Defensive line? Big red, Howard, Scruggs

There s clearly a hole at dl, especially against the run if Branch leaves. Argueably Red could move back into Dl, with mebane and have say Bennett and Clemons or Scruggs help stuff the run? On first downs. Or is it that desperate to have a rookie come in at DT. Cant Bryant adapt to the position he was drafted at? And how good is Howard as we barely saw him last year? Scruggs? Will we have a set first and second down unit or even close to it? Should be interesting

Dan Quinn!!!

RichNhansom":8xrzf74d said:

Dan Quinn!!!

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Hell yea!!! Dan Quinn at the 3-Tech would be the shiznit! Plug him in and watch him roll baby!

I'm not sure why people think we have such a huge hole in our run defense. Bennett isn't 300 pounds, but he's no slouch at 274 and from what I'm reading, he grades out pretty well in the run stuffing departiment. I think that just because people consider him a pass rushing DE that they forget that he can also be a DT and quite good in run support as well.

I do agree we are a little short handed and can use another DT to shore up the rotation, but nothing that I'm willing to spend any significant money on if I were the FO

I'm thinking they believe a fat plugger can be found in the middle rounds.

Agree with kid. Radio talk is Bennett is a Jason Jones type and it makes sense that the FO sees him as such
I would still like to see Branch back for obvious running downs and to spell Bennett but with Scruggs and Howard it may not be as critical. Howard also played for Quinn in college and unlike Bradley who's expertise was the secondary, Quinn's specialty is D-line. Why I said Dan Quinn earlier. Hope that helps Ivotuk. (-:

I think we are sitting better than we originally thought, myself included as I was worried about the same thing.

My only concern on this is will Bennett be ok with the three tech spot. 4 or 5 sacks from that position is good production and he is trying to earn a new contract where DE would show better #'s.

kidhawk":27bmskao said:

I'm not sure why people think we have such a huge hole in our run defense. Bennett isn't 300 pounds, but he's no slouch at 274 and from what I'm reading, he grades out pretty well in the run stuffing departiment. I think that just because people consider him a pass rushing DE that they forget that he can also be a DT and quite good in run support as well.

I do agree we are a little short handed and can use another DT to shore up the rotation, but nothing that I'm willing to spend any significant money on if I were the FO

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I know he grades well at DE for run defense, but I imagine at 270ish he probably gives up a lot on run defense while at DT. And considering we spent the two years with an oversized 3 technique in Branch I'd be surprised if Bennett played there on rushing downs.

This draft has a lot of run pluggers, if that's what is needed. Signing Branch should be a priority because he has an excellent track record of success for what we need to maintain. He's a known quantity and that quantity has value to us.

It also really opens up the draft options for us. Not needing to get a specific player to plug a hole gives us significant flexibility. And we've seen that this FO is electric when they are given options.

it would be nice to see jesse williams up front.

nitticanuck":3easg0ev said:

Argueably Red could move back into Dl

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No. If you would have seen him play the DT spot, you would know why he was about to be cut and was like 3rd or 4th on the depth chart.

When they pushed Red over to DE, who did they have playing DE at the time? FREAKING NOBODY. That is why he got the job.

Its time to let Red go, he did what we needed him to do...be a warm body!

It's time the bottom end of the rotation put on some big boy pants and earned a spot. I speculate that the FO will draft a DT in the mid rounds of the draft.

I could see Branch coming back on the cheap, but it's a 1 year solution; I see them wanting to get a bit younger there, although Branch isn't that old.

The Hawks are going to get at least two DL players in the draft. One that can start and one that can spell others. I would like to have seen Branch again because I think he is still very serviceable. Scruggs is another wildcard, I kind of lines what I saw from him and with Mebane/Bryant up front, it will only take one more real run stuffer to handle it.