What the Hawks need most

[trents]

What team components do you think Pete and John will look to upgrade in the draft/FA market after the playoffs are done? I'm guessing line backers will be a priority. We've got excellent but aging starters in that platoon but we're awfully thin there as well.

[idhawkman]

Let's let this season finish first.

[RiverDog]

What team components do you think Pete and John will look to upgrade in the draft/FA market after the playoffs are done? I'm guessing line backers will be a priority. We've got excellent but aging starters in that platoon but we're awfully thin there as well.

The first order of business will be to resign our own free agents, and at the top of the "to-do" list will be Frank Clark. Pass rushing DE's usually go at a premium, so we might not be able to afford to bring him back. If we don't, then a replacement at DE will be the top priority.

We also have much of our OL to resign, like Fluker, Sweezy, and Fant, They've all played well and will be wanting raises.

And most important of all, we will likely be looking to extend Russell's contract, which expires in 2020.

Once again, we're going into the draft with very little capital. We will be minus our #2 (Duane Brown trade), our #6 (Brett Hundley trade), and our #7 (Shalom Luani trade).

But like Idahawk said, it's still a little too early to be setting priorities. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

[NorthHawk]

What team components do you think Pete and John will look to upgrade in the draft/FA market after the playoffs are done? I'm guessing line backers will be a priority. We've got excellent but aging starters in that platoon but we're awfully thin there as well.

DL.
Specifically someone who can upgrade the pass rush.
There might be some good ones in the draft as it looks like it's pretty deep along the DL.
LB would be 2nd.
We might be able to get a FA to upgrade the pass rush, depending on who re-signs and who doesn't.

[politicalfootball]

I don't know but definitely defense.

[RiverDog]

I don't know but definitely defense.

Thanks, PF!

[politicalfootball]

Your welcome. Great thread river.


Go Hawks !

[trents]

I almost forgot about Brett Hundley. Wilson is so durable we almost forget about that what if . . .

Do you think backup QB is an area we need to give attention to? I just really can't see Hundley stepping in and keeping the ship afloat. Maybe an at end of career veteran FA who is still capable of quality performance when used for limited periods.

[jshawaii22]

After what we've seen from our new punter, getting a long-term answer at kicker would be nice.

My understanding is that we have a lot of cap space coming up as the 'dead $$$' subsides from the LoB. Given that, we should be able to resign Frank and the OLine.

Russell will have to wait a year and hope he doesn't have to be tagged.

[RiverDog]

After what we've seen from our new punter, getting a long-term answer at kicker would be nice.

The league has been toying with the idea of allowing punts on kickoffs as a safety measure. Colleges already allow for a fair catch on the kickoff to be placed on the 25. I'm not so sure I want to sign a kicker to a long term contract if all they're going to do for us is kick FG's and XP's.

[jshawaii22]

RD, Kickoffs are only part of a kickers job and I was more thinking of a draft pick for the field Goals, which can win / lose games.
A good FG kicker is far more important to the team, as we've learned the last 2 years.

I don't care if they abolish the kickoff or if our punter practices this summer and does his drop-kicks.

[politicalfootball]

Nobody else in the NFL does dropkicks I think it's great that our kicker does them. He's pretty accurate with them too. FG kicking is much more important than any other kicking. Seabass can be upgraded.


Go Hawks !