Now this is what I think we should do

[zed]

1.  Revamp the coaching staff.
     If Greg  Burns and Jethro Franklin aren't effective, we need to replace them right away.  We also need to find a replacement for Joe Barry.  Get rid of Muir as well.  We need coaches that will get the best out of their players, such as we had in Marinelli for when he was here.  We need coaches that can motivate and inspire.

2.  Buy the "good clothes"
     These are the Free Agents we need: veteran QB, DE, DT, LB, CB, S.  Among the names mentioned are Jeff Garcia, Dwight Freeney, Justin Smith, Charles Grant, Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas, Cato June, Nate Clements, Asante Samuels, Ken Hamlin, Michael Lewis.  These guys will immediately improve our team.  We can't get all of them of course, but one at each position would be nice.  Not to mention keep Dewayne White.  I left out LT, because there really doesn't seem to be anyone worthwhile.

3.  Have a good draft
     We're either picking 3 or 4.  Whoever is there, we will have a pretty good player.  I think it will come down to us choosing between Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, and Gaines Adams.  Calvin Johnson would be a luxury pick, while Thomas and Adams are need picks.  We need to retool and reload our offensive and defensive lines.  If we have a Joe Thomas, we won't need the TE to stay in to block.  AD will either start at RG or provide us great depth and versatility at G and T positions.  If we have a Gaines Adams, he will dramatically improve our pathetic pass rush which is the number 1 reason (I think) that our defense fell out of the Top 10 this year.  A great and consistent pass rush will improve every aspect of our defense.  However, if CJ falls to our laps, I don't know how Gruden will say no to him.  His athleticism is absolutely freakish!!!   He can and will be a dominant WR I think.  One poster pointed out that no one would dare stack 8 in the box with Galloway on one side and Calvin Johnson on the other.  However, this is not as glaring a need as we have on the O-Line and D-Line.  If we pass on, we can still pick up a solid WR in the second round, but if we do, we're neglecting the defense again.  However, if we have a solid FA period, we can do that.

So, these are the three things I think we must do for us to be contenders next year.  I don't think we're that far off from being a competitive team next year.  Can the offense be worse than it was this year?  Much of that can be attributed the youth and inexperience, but they do have a lot of promise.  We have great chemistry now, but what we need now is Talent.  This is OUR offseason.  I believe we will make it happen this year.  Are you guys with me???!!!

[cvillebucfan]

Good stuff there Zed. I like all the players you listed in FA with the exception of Michael Lewis, who I loved early but has had a miserable year and sees action at LB in nickle situations because he cannot cover. He covered in the past and was a probowl SS but has really struggled this year. He is a big hitter though who doesn't miss, unlike Phillips.

Its imperative that we have a very good offseason with FA. I think the focal point should be Briggs. He is 26 years old and just pay him whatever he wants. We could draft a DE, possibly Gaines Adams should we fail to acquire a DE in FA, we can't draft a LB that could come in and play in this scheme the way Briggs has and can play. We could even draft a safety as well. I would like to see Aaron Rouse in the 2nd.

I completely agree with you on the draft. We will get one of either Gaines Adams, Calvin Johnson or Joe Thomas and couldn't go wrong with any one of those players.

[Pick6]

one of the upsides to a poor season is that i'm sure our Pro Scouts have been eyeing prospective free agents for a long time.  there's alot of people doing pretty well under the radar and alot of people who are getting undue credit while playing below the standards of previous years (cato june comes to mind), and our success for the next 3 or 4 years largely rides on our ability to figure out which FAs are which this offseason.

a couple of big-money busts in FA could weigh us down like it's about to do to the falcons and has done to the raiders for the past few years.

[zed]

This offseason will definitely make or break the future of this franchise.   This is the first time Gruden will have four first day picks and all that money in free agency.  We spend it right, we're going to win some super bowls.  We don't, we're going to end up in the toilet bowl.

[cvillebucfan]

We are in an optimal position to really right the ship with the cap room we have, the picks we have and the players that we can add from both avenues. I just hope to goodness the Bears don't franchise Briggs. I have said that per the Chicago Tribune the situation with Briggs seems fragile at best. He wants to go somewhere and be paid like the man and be the man. He is young and IMHO is the surefire cannot miss prospect this FA. He has played in our sheme and has been great. Sure Freeney would be nice but he has really fallen off, same for Cato June, he has had a really bad year.

This offseason will definitely make or break the future of this franchise. This is the first time Gruden will have four first day picks and all that money in free agency. We spend it right, we're going to win some super bowls. We don't, we're going to end up in the toilet bowl.

Actually he had 4 first day picks in 2005 with Caddy-Ruud-Smith-Colmer, but you are correct on the latter part.

[BornaBuc47]

I agree with this. I think our FA signings this season have to be significant. We have got to bring in some veteran help. We cannot depend on the draft to revamp this team for the present. I'd like to be able to make intelligent picks that aren't based on the player having to start next year. That's the way you gain busts because there aren't too many rookies who can come in and make an impact in there 1st year. It's takes time and I'd like to be able to give them that time. Here's a couple players at each position I'd like to see us take a run at. I'm leaving out guys like Gonzalez because I don't see any way he's gonna get let go...

QB-Matt Schaub
WR-Ernest Wilford
TE-Eric Johnson
OL-Leonard Davis(This would be a huge pickup for us, literally)
DL-Jared Allen, Terdell Sands
LB-Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas
DB/S-Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Ken Hamlin(We need help at safety very badly and I don't want to see a rookie here)

Schaub - Meh
Wilford - Possibly
E. Johnson - Possibly
Leonard Davis - I'd rather have Joe Thomas
Jared Allen - NO, he's an ass, should be in jail
Sands - will probably be re-signed.
LB - Sure on both
DB/S - sure on all

[zed]

I agree with this. I think our FA signings this season have to be significant. We have got to bring in some veteran help. We cannot depend on the draft to revamp this team for the present. I'd like to be able to make intelligent picks that aren't based on the player having to start next year. That's the way you gain busts because there aren't too many rookies who can come in and make an impact in there 1st year. It's takes time and I'd like to be able to give them that time. Here's a couple players at each position I'd like to see us take a run at. I'm leaving out guys like Gonzalez because I don't see any way he's gonna get let go...

