Preseason excitement thread

Figured I'd kick the dust off the ol' keyboard and see if we couldn't get to talkin!!!

These are all questions pertaining to preseason. Focus these answers on the next 3 weeks...



1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?

Perine. I want this kid to ball out! I really think he can do well. Had a frustrating couple of plays in the 1st preseason game but I think it was jitters. I think he settles it down and I hope to see more of him.

2. Preseason sleeper player? (these can be the same person)

Ryan Anderson. I think he takes quite a few snaps away from Preston Smith, and with Murphy down, the door is wide open for him to do it.

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?

Run game. I think we have the ability to really make strides on the ground. The talent is there, the O-line is there. The threat of the pass is there. It's going to come down to Gruden and execution, and I believe we start to see it more become an asset, and less be a platform to set up play action.

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?

Preston Smith. I keep hearing how he's in the best shape of his life, how he's different (and I pray he is) but something just feels off with him. I am absolutely rooting for him, but I just don't feel as excited about him as I have in years past.



WHAT SAY YOU!?

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?
Will go a different route here and say it's two key guys who've been unable to stay on the field that I want most to see. Junior Galette and Josh Doctson. I don't have any idea what we really have in either guy - and I can't wait to find out. I predicted Doctson would never recover from his achilles injury. I hope I'm absolutely wrong on that front - rooting for him.

2. Preseason sleeper player? (these can be the same person)
Jeremy Sprinkle - TE. This guy just looks like a player to me. It's been a long time since we've had a big, strong, aggressive blocking TE who can also catch and run - I think he was the steal of the draft.


3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?
WR. By mid-season, if our guys stay healthy, we will find that our WR corps has been upgraded this offseason, not decimated as some claim. Pryor is the real deal, and if Crowder continues to grow, Reed can stay on the field, and Doctson can be the guy the coaches believe he can be, along with a good set of backs - our recievers may be a team strength.

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?
I'm not sure how much 'hype' we have going I am concerned about our pass rush. Losing Murphy will hurt there. Kerrigan has been less of a force recently (whether he's just getting doubled or has peaked, I don't know) and we got zero pressure on Ravens QBs to start the preseason. They literally had all day to throw back there. This is one of my biggest concerns because our secondary will take time to develop under new coaches and schemes.

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?
John Allen. Hopeful that he can be the anchor of our D-line for years to come. A guy OC's lose sleep trying to figure out to stop.

2. Preseason sleeper player?
Matt Ioannidas. Be great for him to do what Moses did in his second year.

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?
Safety. It's been the biggest weakness in pass defense. Swearinger, I think, is a huge upgrade. If Cravens (when he returns) Blackmon, Everett, etc... can show up big time, the improvement in our pass defense could be quite remarkable.

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?
I won't say. Since this is an "excitement" thread.

Ax said:

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?
I won't say. Since this is an "excitement" thread.

Click to expand...

Lol it was more a reference of 'excitement' to spawn conversation, not 'excitement' in the literal sense.

Yeah, but I'm transitioning from my honest opinion, off-season self, into my everything's coming up roses, in-season self.
No place for negativity.

Ax I commend you for the transition.

1. Tyrell Pryor - all the tools - physical beast - saying all the right things
2. Ioannidas as well
3. Front Seven - we ought to be able to field a pretty decent bunch with big boys as well as speed at linebacker
4. Stacy McGee # 92 - come on man! - still too early and I have hopes he won't make similar mistakes going forward

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?
Phil Taylor......he's the closest thing we've had to a true NT since adopting the 3-4. Holding that point down is going to open up a lot for the rest of the d-line and especially the lb's.

2. Preseason sleeper player?
Fabian Moreau.....good size cb that "should" excel with Norman & company.

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?
Defense.....every single tier got better and upgraded coaching. No more HAZMAT legacy of bend/break/break some more.

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?
O-line.....early indication from 1st preseason game they played bad. Extremely correctable with Callahan tho so for whatever reason they struggle early. Gonna blame Lava until the team switches him out.

I like Fabian, heard he finally got on the practice field this past saturday for the first time... i hope its a sign of good things to come.

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?

Galette - if he can get healthy, hopefully it can bring some much needed pressure off the edge on the opposite side of RK91.

2. Preseason sleeper player? (these can be the same person)

Phil Taylor, early indications look like he's motivated and trending upward.

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?

Safety. I think Swearinger is an upgrade. Looking forward to seeing Cravens when he gets back, and honestly, I like Deshazor. As a SS and on special teams, he always seems to have a nose for the football.

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?
McClain - the DL from the Cowboys. Looks like he may get beat out on the depth chart by the other FA, Allen, and others.

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?

Taylor, if his knee really is better and he is in shape he will be the best nose tackle we have had sinec we went to this aborted mission of a 3-4 and he gives us the option of a real 4-3 with a real 3 tech and 1 tech.
2. Preseason sleeper player? (these can be the same person)
Galette, because he needs to be to make the team

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?

defence because it has been so terrible that it has nowhere to go but up

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?

Preston Smith. or galette, smith because he likes to party and doesnt like to study and gallette because he has been a bandaid and has had serious injuries

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?
Zach Brown. If he can be a guy that you can move around inside/outside fewer substitutions for one thing. The D did a lot of back & forth from the sidelines last season which wasn't very effective.

2. Preseason sleeper player? (these can be the same person)
I'm also in the Ioannidas camp.

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?
DL. Better play there will free up what the other 8 guys can do. Doesn't matter how much you improve the other positions, if teams can run the ball down down your throat those other players aren't going to be challenged much.

4. Player / place you think will under-perform, or not live up to hype?
Safety. Skins are trying to find guys that they can 'convert' into Safety's. It looks like a very unsettled position.

1. Player you're most excited about to see during this preseason?

Gallette. If a healthy Gallette is as good as he was a few years ago or even close, this will be huge for our defense. Tho, he probably won't play til the 3rd preseasoner.

2. Preseason sleeper player? (these can be the same person)

Kyle Kalis. I predicted he'd make the team shortly after he was signed as a UDFA.
I have to add Ionnaidis too. Because I believe he's done some things in the offseason, to take him to a greater level.

3. Place we will see the most improvement before week 1?

DLine. I realize there's so many question marks around most of the players, but it's solely based on the fact Allen is such a huge force by himself, that even if the rest of the line is average, he will be enough to lift the overall output.

4. Player / place you think will underperform, or not live up to hype?

Brian Quick. He was expected to come in and be a big (literally and figuratively) Red Zone target, fill that huge void, and be at least a #4 receiver.
But lately his stock has dropped quite a bit.