2011 NFL Draft

[mooby]

Originally Posted by celts32

Dallas won the division last year and ended up with an easier schedule then we did. That sucks.

Well it's something you kind of can't see coming. Each schedule is predetermined after the regular season ends each year. Every team plays 6 divisional games, 1 out of conference division (for us an AFC division), one in conference division, and the final 2 opponents are in conference opponents determined by where you finished in the division.

We played the same 14 teams as they did, including us/them twice, and their final 2 games were first place teams from the two NFC divisions that we don't play this year, which were New Orleans and Arizona, while we played the Bucs and St. Louis, because they both finished last in their division last year. Since the NFC East played the NFC North division this year, that means the two opponents we played would be from the NFC West and South divisions.

That's why we had the harder strength of schedule, because both the Bucs and St. Louis became pretty good teams this year while the Cardinals hugely regressed and the Saints regressed slightly.

[SBXVII]

Interesting comment from J.Jones about the pending lockout....

Perhaps the most telling observation in recent weeks drew far less attention that it deserved. In the web-only version of a 60 Minutes interview featuring Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, reporter Scott Pelley asked Jones if a lockout would be “disastrous” to the league.

“No. I do not,” Jones said.

Comments from Jerry Richardson, Jerry Jones suggest lockout is coming | ProFootballTalk

Should I start working out now? lol. I wonder how much scrubs make?

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

Interesting comment from J.Jones about the pending lockout....



Comments from Jerry Richardson, Jerry Jones suggest lockout is coming | ProFootballTalk

Should I start working out now? lol. I wonder how much scrubs make?

Could this happen again like 87? I sure hope not. In the end the players are going to have to bend, even though the owners are being greedy. They're making a ton of TV money.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

I honestly don't think our LB corps is as bad as some people think - certainly we need to address our DL before LB as far as our defense goes. You'd have a hard time convincing me we should take a LB at 10 overall - Blades, Fletcher, and Riley will be solid in the middle. Orkapo is obviously a very good starting OLB and Lorenzo Alexander and Rob Jackson are not bad enough that i would replace them with a top 10 pick, especially when free agency is full of young, decent linebackers.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

I honestly don't think our LB corps is as bad as some people think - certainly we need to address our DL before LB as far as our defense goes. You'd have a hard time convincing me we should take a LB at 10 overall - Blades, Fletcher, and Riley will be solid in the middle. Orkapo is obviously a very good starting OLB and Lorenzo Alexander and Rob Jackson are not bad enough that i would replace them with a top 10 pick, especially when free agency is full of young, decent linebackers.

Well, Fletcher's not getting any younger. Blades is decent but I don't see him as much more than a backup. Riley, I like. Carter and Rocky could both be gone. Wilson is one dimensional. Alexander and Rob Jackson are decent but not sure they have what it takes to be 16 (18?) game starters. Maybe in a platoon situation. Especially, Alexander. Not so much because he's not good but because he's asked to do so much. You could see him wearing down toward the end.

They played some of their best football against Jacksonville when Orakpo was not playing. Of course, I'm not saying they're a better team without Orakpo. But without him they were more unpredictable. I believe they need someone who can line up on the opposite side of Orakpo and inflict much of the same damage he can.

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well, Fletcher's not getting any younger. Blades is decent but I don't see him as much more than a backup. Riley, I like. Carter and Rocky could both be gone. Wilson is one dimensional. Alexander and Rob Jackson are decent but not sure they have what it takes to be 16 (18?) game starters. Maybe in a platoon situation. Especially, Alexander. Not so much because he's not good but because he's asked to do so much. You could see him wearing down toward the end.

They played some of their best football against Jacksonville when Orakpo was not playing. Of course, I'm not saying they're a better team without Orakpo. But without him they were more unpredictable. I believe they need someone who can line up on the opposite side of Orakpo and inflict much of the same damage he can.

If we draft an OLB high (and there are a no. of good ones) I wouldn't be surprised to see Alexander at ILB next year, we need more size there.

[Bucket]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

If we draft an OLB high (and there are a no. of good ones) I wouldn't be surprised to see Alexander at ILB next year, we need more size there.

The thing about moving Alexander to ILB is even bigger then him playing OLB. Yes, he has the size and strength to play ILB, but he is going to lack severe experience, and reaction time that would be required for a ILB position in a 3/4. We really need to invest in 2 more SOLID linebackers to make this 3/4 the best it can be..

