Do we need more 3-4 defensive ends?

[MTC]

I've seen a lot of mock drafts projecting us getting Datone Jones (UCLA) and Margus Hunt (SMU). Though I believe those two are good players we have plenty of depth at the position. We have our two starters in Cory Redding and Ricky Jean-Francois. For depth, Drake Nevis, Ricardo Matthews, Fili Moala. That's five already.  I just don't see the need getting a 3-4 defensive end in the early rounds because we have a lot of depth players.

 

Thoughts?

[NewEra]

Unless the pick is an upgrade over our current de's or nt's I think our line is looking decent.

[BOTT]

Redding is getting up there in age, so finding his replacement would be wise IMO

[HtownColt]

We need a dynamic one, somebody who is going to be a game changer along the defensive front

[dgambill]

Yes! Redding is ancient and had issues staying on the field last year and you saw how we fell off with him out. Francois hasn't even been a starter yet so while I love the pick up he is not a proven commodity. The rest are decent backups. To me DE is where we go at 24 in all likelyhood because that position has the most likely chance of bpa when we pick. Pass rush doesn't have to exclusively mean they come from the outside! Watt, Sapp, Reggie White, Bruce Smith are/were all interior linemen that can wreck a passing game. 

[Nobody]

Need? No. RJF and Redding with Nevis and Moala backing them up is enough. If we really like someone then I'm fine taking one.

[CjMcGirt23]

Their mocking us those players because we need pass rush regardless of position not because we need a 3-4 DE. Pass rushers are so hard to find, it doesn't matter what position in your front seven they'd play, you take them. They always say in a draft, take your pass rushers early because they're gonna go fast.

[cbear]

I would hope the BPA is not a DE at #24 because I do think it is not a position of great need.  Ideally, the BPA will be an OL, OLB, CB, WR, DE, NT in that order! 

[HtownColt]

That can be said about a lot of positions. One can say why we need another corner when we have Vontae, Toler, Butler, Gordy, Vaughn but people still want Rhodes or Trufant.

People want another receiver when we have Wayne, Hilton, DHB, Brazill, Whalen but people want Hopkins, Allen, Woods, Hunter, Patterson.

OLB same way, we have Mathis, Walden, Hughes, Sidbury, Hickman etc but people still want to add Jarvis, Werner, Moore, Carrandine etc

You might have depth there but you still want to look for that dynamic game changer at that position. And that's what the people who mock Datone Jones to us feel is what he would bring to the table if he was to come to Indy

[Colts_Fan12]

If we can't get an RG I wouldn't mind getting a DE to replace redding he is getting older

[TKnight24]

Needs (In the order of urgency)

RG

DE

OLB

CB

BPA

EDIT: Yes, I put DL & OLB before CB. Why? Because a good pass rush, leads to a BETTER secondary

[Colts_Fan12]

Needs (In the order of urgency)

RG

DE

OLB

CB

BPA

EDIT: Yes, I put DL & OLB before CB. Why? Because a good pass rush, leads to a BETTER secondary

Plus we have toler and Davis and butler isn't bad and we can get a CB late that will be better then Vaughn

[dgambill]

We have to understand that Redding is getting up there in years, Mathis is as well, Bethea is in the last year of his contract, Davis is as well. We may have starters on defense but will they be starters in 2014? It is always nice to have flexibility and negotiate from a position of power than feel hamstringed into bringing someone back or trying to ride a horse till it drops because we have no one to step in. (ie Freeney 2012 for 19 mil) If we get an elite DE perhaps we can cut Redding next year....we can rotate the DL. Perhaps if we get an OLB we can cut Mathis or Walden if they don't produce. If we get a safety perhaps we don't have to pay Bethea over 5 mil a season like he is making this year...perhaps we don't feel hamstrung to retain Davis (although that second rd pick we gave up likely indicates our desire to keep him) or we don't have to keep Toler if he doesn't work out. We don't have to have any one of these positions...we don't have to go OG. We take the best player available because he can be a difference maker and will make the team better and we figure out what to do with the pieces later. If bpa is DE....take him!

