I really think Konz will make a great pro, but it will be tough (potentially really bad) if we go into 2012 with a rookie at C. So you'd think I was leaning towards Myers. But not necessarily... for all I know Kubiak has his eye on a cost effective solution via free agency. Someone he knows can do the job at a high level. I'd go for Williams at this point... unless losing him means we can net Myers and a WR or CB.
A bird in hand ... We have MW's replacement (Brooks Reed) already on the team. We would have sign a FA center or a draft one, to replace Myers. If we were to sign a FA center, it might as well be Myers (and we wouldn't be having this conversation). If we draft a center, it is a bit of a crap shoot (see Antoine Caldwell.)
At this point, we need Myers more. As others said, we've kinda replaced Mario already and its proven to be effective.
Totally depends on the price. If Mario really wants to be here and you can get him down to $8 or $10 mil average per year then I easily go for that over the $4-6 million average that Myers will command. There are a lot of solid centers in free agency, and it would be a fairly easy position for us to draft IMO. Our defense would just be unreal with Mario, and center is just not that vital of a position to spend much money on. That Mario price tag is unlikely though. Like I said he would really have to want to be here. If you average out all of Peppers contract, including bonus and non-guaranteed, it's $15 mil/yr.
How many of those have multiple years of ZBS experience? Offensive line continuity is massive. Even a very good FA replacement at center or a first rounder like Konz will be a setback next season. Replacing Mario with a new pass rushing specialist would be plug and play, especially with Barwin and Reed already starting. It's up to Mario if he wants to be here. You can't sit and wait on him in the meantime - get Myers signed.
If this is the only consideration, you keep Mario. Mario is an elite player in any system. Chris Myers is a good ZBS system Center. You could draft a guard, move Brisiel to Center, and not give up much at all. But if keeping Mario means that you cripple the team financially, you don't keep him, regardless of what you do with Myers.
I agree on o-line continuity, but paying $5 million for a guy coming off a career year (when he was maybe slightly above average at best before then) is not worth letting go of potentially one of the top pass rushers in the league just because we have a suitable replacement. You make Mario a lowball offer and see if he'll give us a discount, and if not you then sign Myers. I'm confident that we could get a new guy up to speed in zone blocking through the offseason with the vets we have. We also have Caldwell who could potentially step in.
Gotta be Chris Myers at this point. We just invested 5 years into this running scheme, so now we've gotta lock up all of the components to that running scheme. Continuity long the offensive line is one of the most underrated aspects of an efficient offense, and the Texans certainly have it in grasp if they can sign Myers to a deal.
Here's what I would say: that offer's already been extended, I doubt it was lowball, and it was not accepted. I'm 99% sure they've already put the best hometown discount offer they could on the table, one that would allow them to resign Myers pending a few cap moves (Ryans, etc). Mario's comments indicated that he's giving his agent full control of his free agency, and his agent is only going to care about top dollar in that case. No agent wants to give a hometown discount, the athlete has to insist on it. His agent will want this to go to the open market, and is probably salivating at the Tampa Bay Bucs' cap room.
Short term: Myers Long Term: Williams If we are going to win now we need to keep Myers, if we want a defensive monster for the next few years but possibly damage our offense for a season you go Williams.
THIS!!! How is this even a question?? And how is the majority picking Myers?? How often do freak of natures come along like Williams?
Chris Myers is one of the best centers in the NFL. The fact that we already have 2 young OLBs who excelled in Mario's absence is also a huge part of why Myers would be a more worthwhile investment. Not to mention that Myers can be signed for considerably cheaper than Mario and doing that gives us a better shot at re-signing Duane Brown next offseason.
