Should we... or should we not???

Should the US have gone into war? Should the Pistons have drafted Darko? Should Barry have retired? Crap doesn't always happen the way it should.

 

Well I don't know about you but my crap always happens the same way.

 

Um...

You need a third option...as in...for the right price I'd sign him but if he wants crazy money - NO.

If he stays under $13mil/yr we can and should sign him...preferably to a contract slightly higher than Jared Allen's...say another 2mil on top and another 2 mil guaranteed. Also, we can save ourselves some headache on the back end by boosting his salary in the uncapped yr (30%). We can not only afford to make him the highest paid defensive player in the league, but we can have the uncapped year help us!

I would NOT sign him if he wants over 13mil! However, if we don't sign him, we need to sign someone(s) and make use of that money to keep as much talent on the field as we had last year!

Gut

 

I'm torn, but there's too much risk. He's a huge investment. Will he still play with the same intensity? If he does, will he stay on the field as much? If he hadn't had those incentives to get this year, I'd bet he would have missed at least one or two more games with his concussion early in the season. That also doesn't bode well for the future. He's clearly got some psychological/personality issues, and I'm not confident that they won't bother him further. I'm glad that he handled his anger issues the way that he did after the fact, but his continued traffic issues are a worry for me. I also feel like we're less likely to sign him after his numerous media statements. The guy doesn't know when to shut up, even when it's for his own good.

I could be happy keeping him, but if I were making the call, I don't think I'm pull the trigger. I also don't think that he's going to sign any sort of reasonable contract.

 

Actually this is exactly the opposite argument I have. If Allen were the guy we were trying to sign I'd say SIGN THE GUY! No doubt about it. The reasoning is simple. Allen is one of if not the best DEs in the league. He is a great pass rusher and also plays the run well. We need to keep the perspective that AH is a DT and like it or not DTs are simply not as valuable as DEs.

I'm not sure the analogy fits perfectly but IMO it is almost like comparing a stud RT to a stud LT. I would hesitate on selling the farm to keep a stud RT but wouldn't hesitate on a stud LT. The position is more important and harder to replace. Same with DTs compared to DEs.

Obviously AH is an exceptional DT and he makes the guys around him better. Obviously AH is worth a boat load of money but certainly the Titans have a figure in mind they are willing to pay AH and anything above that amount the FO is going to let him go.

 

Huh?!?!?!?

You might notice a DT that can't be single blocked lined up over OC or in the A gap causes huge problems for teams trying to run...especially if they have fast OLB's. The DT forces double teams which keeps other DL single blocked and makes it hard to get an OG or OC to chip on the MLB...hard to run inside. Similarly hard to run outside as you have a harder time pulling an OG to that DT's side, most OC's can't pull so you can't get extra blockers to overwhelm the edge and can't slow down the MLB either. So a dominant DT can make your entire run game difficult. This is why so many of the good 3-4 team have a dominant NT. It is now hard to run inside and they have 2 ILB's to chase and fast OLB's. Take a look at how the Chargers, Steelers and Ravens D's were built. They don't all have the same personel, but they all have a dominant NT which dictates to offenses.

Jared Allen is an excellent DE, but outside of giving your LT some help with him vs the pass and making sure your QB follows his fundamentals (stepping up in the pocket and get the ball off on time), there is less worry and less strategy being changed. Of course, this game is built around passing more than running these days so a great pass rushing DE is VERY valueable, but AH is also a great pass rusher and needs 2 blockers. Even more importantly...HE'S the reason the QB CAN'T step up in the pocket. AH is not only dominant, but rare in that he's great against the run AND rushing the passer! A Jared Allen does his job and does it well versus the run, but he's not gonna change your blocking scheme nor your playcalling.

In the NFL world, a dominant DT and a dominant pass rushing DE are likely to get paid about the same. You might notice that AH is considered the best FA which will likely include Julius Peppers - to further the point.

Gut

 

Obviously he is not a Haynesworth caliber player, yet, and he most likely will not become a player of AH's caliber. I was impressed enough from our D's performance in the Pitt game to let AH walk. With the right FA and draft classes our defense can and hopefully will not miss a beat from this year to next.

 

I'm not entirely comfortable on Jones and Brown starting.

 

also, you have to think about the new defensive coordinator...how will he effect these players? I don't know how the players viewed Schwartz but Cecil seems like a madman, but does that translate into a good coach? We'll see...

 

Agreed...

The MAJOR problem with having Jones and Brown at both DT spots is that they are the same type of player. Both are undersized but very quick and good at penetrating. Problem is, they aren't good vs a double team against the running game. Right now you'd think that if we went without AH right now, we'd see Brown and Vickerson start with Jones coming in on passing downs to rush the passer.

Another very important thing often overlooked is that the Steelers OL was pretty bad this year. Our main obstacles in the AFC are the Steelers, Pats, Colts...are we just gonna HOPE that the Pats and Colts get knocked off by someone else?

The Colts and Pats have good OL's and Brady will be back! AH goes a long way to helping us beat those teams!

Gut