[BFritz]

I just don't think Smith is a great pass-rusher. Geathers has a good burst, but he can't do it all himself. The interior line also needs work. I think Peko was a steal last year, but the rest of them (Thornton, Myers, Allen) are getting older and would make much better backups. Hopefully they will grab a DT early in the draft next spring, but that won't helpt them this year.

I agree that Peko is a solid player, as well as agreeing with your assesment about the ends.

However, right now the backers atop the depth chart are Jeanty, Johnson, and Brooks. Brooks is good, but Jeanty and Johnson have been here for a few years, and the defense was never any good. They brought in Everett, Hartwell, and Frazier (hasn't been much besides special teams, but I think he might be solid), and I think Hartwell and Everett could be improvements. I know Hartwell injured his knee either last season or the season before, but I believe that Sports Illustrated named him the best run stuffing backer in the NFL in '01 or '02, and he had more tackles one year than Ray Lewis, so you don't just lose that.

So, why not give any of the new backers a chance to play where the other backers have already failed.