Free Agents for the 3-4

The Coordinator

Cheesehead
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I think it is time for TT to open the bank vault a little and get some defensive help for the new 3-4 scheme they will be running.

There are a few out there that might be good fits like Igor Olshausky DE, San Diego Chargers.

One of the strongest players in the National Football League, Igor Olshansky (Ee-gor, ol-SHAN-ski) continues to hold down the right side of the Chargers’ defensive line. Igor has been a starter since the day he was drafted in the second round in 2004. In three of his four NFL seasons, the Bolts have ranked in the league’s top seven in rushing defense.

The 2007 season was without a doubt Olshansky’s finest. He finished the year with career highs in tackles (69) and sacks (3.5) and he also recorded the first interception of his career when he picked of Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell on the first play from scrimmage in the regular season finale.

It’s no coincidence that 2007 was the first season since his rookie year in which Olshansky was healthy enough to start all 16 games. While the five-year veteran is known for his brute strength, he’s worked hard with defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely to develop better technique with his hands and body. The extra work paid dividends in 2007 as Olshansky demonstrated his ability to shed blockers in the run game and set a career high with nine quarterback hits.


Or the DE from the Cowboys Chris Canty. He has been very productive for them and would not cost the packers as much as a Peppers or Suggs.
 

PackersRS

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We have plenty of cap room to get at least 2 impact players. But considering our current GM, I can live with one. Peppers, Suggs, Haynesworth, Jordan Gross, Eric Barton, Nmandi Asomugha and Dunta Robinson are all great players that would dictate our draft. Get a OLB, draft Oher, Raji or Jenkins. Get a CB, which is not that big of a need, but a need indeed, draft Orakpo, etc...

Olshansky, Canty are good players, and we need a DE. But they aren't impact players that would change our draft.
 

GJ85

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Not only do we need to pick up free agents but more importantly we need to resign some of the guys we have in place like Kampman
 

boisenjm

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Jason Wilde (Wisconsin St. Journal Packer Sportswriter) has gone on record stating he thinks the Packers are going to target Bart Scott.
 

PackersRS

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Yeah, I've read that too. Even though I think he's one of the best out there, and I think the 3-4 demands depth, to spend money on a position we already have (Barnett and Hawk), having other positions in need, isn't very smart.
 

boisenjm

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Yeah I agree. ILB is not our biggest need. That would be a dependable DE as well as OLB and we definitely need to get a good OT prospect.
 
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The Coordinator

The Coordinator

Cheesehead
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I'm still hoping TT tries going after Canty. It's the type of DE we need and with Kampan hopefully playing behind him he will have some of the success Ware had.


"Canty often helped pave the way for Ware, who had one of the best seasons of any pass rusher in the past five seasons, notching 20 sacks lining up right behind Canty."

Cowboys DE Chris Canty

By Eric Edholm

News: Although the Cowboys would like to retain Canty, they just might not be able to. After giving big-money contract extensions to a hoard of players last season — Marion Barber, Terence Newman, Terrell Owens, Roy E. Williams, Ken Hamlin and others — the Cowboys might be capped out for a player of Canty’s talent. His agent, Brad Blank, says a recent quote about his client deserving “Tommy Kelly money” (Kelly signed a seven-year, $50.5 million deal, a little over $18 million of it guaranteed, a year ago) was taken slightly out of context.

“I don’t mean to be so obnoxious to suggest that I know what Chris Canty is going to make or what he’s worth,” Blank told PFW. “In this process I am just the auctioneer in which teams set the market. But then, based on my instincts and predictions, I don’t see why [Canty] would be in a worse position than that. That was my point. I wasn’t saying, ‘Tommy Kelly money, or else.’ The market forms and a player’s worth what teams will pay.”

It appears more likely with each day that Canty won’t return to Dallas, and the two sides have not talked about an extension since last August, although he wouldn’t be opposed to coming back. And Canty certainly didn’t quiet speculation that the Dolphins might be the most likely landing spot after he said on a Sirius Radio appearance, “I’ve always said there’s a part of me that’s always going to be a [Bill] Parcells guy.”

Blank said the fact that his client is probably strictly a 3-4 end doesn’t hurt Canty’s value because the 3-4 is increasing in popularity, leaguewide, with traditional 4-3 teams such as the Broncos and Packers converting to odd fronts this fall.

The Cowboys’ clear priority right now is that they want to re-sign DeMarcus Ware, whose contract runs out after next season, and that’s going to eat up a lot of guaranteed money. They also have talked to NT Jay Ratliff about playing more end, which has fueled the talk that Canty is going elsewhere.

Notes: Like most 3-4 ends, Canty’s statistics are not overly impressive. In the Cowboys’ system, his job is not to rush the passer all out like Ware. Rather, Canty most often is asked to hold the point and sometimes take on guard-tackle double-teams. He has played right end in this system since college under Al Groh at Virginia and has the perfect build for the spot at 6-7 and 300 pounds. He has had 6½ sacks the past two seasons combined, which is right about what you’d expect, given the system and his responsibilities. Canty often helped pave the way for Ware, who had one of the best seasons of any pass rusher in the past five seasons, notching 20 sacks lining up right behind Canty.

Strengths: Canty has long arms and can close down passing lanes. He gets good leverage and can drive and move big offensive tackles. Canty adequately takes on double-teams and will surprise once in a while with his pass-rush technique. As right ends go, he’s a strong run defender — and those are hard to find. His experience in the system and coachability are both big positives for 3-4 teams.

Weaknesses: Scouts have said for two years that Canty lacks a mean streak and needs to play with a lot more ferocity, which would make him a terror given his rare physical skills. No one has expected him to put up big sack totals, but Canty’s lack of forced fumbles and other big plays have been surprising for a three-down player. He has been a slow starter the past few seasons, although he has finished strong. That said, there are some who question Canty’s motor just a bit and believe that top-notch tackles can neutralize him.

Risk factor: Low. Canty had two serious injuries his senior season at UVA that caused him to fall from the first round to a fourth-round pick, but he has played every game — starting the past 48 — since entering the league in 2005. He is what he is, a good base 3-4 end who can kick inside to tackle in four-man-front pass defenses, and the market is almost certainly not going to reach Kelly heights. Canty won’t make a ton of plays for you, and his ceiling might not be much higher, so you know pretty much what you are getting.
 

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