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Offense
-Offensive line upgraded with additions of Dockery and Walker. I think we may have overpaid a little, but a) we had the money, b) all the FA's are getting too much this year, c) we got the guys we wanted and d) if they play well, no one will care how much they make. So I'm not overly concerned that we over paid.
-Losing McGahee. The guy had less than 1000 yards and a bad attitude. It's not that hard to equal that kind of production. If we draft an RB in Round 2 or 3 to trade off with A-Train we'll be fine. Despite what the national media says, I don't consider McGahee a huge loss- his production has been continuously dropping and his YPC is terrible. Good riddance.
-We still need a #2 WR and a TE that's worth a damn, but for the moment, I guess we're just going to have to hope that JP can make a better use of his "weapons" wih more time. This team has too many other issues to be worrying about this at the moment.
Defense:
-Losing Clements- he's overrated and got WAY too much money. But Youboty starting is a scary thought. I really hope we can find a vet CB as a stopgap solution.
-Losing Fletcher. He's past his prime, but TKO's health is an issue so we still need to replace him. Spikes-Crowell-Ellison might be serviceable if TKO is healthy, but that's a big IF. And if TKO isn't heathy, it's Ellison-Crowell- DiGiorgio/Stamer/Wire? That's a scary thought.
-the DL- 8 of 9 guys from last year's DL are either under contract or tendered. Conclusion: it's unlikely we'll see any help in this area. And that's a scary prospect for the 27th ranked run D. They might improve a little depending on Williams' and McCargo's progress, but I highly doubt it will make them good enough.
Two scary trends in the analysis on this board: First, people are relying too much on the draft as far as getting help. The draft is a gamble because a) we have to depend on the guy we want being there, b) draft picks are completely untested in the NFL and even the best drafters get a bust now and then and c) even the good draft picks often take a year or so to develop in the NFL. We can't count on the draft for help this year.
Second, people are putting too much stock in improvement on the DL from the rookies gaining experience and the players getting another year in the system. While I agree with the general premise, it's not reasonable to expect that experience alone will be enough to make a bad DL into a good DL in one year. Not fixing the DL reminds me of Flanders' beatnik parents on the Simpsons: "We've tried nothing, man, and it hasn't worked!"
Conclusion: The O is moderately better. At the moment, the defense is worse. Overall, the team has some huge holes. Expect similar results to last year. Early struggles, then improving but it'll be too little too late.
-Offensive line upgraded with additions of Dockery and Walker. I think we may have overpaid a little, but a) we had the money, b) all the FA's are getting too much this year, c) we got the guys we wanted and d) if they play well, no one will care how much they make. So I'm not overly concerned that we over paid.
-Losing McGahee. The guy had less than 1000 yards and a bad attitude. It's not that hard to equal that kind of production. If we draft an RB in Round 2 or 3 to trade off with A-Train we'll be fine. Despite what the national media says, I don't consider McGahee a huge loss- his production has been continuously dropping and his YPC is terrible. Good riddance.
-We still need a #2 WR and a TE that's worth a damn, but for the moment, I guess we're just going to have to hope that JP can make a better use of his "weapons" wih more time. This team has too many other issues to be worrying about this at the moment.
Defense:
-Losing Clements- he's overrated and got WAY too much money. But Youboty starting is a scary thought. I really hope we can find a vet CB as a stopgap solution.
-Losing Fletcher. He's past his prime, but TKO's health is an issue so we still need to replace him. Spikes-Crowell-Ellison might be serviceable if TKO is healthy, but that's a big IF. And if TKO isn't heathy, it's Ellison-Crowell- DiGiorgio/Stamer/Wire? That's a scary thought.
-the DL- 8 of 9 guys from last year's DL are either under contract or tendered. Conclusion: it's unlikely we'll see any help in this area. And that's a scary prospect for the 27th ranked run D. They might improve a little depending on Williams' and McCargo's progress, but I highly doubt it will make them good enough.
Two scary trends in the analysis on this board: First, people are relying too much on the draft as far as getting help. The draft is a gamble because a) we have to depend on the guy we want being there, b) draft picks are completely untested in the NFL and even the best drafters get a bust now and then and c) even the good draft picks often take a year or so to develop in the NFL. We can't count on the draft for help this year.
Second, people are putting too much stock in improvement on the DL from the rookies gaining experience and the players getting another year in the system. While I agree with the general premise, it's not reasonable to expect that experience alone will be enough to make a bad DL into a good DL in one year. Not fixing the DL reminds me of Flanders' beatnik parents on the Simpsons: "We've tried nothing, man, and it hasn't worked!"
Conclusion: The O is moderately better. At the moment, the defense is worse. Overall, the team has some huge holes. Expect similar results to last year. Early struggles, then improving but it'll be too little too late.
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