I really think perry Riley has a chance to start next year. He's a solid tackler, and he has alot of speed.

Kinda like Rocky who was an OLB, and once he moved to ILB he lacked the reaction time, and experience there... So, he looked like crap

[mooby]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well, Fletcher's not getting any younger. Blades is decent but I don't see him as much more than a backup. Riley, I like. Carter and Rocky could both be gone. Wilson is one dimensional. Alexander and Rob Jackson are decent but not sure they have what it takes to be 16 (18?) game starters. Maybe in a platoon situation. Especially, Alexander. Not so much because he's not good but because he's asked to do so much. You could see him wearing down toward the end.

They played some of their best football against Jacksonville when Orakpo was not playing. Of course, I'm not saying they're a better team without Orakpo. But without him they were more unpredictable. I believe they need someone who can line up on the opposite side of Orakpo and inflict much of the same damage he can.

I completely agree. Orakpo was getting held plenty in the second half the season, but he didn't have nearly as many sacks because we didn't have anybody on the opposing side to take pressure off of him. If we get a dominant pass rushing type to go on the other side, it will help Orakpo tremendously. I still think Orakpo needs to work on his game though, and study the elite pass rushers some more, because too often he gets into a position where he can be held and nobody notices. If he works on his game he can improve to the point where even if they try and hold him he can escape out of it, because it's obvious we can't rely on the officials to see when he's getting held.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

They played some of their best football against Jacksonville when Orakpo was not playing. Of course, I'm not saying they're a better team without Orakpo. But without him they were more unpredictable. I believe they need someone who can line up on the opposite side of Orakpo and inflict much of the same damage he can.

This was absolutely, 100% my takeaway from the season. Orakpo, in the current defense, may be more of a liability than an asset. But that's not the fault of Orakpo: he's one of the true young pass rushing studs in this league. We could pair him with a guy like Lamarr Woodley and have a much stronger pass rushing unit. Woodley will probably be franchised by the Steelers which means we're looking to the draft to find that guy.

It's just a lone defensive need. We'll need a free safety too at some point, but honestly, if we just wanted to stick Kareem Moore out there again and admit that the defense is a work in progress because Kareem Moore kind of sucks, I think that second pass rusher will go a lot further. Free safety can be addressed when we have more picks. Sure would like to have Nate Allen on this team right now.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

This was absolutely, 100% my takeaway from the season. Orakpo, in the current defense, may be more of a liability than an asset. But that's not the fault of Orakpo: he's one of the true young pass rushing studs in this league. We could pair him with a guy like Lamarr Woodley and have a much stronger pass rushing unit. Woodley will probably be franchised by the Steelers which means we're looking to the draft to find that guy.

It's just a lone defensive need. We'll need a free safety too at some point, but honestly, if we just wanted to stick Kareem Moore out there again and admit that the defense is a work in progress because Kareem Moore kind of sucks, I think that second pass rusher will go a lot further. Free safety can be addressed when we have more picks. Sure would like to have Nate Allen on this team right now.

I agree. To me it's one reason I am not a fan of the 3-4 for this team. Orakpo's beastness is in pass-rushing...so it's what they do with him 99% of the time. It's super predictable. If we ran a base 4-3 with him at end at least then, theoretically, the predictability is negated somehow by the scheme. Not a big thing but unless we do get someone else like you say and then randomize their pass rushing we'll be predictable.

[MTK]

The LB corps definitely needs some work. We could really use a stud 3-4 run stuffing type. And a guy that can bring some heat opposite Orakpo would go a long way too.

[SmootSmack]

So if not Luck, then who do you guys think the Panthers should take no. 1? Consensus seems to be Fairley

[warriorzpath]

For what it's worth, I just heard Mel Kiper on espn 980 describe Andrew Luck: "he's Peyton Manning with athleticism" and "the closest thing to a guaranteed franchise quarterback"

[Alvin Walton]

Originally Posted by warriorzpath

For what it's worth, I just heard Mel Kiper on espn 980 describe Andrew Luck: "he's Peyton Manning with athleticism" and "the closest thing to a guaranteed franchise quarterback"

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

So if not Luck, then who do you guys think the Panthers should take no. 1? Consensus seems to be Fairley

I have no idea honestly, it doesn't seem there is a great can't miss player in waiting behind luck like there was w/Suh last year. Is Fairley that guy?

I do think the panthers would be happy to trade out of that spot.