this guy or that guy when his rookie deal is up. No, it will come down to if Kubiak and Wade draft SMART these next 2 or 3 years...because they are drafting replacement of this year's starters. Rinse and repeat. That's what builds a 10+ year's worth of playoff appearances.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by GP

Drafting is what will make this team. Not whether we can always retain this guy or that guy when his rookie deal is up. No, it will come down to if Kubiak and Wade draft SMART these next 2 or 3 years...because they are drafting replacement of this year's starters. Rinse and repeat. That's what builds a 10+ year's worth of playoff appearances.

But you can't keep drafting the same position..... pass rusher, every year. At least not with first & 2nd round picks like we've been doing.

We got a stud in Andre & have been afforded the luxury of being able to use those early picks elsewhere..... DE. Andre is our core, or at least part of it. We're going to need guys like that on the defense that we'll be willing to pay, until we can get around to drafting that position again.

I don't know if Connor Barwin is, or should be in that core. But if he turns out to be a special player, you pay him. You find some way to pay him.

JjWatt for example. Are we going to let him walk when his time comes? If he continues to build on his rookie season, are we going to let him go?

If Mercilus don't look like the next coming of Demarcus Ware...... we should probably find a way to keep Barwin........ not that I think Barwin is the next coming of Demarcus Ware.

[Norg]

in this day of age u need at least 3 high round pick DE or OLB

look at the giant SB run in the playoffs they had like 4 DE pass rushers on there dline LOL

[TimeKiller]

His run stopping ability isn't quite so surprising. He is, after all like 6'3'', 2 fitty and built like an ox. While in college, as a 4/3 end his size probably wasn't enough to go after big OL all game long but as the end of a 5 man front or 3/4 set, he's more than capable of overpowering TEs/RBs and still enough of a pass rusher (as advertised) to get to the QB.

Very much looking forward to his progression, among others.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by TimeKiller

His run stopping ability isn't quite so surprising. He is, after all like 6'3'', 2 fitty and built like an ox. While in college, as a 4/3 end his size probably wasn't enough to go after big OL all game long but as the end of a 5 man front or 3/4 set, he's more than capable of overpowering TEs/RBs and still enough of a pass rusher (as advertised) to get to the QB.

Very much looking forward to his progression, among others.

What do you think of moving him inside? Next to Cushing. If Merci turns out to be everything we need on the end.

[beerlover]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

What do you think of moving him inside? Next to Cushing. If Merci turns out to be everything we need on the end.

I think he certainly could. I wonder if during mini-camp he got any reps inside? The idea is to get ALL your best players on the field @ the same time.

[Rey]

I seriously doubt they move reed to MLB as anything other than an occasional wrinkle and I doubt they even do that.

[drs23]

Originally Posted by Rey

I seriously doubt they move reed to MLB as anything other than an occasional wrinkle and I doubt they even do that.

I would agree hands down if it were not the comment made by Wade about finding a way to get them all on the field at the same time and I think he'll find a way to do it. Will that be moving Reed inside with CushMonster considering the signing of Bradie James?

One thing I feel sure of though is that we'll see wrinkles that we nor our opponents saw last season. Bet on it.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by drs23

I would agree hands down if it were not the comment made by Wade about finding a way to get them all on the field at the same time and I think he'll find a way to do it. Will that be moving Reed inside with CushMonster considering the signing of Bradie James?

One thing I feel sure of though is that we'll see wrinkles that we nor our opponents saw last season. Bet on it.

That would be a wrinkle. I doubt Reed will ever be considered a MLB is basically what I'm saying. Getting Reed, Barwin and Merciless on the field together doesn't mean one of them has to be playing MLB...It could just mean one is bumped inside in a passing situation..

I'm not disagreeing with you, just clarifying that I don't think Reed will ever be playing MLB in the true sense of playing MLB...

Of course, JMO.

[GP]

I don't envision Reed playing inside LB.

You play his height and speed on the edges. Always.

You want to see him in the middle part of the action? Fine, watch him do an inside stunt after having lined up outside.

[TimeKiller]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

What do you think of moving him inside? Next to Cushing. If Merci turns out to be everything we need on the end.

I think it would take away from his pass rushing and likely stick him in the same situation he was in college, fighting big OL all game long. His strength and quickness on the edge would be sorely missed...unless Mercilus is truly merciless.

I don't think it's a stretch to see them set up in 3-3-5 and if Reed can indeed handle business on the inside 2-4-5 defenses. In 3-3-5 you could call Barwin or Merciless one of the DL, along with Smith and Watt. Then stack the other with Cushing and Reed as LB. Your DB's have lots of options with 5 on the field and even though they would be giving up some size to achieve this set up you would be 6 deep with hell hounds.

And truly, it wouldn't matter where they lined up then because you would surely be setting this up to get to the QB. The zone blitz possibilities are nearly endless, Mercilus being the only unproven in zone coverage.
Lining up this way would likely force the offense to max protect, giving the back 5 even more of an advantage.

It's gonna get crazy.