Objective Opinions on How to Fill Our Holes

[UKRavenStockers]

OK this place has been a haven, only mild chicken little events today at our losses and in comparison to YBR, well it's been a blessing, even so we've got a few positions that'll need filling so here goes:

RT

- Pashos is gone and as ever, there's not a lot available at RT, but there is a bit.

- In the draft there's Levi Brown who with being shown up as not being capable of playing LT could fall to us, it is possible. That said the Chiefs really need help at OT and there were rumours of Jammal Brown falling to us a few years back, he never got close and is now ready to break out as an elite LT next year, so we'll have to wait and see.

- Elsewhere in the draft Joe Staley's being mentioned but I'm not sure I'm sold on him being able to make the immediate impact, but I haven't seen a great deal of him.

- Jon Stinchcomb of the Saints may be an option depending upon his contract demands. The Saints like us spent an awful lot in FA last year and are handicapped to an extent as we are. Stinchcomb has made the open market and was part of a very strong Saints OL this year, I'd like us to take a long look at him.

- I'll go for a third option, Cooper Carlisle. Epitome of the stop gap I think we'll get. Agreed to a contract with us two years or so back and reneged on it so maybe burned bridges there, but the fact that we pursued him shows our FO likes him and could be a potential target this off-season to fill in at RT

OLB

- AD's departure leaves a big Adalius shaped dent in our versatility but I'm not he has to leave a big Adalius sized dent in the quality of our defense, there are still replacements that we can bring in to maintain the quality of this unit and still be the best in the league.

- First looking at the draft. There'll be a couple of options down there and the guy who seems to be showing well in off-season workouts and has a lot of chat about rising into the late 1st is Jon Beason of Miami. Being from Miami you know he's gonna be big an you know he's gonna be able to run. We have to and will go with value at 29 not reach for need, Beason could be that value, but we'll have to wait and see.

- In free agency the top talent has been franchised but even if it wasn't we wouldn't be able to afford it. One option may be Kawika Mitchell of the Chiefs who it was rumoured the Chiefs may look to move outside, but the Panthers have already sent a plane to KC early and that sort of wooing may price us out of the market immediately.

- Looking cheaper, guys like Napoleon Harris and Landon Johnson would be useful though a massive step down. Harris played very well at times this year in Minnesota and at the right price could be a very useful addition to this unit.

DE

- Linked to the loss of Adalius and the loss of versatility, if we're switching full time to a four man front (Suggs rushing the passer on 85% of downs suggests we may be) we need more depth at DE and with guys like Cody the rush off the right side is fine but we really lack a lot behind Trevor Pryce off the left end with stoutness against the run. I do not consider Jarrett Johnson as an option here, really don't rate him and won't be bothered if we don't get him back.

- Looking in the draft I turn straight to round 2 and again to the University of Miami. Baraka Atkins I think could be the ideal guy to play behind Pryce and wait for him to retire/wait for the injury bug to bite again. He's got good speed, good power and good size. He combines this with athleticism and really is the complete package potentially. He suffered from a lack of production down in Coral Gables but I think a lot of this is down to Miami really lacking motivation the last two years and also Atkins attracted a lot of double teams whenever I saw him, sharing a line with Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg will free him up from those double teams and allow him to display his talent to the full which he couldn't do in Miami.

- In FA, again potentially slim pickings, Patrick Kerney is decent but this is his last pay day and I think he'll go where the money is and where he can start, that ain't Baltimore. Other than that, we're looking at Jarrett Johnson again and true true backups so far as I can see.

Any other holes feel free to fill in with your opinions on who we could look at.

[jonboy79]

Not much I can add, btu what do you think of Carriker to fill in at DE, of course if he falls and others(Beason, Brown, etc) do not?

[UKRavenStockers]

Carriker I'd love as a guy to sit behind/spell with Pryce but his workouts have been off the chart and I don't see anyway he doesn't go in the top half of the first.