bourbonboy

I think that DE play has a lot to do with the DT play - if we get some production from our DE's, this will help take some load off the DT's and make them that much better. Schobel's health is critical.

Nice enthusiasm - a few others on this board could use a little of that.....

Blogs?? Bellicheck don't need no stinking blogs!!! He'll have plenty of his own film....

Exactly - and Young was a Shanahan holdover that maybe doesn't fit the new system as well, or is viewed as too injury-prone, etc. Besides - they have Orton now, so they will not need a running game!

The fact that NE has not had a dominant TE in a while (i.e. a TE putting up big numbers), IMHO, is as much the system as the talent of the TE's. When you have Welker and Moss catching as many balls as they do, add in WR#3 of the moment and their frequent use of RB's making catches out of the backfield, there is no room for Witten/Gonzalez/Gates type numbers from the TE position. Not even NE can produce dominant numbers at every skill position.

Baltimore got an A grade - The Ravens landed starting defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in the first round and he is one of the dominant players at his position. What could have, and should have, been!

The offensive personnel is only part of what's needed for the no huddle - you also have to be able to trust your own defense. If our D can't get off the field and is giving up long drives, we can't go no huddle because a quick out results in putting our D back on the field too soon. If we can get a decent pass rush and start forcing some 3 and outs ourselves, that's where the no huddle becomes a serious weapon. I also love our offensive personnel for the no huddle, but strange as it may sound, I don't know if our D will be good enough for us to go no huddle often. D is the biggest question mark.

All NFL players may have been good in high school, but not many are that good! Great post - the guy sounds like a total athlete, which is something that can't be taught.

On paper, this team is better....on the field, this team will likely be better, IMHO....but I don't know if this translates into a better W-L record. This years schedule is much tougher. I think this team playing last years schedule finishes with a record above .500.

Exactly - I liked him in his previous stint, he can bring experience at the position to help the younger guys, and his versatility would be great in a 2-TE alignment.... I'd also take him back if he could be had cheaply. Let's face it - TE play was not the Lions biggest problem last year.

Even before this Broncos rumor came out, I had commented a while ago on how I thought Denver was potentially a good place for JP...if he were to somehow get on the field and connect on a few long bombs to Marshall and/or Royal, his potential would tease them there the same way it did to us here. Except that he'd have a better offense around him.....

Baltimore was also a possible landing spot for Pettigrew before us....I'm happy the way things worked out here!

I was just about to bring this up in the OLB thread.....if he could be had cheap (and that's a big if), he might not be a bad option to platoon with Ellison and/or Bowen. And in a platoon, maybe he stays healthy and productive.

And the Broncos still didn't make the playoffs..... I think we have the potential to be much better, but we gotta be lucky too - rookies have to shine, we need a few bounces to go our way at critical times, we gotta stay healthy (big one here!), hope the schedule doesn't play out as tough as it looks, etc.

His pay is the bottom line - there is a place and a role for him to fill, but nobody in that role should be making the $$ that he is. That's the reason there is no trade interest - other teams may be interested in Kelsay, but they are not interested in his current contract. If he was making very little money, it would be much easier to move him.

Besides, Foote has said that he wants to play for the Lions....the guy is not mentally all there!

Aside from the OL, the other key here is the defense.....if the defense gels and the coaches are confident that we can get the ball back quickly (which didn't always happen last year, especially late in games), then we'll see the offense go uptempo/no-huddle more to try and take advantage of the weapons we have.

The only thing not mentioned here is salary....how much is McKelvin making vs what Greer was offered and we would have needed to match (plus paid another top-15 draft pick)? And what if we can't keep McGee next year - then how much more is McKelvins return abilities worth? It's not so black and white...

Maybe they're hoping one of these guys can stick and be a cheaper version of Florence, and anyone else they're interested in can probably be signed as an undrafted FA anyway. Still don't like it, doesn't make sense, but that's the only thing I can think of at the moment....

Exactly...the only bright side is that anyone else they're still interested in can probably be signed as an UFA.

I think this pick was made just to mess with this board....

Agree - even if Byrd goes to safety, I'd much rather had Cook or Beatty....

Total waste of a 2nd round pick....if I had a dog, I'd be kicking him, and I love dogs, so I'm glad I don't! too bad I don't own a cat....

I hate this pick worse than my current wife, the IRS, unions, Obama and stale beer COMBINED.

I was flexible....Beatty or Cook woulda been fine....but CB???? COME ON!!! This was NOT our day #1 need! I'm pissed!!!