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Not many good edge rushers left

NBC Washington reports free agent DE Brandon Graham has narrowed his choices to the Eagles and Giants.

The Titans are going to whiff. Graham would return as a rotational player in Philadelphia. He could push for full-time snaps with the Giants. Philly may be able to offer Graham the most money. Turning 27 in April, Graham should probably follow the dollar signs. He'll be signing away his prime years.
 
ZACKB said:
NBC Washington reports free agent DE Brandon Graham has narrowed his choices to the Eagles and Giants.

The Titans are going to whiff. Graham would return as a rotational player in Philadelphia. He could push for full-time snaps with the Giants. Philly may be able to offer Graham the most money. Turning 27 in April, Graham should probably follow the dollar signs. He'll be signing away his prime years.
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This is sad news...
 
They will wait til the second wave and bring in someone like Akeem Ayers (versatile Inside/Out guy) or Sam Acho. These guys fit more of the Steelers FA profile. Young, have some starting experience and should come cheaper than the first wave guys.
 
SteelBuckeye said:
They will wait til the second wave and bring in someone like Akeem Ayers (versatile Inside/Out guy) or Sam Acho. These guys fit more of the Steelers FA profile. Young, have some starting experience and should come cheaper than the first wave guys.
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Sounds like more mediocrity to me...GET US SOME QUALITY PLAYERS, FO!!!!
 
I didn't say they would be "IMPACT" signings ... lol ... just that those guys fit the Steelers M.O. when it comes to free agent signings. Although, I guess it should be noted that both are younger than Worilds. I've seen people getting positively giddy over McPhee's 17 career sacks in 4 years as a reserve. If that's the standard then Acho and Ayers' 13 sacks each in the same amount of time, while also serving as reserves for the most part, don't look so bad.
 
Eagles agreed to terms with OLB Brandon Graham on a four-year, $26 million contract.

The deal reportedly includes $14 million guaranteed. Graham's return to Philly comes as a mild upset, as the local media had been skeptical he'd be back, while coach Chip Kelly has often struggled to find snaps for his talented pass rusher. It's a welcome move for the Eagles' pass rush, however, while Kelly must be confident he can find Graham more than the 524 snaps he played last season. Still only 26
 
From all the talk, it sorta surprised me that Graham re-signed in Philly. No one seems to have any clue what Chip is doing.
 
bring Debbo back, sign worlds 5 years 33 million
 
I don't think this FA OLB class is very deep so I don't want to over spend here at this spot. I would rather spend the first two picks in our draft on guys like Harold/Dupree/Mauldin/Kikaha and hope to get our OLB's of the future then to over spend on guys who really are not that good. With that said looking at who is left I wouldn't mind seeing us go after Cole or Orakpo but I am not going to break the back on these two.
Another thought is if we go the draft route we need a vet to play and I would have no problem bringing back Woodley on a 1 YEAR VET MIN. I know this don't go over very well with people here but look at it this way. We get a guy on a 1 year deal that needs to play for another contract, if he don't no big deal we start the rookies and we lose nothing. I am sure he will get a deal but just a thought.
 
I rather put a lawn chair on the field than Worilds and JJ but JJ is still under contract with no replacement Worilds is not so let him go and find someone else or start who ever you would if he is injured.
 
I like the Jordan idea... Kind of anyway... get his weight down to more natural 255 260 and in the words of a well know former steeler head coach tell him "just rush the qb!!!!!!" I'm mean geez... he's 6'6 260 4.5 dude's got to be better than his numbers
 
Still hoping for Sheard at this point and think he's the only one left in any type of reasonable price range
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Too late....Pats got him for 2 years...$11M
 
Great thing with your chips on uncle Jarvis, they will be easy to get he will be immobile and locked up by an offensive lineman, hell Adams might look good blocking him.
 
I have not heard to much on Orakpo anyone hear who may be interested and the longer he is out there the better for us right?
 
