ILB

[Philosophers]

I just don't see all these free agent signings for starting positions that everyone here is expecting.  It simply costs too much and takes money away from other positions. 

[Bob In PA]

I just don't see all these free agent signings for starting positions that everyone here is expecting.  It simply costs too much and takes money away from other positions. 

Phil: I agree. If this is year 2 of 3 "rebuilding" years, then they should not go "all out."

I think many of our members agree and would be disappointed in Schoen if he went "all in" in free-agency this year.

Theoretically (at least) you don't really swing for the fences until year three of a 3-year rebuilding period.

Bob

[Jclayton92]

I just don't see all these free agent signings for starting positions that everyone here is expecting.  It simply costs too much and takes money away from other positions. 

I think a lot of people were talking about signing a starting Mike because there are a ton of quality MLB's in FA and historically middle linebacker is a cheap position as opposed to WR, T, CB, etc

[coggs]

All tough 3-4 defenses, have historically had at least one great ILB. Even 4-3s need a reliable hard hitting Mike to protect the middle. Why is the position under appreciated? I don't know, but I think Schoen will take advantage of that, if he does not address it in FA market and try to grab a good one, probably in the 3rd, after we address CB and OC.
There are a few good ILBs in this draft, but if we wait till the 3rd round, my favorite Off ball or inside linebacker worthy of a 3rd is Daiyan Henley.
1- CB
2- OC
3- WR
3- ILB
4- RB
5- TE

Probably because of how offenses have evolved.  When the league was mostly run-first and even balanced, the middle lb was the center-piece.  Your DL's job was to occupy blockers, eat up double teams and lead FB's.  MLB/ILB were to read the play and tackle the ball carrier.  As team's started passing more, the pass rush and corners started to become more important and it was easier for an OC to neutralize the impact a great MLB/ILB would have on a game. 

[Philosophers]

I think a lot of people were talking about signing a starting Mike because there are a ton of quality MLB's in FA and historically middle linebacker is a cheap position as opposed to WR, T, CB, etc

Jess - as Bob stated, I think our rebuild needs more seasoning before we make a FA splash even if it is at a position deemed "less expensive."  I think the Giants are 4 players away minimum before I'd bet on a major improvement over this season.  Given the Giants LB draft picks last season, I also have to wonder if they think one or more of them may be a starter and an inexpensive one at that.

[Jclayton92]

Jess - as Bob stated, I think our rebuild needs more seasoning before we make a FA splash even if it is at a position deemed "less expensive."  I think the Giants are 4 players away minimum before I'd bet on a major improvement over this season.  Given the Giants LB draft picks last season, I also have to wonder if they think one or more of them may be a starter and an inexpensive one at that.

Hope they aren't counting on McFadden his play was absolutely horrible last season. I do like Beavers though.

[jimmyz]

We had 3 to 4 starting caliber DEs through JR's tenure yet we never generated more sacks or pressures than any other good pass rushing team that didnt have such abundance of pass rushers.  Of course when you're in 3rd and short because TEs, slots and backs have their way within the 10 yd range that off ball backers are supposed to defend, I wouldn't expect the extra defensive ends to really matter.

[Philosophers]

Hope they aren't counting on McFadden his play was absolutely horrible last season. I do like Beavers though.

I think Beavers may be their target for ILB.  I do think they'll address it in the Draft.

[uconnjack8]

I just don't see all these free agent signings for starting positions that everyone here is expecting.  It simply costs too much and takes money away from other positions. 

I tend to agree with you.  I expect low level signings to ensure no gaping holes prior to the draft, or re-signings to avoid those holes. 

I think it's possible they make a little bit of a bigger signing or two (like mid-range salaries), but I would be surprised if they make any big splashes. 

Sort of thinking they use 2023 to assess the draft classes of 2022 and 2023, and then make a go of it 2024 if they feel they are just missing one thing.

