This. Someone like Von Miller at OLB is a major pipedream. If I knew we were getting someone like him, then I'd have no problem trading Mo.
I love when people bring up Von Miller, like there's even a .00000001 % chance he'll hit the market. Is Aldon Smith suspended for '16? He's a free agent. Greg Hardy is another one. Bruce Irvin maybe. But guys like Miller aren't going anywhere, at the very least he'll be tagged but there's no way the Broncos are stupid enough to not lock him up. I wouldn't even be opposed to trading a late pick for their backup OLB (Shaq Barrett).
Who ever said that I was comparing apples to apples? Our 3-4 defense has Williams, Snacks, and Richardson manning the DL. While it would be nice to also have Mo in the rotation all we really need is a guy like Devito that could back up both DE spots. If the franchise tag or signing Mo outright costs $15 mil per year we are talking about saving $10 mil per year and using that money on two other starters if we were to bring Devito back instead of Mo. The question is not whether Mo is the better player but if we really need four pro bowlers to man the defensive line in a 3-4 defense.
a 3-4 defense without an outside linebacker that can rush the passer is useless But Mauldin, let's hope he's the guy we've been looking for.
Certainly, we need another playmaker to pair with Mauldin. He flashed a lot more than I expected as a rusher but I have concerns about his durability. I wouldn't mind giving up Mo if we can finally get an edge rusher. Leonard, Sheldon and Snacks is still more than enough for a 3-4 d-line. Leonard, Sheldon, Snacks and Mo is not a good 4-3 line.
Try this 4 man front instead. RE - LW DT - Wilk DT - Sheldon LE - Mauldin This lineup has been implemented multiple times throughout the season. Mauldin was a rookie last year, his conditioning will be fine next year, he needs to get better at rushing the passer and being good at stopping the run.
Mauldin is 240 lbs, he would have to play linebacker in a 4-3. He would not be strong/quick enough to consistently beat guards/tackles. And even if Bowles said "fuck it he can play DE" that leaves us with what, Harris and Henderson and who at LB? That'd be the slowest defense in the league... Also, you'd want to put Sheldon at DE over Leonard because Sheldon has more quickness and more able to set the edge.
It's pretty apparent based off our personnel and cap situation that our best front would be Williams-Snacks-Sheldon Mauldin-Harris-Henderson-Rookie+Hali/Pace stop gap type Using the cap space that would go to Mo on someone like Von Miller is a pipe dream but it would certainly be an improvement for this defense the way its currently constructed. There's no real way to transition to a 4-3 without needing to blow it up.
Essentially, we don't have the linebackers to play in ANY scheme. http://www.nfl.com/player/lorenzomauldin/2552297/profile I don't know where you got 240, more than likely you googled it, but that link above has him at 260. Which is just fine [around Robert Quinn's weight]. He's got the technique and he's got some burst to beat tackles. Regardless, Sheldon / Mo / Leonard are all interchangeable ... depending on the match-up you can switch the personnel around. That's the beauty of having these D-lineman. Leonard is sneaky quick as well, I saw some games he lined up at RE and dominated.
If the Jets were to get the guy from Notre Dame ... as well as a stop-gap for the year ... you got 3 linebackers that can play in a base 4-3. strong-side linebacker - Henderson Mike - David Harris weakside linebacker - gap / rookie from Notre Dame Bowles rarely rolls with 3 linebackers anyway. Depth is essential however.
Revis allowed the 3rd lowest QB rating when thrown to and the lowest completion percentage in the NFL when thrown to. Forced 10 turnovers... got scored on 3 times and one was a damn screen pass. Revis is still very elite
Just because we tag Mo doesn't mean we'll be able to come to any long term deal. You can't flat out say that he's not walking next year if he's tagged. No, you don't want to tag him then see him walk the following year, but there are no guarantees, if they tag him, they may have to trade him. The only thing that makes any sense to me as to why Mac's first act as GM wasn't to lock up Mo long term is that Mo and his agents are asking for Watt level money or much more than Mac is willing or able to pay. As I said, I could be wrong, but imo it does look like if we re-sign Mo that we will lose other players. I wouldn't say that the team will fall apart, but they could take a hit. Go take a look at overthecap.com and see how the Jets have 23 FAs, with 7 or so of them starters and key backups. Look at the injuries we had this year and that other teams had. 2 RBs are not enough. I don't trust Amaro any further than I can throw him. I didn't say anything about signing an older outside FA, either, but it's better to keep some players who know the system and can play for depth if for no other reason. Injuries are part of the game, and the Jets may not have a shot at an ILB that they like. Henderson is NOT a career backup. At least get your facts straight. It's not as easy as you state to just "Go draft a RB in the 3rd or 4th round, re-sign Powell and you're good to go. Draft an ILB in round 1 or 2 and you're set there as well." That's simplistic and things are never that easy. All our needs can NOT be filled via the draft either. That's utter nonsense. I don't believe you really think that. You're smarter than that. You're letting your love for one player blind you and make you too close, too subjective. First and foremost, we are Jets fans, not Mo fans, and we need to consider what's best for the Jets in the long run, not what's best for Mo or what player(s) we want regardless of how it affects the team. Mo would hurt the team with his cap hit this year, then next year it would be Richardson's turn. That would be two paid at a high level, then two years after that, it would be Williams turn and it would then be three. They'll each want to be paid. We don't need 3 players of that caliber on the DL to stop the run, when the defense we run is based on the premise of the LBs making the plays, and the NFL is a passing league not a running league any more. Who are the great RBs in the AFC that we need all that DL talent to stop? We need to worry more about stopping the Bradys, Roethelisbergers, Mariotas and Lucks than we do RBs who are lesser talents.
