Lets remember we also get back Vickerson

[LegionOfVonDoom]

and he was the starter last year at DT before he got hurt. TY warren I don't trust too stay healthy, but if he is I believe he can be serviceable. So yes we need more DT, but I am not as worried as others. I feel we will draft 1 or 2 DT in this draft early and hope they develop fast.

[Atwnbroncfan]

and he was the starter last year at DT before he got hurt. TY warren I don't trust too stay healthy, but if he is I believe he can be serviceable. So yes we need more DT, but I am not as worried as others. I feel we will draft 1 or 2 DT in this draft early and hope they develop fast.

Vickerson will be the pass rushing type in the 4-3. Look foward to seeing how he does.

[LegionOfVonDoom]

Vickerson will be the pass rushing type in the 4-3. Look foward to seeing how he does.

yeah me 2. so if we can get a run stuffer we should be okay. Maybe Warren who knows. I know he looked bad last in TC but that was with 1 year off, not sure what 2 years off will do to him.

[jonathanrivers]

All the folks worried about DT...pshhhh...

We're gonna be in a 4-3 defense. Can you name the Saints DT's right off the top of your head (even if you can, do they really contribute that much?). What about the Colts in 2007? The Giants?

Exactly. Scoring points and rushing the passer is the name of the game these days. Sure, you want guys that can stop McFadden and Matthews, but it's not a prime concern anymore. The game has changed.

It seems as though EFX realize this. And I trust their opinion.

That said, I think Vickerson would make an adequate rotational 3-tech.

[famicommander]

I don't think we can count on getting anything from Ty Warren. If he shows up at 60% of what he was when he was last healthy I'll consider it a major plus.

But if Vickerson is ready to go and we re-sign Thomas I would definitely worry a lot less about the DT position.

[LegionOfVonDoom]

All the folks worried about DT...pshhhh...

We're gonna be in a 4-3 defense. Can you name the Saints DT's right off the top of your head (even if you can, do they really contribute that much?). What about the Colts in 2007? The Giants?

Exactly. Scoring points and rushing the passer is the name of the game these days. Sure, you want guys that can stop McFadden and Matthews, but it's not a prime concern anymore. The game has changed.

LOL. Bunkley

I agree we will be fine. I do see us drafting 2 DT though.

[LegionOfVonDoom]

I don't think we can count on getting anything from Ty Warren. If he shows up at 60% of what he was when he was last healthy I'll consider it a major plus.

But if Vickerson is ready to go and we re-sign Thomas I would definitely worry a lot less about the DT position.

Brandon Spano Show ‏ @BrandonSpano

Hunters deal should be done soon, I talked to him today. Thomas I'm not sure RT @kyle_tizer: Any update on Marcus Thomas or Jason Hunter?

I think Thomas can be replaced through Draft. wouldnt be upset if he signed though as depth.

[JayJack]

All the folks worried about DT...pshhhh...

We're gonna be in a 4-3 defense. Can you name the Saints DT's right off the top of your head (even if you can, do they really contribute that much?). What about the Colts in 2007? The Giants?

Exactly. Scoring points and rushing the passer is the name of the game these days. Sure, you want guys that can stop McFadden and Matthews, but it's not a prime concern anymore. The game has changed.

It seems as though EFX realize this. And I trust their opinion.

That said, I think Vickerson would make an adequate rotational 3-tech.

Just because the Saints, Colts, and Giants didn't have dominate DTs doesn't mean that we should ignore the importance of both run stopping DTs and pass rushing DTs. We should be striving to have a well rounded team. The last thing we need is a team to get up on us by 14pts and start imposing their will on us in the run game.

IMO, the goal should be stopping the run without blitzing, and rushing the passer without blitzing. In order to do this, we need to put together a front 4 that can do that. I'm a fan of the Giants "Nascar" package just as much as the next man, but all that tells me is that they don't have pass rushing DTs, which IMO, is a bad thing.

Vickerson and Warren both are coming off of injuries. The last thing I wanna do is put my trust in them as starters and/or solid contributers. We've addressed WR, TE, Safety, and CB in Free Agency. This is the year that we need to start focusing on the D-line and O-line.

[one5beast]

All the folks worried about DT...pshhhh...

We're gonna be in a 4-3 defense. Can you name the Saints DT's right off the top of your head (even if you can, do they really contribute that much?). What about the Colts in 2007? The Giants?

Exactly. Scoring points and rushing the passer is the name of the game these days. Sure, you want guys that can stop McFadden and Matthews, but it's not a prime concern anymore. The game has changed.

It seems as though EFX realize this. And I trust their opinion.

That said, I think Vickerson would make an adequate rotational 3-tech.

I can name some.
Saints: Sedrick Ellis I remember him from USC. The year they won SB Anthony Hargrove
Colts: I honestly don't know.
Giants: Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty.

[jonathanrivers]

Just because the Saints, Colts, and Giants didn't have dominate DTs doesn't mean that we should ignore the importance of both run stopping DTs and pass rushing DTs. We should be striving to have a well rounded team. The last thing we need is a team to get up on us by 14pts and start imposing their will on us in the run game.

