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jjloehr said...
Seems like it's time to compare where we may be trending vs. where we've just come from.
2011 team was headed for a 10-2 season until a rash of injuries hit us at RB. This further exposed our weakness at QB and lead to the 7-5 finish, pre-bowl.
That's our reference point.
OFFENSE: Pos - '12 vs. '11 Comparison - VERDICT - Comment
QB - '12 Ash vs. '11 Gilbert/Ash/McCoy - SOME IMPROVEMENT - Natural maturation + Ash w/ full off-season of #1 QB reps. Still very young.
RB - '12 JB/MB/DJ/JG vs. JB/MB/DJ/FW - GOOD IMPROVEMENT - JB and MB are stronger. DJ... no change. JG > FW. "GOOD" due to improved health.
C - '12 Walter/Espinosa vs. '11 Espinosa - SOME IMPROVEMENT - Espinosa slightly better, simply by experience, but still weak head up. Walters is in if DE doesn't improve. Porter still not ready.
G - '12 Walter/Hopkins/Flowers vs. '11 Walters/Snow - GOOD IMPROVEMENT Walters continues to stregthen. Flowers > Snow last year until concussion. Hopkins is at his best position. Riser could help.
T - '12 Hawkins/Cochran/Kelley vs. '11 Hopkins/Cochran/Kelley - SOME IMPROVEMENT Potential for good improvement is there, but not until Hawkins stabilizes. Fingers are crossed. Hughes could add depth.
TE - '12 Grant/Tarrell/Mathews/McFarland vs. '11 Irby/Grant/Mathews/Poehlman - SOME IMPROVEMENT We had trouble catching and blocking. In '12, we'll at least catch well.
WR - '12 JS/MD/MG/JH/DH/CJ vs. '11 JS/MD/MG/JH/DH/DW - SOME IMPROVEMENT - Davis had slump, Shiplye/Harris injured, Hales no-showed, White was terrible. Davis/Shipley are back strong, Harris will be back, Hales is promising (again), C. Jones could help right away.
FB - '12 Roberson vs. '11 Johnson - DECLINE - CJ was NFL terrific. Roberson may be adequate. We will likely put Mathews into FB role for blocking.
OVERALL OFFENSE: DECLINE - 1 position (FB) SOME IMPROVEMENT - 2 positions (QB, C, TE, WR, T) GOOD IMPROVEMENT - 3 positions (G, RB)
Overall, Offense has some or good improvement at 11 of 12 positions. Other than FB, progress is showing everywhere. Across-the-board improvement like that will have additional synergistic effects resulting in GOOD IMPROVEMENT overall. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEFENSE: Pos - '12 vs. '11 Comparison - VERDICT - Comment
DT - '12 AD/DJ/CW/BM/MB vs '11 KR/AD/CH/CW/DJ - SOME IMPROVEMENT - we were good in '11, and we'll be very good in '12. If BM can get in shape well enough to last a whole series, we could be great.
DE - '12 AO/JJ/RW/CR vs '11 AO/JJ/RW/CR - SOME IMPROVEMENT - we were good in '11, we'll be very good in '12 through maturation of all players. A Ridgeway and T. Davis can give more depth.
MLB - '12 Edmond vs. '11 Robinson - GOOD IMPROVEMENT - Robinson struggled to get off blocks much of '11. No interceptions. Edmond is a beast, and can also drop back well. He'll dominate.
OLB - '12 Hicks/Cobbs vs. '11 Acho/Hicks - STATUS QUO - Losing Acho is big. Hicks looking great. Cobbs return is questionable. Depth not good. Hicks improvement is a wash with other concerns.
S - '12 Vacarro/Phillips vs. '11 Gideon/Vacarro - GOOD IMPROVEMENT - I know BG was smart, but athletic limitations really showed. Phillips is smart enough and much more athletic. Vacarro will dominate.
CB - '12 Byndom/Diggs vs. '11 Byndom/Diggs - SOME IMPROVEMENT - They're already terrrific. Natural progression and experience makes them even better. Young Orlando Thomas, plus JT and LS give depth.
OVERALL DEFENSE: DECLINE - 0 STATUS QUO - 2 positions (OLB) SOME IMPROVEMENT - 6 positions (DT, DE, CB) GOOD IMPROVEMENT - 3 positions (MLB, S)
Overall, Defense has 9 of 11 positions showing "some" to "good" improvement on a defense that was already exceptional. We could be scary good in '12. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OVERALL TEAM:
So, if '11 was an 8-5 season with 2 losses solely due to injury rash at RB, I see us IMPROVING by 4 games.
Big wildcard still unanswered is Kicking game. Very probable DECLINE there, costing us at least one game.
Your thoughts?
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jjloehr said...
I just don't get all the excitement at Tackle right now. I know there was a lot when they first started in shorts, etc..., but by the last day of pads Searles was sending messages to Hawkins by having him split 1st team reps with Paden Kelley.
Am I the only one who saw this???
Searles is not yet confident in Hawkins, so I'm trying to figure out why so many of you are...
This post was edited by gordosan on 3/11/2012 at 9:43 PM
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Hookemfan said...
a few things you left out 1. the kicker (we all know that's a decline right now) 2. RB Jeremy Hills who stepped in and did farely well for his situation
I feel Joe B. is going to see the FB position on certain plays and even though CJ did great at FB I don't think they will need too much out at the position that JB won't give them. Also I think you were wrong at the OT grading, it should have been good instead of some improvement. All though Hawkins is the only difference from last year they feel he's good enough to play LT instead of RT and that moves Cochran to right and that moves Hopkins to his natural position Guard and that is why I feel the line is in better condition than last year.
This post has been edited 3 times, most recently by jjloehr on 3/12/2012 at 10:21 AM
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gordosan said...
We were pathetically weak at tackle last year. Actually, guard was the only part of the line that was average or above. Just having Cochran back after a full year in the weight room makes us better. Kelley would be better than either Allen or Hopkins were at the first of last year. Hawkins is a tremendous prospect phsyically and has all the drive that is needed. He's simply make the jump from Juco to D1 ball. Ultimately, he may end up at right tackle and Cochran back at left; but the position has had a tremendous upgrade. The simple fact that Hopkins has moved back inside says all that needs to be said. Go back and watch the Cal. game if you need a memory boost. In all honesty, Greenlae would probably be an upgrade over what we started in game one last year.
This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by jjloehr on 3/11/2012 at 11:26 PM
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ThornyHorn said...
Kheeston is most certainly replaceable with an upgrade at the overall position a definite possibility. Basically, you're trading Kheeston and Howell with Moore and Whaley (was Whaley a DT at the halfway point of spring ball last year? if so, don't think much was expected). Tank and Dorsey are both a year older. And M. Brown may be the best of the bunch. I'd say an upgrade at the position is likely.
I agree with you on LB. While my expectations for Edmond and Cobbs are very high, they are replacing very productive multi year starters. Until I see the production consistently in real games, I'll hold off on calling it an upgrade.
There is nothing more dangerous in this world than a man with nothing to lose.
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bruthaman said...
If you guys have a guy that will improve the DT position after Rhandall leaving, nobody will run up the middle. I agree with the other poster, that guy was a player. I was amazed at how ineffective the LBs were behind him because he wasnt able to be blocked by one person most of the game. But we will see.
Halfway Point - 2012 vs. 2011 team