This is one of the big kahunas. As anyone who saw the Super Bowl can attest, pass rush REALLY helps wins championships. I couldn’t even believe my eyes seeing Mahomes running for his life. Every team in the league took notice. It's fairly safe to say that NO ONE will be able to pull together a group like Barrett, Suh, Vea and Pierre-Paul in all likelihood. But let's talk about what we have, and then what we can do.
DT/DE
Simmons is the closest thing we have to a stud. As the year went on, he ran down a bit (constant double teams will do that to you) but he is still going to be a key piece of our Defensive front. But he needs a LOT of help.
Daquan is a FA and my prediction is, he will not be back. We have to get more aggressive in the front five, and while Daquan is good, he is far from great.
Jack Crawford is also a FA who I can’t imagine will be back, unless as a backup.
Laurell Murchison thoroughly underwhelmed at DL but will hopefully bring some competition with an actual training camp anticipated.
Tier Tart… This one is interesting. Tart looked really good at times late in the season and showed some pass rush ability. That being said, I can’t imagine a world where he’s a presumed starter in 2021.
Free Agent Possibilities
Leonard Williams is the cream of the crop this free agency cycle and will probably seek $13-$16 million/yr. We could pull this off with the right contract, and pairing him with Simmons would be awesome. Unfortunately, he will have plenty of suitors if the Giants don’t resign him.
Shelby Harris is 30 but is coming off an 11 sack dominant year and could be had for a reasonable price I’d imagine.
Sheldon Rankins had a big 2018 but hasn’t followed it up consistently. He’s young though and has flashed plenty of potential.
Solomon Thomas has a ridiculous draft pedigree for such mediocre production. That being said, maybe he could thrive in a new system and would not break any banks.
My choice: Sign Shelby Harris AND Solomon Thomas AND draft DL in the 2nd.
Draft
If our first two picks aren’t spent on EDGE and/or DL I will blow a gasket. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the draft for interior defenders this year. Outside of Basham, Barmore or Odeyingbo, there really isn’t an immediate impact player available. If one of those guys falls close to us in the 2nd though, I can’t see us passing them up.
Thoughts?
DT/DE
Simmons is the closest thing we have to a stud. As the year went on, he ran down a bit (constant double teams will do that to you) but he is still going to be a key piece of our Defensive front. But he needs a LOT of help.
Daquan is a FA and my prediction is, he will not be back. We have to get more aggressive in the front five, and while Daquan is good, he is far from great.
Jack Crawford is also a FA who I can’t imagine will be back, unless as a backup.
Laurell Murchison thoroughly underwhelmed at DL but will hopefully bring some competition with an actual training camp anticipated.
Tier Tart… This one is interesting. Tart looked really good at times late in the season and showed some pass rush ability. That being said, I can’t imagine a world where he’s a presumed starter in 2021.
Free Agent Possibilities
Leonard Williams is the cream of the crop this free agency cycle and will probably seek $13-$16 million/yr. We could pull this off with the right contract, and pairing him with Simmons would be awesome. Unfortunately, he will have plenty of suitors if the Giants don’t resign him.
Shelby Harris is 30 but is coming off an 11 sack dominant year and could be had for a reasonable price I’d imagine.
Sheldon Rankins had a big 2018 but hasn’t followed it up consistently. He’s young though and has flashed plenty of potential.
Solomon Thomas has a ridiculous draft pedigree for such mediocre production. That being said, maybe he could thrive in a new system and would not break any banks.
My choice: Sign Shelby Harris AND Solomon Thomas AND draft DL in the 2nd.
Draft
If our first two picks aren’t spent on EDGE and/or DL I will blow a gasket. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the draft for interior defenders this year. Outside of Basham, Barmore or Odeyingbo, there really isn’t an immediate impact player available. If one of those guys falls close to us in the 2nd though, I can’t see us passing them up.
Thoughts?
I like barmore and paye for draft prospects (I'm not anything close to a prospect expert though). Doubt either fall to us but they're my top two in the draft.
Leo Williams would be dope, but I don't think we can afford him/would take the risk after clowney/beasley.
Leo Williams would be dope, but I don't think we can afford him/would take the risk after clowney/beasley.
