Free Agency:
1. I'm not for retaining Okung at 6 million a year. I feel Mitchell Schwartz would be a much much better 5-6 million spent. He hasn't missed a snap in 4 years in Cleveland while starting at RT every game and he's almost 3 years younger than Okung. A lot of talk out of Cleveland claiming he's good enough to start at LT, but he swung to RT because they have Joe Thomas at LT and he has the physical makeup to move inside if we need him to. I'd also like to see us sign Bradley Sowell on the cheap. I'm curious about a guy who started 12 games his rookie season and then rode the bench for the next two seasons because the Cards brought in Veldheer, arguably one of the best LTs in the league.
2. I think you're a little high on Rubin's value. I put him in at around 4-5 million a year, as well as Mebane. Get Mebane on a 3 year deal and Rubin on a 4 year deal with half guaranteed over the first two to three years of their contracts depending on the length. They're proven, they do their jobs and we know what we get with them. I don't like messing around too much with something that already works and ideas involving letting one of these guys go is messing with what already works. Get Mebane and Rubin Back... Draft a guy or sign a guy that can fill in on a rotational basis that can prove they're capable of taking over for Mebane or Rubin.
3. Covered in 2
4. I don't see us spending big on guys like Mario Williams, Long or Hali. Even at their discount, they're still going to be costly players and I don't see them adding any real production over the likes of Avril, Bennett, Clark and Marsh at DE. It's money wasted on a big name that doesn't get your good value on production. I'm looking at John Simon, Tahir Whitehead, possibly even Junior Galette, as more likely candidates to be brought in. Young and hungry guys that have proven they can play at a high level in the NFL and be had at a serious bargain in comparison to a lot of the other guys in FA like Mario, Long, Hali, Irvin and Perry.
5. Renegotiate Bennett, Baldwin and Chancellor, but renegotiate Graham down off the 9 million dollar salary or release him before beginning negotiations with Bennett, Baldwin and Chancellor. Keeping Graham at 9 million dollars is giving these guys a point of reference for their value to the team. If we want to negotiate them to a fair deal, we have to bring Graham down to a fair deal because these guys are not going to sign anything with us that has any one of them making less than Graham. Graham accounted for 2 TDs last year... Bennett and Kam individually accounted for more points than Graham off turnovers. Baldwin... Baldwin should definitely be getting paid more than Graham.
6. No on Martellus Bennett for one reason... Michael Bennett... From my experience, family relations on a team interfere with team cohesion. It's just the way it is. One family member develops personal opinions of a player on the team and the other family member leans towards that personal opinion because they're inclined to side with family. Never mix family and business. I take issue with this in regards to PC having his kid as an assistant coach too, so I'm not being hypocritical. It just seems to be the nature of the relations. Family effects teamwork negatively more often than not.
7. ZACH LINE!!! Outside of Mitchell Schwartz, this is the other guy in free agency that I think would make a huge impact on our offense. Protection, run blocking, rushing, receiving... He's a player that would drastically improve us at FB with a multi-dimensional player that can do everything. What's more? As a FB, we can likely sign him for around 3-4 million a year vs. spending 4-6 million a year on someone like Bennett or a semi-proven deep threat WR that's not as multi-dimensional. Zach Line and Mitchell Schwartz should be our high priority targets in free agency.
The Draft: It's really too hard to say... With the number of quality DTs in the draft, I'd have a hard time pulling the trigger on a DT in the 1st round. Jaylon Smith is really the only player I'd pull the trigger on at #26, otherwise I'd trade down and try to pick up a 3rd or 4th depending on where you trade down to. A lot of people will say Decker, but IMHO, Coleman looks better suited to play LT in the NFL. I just don't see the drop off in talent between Decker and Coleman or a few of the guys projected to go later in the draft, like Fahn Cooper. Cooper actually really impresses me and I think he could be getting overlooked simply because he played RT last year, instead of LT. Nevermind the fact that the best OT in the draft was playing LT opposite of him.
I don't see us drafting a RB until late on the 2nd day or the 3rd day of the draft, unless someone like Kenneth Dixon slides to us in the 3rd or 4th. I don't see Perkins sliding to us in the 4th either. He's projected 2nd or 3rd round. Fackrell could definitely be an option for us in the 2nd round if we miss on Jaylon Smith in the 1st round, but if we hit on Jaylon Smith; I'm thinking we go O-Line in the 2nd. I'm pretty much locked on Tyler Higbee in the 3rd, even if we have to trade up a little for him. If Higbee played for an SEC school or a Big 12 School, he'd be drawing comparisons with Hunter Henry. Watched Higbee play and he can do it all. I think he's more deserving of the Jason Witten comparisons than Hunter Henry is when I compare how they play the game.
Last, but not least... A 7th round pick needs to be reserved for Keith Marshall out of Georgia if he's not taken before then, though I have a very sneaking suspicion that the Rams could target him in the 5th or 6th with a little insight coming from his running mate. I also really like Cajuste... Best run blocking receiver in the draft and the way he pulls away and adjusts for the ball downfield is impressive. I think he'd be the best fit for our receiving corp. Gives us a different dimension to work with and he helps out in the ground game. As for DB, Worley in the 4th if at all possible. Gives us insurance on Lane if he can't stay healthy, possibly even someone that might unseat Lane at RCB.