So is a 4-3 D without the right LBs. Except for Mauldin, ALL of the Jets LBs are too old, too slow, and/or too heavy to play 4-3 OLBs and Harris is too slow to play MLB.
3-4 / 4-3, we don't have the talent at linebacker, cept for Harris a solid tackler and a stop-gap in Henderson. Bowles was using 2 linebackers a lot this season with 5 DBs.
Not to nickpick but if you are paying me 3o million plus dollars its gotta be numero uno cross the board imo. plus "he forced 10 turnovers" where was that? DR is really good but so ridiculously overpriced old phenom...led the league in blackmailing GMs ...ask Deandre Hopkins and Allan Robinson how they enjoyed Revis island this year lol
Don't even bother with that 3-4/4-3 switch idea. Ain't happening. The job description is starkly different, and the physical requirement is quite different because of that. If anything, you won't find near 300lb 4-3 DEs in today's NFL. They must travel longer distance to get to the QB, so speed is their key. 3-4 DEs? In case of Jets DEs, they must be able to play two-gap responsibility. They must anchor the line - so you will see the DEs near [or over] 300 lbs. Coples was 290 somewhere, and he was the lighter one in the crew. Okay? Don't even think about changing the schemes like you'd fit the lego kits. Football defense system is much more complicated than that. From what I have observed during the past season, I would think that Jets play hybrid 3-4; they don't play Fairbanks/Bullough 3-4 all the time. Even when they play 3-4, they sometimes play F/B brand, but at times, they play Bum Phillips brand. You must have seen Mo and Richardson [splitting] through OG and OT and get in the face of the QB this season. Yes. That's Phillips 3-4. That Jets can play two very effective 3-4 alignment as they see fit is a very powerful merit. Mo has shown us all that he can be a double-digit sack monster without having to resort to Phillips 3-4 all the time. For this reason, Jets can contain the run very effectively [they have the front line personnel capable of performing at high level in F/B 3-4 system] yet get to the QB just as much. What remains to be seen now is, if Leo can fill Wilkerson's spot. If Leo can fill that role just as effectively, then we can truly say Jets have a surplus DE. I doubt if Wilk/Richardson/Williams can all stay, but two of them must. Jets did create quite a bit of pressure over the course of the season [opposing QB rating of 79 says they did.] but they didn't get as many sacks as they could have. [39 is #12 in the list.] This means Jets are lacking speed in the second line - as anybody could guess. BUT all these considerations can come into play [because the DL created a situation where speedy LBs could make a lot of difference.] Yes. The starting point is the DL, and Jets would do very well not to break this up. While keeping 3 premier talent at DL might be an overkill, keeping 2 is an absolute necessity. Especially if you consider that Jets play Patriots twice a season, you will realize how valuable this DL is. ===================================================================================================== So I am somewhat reluctant to giving long term commitment to Mo at this particular moment. We all know one of them has to walk; I just want to see Williams can do just as well. [I think he can, but I am just trying to make sure.] If Macc and Bowles are confident of Williams, then Mo will have to be the odd man out. In that case, tag-and-trade would be the best scenario. [Potential 2x 1st rounders.]
I certainly don't think Harris and Henderson are right for a 2 LB scheme. In that scenario I think the team needs speedy LBs who can cover. Harris and Henderson aren't ideal, but will work in a traditional 3-4 alignment. Snacks/Deon Simon are 3/4 NTs, and Mo, Williams and Richardson are 3/4 DEs, although they have scheme flexibility. I think we need to add a speedy pass rushing OLB to play with Mauldin, look to find an ILB who can cover over the middle and forget about the 4-3.
