We pretty much have the same team we had back in 03-04.

[jeffking]

thank god we dont have to play the texans this year.

[rayzor]

except that year the team went out and got a proven and reliable (though unspectacular) 35 year old WR out of a desire to make the team as solid as possible that year. that WR went on to really help smith out in his development.

too bad we don't care enough about our young WRs to do something like that.

other than that, there are a lot of similarities.

it's just this year we are trying to build a team with players that we hope will be good instead of making one with players that are good.

we're just one WR short of being a legit playoff team. we're one receiver short of being THAT team. in fact i'd dare say we're one WR short of being better than that team, but...oh well. we got to stick to our guns.

[Anybodyhome]

Holy crap, that would make Wesley Walls 44! And still going strong? Well, he was with Green Bay in 2003...

[gmonet]

Look at it like this. QB that nobody is really sure about. We can not be stopped running the ball (Stephon Davis, Foster, even Nick Goings....lol...Nick Goings) The WR group was a little better with Ricky P and Moose, but neither one has a light it up kind of guy. The defense was, and still is our best side of the ball. Hardy and Brown on our D-Line will be in QBs faces all year, mark my words. Decent corners, not great, but not terrible, and the linebackers are still awesome....please we still have Kasey!

Keep pounding.

I have to say that I find it sophmoric when some "lol" at a guy like Goings, who was never expected to be a OJ or Emmitt, but he delivered a hell of a lot of times for the Panthers. AND if you doubt what he gave, try to archive the Seattle game and look at that hit he took from Tatupu! We give out Purple Hearts for less punishment taken, but I did get the respect you intended.

So little is mentioned about the one "keeper" we have Carter! He might last ( in the pro-noun ) longer than Rhyss vander plunkt Lloyd! By end of 2009, ol' Rhyss wasn't doing much better than Kasey did at camp which was the 02-11 yard point.

Hardy is the surpise, and it is funny how Clausen is cooled down, don't you think? That's to his (Clausen's) benefit, now he can develope.

We are first a defensive team, and then a running team with a hint of 3 stooges thrown in for kicks I think we are just that Not Awesomeness!

[Baschski]

Don't you dare talk sh*t about Nick Goings.

[ncbobcat]

The bit about Prohel was off base too. We have neither before NOR since had that good of a #3 WR. I don't see how his contibutions were so easily dismissed. Considering our 16 years of existance, that's kind of a glaring faux pas.

[BIGH2001]

Without going through the roster one by one, it is definitely fair to say that 2003 had far more veteran presence than this group. How do you think they won all those close games? It's not the same team, not even close. Let's see how our young team responds the first time they are down 6 late in the 4th and need a game winning TD drive.

[Squirrel]

Our secondary is alot better this year. Oline was a big question in 2003 and WR wasnt thought to be good until after the season started. I remember people saying Smitty wasnt a true #2 and wanting us to pick up a 2nd WR.

[Seal (SmittyIsOurSavior)]

I basically made a thread like this last week.

[Vagrant]

1. Steve Smith is nowhere near as dynamic as he was that year. Steve Smith this upcoming year may not even be as dynamic as Moose was that season. Remember, the next year he caught like 1,400 yards and 15 TD.

2. We had perhaps the best defensive line in all of football with Rucker, Jenkins, and Peppers. That was all three players playing the best football they ever played. That was the heart of this team. Probably one of the most underrated front 3 to play in the modern era. Our current offensive line is NOTHING.... and I mean NOTHING.... close to that group. Our starting DT is waiver wire fodder. Our DEs are unproven.

3. Our safety play was superior. Minter and Grant were WAY better than Godfrey and Martin. Grant was ridiculously underrated and Minter was one of the best in the league at that time. Godfrey, until the final 8 games of last season, looked totally lost at his position and Martin is a converted corner that made some big plays but is still somewhat of a question mark.

4. Witherspoon and Morgan, together, were better than the linebacker group we have now. Beason is as productive as both of them, but without Davis we don't have the pair of elite guys like that team did.

[blackcatgrowl]

So we're destined to make it to the Superbowl and lose again! Awesome! I mean, Not-Awesome!

[E CaT PanTHer]

So we're destined to make it to the Superbowl and lose again! Awesome! I mean, Not-Awesome!

I would definitely rather take a superbowl loss than a 6-10 season.

[Baschski]

1. Steve Smith is nowhere near as dynamic as he was that year. Steve Smith this upcoming year may not even be as dynamic as Moose was that season. Remember, the next year he caught like 1,400 yards and 15 TD.

2. We had perhaps the best defensive line in all of football with Rucker, Jenkins, and Peppers. That was all three players playing the best football they ever played. That was the heart of this team. Probably one of the most underrated front 3 to play in the modern era. Our current offensive line is NOTHING.... and I mean NOTHING.... close to that group. Our starting DT is waiver wire fodder. Our DEs are unproven.

3. Our safety play was superior. Minter and Grant were WAY better than Godfrey and Martin. Grant was ridiculously underrated and Minter was one of the best in the league at that time. Godfrey, until the final 8 games of last season, looked totally lost at his position and Martin is a converted corner that made some big plays but is still somewhat of a question mark.

4. Witherspoon and Morgan, together, were better than the linebacker group we have now. Beason is as productive as both of them, but without Davis we don't have the pair of elite guys like that team did.

1. Smith would have easily had 1000 yards last year if he hadn't broken his arm, and that was with the worst passing game in the league most of the year. It's not crazy at all to think that he could go for 1400-ish with a decent QB, which Moore can certainly be.

2. Our d-line isn't as good as in 2003 but it's looking a hell of a lot better than any of us thought it would. D-line will not be a strength for us.

3. Minter and Grant were better at the time but Martin and Godfrey are better than you're giving them credit for. They have the potential to be the best safety combo we've ever had.

4. Beason is better than Witherspoon or Morgan were, and Connor and Anderson are rock solid at their positions. Not a huge difference in LB core here. If Davis was playing we'd be better this year for sure.

[blackcatgrowl]

I would definitely rather take a superbowl loss than a 6-10 season.

Hell, I wouldn't!

If we lost it:

1. We would get the 31st pick in the 2011 draft class (unless we trade up). If our record is ass, we get a higher pick.

2. Fox would get a huge contract extension, as would Hurney, and we would be stuck with them until 2016 most likely.

3. Who knows how many good players would leave the team after that run for teams that will pay the big money. I'd count on some important ones going away.

4. We'd start getting a reputation like the Bills. f**k that.