03-06-2024, 01:25 PM
(03-06-2024, 01:03 PM)casear2727 Wrote: So you are benching Hilton? Or playing Dax only in dime coverage?
I cannot speak for others, but Hill would not start in my scenario.
CB: CTB, Turner, Hilton.
S: Battle + vet FS.
We still need another boundary corner (Lou says you need 3 and we have 2), and that player will take some dime snaps. But primarily Hill would be DB6 in big dime or sub in for Pratt or Wilson to effectively be a LB vs pass happy teams. Wilson & Pratt played like 90% of the snaps each last year, that number needs to come down some. Especially on 3rd down & long/medium.
Now, I'd still want Dax to play some FS. That is where I want him eventually. If we get into a blowout/game over situation, I give him reps back there and rest my vet.
I do not think we spend BIG on a vet S. McKinney or Adams or CGJ are not coming. But we might go next tier, depending on how FA goes & how much $$ we have left.
If you assume RT at #18, & therefore no big FA $$ at OT (big IF), plug in $17-$25 mil at DT (Williams or Wilkins) + Reader, say $25-$33 mil total. That would leave between $11-$19 mil to go shopping to plug holes at FS, CB4, TE, & WR3. If you assume Scott is cut, $13-$21. If we can fill 2 of those holes in FA, then we can go RT + the other 2 with our first 3 picks. Day 3 would be P, another nose, IOL depth, RB, LB, +1.
That is my basic scheme for FA. It gives up the ghost on drafting Bowers, but other than that I like it. Now, if you think you can fill a hole Rd4, or if you think Williams vs Wilkins is a wash, or you let Reader walk, and/or we generate more space through some cuts/restructures, then maybe Onwenu is in play.
Best case: Williams for $17 Y1, Reader in Y1 for $5, Onwenu for $17 Y1 would be $39 mil. We'd have $5 mil for a vet S, $7 if you cut Scott. That is kinda wildly optimistic, and closer to the cap than we usually tread. I think we'd need some cuts/restructures. Wilkins/Jones makes it virtually impossible. A high quality G (Hunt, Risner, etc) might be cheaper than Onwenu. But that locks us into OT at 18. No Bowers.
Now, say we go: DT, Reader, vet S, Eluemunor in FA. I think we can JUST afford it. That opens up Bowers at #18. I cannot stress how unlikely I think that is. But we could also then trade back & be more comfortable with Mims/Guyton easing in, and get an extra Day 2 pick if Fuaga/Latham are gone.
For me, I prioritize the elite/near elite DT (Jones, Wilkins, Williams) + elite run stopper (Reader) and the vet S in FA. My starting playoff D is locked in and improved.
I still need RT, TE1, WR3, and CB4. If I can generate enough to get a serious (Onwenu, Smith) or moderate (Brown, Eluemunor) RT fix I think hard on it. Or a G upgrade. The OT, WR, CB classes are excellent. TE decent at Rd3 (Stover, Sinnott, Johnson).
