michaelm
vox nihili
I have a lot of time on my hands while I'm recovering from having my tonsils out (and other assorted sinus/throat work), and am finally to a stage where I can make some posts.
I thought I'd share a few thoughts and get some feedback.
Point 1:
I think there is very little chance that Michael Turner will be a Texan next year. I just can't see Smith and Kubiak justifying the expenditure that it would likely take to get him here, and there are some other options out there that make more sense.
One guy who I think fits the bill, but is getting next to no run around here is Derrick Ward (Giants). I think Ward would be a decent improvement over anything we currently have, and he's a young guy which fits what Kubiak has said he wants. Ward did have a few injury issues this year, but nothing that seems to indicate he is an injury risk, IMO.
He has good size/speed, and seems to be ideal for a zone scheme with his north/south running style. I think he could be had for a reasonable price. That wasn't the case during most of the season, when Ward increased his value quite a bit filling in for an injured Brandon Jacobs.
Since being IRd with a fractured fibula, I think his value has dropped, mainly due to the surprising play of Giants rookie RB [SIZE=-1]Ahmad Bradshaw. If you watched the Giants/Dallas game, you get the sense that Bradshaw will see increased playing time this year, and will probably be the Giants RB2 next year, making Ward expendable. Keep an eye on this, because IMO, Ward can be signed for a reasonable price, and would immediately become our starter, allowing us to cut Green, and move Dayne into his more comfortable role as back up.
I know this isn't the sexy FA home run a lot of people are hoping for, but I think it makes sense.
While we're talking RBs, lets go ahead and mention Julius Jones. I think Jones may actually be a dark horse here, but it's hard for me to justify that opinion, because it flies in the face of the explanation above. His price may well outweigh his value. Also, I think he became a little LESS expendable to the cowboys after yesterday's loss to the Giants. It was apparent to me that Marion Barber became less effective as the game wore on, and I think that was a direct result of his increased playing time. I think the cowboys may conclude that Jones has more value than they previously thought, and may want to keep him around because they have a very effective RBBC with those two running backs.
Point 2:
I would not be surprised to see Chester Pitts moved back to LT next year. I think when Gibbs comes in, he will see that Pitts is the best fit from our current roster. I don't expect us to be able to make a major move at LT in free agency, and our roster seems to be heavy with young guys who project to guard. It makes sense to me to move Pitts back outside, where he will be an instant improvement over Salaam.
I think if we make this move, we will be able to fill Pitts' spot at guard from our current roster. We know Pitts can be a decent LT, so instead of making a desperation move at an overpriced FA, lets move him back out there, promote one of our young guys into LG, and then we can groom a LT that we draft, or maybe a young FA signing if we're lucky.
I'm running out of steam now, so that will be it for now. Please pardon me if this post is rambling in any way. I don't like the way hydrocodone makes me feel, but I like pain less..!
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I thought I'd share a few thoughts and get some feedback.
Point 1:
I think there is very little chance that Michael Turner will be a Texan next year. I just can't see Smith and Kubiak justifying the expenditure that it would likely take to get him here, and there are some other options out there that make more sense.
One guy who I think fits the bill, but is getting next to no run around here is Derrick Ward (Giants). I think Ward would be a decent improvement over anything we currently have, and he's a young guy which fits what Kubiak has said he wants. Ward did have a few injury issues this year, but nothing that seems to indicate he is an injury risk, IMO.
He has good size/speed, and seems to be ideal for a zone scheme with his north/south running style. I think he could be had for a reasonable price. That wasn't the case during most of the season, when Ward increased his value quite a bit filling in for an injured Brandon Jacobs.
Since being IRd with a fractured fibula, I think his value has dropped, mainly due to the surprising play of Giants rookie RB [SIZE=-1]Ahmad Bradshaw. If you watched the Giants/Dallas game, you get the sense that Bradshaw will see increased playing time this year, and will probably be the Giants RB2 next year, making Ward expendable. Keep an eye on this, because IMO, Ward can be signed for a reasonable price, and would immediately become our starter, allowing us to cut Green, and move Dayne into his more comfortable role as back up.
I know this isn't the sexy FA home run a lot of people are hoping for, but I think it makes sense.
While we're talking RBs, lets go ahead and mention Julius Jones. I think Jones may actually be a dark horse here, but it's hard for me to justify that opinion, because it flies in the face of the explanation above. His price may well outweigh his value. Also, I think he became a little LESS expendable to the cowboys after yesterday's loss to the Giants. It was apparent to me that Marion Barber became less effective as the game wore on, and I think that was a direct result of his increased playing time. I think the cowboys may conclude that Jones has more value than they previously thought, and may want to keep him around because they have a very effective RBBC with those two running backs.
Point 2:
I would not be surprised to see Chester Pitts moved back to LT next year. I think when Gibbs comes in, he will see that Pitts is the best fit from our current roster. I don't expect us to be able to make a major move at LT in free agency, and our roster seems to be heavy with young guys who project to guard. It makes sense to me to move Pitts back outside, where he will be an instant improvement over Salaam.
I think if we make this move, we will be able to fill Pitts' spot at guard from our current roster. We know Pitts can be a decent LT, so instead of making a desperation move at an overpriced FA, lets move him back out there, promote one of our young guys into LG, and then we can groom a LT that we draft, or maybe a young FA signing if we're lucky.
I'm running out of steam now, so that will be it for now. Please pardon me if this post is rambling in any way. I don't like the way hydrocodone makes me feel, but I like pain less..!
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