IMO, the goal should be stopping the run without blitzing, and rushing the passer without blitzing. In order to do this, we need to put together a front 4 that can do that. I'm a fan of the Giants "Nascar" package just as much as the next man, but all that tells me is that they don't have pass rushing DTs, which IMO, is a bad thing.

Vickerson and Warren both are coming off of injuries. The last thing I wanna do is put my trust in them as starters and/or solid contributers. We've addressed WR, TE, Safety, and CB in Free Agency. This is the year that we need to start focusing on the D-line and O-line.

I acknowlege/understand you perspective. And I agree that having a solid defensive front is of great importance. I just think that in terms of a 4-3 defense, that reality takes a lot of effort to achieve relative to the ultimate benefit involved. I think recent history also indicates that there is no clear advantage (in terms of Super Bowls) for teams who have "balanced" defensive fronts.

That said, and perhaps I should have included this in my original post, I really really really trust that Fox and Del Rio know exactly what they are doing. Which may be cause for my dismissal of all the hysteria over our lack of action in that regard at this point.

I'd bet anything that this year's D will be better than next year's. Team's with good offenses are allowed to attack. Can you imagine how much better our defense's number would have been this year if we had EVER had a lead? It's like night and day.

[jonathanrivers]

I can name some.
Saints: Sedrick Ellis I remember him from USC. The year they won SB Anthony Hargrove
Colts: I honestly don't know.
Giants: Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty.

Kudos to you for knowing that.

But I think it's safe to say that Ellis, Bernard and Canty aren't elite players at their positions. Solid, but not elite.

[Cyrend]

All the folks worried about DT...pshhhh...

We're gonna be in a 4-3 defense. Can you name the Saints DT's right off the top of your head (even if you can, do they really contribute that much?). What about the Colts in 2007? The Giants?

Exactly. Scoring points and rushing the passer is the name of the game these days. Sure, you want guys that can stop McFadden and Matthews, but it's not a prime concern anymore. The game has changed.

It seems as though EFX realize this. And I trust their opinion.

That said, I think Vickerson would make an adequate rotational 3-tech.

There's two reasons why this theory is bunk.

A) Towards the end of the year last year, particularly in the games vs the Pats, the lack of inside push was nonexistant. Because of this, everytime Von and Doom came around the ends, Brady would step up and have sickening amounts of time. Play after play after play. That will happen all next year unless we have someone in the middle who can rush.

B) Do you remember the past 5 years of Broncos football? Do you remember how bad our run D was having no name DT's? It was horrific. I don't want to do back to that. Those days still haunt me. Forget about pash rush. Teams didn't have to throw the ball more than 10 times to beat us because they pulled 5-20 yards a run.

[japfaff]

Oh yeah we do have Vickerson.........Yeah doesnt make me feel any better about that position.......TY warren, Isnt he hurt already?

[arapaho]

All the folks worried about DT...pshhhh...

We're gonna be in a 4-3 defense. Can you name the Saints DT's right off the top of your head (even if you can, do they really contribute that much?). What about the Colts in 2007? The Giants?

Exactly. Scoring points and rushing the passer is the name of the game these days. Sure, you want guys that can stop McFadden and Matthews, but it's not a prime concern anymore. The game has changed.

It seems as though EFX realize this. And I trust their opinion.

That said, I think Vickerson would make an adequate rotational 3-tech.

for anybody not to consider a DT a team priority is stupid....we have been ignoring the position for years and useing midlevel players

you use the saints as an example.....do you realize when they won the superbowl they held kurt warners to 14 points.....brett farve to 28...and peyton manning to 17

2010 the saints d allowed 41 points and they lost the wildcard
2011 they allowed 36 to the 49rs..and lost the divisional game

YOU CANT ALWAYS OUTSCORE EVERYONE ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAD A GOOD DEFENSE!!!!

and you cant rely on the edge rushers to get to the qb ...IF ALL HE HAS TO DO IS STEP UP IN THE POCKET because your weak DTs get pushed back!!

stoppping mcfaden is not a concern anymore?....is that something you decided before or after the raiders put up 59 and coulda easily been 79 if they didnt play the bench..in 2010...remember 328 yards rushing...4 rushing tds???...do you?

do you remember the chiefrs destroying us in 09 with a chance to go to the post....when we allowed charles a career high 259 yards rushing?

geting to the qb and stopping the run is still crucial...and its hard to do with below average talent at DT

[jonathanrivers]

I guess everyone missed the part where (and I qualified this), our offense should be the best its been in years. A great offense means that teams don't have the opportunity to run on you as much.

And some of you are using examples from when we ran the 3-4 not the 4-3. We failed so miserably there because we didn't have a true nose tackle. Not to mention our Ted linebacker and strong side OLB were below average.

I still stand by the core tenant of my post, which was that if EFX aren't freaking out about it, we shouldn't be. I would imagine they have a plan if they thought it was hampering our contention for a SB. Pretty simple, really.

I get that we've neglected DT for years. But there are other teams who don't have standout DT's that are just as successful if recent history is of any indication. Flame on.