what about julius peppers?

[marloweopatchiefs]

i see he is also a free agent. what do you people think of kansas city going after him? good or bad? this defense does need help. ray lewis or peppers could give them a big attitude adjustment

[jmlamerson]

Who? That is the hard part. We need someone who is proven to fill that role. The only two free agents that have the kind of rep are Peppers and Suggs. I would like Suggs more but he wants to stay with the Ravens. Peppers wants out of Carolina which makes him a good candidate. Peppers is not done by any means. Plus, Peppers takes on the double team and still puts up good numbers. Dorsey needs time to develop and it will help if he's not being double teamed. I think that if we can get Peppers to handle the double team, then our other D-line players will look good.

Not to sound contrarian, but our DL will never improve until we get better DTs. It doesn't matter whether we get Peppers and Suggs to main our DE positions. So long as our defensive line can get blown up every running play, it will be ineffective. Not to be too hard on Dorsey or Tank, but having them as our full-time DTs was the main reason our DL was so terrible. Can/will they improve? Who knows. But unless they do, or unless we replace them, it doesn't matter who we bring in to be our DEs next year.

EDIT: And people need to stop trying to create the myth that Dorsey was double teamed most of last year. He wasn't. A single guard was usually enough to blow him off the line.

[yashi]

I think there are 4 or 5 DE's projected in the first that look good. They could slide to the second round.

He was 4th in 06 and tied for 2nd in 2008. So what. Another player going all out in a contract year that had SOLID players around him in every position.

Like I said...I would not spend it on him. I had rather get a couple of very good linebackers, or some DB's if we go defense and draft a DE.


For Offense, we do need at least 2 lineman and a WR that can stretch the other side of the field.

All I know is that DE was our biggest weakness last season and should be the biggest acquisition this offseason. Somebody who is proven, not just another prospect who may or may not turn out to amount to anything. If our pass rush doesn't improve then 2009's defense will be a repeat of 2008's.

[dbolan]

More first round hype....most are busts.

That is why I don't see Pioli splurging in the 1rst unless he has some damn good inside info. Period.

[chief31]

I think there are 4 or 5 DE's projected in the first that look good. They could slide to the second round.

Just as long as we don't reach in the first round.

He was 4th in 06 and tied for 2nd in 2008. So what. Another player going all out in a contract year that had SOLID players around him in every position.

I don't care if he has three gods on the line with him. He gets pressure by beating Opponents' best pass protectors in one-on-one match-ups. That is what was missing from our D this season.

Like I said...I would not spend it on him. I had rather get a couple of very good linebackers, or some DB's if we go defense and draft a DE.


For Offense, we do need at least 2 lineman and a WR that can stretch the other side of the field.

This defense has shown themselves to be the worst ever recorded, for getting QB pressure. Something needs to be done about that.

I think Peppers would be a good fit.

Not to sound contrarian, but our DL will never improve until we get better DTs. It doesn't matter whether we get Peppers and Suggs to main our DE positions. So long as our defensive line can get blown up every running play, it will be ineffective. Not to be too hard on Dorsey or Tank, but having them as our full-time DTs was the main reason our DL was so terrible. Can/will they improve? Who knows. But unless they do, or unless we replace them, it doesn't matter who we bring in to be our DEs next year.

EDIT: And people need to stop trying to create the myth that Dorsey was double teamed most of last year. He wasn't. A single guard was usually enough to blow him off the line.

Of course a good pass-rushing DE would improve this line. It was better with JA. Much better in fact.

But I agree that the DT positions were not much beter than the DEs in '08.

[balto]

DE, DE, DE .........

We HAVE to get our DE in FA no question about it!!!!!!

These are the FA's that would be better then ANY Draft Pick this year (In Order that I would like to see us get):
1) Terrell Suggs
2) Julius Peppers
3) Chris Canty
4) Antonio Smith


There is NO way we should not be able to get one of these guys.

Actually even if we don't get one of these guys we would be better off staying with what we have at DE and still not draft one in the high rounds. Whats the point of drafting someone that will not do any better then what we have?

[jmlamerson]

Of course a good pass-rushing DE would improve this line. It was better with JA. Much better in fact.

But I agree that the DT positions were not much beter than the DEs in '08.

Everyone forgets that JA didn't have to play with Tank and Dorsey. He played with average vets in Edwards and Boone on the line. I don't think JA would have had a good season in 2008 on the Chiefs if Dorsey and Tank were his DTs. He'd have been double teamed every play as the rest of the DL got blown off the line.

And again, I'm not trying to mock Tank and Dorsey's potential. I'm only saying that it's a bad idea to invest a lot in a pass rusher if you're not going to upgrade the DT position.

[texaschief]

Everyone forgets that JA didn't have to play with Tank and Dorsey. He played with average vets in Edwards and Boone on the line. I don't think JA would have had a good season in 2008 on the Chiefs if Dorsey and Tank were his DTs. He'd have been double teamed every play as the rest of the DL got blown off the line.

And again, I'm not trying to mock Tank and Dorsey's potential. I'm only saying that it's a bad idea to invest a lot in a pass rusher if you're not going to upgrade the DT position.

Really? He played with a pair of Pro Bowlers this season and did worse than he did last year when he missed games. DTs are not the problem. It takes time for DTs to develop. At least Tank and Dorsey can stay healthy.

[jmlamerson]

Really? He played with a pair of Pro Bowlers this season and did worse than he did last year when he missed games. DTs are not the problem. It takes time for DTs to develop. At least Tank and Dorsey can stay healthy.

He was playing on a new team and a new system this year, and still ended up 14.5 sacks. I don't think anyone considers this a down year for him.

Edwards and Boone were healthy all through 2007. Dorsey and Tank were ineffective against the run and pass. Unless we get much better play from the DT position, this team will never be better than 30th against the run.

[texaschief]

He was playing on a new team and a new system this year, and still ended up 14.5 sacks. I don't think anyone considers this a down year for him.

Edwards and Boone were healthy all through 2007. Dorsey and Tank were ineffective against the run and pass. Unless we get much better play from the DT position, this team will never be better than 30th against the run.

Doesn't happen overnight, bud. No matter how much you want it to. Throwing huge contracts at old players is just going to put us right back in the hole we're trying to climb out of.

[jmlamerson]

Doesn't happen overnight, bud. No matter how much you want it to. Throwing huge contracts at old players is just going to put us right back in the hole we're trying to climb out of.

When did I suggest that we throw huge contracts at old players? I don't recall ever suggesting that we sign any player 30+.

And we can't draft our way out of this mess. We need people to start on defense next year. Our offseason plan shouldn't be based on the prayer that Hali, Tank, and Dorsey play massively better in 2009 than they did in 2008. Bud.