QB-Matt Schaub
WR-Ernest Wilford
TE-Eric Johnson
OL-Leonard Davis(This would be a huge pickup for us, literally)
DL-Jared Allen, Terdell Sands
LB-Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas
DB/S-Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Ken Hamlin(We need help at safety very badly and I don't want to see a rookie here)

I agree on the most part of these FAs we should be targeting, except maybe Leonard Davis.  I also would prefer the likes of Dwight Freeney / Charles Grant over Jared Allen and Terdell SAnds.

[Boid Fink]

1. Revamp the coaching staff.
 If Greg Burns and Jethro Franklin aren't effective, we need to replace them right away. We also need to find a replacement for Joe Barry. Get rid of Muir as well. We need coaches that will get the best out of their players, such as we had in Marinelli for when he was here. We need coaches that can motivate and inspire.

Hard to tell with Burns and Tull...they are new.  They have to adjust, and that takes a few years of proper eval.

As of now, they are Squatting, and getting ready for the hot seat.

C'mon now.

[bradentonian]

I agree with this. I think our FA signings this season have to be significant. We have got to bring in some veteran help. We cannot depend on the draft to revamp this team for the present. I'd like to be able to make intelligent picks that aren't based on the player having to start next year. That's the way you gain busts because there aren't too many rookies who can come in and make an impact in there 1st year. It's takes time and I'd like to be able to give them that time. Here's a couple players at each position I'd like to see us take a run at. I'm leaving out guys like Gonzalez because I don't see any way he's gonna get let go...

QB-Matt Schaub
WR-Ernest Wilford
TE-Eric Johnson
OL-Leonard Davis(This would be a huge pickup for us, literally)
DL-Jared Allen, Terdell Sands
LB-Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas
DB/S-Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Ken Hamlin(We need help at safety very badly and I don't want to see a rookie here)

I think Wilford could really flourish in this offense.

[Boid Fink]

I agree with this. I think our FA signings this season have to be significant. We have got to bring in some veteran help. We cannot depend on the draft to revamp this team for the present. I'd like to be able to make intelligent picks that aren't based on the player having to start next year. That's the way you gain busts because there aren't too many rookies who can come in and make an impact in there 1st year. It's takes time and I'd like to be able to give them that time. Here's a couple players at each position I'd like to see us take a run at. I'm leaving out guys like Gonzalez because I don't see any way he's gonna get let go...

QB-Matt Schaub
WR-Ernest Wilford
TE-Eric Johnson
OL-Leonard Davis(This would be a huge pickup for us, literally)
DL-Jared Allen, Terdell Sands
LB-Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas
DB/S-Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Ken Hamlin(We need help at safety very badly and I don't want to see a rookie here)

I think Wilford could really flourish in this offense.

Why dat?

I haven't watched Wilford alot, but isn't Stovall sort of like him?

[bradentonian]

I agree with this. I think our FA signings this season have to be significant. We have got to bring in some veteran help. We cannot depend on the draft to revamp this team for the present. I'd like to be able to make intelligent picks that aren't based on the player having to start next year. That's the way you gain busts because there aren't too many rookies who can come in and make an impact in there 1st year. It's takes time and I'd like to be able to give them that time. Here's a couple players at each position I'd like to see us take a run at. I'm leaving out guys like Gonzalez because I don't see any way he's gonna get let go...

QB-Matt Schaub
WR-Ernest Wilford
TE-Eric Johnson
OL-Leonard Davis(This would be a huge pickup for us, literally)
DL-Jared Allen, Terdell Sands
LB-Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas
DB/S-Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Ken Hamlin(We need help at safety very badly and I don't want to see a rookie here)

I think Wilford could really flourish in this offense.

Why dat?

He's a big, physical dude like Jon likes (6'4", 223), great red zone target  but can also get some yards (3 year career average: 15.4 yards per catch, compare to Galloway 15.6 yards per catch).

Edit:  And only 3 drops this year.

[Boid Fink]

I agree with this. I think our FA signings this season have to be significant. We have got to bring in some veteran help. We cannot depend on the draft to revamp this team for the present. I'd like to be able to make intelligent picks that aren't based on the player having to start next year. That's the way you gain busts because there aren't too many rookies who can come in and make an impact in there 1st year. It's takes time and I'd like to be able to give them that time. Here's a couple players at each position I'd like to see us take a run at. I'm leaving out guys like Gonzalez because I don't see any way he's gonna get let go...

QB-Matt Schaub
WR-Ernest Wilford
TE-Eric Johnson
OL-Leonard Davis(This would be a huge pickup for us, literally)
DL-Jared Allen, Terdell Sands
LB-Lance Briggs, Adalius Thomas
DB/S-Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Ken Hamlin(We need help at safety very badly and I don't want to see a rookie here)

I think Wilford could really flourish in this offense.

Why dat?

He's a big, physical dude like Jon likes (6'4", 223), great red zone target  but can also get some yards (3 year career average: 15.4 yards per catch, compare to Galloway 15.6 yards per catch).

That is why I think the BUcs should not get the guy.

They have enough big, physical dudes.  They got a WR they have thought about turning into a TE (Stove), and a Clayton who is good at blocking (slap forehead).

They need speed, and playmaking.  Not big dudes who get tracked down.