DaRon Payne signed for 4year/90 mil 60 guaranteed

[e16bball]

Here’s something that’s been rattling around in my head in recent months, dealing with this issue of paying two DTs big money (as we now are) and the effect that may have on our ability to resign both DEs.

I’m starting to feel like the impact of high-level DT play is starting to catch up to the value of high-level EDGE play. Maybe even to the point that I think it’s just as important. I have to say, I’m referring specifically to DTs who can rush the passer — the classic NT is still a dinosaur in the modern NFL. 

The thing I can’t shake is the frustration I know we’ve all felt watching Young and Sweat over the last couple seasons. These are good players! But the impact in terms of sacks and knockdowns has been relatively paltry compared to what we’ve been expecting/hoping for. 

My theory is that modern offenses are neutralizing good edge rushers. The ball comes out so quickly that they have trouble getting to the QB before it’s out.  Plus, they’re being attacked — and often frozen — by so many of the other concepts these new offenses utilize heavily. All the misdirection and motion (especially jet action), the constant screen game, the QB run game, and especially the RPO and read option stuff. All of that targets these edge guys, puts them in the bind and forces them to be restrained and disciplined. They can’t just go tearing up the field because they may have to chase the jet guy, may have to do the dance with the QB on the read option, have to keep contain so these running QBs don’t bail and take off for 10 easy yards. 

It’s no longer like it was, when an edge rusher basically had to read run or pass and then could make a beeline for the spot where the drop-back passer will be posted up. And I think what we’re seeing is that other than the truly elite pass-rush guys like Garrett and Bosa and Hunter and Watt, the DEs of the league are having trouble getting home like they used to. 

The natural shift, if the offenses are designed to keep the edge rushers mostly at bay, is to attack in other ways. I think blitzing from the back 7 has become more of a weapon, but the big boost is in the important of finding ways to have FOUR guys on your DL who can threaten the QB, instead of just relying on the outside two on every single play. And I think it also makes it more important to have depth at the DT position, so you can continue to get that push from the big boys and not lose a beat once they’re a little worn down. The Eagles absolutely annihilated us with that in the first game (and a lot in the second). 

TL; DR: I think DTs who can rush the passer are growing in importance due to modern offenses, as is a deep DT rotation. Because of this, I’m not as concerned about paying both Allen/Payne or about drafting Mathis.

[Thaiphoon]

On 3/13/2023 at 12:19 AM, MKnight82 said:

Ioannidis and Settle both did absolutely on their new teams as well. Just saying.

Yes. I was not happy with letting them both go. I'm simply stating what the current state is right now. Sign Payne, let Mathis be the depth. We had nothing for depth last year and it hurt us a bit in some situations.

[turtle28]

On 3/14/2023 at 8:05 PM, Thaiphoon said:

Yes. I was not happy with letting them both go. I'm simply stating what the current state is right now. Sign Payne, let Mathis be the depth. We had nothing for depth last year and it hurt us a bit in some situations.

You also can't determine a DTs effectiveness based off just sacks. Ioannidis could've been stout vs the run and gotten good pressures but not many sacks. He also played well next to Allen or Payne bc he was almost always singled up. If Ioannidis was retained, he would've been going 1 on 1 for sure as a rotational DT given the great year's that Allen & Payne had.