News and notes from Barry Jackson

[Casas9425]

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[Nublar7]

Glad it looks like re-signing Randy Starks is near the top of the to do list. I am getting the feeling that Starks, Hartline and Bush will be re-signed before free agency starts.

[sinPHIN]

nothing we didnt alreay know, but thanks for sharing. jackson always has the best stuff

[TheWarriorFins]

Glad it looks like re-signing Randy Starks is near the top of the to do list. I am getting the feeling that Starks, Hartline and Bush will be re-signed before free agency starts.

Does this mean Odrick at RE next year too
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[Casas9425]

nothing we didnt alreay know, but thanks for sharing. jackson always has the best stuff

We did find out that apparently Ross is going to pay for most of the stadium renovations himself.

[TheWalrus]

Bummer note about the stadium. Upgrades to delay the need for a new one for 25 or 30 years? Sheesh. Thankfully Stephen Ross will be dead long before that.
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Hopefully the next guy has more sense about the importance of this issue. Ross has his heart in the right place about some things but he's been nothing but a penny pinching douchebag about the stadium.

Randy Starks needs to be resigned. He's a better 4-3 DT than either Odrick or Soliai, which isn't to denigrate either of those two, because they're quality players also. What we need to do is run the three of them in a rotation and acquire an actual 4-3 LDE in the Kenny Mixon mold, which we just don't have right now. Odrick simply isn't suited to play outside (he's quick up the field but no so much moving laterally) and his heavy workload out there (which was below average against the pass) hurt his production inside when we did kick him in there.

One of the untold success stories of the personnel department last year was uncovering Derrick Shelby as an UDFA and getting quality snaps out of him at DE. He's undersized for that position and was mostly used on passing downs but he's really more of a run defender. Basically what we need is a better version of him. The draft has some interesting possibilities but either way it's a position of need. It's doesn't necessarily have to be an early pick or a mega deal FA. You generally only need one DE who's adept at both. Most teams don't have the budget for two. So you cover the other side with two guys, one for the run and the other for the pass.

Right now I think we need both. Maybe between Vernon and Shelby we can cover the run downs. But I'm not sold on either guy as a pass rusher.

[Phinatic8u]

Only thing that matters to me is Reshad Jones getting a extension.

But I hope Bush, Starks and Hartline come back. Smith im ehh on, but no need to make a bigger hole. So give him a decent deal.

---------- Post added at 01:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 AM ----------

Bummer note about the stadium. Upgrades to delay the need for a new one for 25 or 30 years? Sheesh. Thankfully Stephen Ross will be dead long before that.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


Hopefully the next guy has more sense about the importance of this issue. Ross has his heart in the right place about some things but he's been nothing but a penny pinching douchebag about the stadium.

Randy Starks needs to be resigned. He's a better 4-3 DT than either Odrick or Soliai, which isn't to denigrate either of those two, because they're quality players also. What we need to do is run the three of them in a rotation and acquire an actual 4-3 LDE in the Kenny Mixon mold, which we just don't have right now. Odrick simply isn't suited to play outside (he's quick up the field but no so much moving laterally) and his heavy workload out there (which was below average against the pass) hurt his production inside when we did kick him in there.

One of the untold success stories of the personnel department last year was uncovering Derrick Shelby as an UDFA and getting quality snaps out of him at DE. He's undersized for that position and was mostly used on passing downs but he's really more of a run defender. Basically what we need is a better version of him. The draft has some interesting possibilities but either way it's a position of need. It's doesn't necessarily have to be an early pick or a mega deal FA. You generally only need one DE who's adept at both. Most teams don't have the budget for two. So you cover the other side with two guys, one for the run and the other for the pass.

Right now I think we need both. Maybe between Vernon and Shelby we can cover the run downs. But I'm not sold on either guy as a pass rusher.

When kicked inside Odrick was our best pass rushing DT.

Starks is the 2nd best based on what I saw, Odrick is a damn good DT. He provides pass rush from the inside better than Starks could ever dream of. I think trading Solai to a 3-4 team in need of a NT for a 2nd or 3rd would be ideal.

[TheWarriorFins]

Only thing that matters to me is Reshad Jones getting a extension.

