Linebacker

I put linebacker at 1 and 4 on the needs list. I figure we will talk about both right now. The reason I put one LB ahead of the CBs because it is not as important as a position. The only reason I was tempted to put a CB at one is because we do a have a middle linebacker. Lets start at OLB.

Thomas Howard from Oakland seems to be the most realistic fit at OLB. The Raiders has a good LB corps and he is one the outside looking in there. Don't get me wrong. He is a good LB.

Manny Lawson is someone we have talked about before. He will probably want out of San Fran and into a 4-3. Probably the top OLB entering free agency and still appears to be.

It is tough to say which other OLB won't be back with their 2010 team.

Now onto MLB.

We know Tulloch and we have talked about Poluszny. So, am not going to go there.

Barrett Ruud seems like an extremely attractive and realistic. He is coming off a bad year and I don't think Tampa wants him back. He is 28 and still has sometime left in this league if he doesn't have another bad year.

It seems like the other top guys in this free agency class are older gap filler guys. Guys like Takeo Spikes and Dhani Jones.

On the other end of the spectrum there are rookie MLBs that could be good, but they weren't drafted for a reason. Just to name a few Mark Herzlich, Scott Lutrus, and Central Michigan's Nick Bellore.

I think it is tough to say that you could put any of these rookies in a starting MLB start at year one. You could maybe put them behind an older guy or Levy. I think that is the big question. Would you sign an older guy and just move Levy over now sign if you sign a Herzlich because you expect him to start next year but not this year? Or do you let a Herzlich sit behind a Levy and see what the situation is next year.

Lastly I do think you take a small chance on Vernon Gholston. It really matters how much he wants and for how many years.

If it ends up being Barrett Ruud and Thomas Howard, that wouldn't be a terrible thing. Levy would move to the outside I believe. Yeah, Tulloch and Manny Lawson would be ideal, but they really do have several choices open to them. I hope Schwartz pulls another KVB with Tulloch, but we will see.