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DT's - Draft or Free Agency?


derekshank

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2. Slow defensive tackle market: After seeing the Raiders give Terdell Sands a four-year, $17 million deal, the feeling was the defensive tackle market would be hot. It's been frigid. Ian Scott of the Bears is just starting to make trips this week. Other starters such as Michael Myers of the Broncos, Ron Edwards and James Reed of the Chiefs, and Robaire Smith of the Titans haven't been as active as many thought. It's a pretty good draft for defensive linemen, so many teams are waiting until April to get theirs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...&id=2795349

Other than maybe QB, DT might be the hardest position to judge coming out of college. The job is just so different in the NFL. Knowing that, combined with the fact that we have no 3rd round pick, I wouldn't be against attempting to grab someone? (Most of you know I'm at least somewhat timid about getting too involved in FA).

For all of you "Cut Thornton" guys, I'd be willing to look at Bears DT Alfonso Boone. He's got the size and experience to be the starter here, and would be a great mentor to Peko (he did a lot of teaching to Tommie Harris). I know it doesn't really seem to be the Bengals priority right now, but since the market is slow, perhaps we could grab a guy like this for cheap. With S. Smith departing, it's an area of need, and Boone might be an relatively inexpensive upgrade over just about anything we have right now.

Or should we stick to our guns, and get another 4th round DT to go with Peko for the future.

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Because the Bengals are so well positioned for compensatory picks right now, I'd say they should draft the player they need -or- pick up a guy who is willing to sign for veteran minimum and who therefore won't impact the compensatory pick eligibility much.

New England seems to have it right - skip a FA year, collect lots of picks, then the following year, sign free agents. By taking a year off at a time and losing some quality guys, they pick up extra draft picks - quality picks - every other year.

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New England seems to have it right - skip a FA year, collect lots of picks, then the following year, sign free agents. By taking a year off at a time and losing some quality guys, they pick up extra draft picks - quality picks - every other year.

They also have the real scouting organization and top-flight personnel people needed to make the most of a bunch of day 2 picks -- not to mention a strategy of finding what a player is good at and schemeing around that, versus trying to cram square pegs into round holes.

In other words, extra picks are always good, but the Bengals need to do much more in order to maximize their value.

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The Bengals will have to continue to do both -- draft and free agents/waiver wire claims. The harder-to-move, bigger bodied DT is the type I'd like to see them get, like Ron Edwards but there appears to be a broken record belief by Marvin Lewis that he can stuff a DE inside at DT and expect to get better results than what he's gotten by doing it for the past four years, except for Bryan Robinson. And that's partly why a position that had decent depth and experience with Shaun Smith available is now weakened if the Bengals don't match or sign a free agent. I'd rather see them go free agent than draft pick for depth this year just so they know what they're getting.

Draft wise, it don't look like the best year to buck the Bengals trend under Marvin to pick DT Day 2. I'd suspect another 6 or 7th round pick like Langston Moore or Pancaked Fanene. If so, then Brent Curvey or Kelly Talavou.

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extra picks are always good, but the Bengals need to do much more in order to maximize their value.

Sure, but let's say it's a step in the right direction, albeit not the only step that needs to be taken?

It is a step in the right direction, I'm just dubious they take any of those other steps.

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The Bengals started drafting better almost immediately when they brought in more scouts. For that reason I don't want to bash them too heavily for a lack of scouting. Mike Brown (perhaps at the demand of Marvin, I don't know) has so recently attempted to better the organization by improving the scouting department.

Having said that, I'm willing to admit that it's hard to have too much of a good thing. If more scouting improved our drafting so quickly, why can't improving the scouting department once again mprove us that much more?

I think it can. Who wants to start a petition?

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If Sam Adams can actually play this year it will be like getting a FA or draft pick, our d-line isn't that bad if everyone is healthy. A healthy duo of Adams and Thornton is very formiable and then you add Peko in the mix I like what Marvin is doing. Maybe next year would be the year to go DT in the first, I don't know if a rookie would see the field much if Adams is healthy. Although I like Justin Harrell from Tennessee if he's there in the 2nd round we should take him.

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