Pay big for a DE and mid for a C or vice versa? I realize a DE is going to cost more.
Or would you pay for a different position first?
For the sake of the thread, let’s assume the draft isnt happening.
vice versa. coverage can help with an average to good DE, but this offense absolutely NEEDS a stout oline.
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Mid for both. I want free agent DE Dre’Mont Jones. 280ish, great tackler and can get after the QB. Signed a $10 million one-contract with the Titans in 2025. I also re-sign Josh Paschal for a one year minimum deal.
At center I go big BUT… a back up FA plan is necessary. Cade Mays is my #1 choice.
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Agreed!
I’d spend more cash on the oline. If you look at the oline, Sewell is the only guy making big money with Ragnow retired and Decker likely headed that way. The defensive line already has a lot of money invested in it Hutch and Alim both on fat contracts, plus a 1st rounder in Tyleik.
At the end of the day we are screwed if we can’t protect Goff. He can’t keep getting hit like he did last year. That is not sustainable if you wanna keep him healthy
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Right. No shortcuts on the O-line.
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In a vacuum? Like there’s is a stud DE out there and a stud C at the very same level, and we have to choose one or the other?
Or with this year’s crop of FAs specifically?
If it’s the former I take the stud C for this particular roster.
But if we’re talking this year’s actual crop, I think I’m taking Hendrickson before any of the available centers (unless McCoy becomes available via trade). That’s a combo of me thinking the available centers are overrated and will get paid too much, and I like that Hendrickson’s older and doesn’t hamstring us for the future.
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DE
Top- $15m aav
Above Average - $10m
Meh - $4m
Center
Top - 10m
Above average $6m
Meh - $3m
So say $22m budget
I’m different, I say spend higher and concentrate more on the defense because that was worse -than our O-line.
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Doggy
I really like this plan
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Perhaps I misunderstand your post but top Ends and Centers are going to make a lot more money than that.
Those are Kuwaiti Dinars. Rich oil money.
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Center. We’re going no place without a solid Oline.
James Houston showed what a middling edge can do. We’ve had a lot of examples.
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Top tier Center and mid level DE… They already have a top end DE in Hutch, we need a Robin, not a Batman… Elite Center makes the entire offense better
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Ebiketie- unrealized potential, but tools and some good tape here and there for sure
Mafe- ideal size and power, looks like a 9-12 sack guy in the right situation.
Hendrickson- 3 years 80M with 45M guaranteed I would do. If he’s still got it, the. We have the best pass rush in the league, or close the next few.
Maye- 3 years 33M
McGovern- 3 years 36M
Either give me option A or B at DE along with a C above…
Or just give me Trey and go OT, CB, C in the draft and trade up from 4 To get Slaughter and beg Glass for one more year with much more rest?
Like all these options aside from Trey. Don’t want to add an outside contract like that for an aging, granted stud, player.
Big fans of both Ebiketie and Mafe…and I think we are all on the same page in adding the best Center possible.
Probably a dozen FA Edge rushers I would be happy to see added. And I’m still taking one in the 2nd round as well.
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Anyone that watched last year should know the importance of this Oline to this teams success. It’s a no brainer center is the most important piece. Picking a old high priced DE is just overthinking it. Signing a old DE that had a big drop in production to a huge contract is what bad teams do.
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Brad admitted in his post season press conference that the oline was a problem, and that he was going to hit that position group hard.
We all (should) know that he isn’t going to put himself in a position that he has to draft oline early so I fully expect him to spend a little heavy on the line in free agency.
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Some great well thought out ideas here.
Another thing is that you will pay a lot less for a stud OL FA than a stud FA DE and a rookie DE has a better chance to be very impactful Than a rookie C. It often takes them more time to get comfortable
Obviously so much depends on who’s available in FA and the draft at our picks but from a cap standpoint this would be the more ideal way to go..