On Paper, Things Are Taking Shape

[Chardee MacDennis]

Keep an eye on Christian Ponder as a back up QB vet minimum signing, if Anderson walks.

[ItsPantone278]

If everything leads to the best possible result OP could be right.  If Smith and wright can be serviceable while Byrd and Samuel can find a healthy stretch and develop roles then that group is as solid as we've had in some time.  I think Funchess can be a WR1 but ideally he's a 2.  No one else on the roster is even close.

As for defensive backs we are bottom of the league, possibly the worst on paper.  No way we will field an above average secondary this coming season.  If we get lucky in the draft and can add a solid vet or two we will be at best serviceable.   Expectations should be very low.

As for the lines.  I think we will be solid to slightly above average with health permitting.  It's important that Moton steps up and we can get something out of the other younger guys, but decent group of guys on both sides.

TE is a big concern as well.  You gotta imagine we will do everything we can to help this group.  Maybe Armah can help, but that's a long shot.

All in all if things go perfectly we don't look too bad, but we've got quite a ways to go.

[shaqattaq]

15 hours ago, General_Purr said:

Just look at the division WR depth chart... lol

I admit it's not a pretty sight:

http://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchartpos/WR

[SetfreexX]

Exactly ^^ we have a ways to go, it's 3/21, free agency still isn't over and there are still some quality acquisitions that can be made. We still have the draft as well as the occasional 1-2 UDFA's that surprise and make the team and even beyond that we have the veteran cuts from other teams to assist in rounding out the roster right before the season begins. 

I don't expect the roster to be balanced right now, but what the roster is not overall is ''bad'' ''terrible'' etc. We have holes, but if you look around the NFL this time of year EVERY team's roster is a little unbalanced as they deal with the loss of free agents, etc. 

it's not so much optimism as it is simply common sense at this point, we already have the main ingredients needed to have a chance at the playoffs.

Franchise QB - Yes

Top 5 Front 7 - Yes

Weapons for that Franchise QB - Yes

I really don't see how so many are turning their noses up at - Olsen / Funchess / Smith / Wright / Samuel / Byrd

And the thing is as things go on, we'll be adding a rookie or two to that WR/TE rotation, and potentially a veteran TE as well (hoping for Lewis)

New England made the SB with a patchy secondary, that defense was BAD all season overall, Philadelphia made it through the playoffs with a back up QB, and defense. If we'd had this compliment of receivers vs New Orleans I'd have like our chances vs MIN (who we beat) and PHI (who we should've beaten). 

Losing Stew is not an issue at this point, losing Star led to an upgrade, and losing Norwell was unavoidable without severely limiting the cap, and creating even more imbalance in regard to the roster as we wouldn't have been able to add some of the pieces we did. 

Coleman is absolutely replaceable, he wasn't the same threat after Norman left which allowed him to shade the other options more, he was burnt several times, and often out of position deep, with little range. And again Worley was of the same ilk, he can't cover speed 1v1, so to me by the time FA / Draft / off-season are all said and done at the worst we will even out in those two spots, but I'd wager we improve. 

So to me we're fine for the time of year right now....you gotta let it simmer. 

[ericr0319]

secondary as a whole is our biggest weakness, then RB. we cannot go into the season with Fozzy and Payne as our other options. Fozzy and Payne are both trash. idc if they make 2 good plays a year. Fozzy should have been cut, and I assume he will be by the season. 

The fact the coaching staff hasn't addressed the GIANT elephant in the room, which is Moton, makes me think we may go OL in the first. If we do, its honestly a disgrace. It really is not that hard to not make continued terrible choices. 

Breeland's heel screwed us. I was feeling really good about this team addressing holes going into the draft. 

1. Josh Jackson, CB

2. Josh Sweat, DE

3. Rashaad Penny, RB

3. Shaquem Griffin, LB

[Craig Cartner]

We will be fine. The draft will get us at least two starters. Let the process work. Keeping our team healthy will be the only concern like all teams every year.