Wingman said:
I rather put a lawn chair on the field than Worilds and JJ but JJ is still under contract with no replacement Worilds is not so let him go and find someone else or start who ever you would if he is injured.
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Well, THAT was a coffee-spitter.
 
Super Dave said:
He watches the games??
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Obviously he is only basing this off the games AFTER he came back from the wrist injury, the one that prevented him from working out, and caused him to lose quite a bit of strength. It couldn't have been the two and half games before the injury where he was playing quite well, pushing OL back, decent swim move, and making some plays.

But this is becoming much like the Jason Gildon arguments. The knock on him was "he only circles around the RT, he doesn't have any moves at all). And yet he's the Steelers all time leader in sacks. I'm not saying that Jones will be an all pro, or great Steeler, but these hyperbole arguments that he can't do anything is a little over exaggerated.
 
sign morgan or Pace to be the short term lolb while drafting the long term lolb ( Dupree, Harold, Orchard,Mauldin, Z.Smith)
 
So in the time he was here what has he done? We might actually get to watch Adams block him in practice.
 
I think we're going to force OLB in the draft.

Just my take on the way this whole off-season is playing out right now.
 
Sometimes I find myself wishing JJ would either finally blow up or retire. That way we could get back to arguing about more important things .... like the value of Dri Archer.
 
SteelBuckeye said:
Sometimes I find myself wishing JJ would either finally blow up or retire. That way we could get back to arguing about more important things .... like the value of Dri Archer.
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Maybe dri Archer could put his speed to use rushing the passer, not sure he could tackle a full grown quarterback but what the hell maybe marsha.
 
You know, people all wonder why I get so worked up about some of this regime's draft picks.

Every free agency period tells you why.

There are CLEAR positions that just cost a LOT of money if you don't get them in the draft. Pass rushers? Offensive Line? Cornerbacks? Good luck finding any value if you are stuck up against it and need someone to start.

You know what positions DON'T cost a lot of money? How about special teamers. Returners. Backup quarterbacks. Inside linebackers. Even centers (Stefan Wisniewski has made if through 3 days of free agency unsigned).

Notice my problem with Tombert now?

Why are we using the precious few draft choices we have on players like Dri Archer and Landry Jones? Why? Even in the most wildest of expectations, those players don't develop into anything more than mid-level free agents. Never. Even if Landry Jones becomes a great backup, completely shows up Bruce Gradkowski in practice and preseason games, when he hits the free agent market, he's getting a 2-year, $5 million contract. That's it.

And Dri Archer? What would be his PEAK in free agency? Really, anyone here that liked the pick, please tell me based on the contracts you see so far in free agency what his value could have been even if the pick was a huge success?

I want to know.

Because when you look around at free agency, you start to understand why I get so frustrated with Tombert and their RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. A draft pick is a resource. Ideally, you turn that resource into something of VALUE. And what is value in the NFL? It's when you have players on your roster you are paying less than what they provide you on the field. It allows you to fill in the "holes" on your roster without mortgaging your future. Without guaranteeing huge amounts of money. How nice would it be if we have invested in OLB/pass rusher with those wasted QB's and "return specialists" or special teamers (like, say, a punter?) and now have more choices and depth at that position rather than Jarvis Jones and Arthur Moats and (seriously) Jordan Zumwaldt?

This free agency period just shows exactly what I mean when I harp on and on and on about RESOURCE MANAGEMENT and how that is BY FAR the most important thing a general manager does in this business. Not scouting. Not player development. Not public relations. Not co-existing with the coach. Not watching film. It is understanding the value of picks (based on success rates throughout history), the value of positions (based on free agency spending trends) and the value of salary cap/cash dollars.

Anyone that has a great concept of those three factors can HIRE scouts to succeed/fail on draft picks just as good as anyone else (in fact, no GM has every truly distinguished himself at drafting so much better than anyone else in the history of the league). They can HIRE a guy to monitor and study free agency trends and positional values. And they can HIRE a guy to project salary cap/cash accounting over the next 3-4 years.

Unfortunately, no one seems to realize this is really all that matters.
 
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