[TKnight24]

Plus we have toler and Davis and butler isn't bad and we can get a CB late that will be better then Vaughn

Exactly. And if we get real desperate, we can go to a HS and take a CB from there. They'll do better than Vaughn

[Colts_Fan12]

Exactly. And if we get real desperate, we can go to a HS and take a CB from there. They'll do better than Vaughn

that's true I'm just hoping for cooper but most think he is gone so ill go DE or OLB then hopefully winters in the 3rd

[TKnight24]

that's true I'm just hoping for cooper but most think he is gone so ill go DE or OLB then hopefully winters in the 3rd

Grigson is gonna be a cheat code for us this week. Ex lineman with this deep class of lineman. I'm sure we're getting someone that'll keep Luck upright

[The Peytonator]

I would like to see my guy Lawrence Guy get more snaps this year. I think he may be a solid player.

[TKnight24]

I would like to see my guy Lawrence Guy get more snaps this year. I think he may be a solid player.

Him & Geathers (No longee here ) had a pretty good game vs the Texans @ LOS

[The Peytonator]

Him & Geathers (No longee here ) had a pretty good game vs the Texans @ LOS

 

 

Guy was ballin' in the last few games when he got his shot. I'm also not as down on the way Nevis fits the 3-4 as most people.

[TKnight24]

Guy was ballin' in the last few games when he got his shot. I'm also not as down on the way Nevis fits the 3-4 as most people.

Nevis has a high motor I'll give him that. But we'll see what he can do when he's healthy and constantly getting playing time

[Gavin]

Not a need right now but a player to replace Redding will be needed in the next couple years (he will be a FA at the end of 2014) we could draft a player in the later rounds to groom him , Like Joe Vellano  ;) 

 

 

[atapcl]

Yes! Redding is ancient and had issues staying on the field last year and you saw how we fell off with him out. Francois hasn't even been a starter yet so while I love the pick up he is not a proven commodity. The rest are decent backups. To me DE is where we go at 24 in all likelyhood because that position has the most likely chance of bpa when we pick. Pass rush doesn't have to exclusively mean they come from the outside! Watt, Sapp, Reggie White, Bruce Smith are/were all interior linemen that can wreck a passing game. 

I agree with dgambill. The front 3 are key to building the monster. We need someone like Sylvester Williams who can play DT and take on a double team. This frees up Mathis to rush the passer. Redding and Franklin are getting older. Moala and Nevis are injury prone. Matthews has not shown much. We dont just need a body but a stud to play DT. Francois can rotate to Redding's DE if Redding is injured. The Ravens have Cody and Ngata who force double teams freeing up pass rushers. Hopefully Chapman can play the nose but we need another stud.

[pacolts56]

I've seen a lot of mock drafts projecting us getting Datone Jones (UCLA) and Margus Hunt (SMU). Though I believe those two are good players we have plenty of depth at the position. We have our two starters in Cory Redding and Ricky Jean-Francois. For depth, Drake Nevis, Ricardo Matthews, Fili Moala. That's five already.  I just don't see the need getting a 3-4 defensive end in the early rounds because we have a lot of depth players.

 

Thoughts?

Redding - he's up in years

Nevis - 2 years straight on IR

Moala - coming off an ACL

 

I'm fine with Datone Jones or Sylvester WIlliams at #24 if Cooper and Warmack are gone.

[Monster]

Him & Geathers (No longee here ) had a pretty good game vs the Texans @ LOS

We still have Lawrence Guy, he's still on the roster..Had to double check that cuz he's a stud DL &  brings pressure. Hopefully we keep him!

[Hans Moleman]

We have solid guys, but Jones and Hunt have the potential to be beasts with the right coaching. A 3-4 really operates at its best with a great DE, which opens things up for everyone else. Guys like Watt, Justin Smith, Ngata, and Calais Campbell play a huge role in why their respective defenses are as good as they are. It's no coincidence that when Justin Smith went down, everyone looked worse.

 

I hope we can find a difference maker like that to take our defense to another level, but we'll need to invest a high pick to do it. Of those guys, who I rate as the best 3-4 DE's, Campbell was the only 2nd rounder. The other three were top 12 picks. That's why, if the right guy (read: Star Lotulelei) drops, I wouldn't be opposed to moving up for him. 

[JoKeR]

OP you have a point, I'd rather have more depth at WR than DE, plus Hunt could fall down to the 3rd anyway.

[Superman]

Moala is hurt, Nevis has been hurt the past two years and isn't a five tech, Mathews is a free agent after this season, Redding will be 33 and dealt with some injuries last year also. If things go great for us, we'd be fine with those five. But things usually don't go great for us along the defensive line. It's got to be the most injury riddled position for our team over the last five years or more.

 

I'm not excited about any of the 3-4 end guys that will be there at #24, but it could very easily wind up a position of need.