Way Too Early 2013 Draft/FA Thread: Fixing the Defense

**wickedsolo** · 11-05-2012, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by srobert96

Not as draft knowledgeable as others but I see him being around the 4th give or take based on combine numbers. He shows quickness and good 40 time he may go up. He was injured last year so durability is working against him.

Originally Posted by GOTA

What round should he go in?

Right now the 4th seems like a good assessment. He's kind of built like Art Jones, but a little taller. Like srobert said, he's a good run defender, but he doesn't bring a whole lot to the table as a pass rusher, but I'd be thrilled with him in the 4th or 5th rounds.

**wickedsolo** · 11-05-2012, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

Never happen.

No way Ozzie is going to pick up an LB via FA that wants one last pay day in Freeney. I could see us signing an under the radar kind of player like Conor Barwin though.

As for Dorsey, too many injuries and is a 4-3 linebacker. I don't see us spending money on a guy who'd end up being a situational LB in our scheme.

I'm not quite sure why you'd consider Connor Barwin an "under the radar" player.

IMO, he is likely to be the top 3-4 player available next spring if the Texans don't re-sign him.

**Roland of Gilead** · 11-05-2012, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by srobert96

KLM would be very good rotational player with McPhee. KLM is good against the run and can get solid pressure at times. I am a HUGE ND fan and follow the team very closely.

I am an alumnus and watch all of their games as well. In addition to being a great fit at 3-4 DE Kapron is the hands-down leader of ND's defensive line, one of the top units in the nation. You aren't named a captain of the ND football team for just being a great player. KLM arguably provides just as much leadership to ND's defense as their other famous captain, Manti Te'o. He has put on 75 pounds since arriving in South Bend and plays around 305, bigger than I thought because he carries it well and has surprising mobility. I agree, his strength is playing the run and occupying blockers. So far he has gathered 29 tackles (11 solo), 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 PD, 7 QB hurries through 9 games. His 2011 knee injury could hurt his draft stock but he is also a character guy and a big presence in the locker room, hopefully someone the Ravens would be ready to pounce on in the mid- to late rounds.

**Ravenalytics** · 11-05-2012, 03:46 PM

Chiefs waived Stanford Routt. Any interest?

**Lee Van Cleef** · 11-05-2012, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenalytics

Chiefs waived Stanford Routt. Any interest?

Well he has been pretty awful for them... so no. Not really.

**wickedsolo** · 11-06-2012, 06:16 AM

No interest in Stanford Routt at all. I'd rather see Chykie Brown and/or Asa Jackson out there.

**wickedsolo** · 11-06-2012, 06:23 AM

srobert:

What are your thoughts on Zeke Motta and Zack Martin?

I like Zeke Motta. I think he's pretty underrated. I dont know that I'd spend a high draft pick on him, but as a depth safety/ST's guy I think he could be pretty interesting.

Regarding Zack Martin: I like him a lot too. I think he's a pretty solid left tackle for the Irish, but I don't know that he could play LT in the pros. If the Ravens move KO over to LT then Martin may not be a bad option to compete for LG/RT.

ND has a lot of nice players.

Obviously, I'd LOVE to see Tyler Eiffert on the Ravens squad. I love Pitta, but Eiffert is every bit of the receiver that guys like Gronkowski are. Plus, Eiffert is a good blocker as well. His game reminds me a lot of Jason Witten.

**Iscull** · 11-06-2012, 10:02 AM

Anyone think Kevin Minter will declare? I think he would be a great fit in our 3-4 Defense.

**HoustonRaven** · 11-06-2012, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

I'm not quite sure why you'd consider Connor Barwin an "under the radar" player.

IMO, he is likely to be the top 3-4 player available next spring if the Texans don't re-sign him.

Nobody is really talking about him. But you're probably right. He's going to go quickly and get paid.

**Poester** · 11-06-2012, 02:00 PM

What do you guys think about C.J. Mosley? He's Saban's replacement for for Courtney Upshaw. I can't say the Alabama defense has suffered.

Walterfootball has us using the 27th pick in the draft on him.

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 11-06-2012, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Poester

What do you guys think about C.J. Mosley? He's Saban's replacement for for Courtney Upshaw. I can't say the Alabama defense has suffered.

Walterfootball has us using the 27th pick in the draft on him.

We discussed him earlier in this thread...I am a HUGE fan.

BTW...he is a FAR different player than Upshaw. He was in no way Upshaw's replacement. Upshaw is a OLB/DE and Mosely is an ILB and specializes in pass coverage.

**wickedsolo** · 11-06-2012, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

We discussed him earlier in this thread...I am a HUGE fan.

BTW...he is a FAR different player than Upshaw. He was in no way Upshaw's replacement. Upshaw is a OLB/DE and Mosely is an ILB and specializes in pass coverage.

to the

Mosley, IMO, should be in the top 5 "desired" prospects for Baltimore next year. Great fit for this defense. Completely different type of player than what they currently have at ILB and has exponentially more upside than guys like Ellerbe and McClain.

**leachisabeast** · 11-06-2012, 04:07 PM

Don't understand all the hype around Connor Bawrin here. He's had like two sacks this year, he isn't going to be a huge sought after guy like Mario Williams was. Bawrin will probably be signed to a fair deal somewhere like Indianapolis who are building up their new 3-4 defensive system.

