Texas Ace
Teh Acester
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 23,476
As you all know, all 3 of these guys are FA's and we need to bring at least one of them back or we're going to be very thin at LB.
Let's say that you can only bring one guy back, and just for the sake of debate, let's say that each player would cost roughly the same to lock up to a contract. Considering that all things are relatively even, which player would you invest the money into? Each player has pros and cons, so IMO, none of these guys stands head and shoulders above the other.
Let's look at each player's situation and examine our options:
Justin Durant
Of the 3, he was probably the most consistent and the one who was playing the best all around ball at the time of injury. Earlier in the season, most seem to agree that he needed to be brought back next year so I think we'd all like to see him return. However, he's turning 30 this year and he's been a JAG for his entire career. As a matter of fact, he was a JAG last season for us before picking up his play this year. So what happened? Has the light finally come on for a player in the latter stages of his career, or was this just a small window of good play for him? Is it enough to warrant a contract over the other guys? How confident are you that he can continue to play at the level that he was before injury? These are all things that need to be considered when deciding to choose him over McClain or Carter.
Rolando McClain
If you could guarantee that McClain would come back next year and be as motivated as he was this year and be relatively healthy for most of the year, then I think we'd all unanimously vote to bring back McClain.....but there are no guarantees, are there? His play early on really helped to set the tone for the rest of the year from a defensive standpoint. He showed his impressive athleticism and ability on some impressive plays in the 1st half of the year that reminded everyone why he was a top 10 pick a few years ago. Probably just as important, he brought a nastiness and toughness that had been missing from this defense for a long time, and even became somewhat of a leader in just a short amount of time. However, as with Durant, there were drawbacks. First, he dealt with a number of injuries as the season went on and he missed more and more snaps with each week. On top of that, he made fewer plays and had less of an impact as we got into the most important part of the season. Whether this was due to him dealing with injuries or him no longer playing above his head remains to be seen, but even then, are the injuries a result of being out of football for so long and needs his body to get used to being in football shape or because he's simply a player who will always have these types of health issues going forward? Obviously, there are a lot of questions surrounding him and that's not even mentioning the fact that this was a twice retired player whose devotion to football remains in question. Probably more than the other players in this argument, McClain's future is tough to predict.
Bruce Carter
While he still showed his lack of instincts at times, Bruce Carter really clicked in this defense, especially down the stretch when we needed him most. A guy who most thought was a natural fit for this defense when Kiffin was hired finally began to show this year that he could indeed be an asset in pass defense at the LB position. Even before his play went up a notch during the stretch run, Carter had a big time pick 6 at St. Louis and played very well against New Orleans where his deflection caused an INT. While he still has a ways to go as a run defender, I don't think the plays we saw him make in the passing game were flukey. After all, his ability to read passes and play as a pass defender were his strengths coming out of college. But of course, he has his negatives to consider as well. He's not the most instinctive player and there are times where his effort seems to be lacking. He had a poor 2013 IMO, and this was after he regressed in 2012 after a promising rookie season. And he also suffers from a recurring theme within this group - injuries. He missed the last quarter of the 2011 season because of injuries, and he's missed various games since including some this year just as he appeared to be getting into a groove. Can he pickup where he left off if brought back? Are things starting to click for him or is he simply teasing us again as he did his rookie season? And how much do we want to bring back a player whose effort has been questioned?
Conclusion
My vote would go to Carter and here's why - I think the success he enjoyed is sustainable. He's only 27 and the plays he made were exactly the types he made in college, so it's not like this is completely unexpected. We drafted him to be the playmaker in pass coverage that he was at various times this season. He's got a full season under his belt as a regular starter in a system that geared towards his strengths. With a whole offseason and camp as a starter, it's very likely that he'll make even more progress under Marinelli as he gains a better understanding of his role and assignments. And again, at 27 years old, he's the smartest investment IMO of the 3 guys.
McClain was great to watch at times, but he's simply got too many question marks for my liking. His dedication to the game, his unstable mentality, and the constant injuries are just way too much to invest in for a guy with his history, not to mention that we already have one unreliable player in Sean Lee who plays the same position.
As for Durant, I think his success was the flukiest of the 3. That doesn't mean he can't play that way next year, just that I think he's the least likely to pick up where he left off of the 3 guys. Then when you consider that he's going to be 30 and that he has spent 7 of the 7 1/2 seasons of his career as a total JAG, I find it very unlikely that he's all of a sudden becoming this good player. Chances are, he'll go back to being the average player he was before.