But I hope Bush, Starks and Hartline come back. Smith im ehh on, but no need to make a bigger hole. So give him a decent deal.

---------- Post added at 01:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 AM ----------



When kicked inside Odrick was our best pass rushing DT.

Starks is the 2nd best based on what I saw, Odrick is a damn good DT. He provides pass rush from the inside better than Starks could ever dream of. I think trading Solai to a 3-4 team in need of a NT for a 2nd or 3rd would be ideal.

Basically for me Odrick at DT = Better pass rush vs Starks at DT = Better run defense. I like Odrick at DT better for value IMO

[TheWalrus]

]When kicked inside Odrick was our best pass rushing DT.[/B]

Starks is the 2nd best based on what I saw, Odrick is a damn good DT. He provides pass rush from the inside better than Starks could ever dream of. I think trading Solai to a 3-4 team in need of a NT for a 2nd or 3rd would be ideal.

I don't agree. I don't have a PFF subscription but didn't they give Odrick a fairly low grade even for his interior pass rush snaps? I seem to remember reading that somewhere. That would certainly match up with what I saw all year, anyway. Odrick often looked totally spent rushing inside, which is understandable given he was playing a position he's not suited for athletically on run downs and trying to make up the difference with pure effort. That takes a toll on even a tremendously fit lineman such as Odrick. The result was we ended up getting like a 75 out of 100 result from a guy who should be giving you like 85 out of a 100.

Starks is stronger, more experienced and a better athlete than Odrick, especially moving laterally (better/more flexible ankles). He also does a much better job getting in lanes and knocking down passes. Odrick is quicker off the snap and more adept and knifing between blocks. He's also got a higher motor. But he flails at times and ends up on the ground more than he should.

I liked Odrick a lot, don't get me wrong. But Starks is the rarer beast. The only downside is that though he's "only" 29 he's been in the league nine years. What's that Indiana Jones quote? It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage? Starks has some serious NFL mileage on him. But... he's also been exceptionally durable for a defensive lineman. In four years here he's only missed one game.

I can't think of a good reason to let him go. Not one. Nor Soliai. You move Odrick inside and you've got one of the most dynamic rotations in the league at one of the most important positions in the game. They need to figure out the LDE and nickel pass rusher position. Maybe the combination of Odrick and Starks being fresher can provide that extra pass rush. I think that's what they were counting on this year but there just wasn't enough of a rotation to keep guys fresh. Odrick in particular seemed to be playing every snap.

[Phinatic8u]

I don't agree. I don't have a PFF subscription but didn't they give Odrick a fairly low grade even for his interior pass rush snaps? I seem to remember reading that somewhere. That would certainly match up with what I saw all year, anyway. Odrick often looked totally spent rushing inside, which is understandable given he was playing a position he's not suited for athletically on run downs and trying to make up the difference with pure effort. That takes a toll on even a tremendously fit lineman such as Odrick. The result was we ended up getting like a 75 out of 100 result from a guy who should be giving you like 85 out of a 100.

Starks is stronger, more experienced and a better athlete than Odrick, especially moving laterally (better/more flexible ankles). He also does a much better job getting in lanes and knocking down passes. Odrick is quicker off the snap and more adept and knifing between blocks. He's also got a higher motor. But he flails at times and ends up on the ground more than he should.

I liked Odrick a lot, don't get me wrong. But Starks is the rarer beast. The only downside is that though he's "only" 29 he's been in the league nine years. What's that Indiana Jones quote? It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage? Starks has some serious NFL mileage on him. But... he's also been exceptionally durable for a defensive lineman. In four years here he's only missed one game.

I can't think of a good reason to let him go. Not one. Nor Soliai. You move Odrick inside and you've got one of the most dynamic rotations in the league at one of the most important positions in the game. They need to figure out the LDE and nickel pass rusher position. Maybe the combination of Odrick and Starks being fresher can provide that extra pass rush. I think that's what they were counting on this year but there just wasn't enough of a rotation to keep guys fresh. Odrick in particular seemed to be playing every snap.

I agree with that, I want Starks back and he's priority #1 in my book. But alot of DLineman can play for a long time, Pat Williams, Vince Wilfork, Casey Heyward, Keith Traylor. I think he's still got 5 or 6 years of good football left.