I don’t want any more unproductive FA who may thrive in a new system. We wore that record out. The three guys you want in the second may wind up going in the first. This will be an interesting draft with no combine. Since the scouts couldn’t go to games in person either, evaluations will be tricky.
All three will probably be gone in the first but if one fell into the second I could see us making a play to move up. I think we go edge 1st in all likelihood.
The pro day combine sounds like it will work for players at top tier schools but will make it harder to find those small school gems.
Barmore paired with Simmons would be a good route to go
DEs I like are Paty, seen him be mocked anywhere from 12 to us at 22
I agree with FAs, not sure we have enough to sign our own FAs let alone "splurge" on big names that may Orman not produce
Unfortunately alot of the D needs to be built through the draft
DEs I like are Paty, seen him be mocked anywhere from 12 to us at 22
I agree with FAs, not sure we have enough to sign our own FAs let alone "splurge" on big names that may Orman not produce
Unfortunately alot of the D needs to be built through the draft
And interest in JJ Watt ? I am sure he will be released. He wants out and Houston can’t pay his $17.5 million and no one will trade for him knowing that.
I would think there would be but could we afford him?
How much does he have left? Missed alot of games in the last couple of seasons
I'm sure he would love to play Houston twice as a year too, but I would think he would want a ring, may not see us as that opportunity
If he's released...Pittsburgh with his brothers or GB would be my guess
I would think he would view us as a better RING opportunity than Pittsburgh or even Green Bay. I totally understand why those 2 teams jump off they map but I’m not sure the Steelers will be relevant going forward. Steelers and Packers are way over the cap. They just can’t sign him. I’m not sure he will be that crazy expensive. He won’t get $17.5 million.
I haven't looked at the cap situations of Pitt and GB. As long as we don't spend too much and still draft that position early id be fine with him
Just don't want another Clowney type signing
I get it .. he has a recent injury history. He is older. That’s the FA fear I guess and the chances you take.
Pittsburgh is $21 million over the cap
Packers are $18 million over
Money availability means we're building this one through the draft. The only down side is the lack of scouting that could take place.
Hopefully the interview process goes better than however Wilson swindled his way into being selected (not just first round).
Draft 2-3 guys to throw at the problem, hopefully 1 is starter material, if nothing else, we may get a good rotation of guys on the DL.
Hopefully the interview process goes better than however Wilson swindled his way into being selected (not just first round).
Draft 2-3 guys to throw at the problem, hopefully 1 is starter material, if nothing else, we may get a good rotation of guys on the DL.
Bigger clown than Clowney?
Vrabel loves his Houston connections as much as his Pats
I'm just sick of our LB's and DB's being our only pass rush. I miss the days of having massive Defensive Ends and Tackles that didn't get stood up every time the ball was hiked.
JJ Watt is and has always been a more productive player than Clowney. One thing he has in common with Clowney is ever more present injuries. I don’t want another injury prone guy. JR needs to put his big boy pants on and go get some productive players and quit messing with the Clowney, Beasley, and Wakes of the NFL.
A dominate DL needs at a minimum a guy that can penetrate from the inside and another guy who is a real consistent outside threat. IMO we have neither.
Simmons is a solid game changer in the run game, but he has never been a penetrating type DT. He had a total of 7 sacks in his college career. Murchison had that many his senior yr.
Landry is a very nice complimentary piece as an outside rush threat, but he is not a guy teams have to game plan against and consistently double team.
JRob has some serious work to do on the DL this offseason
Simmons is a solid game changer in the run game, but he has never been a penetrating type DT. He had a total of 7 sacks in his college career. Murchison had that many his senior yr.
Landry is a very nice complimentary piece as an outside rush threat, but he is not a guy teams have to game plan against and consistently double team.
JRob has some serious work to do on the DL this offseason
Agreed. But finding a good pass rusher in free agency is near impossible, especially without paying up. I hated the Beasley signing, but it was hard to be upset bringing in Clowney especially for only 1 year. I'm still not really upset with that signing, it just didn't work out well at all.
There's maybe 5 players in today's NFL that provide consistent pressure up the middle and that is probably being generous. But yeah if we could get what you're asking for our defensive outlook would be leaps and bounds better.
league minimum is probably too much. Hope Jrob can negotiate that his value is lower than that.
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