Reading the offseason tea leaves

[Shas]

Here are my predictions for who stays or goes and how they will fill player and coaching needs. Feel free to pick apart and post your own predictions.

Coaching Staff

Caldwell will not return as OC
They will be contacting prospects now but will slow play it while Caldwell’s interviews continue
Or, Jim Hostler will also be considered for OC

Running Backs

Will look to draft a tailback with more “shake” -- perhaps a 4th or 5th round pick from a small school
Leach does not return and Juszczyk will be given a role in the offense as an H back

Wide Receivers

Jacoby Jones will not be back
Will draft Mike Evans in the first round, or will find a similar type of receiver later in the draft or a FA
Tandon Doss will sign a RFA offer sheet

Tight Ends

Dennis Pitta will be resigned to a new contract or franchised
Ed Dickson is gone
Matt Furstenberg will be given an opportunity to compete with a later round draft pick
May also look to sign a street free agent late to compete for a spot

Offensive line

Will attempt to resign Monroe
If cannot resign him, will consider Oher back at left tackle (yes, I think they might), otherwise he is gone
KO and Wagner will be given the chance to compete for the RT spot
Will draft an athletic, physical interior lineman within the first two days of the draft
Left Guard and Center position will become camp battle with the Rookie, Gradkowski, Jensen, Shipley (resigns as RFA), Reid and KO/Wagner all in the mix

Quarterback

Will look to bring in a rookie QB fifth round or later, with Taylor in the final year of his deal

Defensive Line

Ngata returns, contract unchanged
Will attempt to resign Art Jones – more of an effort than with Ellerbe and Kruger last year, because they will rate him much higher than they rated Ellerbe and Kruger -- but won’t break the bank
Terrance Cody will not return
Lewis-Moore and Williams to receive more reps on the interior
If Cody and Jones both go will draft a DL late

Linebackers

Will sign Smith to a new contract
Suggs is restructured. Or, if he refuses, they will let him go
Simon will get more reps, particularly if Suggs goes
McClain is gone and Arthur Brown steps in
Will draft a later round LB for depth and special teams

Corners

Will resign Graham
Will attempt to extend Smith
Will explore restructuring Webb

Safety

Ihedigbo does not come back, Elam becomes the starting SS
Draft a cover safety in the second or third round, or failing that, sign a veteran cover safety

Special Teams

Koch returns
Draft a late round punter or UDFA to compete in camp
Draft a late round corner or receiver to compete as a returner with Deonte Thompson and Asa Jackson

Recapping Draft Implications (my most-probable picks bolded in each round; assumes comp picks in 4, 5, 7; traded 4&5 for Monroe; traded 7 for Shipley; got 6 for Boldin)

1st WR, G/C
2nd G/C , FS
3rd FS or G/C
4th RB, WR, TE
5th RB, WR, TE, QB, LB, DL
6th WR, TE, QB, LB, DL, P
7th QB, LB, DL, P

[BigPlayReceiver]

Here are my predictions for who stays or goes and how they will fill player and coaching needs. Feel free to pick apart and post your own predictions.

Coaching Staff

Caldwell will not return as OC
Check. They would have expressed their desire to have him back if they wanted him.

They will be contacting prospects now but will slow play it while Caldwell’s interviews continue
Check

Or, Jim Hostler will also be considered for OC
Unfortunately, check. Preston floated this nugget this morning for a reason. I have no reason to believe this will be a successful move. He failed in SF and everyone from Castillo and Joe, to Harbs and Ray will be feeling some pressure in 2014. We need someone better than Hostler.

[cjandrze]

Nice breakdown, but i thought we traded the 6th we got for boldin in the draft last year to move up.

I could be wrong, but for some reason that sticks out.

[Florida Art]

Sensible post - well thought out.

[BigPlayReceiver]

Here are my predictions for who stays or goes and how they will fill player and coaching needs. Feel free to pick apart and post your own predictions.

Offensive line

Will attempt to resign Monroe
This will get done. Ozzie is not going to piss away two picks for no future return.

If cannot resign him, will consider Oher back at left tackle (yes, I think they might), otherwise he is gone
Oher is gone b/c Monroe.