Now, once you take finances into account then anything can change, but we can discuss that later. For now, who do you pick if you can only have one?
Discuss.
Let's say that you can only bring one guy back, and just for the sake of debate, let's say that each player would cost roughly the same to lock up to a contract. Considering that all things are relatively even, which player would you invest the money into? Each player has pros and cons, so IMO, none of these guys stands head and shoulders above the other.
Let's look at each player's situation and examine our options:
Justin Durant
Of the 3, he was probably the most consistent and the one who was playing the best all around ball at the time of injury. Earlier in the season, most seem to agree that he needed to be brought back next year so I think we'd all like to see him return. However, he's turning 30 this year and he's been a JAG for his entire career. As a matter of fact, he was a JAG last season for us before picking up his play this year. So what happened? Has the light finally come on for a player in the latter stages of his career, or was this just a small window of good play for him? Is it enough to warrant a contract over the other guys? How confident are you that he can continue to play at the level that he was before injury? These are all things that need to be considered when deciding to choose him over McClain or Carter.
Rolando McClain
If you could guarantee that McClain would come back next year and be as motivated as he was this year and be relatively healthy for most of the year, then I think we'd all unanimously vote to bring back McClain.....but there are no guarantees, are there? His play early on really helped to set the tone for the rest of the year from a defensive standpoint. He showed his impressive athleticism and ability on some impressive plays in the 1st half of the year that reminded everyone why he was a top 10 pick a few years ago. Probably just as important, he brought a nastiness and toughness that had been missing from this defense for a long time, and even became somewhat of a leader in just a short amount of time. However, as with Durant, there were drawbacks. First, he dealt with a number of injuries as the season went on and he missed more and more snaps with each week. On top of that, he made fewer plays and had less of an impact as we got into the most important part of the season. Whether this was due to him dealing with injuries or him no longer playing above his head remains to be seen, but even then, are the injuries a result of being out of football for so long and needs his body to get used to being in football shape or because he's simply a player who will always have these types of health issues going forward? Obviously, there are a lot of questions surrounding him and that's not even mentioning the fact that this was a twice retired player whose devotion to football remains in question. Probably more than the other players in this argument, McClain's future is tough to predict.
Bruce Carter
While he still showed his lack of instincts at times, Bruce Carter really clicked in this defense, especially down the stretch when we needed him most. A guy who most thought was a natural fit for this defense when Kiffin was hired finally began to show this year that he could indeed be an asset in pass defense at the LB position. Even before his play went up a notch during the stretch run, Carter had a big time pick 6 at St. Louis and played very well against New Orleans where his deflection caused an INT. While he still has a ways to go as a run defender, I don't think the plays we saw him make in the passing game were flukey. After all, his ability to read passes and play as a pass defender were his strengths coming out of college. But of course, he has his negatives to consider as well. He's not the most instinctive player and there are times where his effort seems to be lacking. He had a poor 2013 IMO, and this was after he regressed in 2012 after a promising rookie season. And he also suffers from a recurring theme within this group - injuries. He missed the last quarter of the 2011 season because of injuries, and he's missed various games since including some this year just as he appeared to be getting into a groove. Can he pickup where he left off if brought back? Are things starting to click for him or is he simply teasing us again as he did his rookie season? And how much do we want to bring back a player whose effort has been questioned?
Conclusion
My vote would go to Carter and here's why - I think the success he enjoyed is sustainable. He's only 27 and the plays he made were exactly the types he made in college, so it's not like this is completely unexpected. We drafted him to be the playmaker in pass coverage that he was at various times this season. He's got a full season under his belt as a regular starter in a system that geared towards his strengths. With a whole offseason and camp as a starter, it's very likely that he'll make even more progress under Marinelli as he gains a better understanding of his role and assignments. And again, at 27 years old, he's the smartest investment IMO of the 3 guys.
McClain was great to watch at times, but he's simply got too many question marks for my liking. His dedication to the game, his unstable mentality, and the constant injuries are just way too much to invest in for a guy with his history, not to mention that we already have one unreliable player in Sean Lee who plays the same position.
As for Durant, I think his success was the flukiest of the 3. That doesn't mean he can't play that way next year, just that I think he's the least likely to pick up where he left off of the 3 guys. Then when you consider that he's going to be 30 and that he has spent 7 of the 7 1/2 seasons of his career as a total JAG, I find it very unlikely that he's all of a sudden becoming this good player. Chances are, he'll go back to being the average player he was before.
Now, once you take finances into account then anything can change, but we can discuss that later. For now, who do you pick if you can only have one?
Discuss.
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