[Stringer Bell]

I just don't see all these free agent signings for starting positions that everyone here is expecting.  It simply costs too much and takes money away from other positions. 

Then what do you see? Any starters coming from FA? I see 2 - LB and IOL.

[Bob In PA]

Hope they aren't counting on McFadden his play was absolutely horrible last season. I do like Beavers though.

J: I didn't want to put a damper on the draft at the time (and I do really like McFadden's game knowledge, effort) but I was wary of McFadden's lack of coverage speed. His best potential value In my views was as a blitzer/run-stopper but I think teams were changing to a pass every time they saw him on the field. I don't think he's apt to improve coverage speed, although just NOT being a rookie any longer will probably add some quickness to his decision-making process... but likely not enough to enable him to be a three-down player. Should still be able to stick around as a special team player because he is a real team-first guy. Bob

[Rosehill Jimmy]

Did we really see enough of Beavers to warrant all the love?  Why did he last to the 6 th round?  I'm not convinced the answer to our ILB need is on the roster

[Jclayton92]

Did we really see enough of Beavers to warrant all the love?  Why did he last to the 6 th round?  I'm not convinced the answer to our ILB need is on the roster

I saw him play a lot as I scouted the Cincinnati roster a lot with their prospects last year. He was criminally underrated and was significantly better than McFadden. He also flashed a ton in camp last year. I'm not saying he's an all pro but he will be an upgrade to what we have currently. Add in a legit 3 down Mike in free agency to play next to Beavers and I would be comfortable with that.

[DaveBrown74]

Dave - I dont love the 1st round WRs the way others do.  Jordan Addison has shaky hands.  Jaxon Smith Njigba is a small and is a slot short catch guy like WanDale.

I'll take a very good ILB over a WR I think is more marginal.

What about Jalen Hyatt?

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I am concerned with shoring up the MLB position. Some ideas have put forth on this board, but hard to know if any of them will pan out. Personally, I like the thought of getting Tremaine Edmunds, as I've kinda beaten that dead horse for awhile. The reason I like him so much is because of his size, speed, and youth (6-5, 249 lbs; 4.52/40; 24 yrs old). The Athletic called him a unicorn as most ILBs have gotten smaller and smaller in order to get speed out of them. The downside of getting smaller is that they are less likely to throttle a big TE coming over the middle or "stop-in-their-tracks tackling" of RB's with a full head of steam...in general anyway

I've been studying up on MLB in the draft. Top ones are Henry To'oTo'o - Alabama (6-2, 227; 4.52/40; 22 yrs old), Trenton Simpson (6-3, 240; 4.39/40; 21 yrs old), and one that could be considered a "sleeper" (at least within the fan base) Drew Sanders - Arkansas (6-5, 234; 4.53/40; 21 yrs old)

Of the three top guys in the draft, I think Simpson is the most ready. However, Sanders has pretty much the same physical characteristics as Tremaine Edmunds, except he's 13-15 lbs lighter. He needs to add some muscle to that frame of his and get some weight up. Here's Daniel Jeremiah's write-up on him:

"Sanders is a tall, lean and versatile linebacker. He played in the middle of Arkansas' 4-2-5 front, but would drop down at times to rush off the edge. He is solid in coverage, flashing the ability to smother running backs in the flat. His size and length are assets when clogging up throwing lanes. He was highly productive as a pass rusher in 2022 with 9.5 sacks in 12 games. His most effective approach is converting speed to power off the edge. Against the run, he has good instincts and can thud off blockers for tackles. There is some stiffness when he's forced to change directions, and that leads to missed tackles in space. Overall, Sanders has an intriguing mix of size and speed. Teams craving versatility will value him more than others." https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah-s-top-50-2023-nfl-draft-prospect-rankings-1-0

I'm not sure if any of them are worthy of going in the first round, but there are options available to us in the draft and it's a position most teams have low on their list of wants as they don't want to lock in big bucks on a position that can be filled on the cheap in most cases