(04-22-2018, 11:36 AM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(04-21-2018, 02:23 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: Can we afford to lose Dareus? Look at how our run defense completely turned around once we picked him up. He fit like a glove. What if we let him leave and we strike out on drafting a NT to replace him. Do you really wanna go back to the run defense being a major weakness? Age or not, Campbell may have been our best defensive player in 2017. He had a career year and allowed Yannick to thrive as well. I certainly don't wanna get rid of him. That's not even an option in my eyes. I am not a fan of Smoot. IMO, that would be a huge downgrade. 

I don't wanna have to deal Fowler either, but it's time to pay the piper and I absolutely do not want to get rid of any of our defensive starters on the D-Line, linebacker or CB. I refuse to even allow that to be an option right now in my mind. Given the future cap situation, we have to make a decision. You simply don't just cut major contributing defensive veterans and replace them in the draft. You don't always find their replacements right away. Sometimes you strike out and end up worse off. Our defense is what carried us last season. As long as we have a QB who can't carry the team on his back, we need to have a top defense and that means keeping our starters as long as possible.

If you read my post a bit more thoroughly, I'm not advocating some return to a poor run defense as you suggest. I'm stating that the 2018 season may make moving on from either Dareus or Campbell more palatable if Dareus regresses or Campbell begins to show age. Beyond that - I also suggested going all in on a premier DT prospect on the 2019 draft. 
And this is not a personal slight or anything like that at all -  but you don't know jack squat about Dawuane Smoot yet. None of us do.  He may turn out to be at best a small drop off from Campbell - or at worst a nice rotation piece coupled with a high draft pick. 
Again - let's analyze this after another year of football. These decisions often have a way of becoming easier via player development, regression, or even injury (heaven forbid). Fowler could also make the decision easier by doing something stupid off the field again and incur suspension. 

No one wants to break up the line we have now, but if Fowler continues to improve (as he has done pretty steadily thus far) and Campbell starts to fade or Dareus reverts to his alleged lack of motivation/effort, you keep the ascending player and move on from the one declining. Replacing veterans with draft picks just has to happen fairly regularly to maintain a healthy cap.  Even if the vet has a couple of good years left. 

Another potential way to clear some money for keeping Fowler and the other 2nd contract players is to draft a stud FS this year or next. Gipson has a $9 million cap hit in 2019. Releasing him would clear 7.4 mil.  I thought Gip had an outstanding 2017 season and I don't want to move on from him either, at some point you need some more young players performing on a cheap rookie deal. We can't have 9 of our 11 starting defenders playing on big second (or third) contracts. It's not sustainable.

What if Campbell and Dareus continue to shine? What then? I can see moving on from Gipson. I have acknowledged that, but Nkokoue and Jack will be looking for extensions as well. To me, the easiest fix is finding a way to draft Mason Rudolph, so we can wipe Bortles' salary from the book in 2019 that would save a ton of money.

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(04-22-2018, 11:47 AM)JaG4LyFe Wrote: What if we traded 29, 2019 first and Fowler for the 5th pick?

I'd do it in a heartbeat.

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(04-22-2018, 11:53 AM)JNev Wrote:

(04-22-2018, 11:47 AM)JaG4LyFe Wrote: What if we traded 29, 2019 first and Fowler for the 5th pick?

To take who? Nelson? Rosen? Mayfield? If the draft goes Darnold, Rosen, Mayfield, Nelson then what do we do? Please don't say Josh Allen...

No to Josh Allen. I think one of those QB's falls to #5 and if they don't, we trade back down and possibly add a 2019 first round pick with some team that does want Allen.

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