...about the 'big picture' for our linebackers.

I'm kind of embarassed to say this...but playing Madden kind of made me think about it.

First off...these are the facts at least I think they are...please correct me if anyone knows differently.

Chris Gocong is a FA after this season.

Stewart Bradley has one year left after this season.

Will Witherspoon is signed through 2011.

I was thinking maybe we could keep Will Witherspoon next season as our middle linebacker. I know he signed a big deal with St. Louis originally and most of that money is probably rolled into next season so we would probably have to re-sign him to a new contract. But he's young and he's playing great...I don't see why not.

If we lock up Witherspoon long term...Stewart Bradley could play the position we originally drafted him for...SAM linebacker.

We would have both guys...who really do everything well but do different things really well and the flexability to use them either way we wanted. This would decrease Stewie's snaps at least for next season and allow him to come back from that knee injury. If Bradley is slow coming back you still have Moise Fokou who played a little last game.

Or you could keep Bradley in the middle and move Witherspoon over to WILL or SAM...what position they're listed under would be a mere formality...McDermott could use them however he wanted.

Still long a ways to go and I know it's only been two games but Spoon looks like the real deal in there.

As I said in another post, Gocong hasn't made enough plays to stick around.  He's more of a 3-4 rush backer than a 4-3 coverage LB. I think if Witherspoon keeps playing like thie he'll make himself impossible to let go.

The point would be that both Bradley and Witherspoon would be on the field at the same time in our base defense regardless of what position they're playing....

I just thought of moving Bradley over to SAM to cut his snaps down so he can better recover from that knee.

I think Gocong has played well, though. He doesn't play a position where he is going to make a lot of plays...neither is the WILL linebacker for that matter...their jobs to get all the action funneled to the MIKE linebacker. Seal the edge, fill the hole, take on the lead blocker, etc....that's why we never paid too much attention to the position before and it has been occupied by low key (Matt McCoy, Keith Adams) or aging (Shawn Barber, Takeo Spikes) guys...

You have to be fast enough to cover the flat and strong enough to hold up at the point of attack...

In our base 4-3 Bradley could take the strong side...take on the tight ends and scrape to get tackle on the edge or seal the corner and let the MIKE pick it up...then in the nickel Bradley could move inside and Witherspoon could be the WILL...covering the running backs and what not.

It wouldn't really matter what they're listed as on the roster...both of them can fit in mulitiple positions in this defense.

There's a decent chance Bradley could be done. And a higher chance he'd be back but with considerable difficulty, particularly next year.

I believe it was the second ACL on the same knee. If it was a different knee, well, that story really isn't much better.

We need to draft and acquire another LB.  What MLBs are going to be available in free agency?

1993Heel wrote:

There's a decent chance Bradley could be done. And a higher chance he'd be back but with considerable difficulty, particularly next year.

 

I believe it was the second ACL on the same knee. If it was a different knee, well, that story really isn't much better.

 

We need to draft and acquire another LB.  What MLBs are going to be available in free agency?

I have no idea.

But yeah your might be right. It will surely take a miracle of modern medicine to get him back up and running in his old form again in time for next season.

Potential FA 'backers:

Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26)
Locking the young middle linebacker up should be a priority for the Buccaneers and with all the cap room they have, it’s a little surprising they haven’t already gotten it done. Ruud quietly voiced dissatisfaction last offseason by skipping voluntary workouts, but has continued to keep a positive outlook to the situation. Ruud’s new deal should be in the area of what Bart Scott received this offseason (6 years, $48 million) from the Jets. He’s the leader of the defense now and will consistently be among league leaders in tackles for the next several years. The Bucs should and will lock him up at some point in the near future, but it’s just about both sides agreeing on the terms.

Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers (25)
With his first two sacks since returning from injury coming in week 8, Merriman doesn’t seem to be exactly the same player he was prior to his injury, which is to be somewhat expected. The Chargers defense has been a large liability so it becomes a question whether or not the team wants to even commit that much money to a player who has been pretty unproductive. What the Chargers do with Merriman will be a decision based on the ultimate risk-reward analysis, as well as a decision reflecting which of their many free agents they choose to and are able to retain. Remember that the team also drafted pass rusher Larry English in the first round last year.

