Shockingly, I am going to disagree. I know. Take a moment, if you need it. Another point I've been making, it absolutely is.
OL is better. Instead of tackles Coleman and Wylie, we have Tunsil and Conerly. 2024 starters are now back ups, although Coleman may start at LG. Gs are pretty much the same, unless Coleman really steps up. C is debatable. I think there's more depth too.
RBs are better. Bill is much more explosive than Robinson, White/Ford can replicate what Ekler gave us (700-ish total yards 4 TDs). In fact, I might be disappointed if that's all either did.
Unpopular, but WR are at least a wash, younger, healthier, deeper, more explosive. Other than McLaurin, they definitely have more upside than Zaccheus and the Browns. IMO, LMC and Lane offer a lot more than Zaccheus and Noah Brown do. That doesn't include Williams.
TE is a wash--I think we'd all be happy with 2024 Ertz production out of Konk 66/654/7.
Jayden is Jayden.
One thing you mentioned about Lane was what his strengths were coming out of college: hitches, screens, routes like that (correct me if I'm wrong, you're a far better scout than I am). Did we ever see him run those routes last year? Same with Sinnott--I don't think he was used properly, either. It's possible this was part of the parting of the ways with Kingsbury--and I wanted Kingsbury back.
O line is better I agree than 2024. My mind was on the weapons.
I don't love Noah Brown but he was decent that season and actually played 11 games. Ekeler had a good season. Zaccheus had a good season. Crowder had his moments as a backup. Ertz had a good season. All of those guys are gone.
Are they younger now and that's good? Sure. Are they better than those versions of those players in 2024, my feeling is no but as I mentioned one WR away from yes. How many seasons has Chig had like Ertz that year? Zero. I like Rachaad White, but he was signed for peanuts for a reason, I don't think he's as good as Ekeler. We don't even know Ford makes the team let alone combines with White as two pass catching RBs.
Will Antonio be as good as Zaccheus from the jump or better? Maybe. But he's a rookie. We don't know.
Is 31 year old Terry as good as 29 year old Terry? I doubt it. Will see.
As far as Jaylin Lane and Sinnott both are complete wildcards, if I had to bet on one versus the other, I'd bet on Lane. But I am not really blown away by either ones future. I do like those players though -- Lane IMO could be the best PR in the league and I like Sinnott as a move blocker, but I don't see either ending up as marquee players but not busts either, but I'd love to be wrong. If I am going with a young player shocking the league from this team from the jump, it's Antonio Williams. But that's of course a guess. I don't know.
I think the main disconnect in our disagreement is its not that I can't see players emerging, and our most optimistic hopes playing out for all these guys. It's perfectly possible. It's also perfectly possible that it doesn't. And I don't like betting on things that way unless I felt this was a rebuild.
When listening to Sheehan and some other locals talk about why power rankers, Vegas, mock drafters are on the aggregate very down on this roster and part of that is they don't have name weapons like some of the bigger contenders. I disagree with the national pessimists on that. I think they can make due with what they have but making due IMO lowers the ceiling. Lowering the ceiling is the rub for me.
And I don't disagree with you that if all our fondest hopes and desires for these players can come true, it actually can be a good supporting cast. But lol, no way I'd go to Vegas and bet on it. And I don't like betting on it in a season that might be the last one on a rookie contract. If this was name that random season in the past, what the heck, lets see if Jaylin Lane emerges as a star. But in the shrinking window for a rookie contract where Jayden can go from 10 million on the cap to something like 65 million sooner than later. I don't want to fart around and take chances with this time frame.
But I don't find my take negative at all and its actually driven by a ton of optimism. To me there are different camps on this.
A. Most of power rankers, national media, mock draft community -- to a lesser extent Vegas. At best this is a mediocre team, but more likely a bad team. And yes in their minds the lack of weapons compared to other teams is part of their narrative why.
B. They can make due with what they have. It might not be great but let Jayden elevate the roster and feed off a better defense
C. Actually this supporting cast weapons are sneaky good or at least the potential is high enough to see it play out. Be patient with some of these players who have upside, and even if you don't see it like that, Aiyuk can save the day so why not trust it?
D. This team can make the SB, Peters did a good job overall, but why not finish it? Why not load up Jayden to help him look special -- he's the future, building Jayden by extension secures the future.
For me. I reject point A. I think point B is possible but I hate the mindset behind it. I think C is a hope and a little bit of a prayer -- not saying it can't happen but I am not betting my season on it. I solidly believe in point D.
 }})