**leachisabeast** · 11-06-2012, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Poester

What do you guys think about C.J. Mosley? He's Saban's replacement for for Courtney Upshaw. I can't say the Alabama defense has suffered.

Walterfootball has us using the 27th pick in the draft on him.

Alabama are running more of a 4-3 scheme this season, and Moseley is playing a mix of ILB and OLB, he is playing a totally different role to what Upshaw played on that defense, Upshaw was a 3-4 OLB/DE as woodlawn pointed out. CJ Moseley is best suited in a 4-3 scheme as either a MLB or probably better placed at strong side LB. He could be a good fit in a 3-4 scheme too, but I think he needs to bulk up a little to play ILB in our defense. Manti Teo is a much better natural fit for us, problem is he's going to be gone somewhere before the 15th pick.

**Lee Van Cleef** · 11-06-2012, 04:16 PM

Yeah, barwin was good last year, but seems to have fallen off this year, especially in the pass rushing department. Not sure why.

**goodandfast** · 11-06-2012, 05:03 PM

Any interest in Stanford Routt?

**wickedsolo** · 11-06-2012, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Don't understand all the hype around Connor Bawrin here. He's had like two sacks this year, he isn't going to be a huge sought after guy like Mario Williams was. Bawrin will probably be signed to a fair deal somewhere like Indianapolis who are building up their new 3-4 defensive system.

Oh, you mean that guy who got nearly $100 million and only has 4 sacks?

Barwin may be having a down year so far, but so is Brooks Reed. They could very easily turn it on the 2nd half of the season. Who knows what is going on? Maybe Barwin isn't 100%, but is still out there like Ngata is here?

I don't think any Ravens fan in their right mind would turn down Connor Barwin to keep Paul Kruger or Albert McClellan.

**leachisabeast** · 11-07-2012, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Oh, you mean that guy who got nearly $100 million and only has 4 sacks?

Barwin may be having a down year so far, but so is Brooks Reed. They could very easily turn it on the 2nd half of the season. Who knows what is going on? Maybe Barwin isn't 100%, but is still out there like Ngata is here?

I don't think any Ravens fan in their right mind would turn down Connor Barwin to keep Paul Kruger or Albert McClellan.

He is a much better player than Kruger in all aspects, but I like Upshaw and want to see him develop as a starter here opposite Suggs and grow into a Lamar Woodley type player. IMO McClellan has a future as a starting ILB not OLB. I would much rather sign a guy like Daryl Smith or Kenny Philips if we're going to sign a big defensive name on defense.

**leachisabeast** · 11-07-2012, 02:56 AM

I said earlier that I really liked Sheldon Richardson, I think he would be a good fit playing 5 technique here as he would probably be our best inside rusher if we drafted him. I was watching ESPN UK the other week and put on the Alabama/Mizzouri game, and wanted to see how Richardson faired against the best offensive line in football, as it is probably the closest measure to how he'd fair in the pro's. I came away very impressed with how much pressure he brings up the middle, and this is against the likes of Warmack, and Jones who are arguably the two best interior lineman prospects this season. He is good in run defense too, he chases the ball carrier down the field and doesn't give up on plays, he is very athletic for a guy his size. McPhee really hasn't been a good replacement for Cory Redding, and we really needed one, so I think this guy could split reps with McPhee and make a suitable replacement, as Arthur Jones just isn't getting it done. If we can get CJ Mosley in the first round, and make moves to get Richardson in the second, that would help fix our main issues on our front 7, it basically leaves us with a void at nose tackle, unless Terrence Cody drastically improves.

Here is some clips of him playing against Bama.

**srobert96** · 11-07-2012, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

srobert:

What are your thoughts on Zeke Motta and Zack Martin?

I like Zeke Motta. I think he's pretty underrated. I dont know that I'd spend a high draft pick on him, but as a depth safety/ST's guy I think he could be pretty interesting.

Regarding Zack Martin: I like him a lot too. I think he's a pretty solid left tackle for the Irish, but I don't know that he could play LT in the pros. If the Ravens move KO over to LT then Martin may not be a bad option to compete for LG/RT.

ND has a lot of nice players.

Obviously, I'd LOVE to see Tyler Eiffert on the Ravens squad. I love Pitta, but Eiffert is every bit of the receiver that guys like Gronkowski are. Plus, Eiffert is a good blocker as well. His game reminds me a lot of Jason Witten.

Martin can definitely play LT in the NFL. He was one of the better LTs in the country last year. He regressed a little bit early this year but has really come on strong. If he comes out this year I am guessing he will be a fringe first rounder. Very athletic. It is up in the air whether he returns for his 4th year or not. he is a RS soph this year with two more years of eligibility. His younger brother will probably be a starter next year and they may want to play together for year.

Motta is probably a late 2nd rounder or early 3rd based on combine. He is a bit bigger than Harrison Smith and not as fast. He is very instinctual and is a big hitter. He plays with reckless abandon. He could definitely play the Bernard Pollard role on the Ravens defense. If he does well at the combine he will go higher.

Eifert is probably a bit more athletic than Witten. He plays a lot of wr for ND. He has great hands and is great at going up and snatching the ball.

Riddick will be a good third down back. He is great catching the ball. Hard Runner but does not have the best vision.

Braxton Cave the center is someone to take a look at with a late pick. Coming back from injury this year and started slow. Has come on of late. One of the stronger guys in all of college football. Should have an impressive Bench at the combine. Not the most athletic guy is the knock.