01-29-2023, 07:19 PM
OK, safety.
While CB has the starters signed for next year (Awuzie, CTB, Hilton) and we would be looking at the draft for depth or a long term replacement for Chido (or short term if he is still injured & Apple gets away), safety has more holes.
Bates and Bell are both FA's. The reserves are either signed (Hill, B. Wilson, Anderson) or should be easy to re-sign for cheap (Thomas) if we want to.
The variables here are what happens in FA and how we feel about D. Hill. If Hill is viewed as ready to step in and start, then it seems pretty straightforward. Let Bates walk (he's the most expensive), let Hill take his place, and try to re-sign Bell. If he gets away, draft a replacement.
But I am not sure Hill is a like for like replacement for Bates. Bates is a deep lying free safety, CF all the way. Hill is a slot corner/safety hybrid who can also play in the box. Which sounds a bit more like Bell. Tagging Bates again and putting Hill in Bell's spot seems unlikely, but it is not crazy.
I know Lou does not want to oose BOTH starting safeties, but it wouldxsave us around $20 mil on the cap. We dradt in a spot where there are good S prospects. Branch is unlikely, but Johnson seemsxa great SS prospect late first.
How FA shakes out will obviously impact things. And across positions. If Hurst/Pratt/Apple seem unwilling to return on reasonable deals, but Bell is......then rolling eith what we have at safety (and maybe tagging Bates again) & shifting draft focus elsewhere will be the play. Whereas if Bell & Bates play hardball & Pratt/Hurst/Apple don't, then we are gonna need a safety starter in the draft.
Hill and Anderson are both gonna be here, for certain. Though I am not sure where we view each guy, FS or SS? Both?
My feeling is that Bell will be back, Bates will walk. Hill will start at FS. Anderson be a backup, likely mostly on ST. And that last spot will be between Thomas, Brandon Wilson, or a day 2-day 3 pick. Thomas is a vet and the ST captain. If Anderson can supplant him on ST, he is likely gone. UNLESS Anderson can backup both S spots. Wilson isxa versatile guy. Led the league in KR a few years back & played some corner in college. He is on the books for $2 mil and has a dead cap number of zero.
While CB has the starters signed for next year (Awuzie, CTB, Hilton) and we would be looking at the draft for depth or a long term replacement for Chido (or short term if he is still injured & Apple gets away), safety has more holes.
Bates and Bell are both FA's. The reserves are either signed (Hill, B. Wilson, Anderson) or should be easy to re-sign for cheap (Thomas) if we want to.
The variables here are what happens in FA and how we feel about D. Hill. If Hill is viewed as ready to step in and start, then it seems pretty straightforward. Let Bates walk (he's the most expensive), let Hill take his place, and try to re-sign Bell. If he gets away, draft a replacement.
But I am not sure Hill is a like for like replacement for Bates. Bates is a deep lying free safety, CF all the way. Hill is a slot corner/safety hybrid who can also play in the box. Which sounds a bit more like Bell. Tagging Bates again and putting Hill in Bell's spot seems unlikely, but it is not crazy.
I know Lou does not want to oose BOTH starting safeties, but it wouldxsave us around $20 mil on the cap. We dradt in a spot where there are good S prospects. Branch is unlikely, but Johnson seemsxa great SS prospect late first.
How FA shakes out will obviously impact things. And across positions. If Hurst/Pratt/Apple seem unwilling to return on reasonable deals, but Bell is......then rolling eith what we have at safety (and maybe tagging Bates again) & shifting draft focus elsewhere will be the play. Whereas if Bell & Bates play hardball & Pratt/Hurst/Apple don't, then we are gonna need a safety starter in the draft.
Hill and Anderson are both gonna be here, for certain. Though I am not sure where we view each guy, FS or SS? Both?
My feeling is that Bell will be back, Bates will walk. Hill will start at FS. Anderson be a backup, likely mostly on ST. And that last spot will be between Thomas, Brandon Wilson, or a day 2-day 3 pick. Thomas is a vet and the ST captain. If Anderson can supplant him on ST, he is likely gone. UNLESS Anderson can backup both S spots. Wilson isxa versatile guy. Led the league in KR a few years back & played some corner in college. He is on the books for $2 mil and has a dead cap number of zero.
