(11-30-2023, 10:55 AM)flgatorsandjags Wrote: [ -> ] (11-29-2023, 02:01 PM)NYC4jags Wrote: [ -> ]You can never have enough pass rushers they say, and I think they are correct.
We did just spend capital on Abdullah - so we gotta hope that turns into value - but adding another guy (a bigger one preferably) to develop that way would make sense.
The urgency of a quality IDL disruptor will largely hinge upon what happens when Hamilton is finally conditioned and strong enough to play near his former ability pre-illness. If he lines up after our wildcard week bye and starts compressing the pocket consistently - they can spend less and look for someone to rotate in more effectively than the current second tier DTs on the roster. But if a DT/NT with big upside falls in their lap - they have to consider it regardless. I don't think it is a position they have the luxury of addressing in free agency because of all the guys requiring new deals who are vital to our current roster.
We drafted Lacey as well when talking about DT or interior pass rush being a need. I believe they drafted him to develop into what we need there as a 3/4 DE or DT in the 4-3. I'm saying if a edge pass rusher is there at the top of our board when we pick in the 1st I think they have to look at that and it would be a good pick to add another guy there. Hopefully Abdulla does improve and can be a bigger part of the rotation. Regardless if Hamilton comes back or not shouldn't change our draft. He isn't the pass rush DT we need imo. He has 4.5 sacks in 3 years and is more of a space eating NT that can give you some pass rush at times. We still need to add more of a pass rusher there imo
Hopefully Lacy can turn into what we have needed for years but you can't count on it
Lacy is similar to Abdullah - mid round pick with "rotational guy" being a more likely ceiling than taking over a starting spot or primary role. I'd love to be wrong about either of those guys or both, but we'll see.
I know you haven't agreed with this in the past for some reason, but the facts are that they use Fatukasi as a space eater more than Hamilton - and actually ask Hamilton to disrupt pockets pretty often.
Yes, he's the only other real NT type so they need him to eat space at times too, but they use him differently than Foley when both are available.
He had a pass rush grade of 76.1 last year that was higher than his run defense grade and interestingly higher than nearly all of his DL/OLB teammates. He generated 31 pressures on the QB last year while usually playing fewer than 50% of the snaps.
That's a decent pressure rate for a big IDL. Not outstanding, but good, which sort of aligns with the deal they gave him.
In only 4 of 17 games last year did he play beyond 60% of the snaps - and if you look at the game logs and injury reports - he only played these "high" snap numbers in games when we faced a ton of passing, or Foley was banged up so they didn't have their run set NT available. This is because they use Ham. vs the pass more than the run.
We have absolutely missed him this year in 5 or 6 games when opposing QBs had really clean pockets to operate from too often.
In many passing downs those games would have seen D-Ham and RRH on the field simultaneously and that's our best IDL pressure combo when both are healthy.
But if his health is a question mark in the offseason and we can do better than what he's giving us... An IDL disruptor should be an option on the table.
My primary concern with D-Ham is whether or not he is going to bounce back from this infection and subsequent loss of weight and conditioning properly.
Those 290 pound + guys walk a very fine line between holding weight and staying conditioned and athletic. He may need some time, and he may not return to that 2022 form that was supposed to only be the beginning for him. I hope we see something good from him by week 18 but this is a big setback.