Karlos Dansby, Arizona Cardinals (28)
Dansby hasn’t played badly this year by any means, but he hasn’t made too many game changing plays either. The key to Dansby’s future will be what his contract expectations are. He isn’t quite worth the type of money the Ravens paid to Terrell Suggs, but at the same time, he’s one of the cornerstones to the Cardinals defense which has allowed a league low 3.0 yards per carry going into week 8. Dansby can do it all really, but can the Cardinals afford to re-sign him?

DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (25) 
Ryans has been a stalwart for the Texans, displaying consistency from game-to-game and year-to-year. With rookie sensation Brian Cushing next to him, the Texans have the beginnings of a good front 7. Ryans would like a long-term contract with the Texans, but if the two sides can’t reach a deal, there’s a good chance he would be willing to accept a deal elsewhere. Still, Houston will almost definitely re-sign Ryans and work around the foundation of Ryans-Cushing-Williams in the front 7.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++

DeMeco Ryans please!

Ryans at MIKE, 'Spoon at WILL and Bradley at SAM = Joyner, Evans and Thomas part 2.

yankeeboy1046 wrote:

Ryans at MIKE, 'Spoon at WILL and Bradley at SAM = Joyner, Evans and Thomas part 2.

While we're dreaming, I'd like some free tickets to Sunday night's game.  Preferably LL.

These players are most likely going to all be locked up by their teams before we even get ther ESPECIALLY Ryans...

Merriman might be cut loose...but he doesn't help.

Barret Ruud might be cut loose as well...he's still playing good football but he doesn't have as defined of a role in the Bucs' new defense and might want more money than Tampa is willing to give him.

He's still a good player...I would re-sign him I was Tampa.

I wouldn't touch Merriman with a ten foot pole.

I KNOW Ryans won't happen.....

Looking at the overall picture.....

I don't like rookies starting in such a important spot, so drafting one early is out of the question.

What do we REALLY need though if Bradley DOES come back? SAM is about it.

why is there no talk about Akeem Jordan? i think he has had a great year and id love to keep him around for a long time. anyone know his contract status?

id let  Gocong go and put stewie in his place@ sam

Yeah, I would be more than pleased with a core of Jordan, Witherspoon, and Bradley.

Another option could be Ernie Simms.

I'm not sure if he is a free agent or not this season but he was just benched in Detroit.

Seems like the classical case of just being on a bad team and it's starting to get to him and effect his performance.

He could project to a good WILL linebacker or even MIKE in this system...

Something to think about.

yankeeboy1046 wrote:

Ryans at MIKE, 'Spoon at WILL and Bradley at SAM = Joyner, Evans and Thomas part 2.

I like that a lot you know?

Damn shame it's not gonna happen but...I like it!

Not with my pole anyway.

Seriously, Shawn Merriman is my leading nominee for my annual Ray Lewis Award, given to the professional athlete most likely to murder someone and return to the playing field.

Shepard21 wrote:

I wouldn't touch Merriman with a ten foot pole.

I dont think we are that bad at LB and if Bradley come back and I believe that, we could be really good at LB next year, there is one thing I am wondering about and that is how much Gocong means to our run D? The last 3 years this one included we have been very good against the run and Gocong have been the SAM all 3 years I know there can and proberly is other reasons also but could it be that Gocong is a little underated because he dont make a lot of big plays, we might find out how we are against the run without him this week?

Well, Moise Fokou filled in for him last night and the Cowboys and we played pretty well against the run last night up until the end of the game.

I really think Moise Fokou is going to be a player for us down the road...I don't care about the penalties...he's a good football player.

I really like Will Witherspoon...I really like Akeem Jordan and I really like Stewart Bradley...moving Stewart to SAM next season will take some snaps away from him but he might need that coming off the injury...if he's not ready to go full time I think Fokou could play...

I really do.

I said in training camp that I thought Fokou was going to be giving Gocong a run for his job around this time of the year...I was wrong, Gocong has played well...but I still think Fokou is a good player.