The Edge Rusher We Need Wants To Get Paid

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 12, 2011 9:51 AM MDT

Robert Mathis is the guy the Cardinals need to go after when the Colts don't want to pay him what he wants. Now if we did sign Mathis that would mean we would have to to convert him to a linebacker, and Mathis also wants a huge payday. Now Mathis is quite small for a DE even if it is in the 4-3 the Colts use, and he is pretty much a one trick pony, but can anyone deny his ability to pressure a QB? He is getting older, and he won't be a 20 sack a season guy, but just imagine if we had an edge rusher that got us 8-12 sacks a season, our defense could shut down offenses with the very best of them. The tricky part is what kind of contract to give Mathis if he does become available. I know this may sound a little crazy, but Mathis could step in and immediately add the pass rush our defense so desperately needs.

Poll

If Mathis becomes available, Should we sign him?

Yes

74 votes

No

71 votes

Why won't this lockout end?

44 votes

189 votes | Poll has closed

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.

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Comments

The last thing we need is to spend huge money on an aging vet and try and get him switch positions. No thanks. If we plan on spending big money this year it better be on the f@(?:$# O line.

by fitzfan04 on Jul 12, 2011 12:13 AM MDT reply actions 3 recs

+1000000000000000

"The point is, by my standards, I won fair and square."
-Bender

by az78true on Jul 12, 2011 12:39 AM MDT up reply actions

Well,

Bert Berry and Chike Okeafor did far better at OLB after being converted in their 30’s than Haggans and Porter have.

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 12, 2011 7:12 AM MDT up reply actions

Weren't both Haggans and Porter 3-4 OLBs?

But Mathis is a good thought and he does that one thing really well — get to the QB

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by Jess Root on Jul 12, 2011 9:49 AM MDT up reply actions

Yeah they were. I think that is the point.

by hadrarius on Jul 12, 2011 3:10 PM MDT up reply actions

Doh...reading malfunction

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by Jess Root on Jul 12, 2011 4:47 PM MDT up reply actions

Yes

My point was Berry and Okeafor weren’t afraid to clobber an RB, which is why our run D was so much better with them playing instead.

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 12, 2011 5:13 PM MDT up reply actions

I think he would be a great fit

The only thing we would be asking him to do is rush the passer. We know he is very good at that. The only thing that would realy change for him at that point is playing from a 3 point stance or with his hand off the ground.

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by robloosli on Jul 12, 2011 10:04 AM MDT reply actions

How does this help us?

We already have Branch, Campbell, and Dockett at the DE positions. Meaning for how much we’d be paying this guy, he’d probably play OLB in the 3-4 system and for a 30 year old… I don’t know if it’s worth it trying to train a 30 year old on the downside of his career to play a different position.

by Pyromnc on Jul 12, 2011 10:42 AM MDT reply actions

It helps us

by having a guy that can get after the QB, whether he plays outside of CC or DD is irrelevant because he is going to take away the double team on passing downs and on a running down open up the lane for our ILB’s to clean up.

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 12, 2011 5:16 PM MDT up reply actions

An unlikely acquisition.

Mathis will probably get a better offer to play DE on a 4-3 team. He could certainly serve as a pass rusher and would be great when the Cards go to a 4 man line in the red zone. I don’t think it would make for the best fit for either the Cardinals or Mathis though.

by hadrarius on Jul 12, 2011 3:15 PM MDT reply actions

This is a terrible idea!

Mathis is an effective 4-3 astro turf defensive end who would be miscast in the cardinals defensive scheme much like dockett is. Does anyone recall how the 49’s completely manhandled dockett, pushing him 5 yards backwards every single time they ran his way? It would be even worse with mathis and he is smaller than dockett is!

by lifelongcardfan on Jul 12, 2011 3:27 PM MDT reply actions

I never thought of Mathis playing in a 3-4. the idea is intriguing

but I don’t think we should throw big money at him. We REALLY need to fix the O-line

by CardsDefense on Jul 12, 2011 3:40 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

Im a little tired and read the title a bit quickly..

Just saw the ‘Edge..wants to get laid’ and took a double take.. incidentally the erstwhile Cards RB could teach us a lesson about signing older free agents.

In the anticiaption of the impending free agent storm paying a guy on the downslope of his career like this would be the sort of mistake everyone would hope to avoid

by Irishcardinal on Jul 12, 2011 5:02 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

I'm sure Edge is getting more than enough attention from the ladies

by CardsDefense on Jul 12, 2011 5:43 PM MDT up reply actions

I hate the idea, much of the purpose of the 34 defense is to create confusion as to where the fourth rusher is going to be coming from, you get the confusion of a blitz without actually “blitzing” anyone.

If you put Mathis at OLB you are likely going to rush him 97-100% of the time, it takes the confusion out of the game for the offense. he is also going to be playing the same position that Schofield is going to be pushing for this season, specifiaclly as neither is big enough to hold up at SLB against TE’s in the running game and Mathis is likely going to be useless in coverage.

Let Mathis do what he wants, just not here.

by khodder on Jul 12, 2011 5:16 PM MDT reply actions

If Horton

schemes like LeBeau or D linemen could be dropping into zones here and there, that would create the confusion your speaking of.

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 12, 2011 5:18 PM MDT reply actions

Horton/Lebeau scheme around having the LB’s in coverage each around 35% of the time. This is another way to create the confusion becasue you have both LB’s ability to cover and rush the passer on on a consistent basis.

You put Mathis at OLB you are telegraphing what you want to do on defense, you are saying hey here is Mathis he is going to be rushing the passer. Even if you drop a DL’man into coverage you are still telegraphing what was supposed to be a “Weapon”.

It makes no sense, the 34 is built on versatility of OLB’s, being able to hide where a 4th rusher is going to come from while not sacrificing in coveage (Pushing a DE in coverage is a sacrifice), are you really going to be comfortable with Dockett or Campbell in coverage? And honestly how often did you see Aaron Smith or Brad Keisal in coverage.

by khodder on Jul 12, 2011 5:26 PM MDT reply actions

Well

it really does depend on the type of 3-4 your talking of some coaches have talent that can get pressure regardless of scheme (LeBeau and Phillips ) and others manufacture the pressure via scheme (Belichick and Ryan) but the biggest unknown is we have no clue as to how Horton will call plays.

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 12, 2011 6:37 PM MDT up reply actions

haggans and porter cant cover much either

at least with Mathis we would have a guy that can beat an OT one on one. for the right price, i wouldnt mind seeing him here

by forget on Jul 16, 2011 5:38 PM MDT up reply actions

Thank you

by Cardsfan928 on Jul 16, 2011 10:09 PM MDT up reply actions

Both actually have some experience in coverage, and both know the schematics of a Horton/Lebeau based 34 defense very well.

However the 34 OLB position is not one that demands someone who can only rush the passer. It defeats the purpose of the 3-4 defense the element of surprise. If you are going to telegraph where the 4th rusher is coming from you may as well just run a 43 defense.

Run defense is also a huge aspect here. Look at the 2009 Broncos, Moved Dumerville to OLB, he can rush the passer alright, but he was useless in coverage and horrid vs the run (A very similar player to Mathis), Denver did OK vs the passing game finishing 3rd in YPG allowed (8th in QBR allowed, Cards ranked 10th in QBR allowed in 2009) but Denver allowed over 2000 yards on the ground at 4.5 YPC. It was a massiv sacrifice to take.

I am completely and utterly against signing a one dimensional pass rusher, with no experience at 34 OLB, at 30 years of age, to a huge deal that the title says he is demanding.

by khodder on Jul 17, 2011 10:42 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs