Yeah…it seems like every year there are a few of these bottom of the roster cuts discussions … like WR6 or this year it’s with our safeties…and honestly in the end it hasn’t really made much difference to our W-L results. I think there is a lot of discussion now because of (a) I just don’t think anyone really thinks Davis is any good, and (b) we ARE getting better in terms of depth, so the decisions have more impact. the fact that 7 or our cuts have already been picked shows that they’re not just scrubs, and that’s even not counting the 4 that were cut and picked up ahead of Tuesdays cut down day. That’s a good sign that we’re getting better. My concern is that I kind of feel like yes while our backups are getting much better than they’ve been over the last few years, if our starters are still below league average then it’s not going to necessarily translate to more wins, especially considering our tough schedule. the other thing that is causing some angst is the current roster construction. To me, keeping only 8 OL and only Mitchell as backup OT is a fail…I hope Fant and Brown stay durable because otherwise it’ll be rough, and the frustrating part to me is that JDs bet on Becton was a bad bet that many of us called out at the time…you could see it coming a mile away…it’s not like 20/20 hindsight. not sure I agree with 11 DL at the expense of OT or CB either…especially when two of those guys are Curry who’s always hurt and Sheppard who isn’t anything special and should be easily replacable. I’d have preferred to keep Guidry or Pinnock over one DL, and honestly even probably Edoga over the other DL…he’s not great but at least he’s played whereas Mitchell is a raw 4th rounder…maybe they see enough in him to be comfortable if he has to play, but we’ve not seen that. So I think those are the things driving the discussion… I’m still concerned that our starters on D aren’t great, and we’re relying on a lot of edge rushers to get to the QB to make our D work, but if we don’t improve on D as a whole, it won’t matter much who our #4 safety is
With all due respect I would very much disagree with the bold. If you look at our starting line-up there is only one player in the starting 22 that is clearly below average and that is Zach Wilson. A case could be made that Joyner might be below league average but when he has played free safety he has been above average but it has been awhile and we really do not know what we have in him. The issue IMO is not a lack of average players. JD has done a great job of not only stocking the starting line-up with average players but the back-ups. The issue is a lack of really good players, 11-12 new starters and the a very young team.We have plenty of average players and very few below average players. No super great players. Just players with potential.
Our starters are not below league standards in most areas. I disagree with that. I think Q is a stud and JFM back inside will hold his own. Our biggest question marks still remains QB, a NT, and LB with speed. The rest is depth at OL and S. We have improved leaps and bounds at TE, WR, CB and Edge. Special team solid as well.
actually yes I agree with you and LAJet…we don’t have any real stars…agree Wilson as literally the lowest rated starting QB was significantly below average last year and the hope is he will improve to average this year. good point
Fretting over this position and that position is futile. Every team in the league has weaknesses and that includes SB contenders. The important thing in the NFL is QB play. The QB makes the offense click and puts the points on the board. Points means the defense can play more aggressively. It's all tied together. It's harsh to point the finger at one guy on the team and say you have to perform for us to win, but that's the reality in the NFL. And, I might add that's why they make the big bucks.
I am actually concerned about starters on Oline. When they played against GIants second string, we could not get the running game going at all. Pass pro was good, which is a good sign, but if they can't get run going, we may be screwed. Might take a few weeks to gel, like last year. Hopefully with two weeks of practice after the last preseason game it will be better.
While it's true that the long term success of this team - and proof of whether Douglas and Saleh are the answer - lies with Zach's development, the more critical short term concern is the play of the OL, both from a cohesiveness and remaining healthy for the season aspect. And also the play of the "D", particularly in stopping the running game. We've added a lot of upgrades, and got back some key pieces, but there are still holes at LB and NT/IDL that are unproven. Hopefully these prove NOT to be a problem, or at least as big of a problem as last year. In short, the OL - depth, cohesiveness, health - and the "D" - stopping the run, putting pressure on the QB, especially the top QBs - are bigger issues to me than Zach right now.
That was my major concern also...in fact for the entire preseason...the piss poor run blocking. Part of me thinks that the main reason Knight made the team is because he had a really good run from scrimmage in the last game...unlike anyone else.
Pre-season is over guys, we should be talking about how we can beat the Ravens not a potential Swing tackle.
Very anti-Douglas and I don't love it. I like Mosley a lot both on the field and off. I think he's good for this team. I also think we could have moved on next year and found an LB to take over either in FA or hopefully in the draft. We're banking on Mosley being healthy and productive for two years which is kind of a gamble.
Hughes had previously said they were grooming Sherwood to take over as MLB next year and the CS views him as the MLB of the future.
Which I'm all for. He's flashed when he's healthy and on the field. But that can't happen anymore unless we're eating money.
