The Knight Who Says Ni! inspects the Nose Tackle Tree for Ripe Fruit

The following is a guest blog from our very own reader/Barry Manilow die-hard, The Knight Who Says Ni!:

_____________________________________________________________

Phillip Merling at NT?

NT Ferguson 6-3 315 14th? (a seasoned leader and solid NT - if he re-signs)

NT Soliai 6-4 345 4th (getting better)

NT Merling 6-4 295 3rd (talented and will get bigger in the off-season)

DE Starks 6-3 305 7th (coming into his own)

DE Langford 6-6 295 3rd (solid with some more upside)

DE McDaniel 6-7 305 5th (versatile)

DE Dotson 6-4 290 3rd (hanging in there)

DE Alama-Francis 6-5 290 4th (talented with potential)

DE Baker 6-5 295 2nd (performed well in the preseason and a few games this year as a rookie)

Notice the accumulation of DEs this year. McDaniel, Baker and Alama-Francis. Dotson has been trying to get into the mix for two years but can't with the depth we have. So that's four guys battling for playing time behind Starks and Langford. 

I bet a lot of people forgot about the signing of Ikaika Alama-Francis, a former 2nd round pick of the Lions in 2007, who suffered a pectoral injury and didn't pan out for them. Maybe he's a good fit at 3-4 DE. He's known for having a good work ethic and he was a 2nd round pick out of Hawaii for a reason. Still a young player.

Why all these DEs if Merling was still in the picture at DE? I think we're going to move him inside at NT at times and at DT like we have when we go to 4 man fronts. Maybe 15 plays at NT and 15 at DT. We use him at DT in 4 man fronts all the time. We seem to like him on the inside.

Anyone else notice this year how big Merling is in the lower body? That's what you want to anchor at NT. He needs to build up his upper body and get a little bigger and stronger, and we might have a more dynamic NT in the next year or two. Sparano is always saying Merling doesn't stay blocked for very long, he has a knack for getting off the block. Run defense has always been his strength. It looks like a perfect fit. Merling is a big guy. He's almost 6-5 and has a big frame. I could see him at 305 or 310 next season and a much different looking player. Maybe he's our next Jay Ratliff.

Merling might be a better option than some blob to take up space. It doesn't seem like the big, over-sized Dlineman is the kind of NT that we look for. Don't be surprised if we sign a no-name in FA and draft a NT prospect in the later rounds to compete. Merling might be the reason. Yet fans will yell and scream that we didn't draft some DT as a NT by the 1st or 2nd round.

(The Pats reached and drafted DT Ron Brace out of BC last year in the 2nd round and he barely played. 9 games, 8 tackles.) 

Is that what we want out of 1st or 2nd round picks on the DL? There aren't many college DTs ready to play 3-4 NT in the NFL. Suh would probably be the most dynamic up and coming NT in the league. With his size, power and athletic ability. This guy is going to dominate. He'd be costly but probably worth it to trade up and get him. I doubt we do it.

_______________________________________________________________

As crazy as the Jets were for trading away their draft for Sanchez last year, and the Saints were for doing the same for Ricky Williams, and despite the fact I consider myself a very grounded, rational person, I am in strong support of trading up for Suh.  However, the type of value we're talking about would make it nearly impossible.  It would involve a lot of players, because it would be impossible to get the package value through picks alone unless we traded our 1st this year, our 1st next year, and a 2nd or 3rd round pick.  We could package our 1st and 2nd and at least 3 players of mid round value.  I just don't see it happening unless the Rams get desperate to avoid the 1st pick's contract.

While I'm not convinced that Merling fits the mold that Parcells likes in the middle, and I think new DC Mike Nolan will toss out the schemes that asked Merling to get bigger and play inside, it is pure speculation on my part.  

Knight, you may be right about reaching for a NT in the draft, but keep in mind that last year when BJ Raji and Ron Brace entered the draft together last year I practically sold my kidneys in an attempt to convince people that Raji was the real deal and Brace was a pretender.  Raji will likely be the starter heading into 2010, as will Terrance Knighton, who the Dolphins really surprised me by not picking.  He was clearly the best value and the best true NT in the draft, IMO.  Had we not gotten beer goggles for Pat White, we would've drafted Sean Smith with our first 2nd round pick and Terrance Knighton with our second 2nd round pick.  Getting 3 defensive starters with our first 3 picks....now that would've been special.  But instead we draft a 4th string QB and the rest is history.

I still think Dan Williams would be a good pick if we traded down, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone picks him early. But there are good options later on in the draft like Torrell Troup (6'2", 310 lbs) and Boo Robinson (6'1", 298 lbs).

It will be interesting to see where Miami goes with the position.  Keep in mind that Buffalo now plans to switch to a 3-4 scheme (which should make Aaron Maybin very happy) so the AFC East is now the only division with an entirely 3-4 set of defenses, and thus we need to be on target with these projections more so than ever.  We may also have to reach a little for front 7 defenders.