KO and Wagner will be given the chance to compete for the RT spot
Check

Will draft an athletic, physical interior lineman within the first two days of the draft
Left Guard and Center position will become camp battle with the Rookie, Gradkowski, Jensen, Shipley (resigns as RFA), Reid and KO/Wagner all in the mix
I think the end of season evals will go a long way to shaping the LG depth and RT depth picture.

[Shas]

Nice breakdown, but i thought we traded the 6th we got for boldin in the draft last year to move up.

I could be wrong, but for some reason that sticks out.

That was the 2013 sixth rounder they got for Boldin, which, you're right, I think it was sent to Seattle to move up and grab Arthur Brown. But I thought I read there was also a 2014 sixth round pick they are getting from SF based on Boldin's playing time this past year. Maybe that's not true.

[Bhcforlife]

I put the chances at slightly above 0% that this franchise (or most others, for that matter) gives any consideration at all to Oher being a LT. Not after his piss-poor play there in the past and the emphasis they have seemed to be placing on getting better along the line. If they can't retain Monroe, they won't be re-signing Oher to take over there.

They also said during the SotR that they would not be restructuring contracts, in regard to Webb.

[Cj34]

That was the 2013 sixth rounder they got for Boldin, which, you're right, I think it was sent to Seattle to move up and grab Arthur Brown. But I thought I read there was also a 2014 sixth round pick they are getting from SF based on Boldin's playing time this past year. Maybe that's not true.

That part is correct. The 6th for Boldin was one of the picks we traded to Seattle to move up for Brown. Seattle in turn traded the pick to Detroit to get Jesse Williams, the DT from Alabama.

We do have our own 6th round pick this year, however, at pick #177.

[Shas]

I put the chances at slightly above 0% that this franchise (or most others, for that matter) gives any consideration at all to Oher being a LT. Not after his piss-poor play there in the past and the emphasis they have seemed to be placing on getting better along the line. If they can't retain Monroe, they won't be re-signing Oher to take over there.

I know that's what most fans expect and want. And he did little to instill confidence.

Here's my thinking on the topic, objectively.

If they cannot re-sign Monroe, what are their options? Drafting 16 or 17, you could consider a rookie tackle. Of course, that means you don't have that pick to use on the wide receiver Joe so badly needs -- a guy who could play right away. It's always a risk to think a LT can step right in and play, even if he's the third or fourth off the board. Oher struggled, we know, as a rookie in that spot. Even J.O. didn't start at LT his rookie year.

At the very least I'd want an average veteran ready to step in if needed. Average is how I'd describe Oher. While he fell far short of our expectations, he wasn't awful. Just inconsistent. And penalty prone. But durable. Just ok.

I'm not sure who else in his price range will be better, and he does know the system.

Getting Monroe back and letting Oher walk should be Plan A. I'm not sure what Plan B is really all that much better than having to bring back Oher on the left side. Contrary to popular opinion, I think he was better there than on the right, where they need a dominant run blocker.

[Shas]

We do have our own 6th round pick this year, however, at pick #177.

Right. I had them with two sixth rounders, with the second from SF, which is why I bolded DL, and LB. But perhaps the SF pick doesn't exist.

The comp picks are also not in stone. They did lose out on getting a pick for Ed Reed because Houston cut him. But they still should get three by my estimation, to replace the three they lost in trades for Monroe and Shipley.

[JoeCool5]

Caldwell: gone.
Hostler: promoted
Monroe: re-signed
Pitta: re-signed
Jameel: stays
Daryl Smith: gone
Elam: starting SS in '14
Suggs: stays on a new extension
Castillo: a very highly regarded o-line coach whips these boys into shape now that he has complete autonomy (Moeller will be gone), and we see a major resurgence up front next year.

Just my $.02

[srobert96]

Here are my predictions for who stays or goes and how they will fill player and coaching needs. Feel free to pick apart and post your own predictions.


Offensive line

Will attempt to resign Monroe
If cannot resign him, will consider Oher back at left tackle (yes, I think they might), otherwise he is gone

This made me throw up in my mouth.