Here comes your Knightingale approved burst of optimism!
I can't say I disagree with much of anything that's been said, but let's turn those frowns upside down and try to spin this positively.
The Defense will be our identity this year, I think that's pretty obvious to anyone. Our D-Line looks beastly, Collins and Nicholson look good in safety. Our DB's look fine. If I have one area of concern on that side of the ball, maybe it's the ILB's. But I do think we have enough to hopefully put us in the top 5 in the league. Top 10 at least! I'm hoping that the pressure our D-line gives can pressure opponents into more turnovers from fumbles and hurried throws. I have so much faith in this D that I drafted them way too early in the Fantasy draft
just so I could make sure I had them! LOL
The offense is full of question marks, true, but let's try and spin this positively.
Last year we had Alex Smith. I'm not suggesting Keenum is in Smith's league, but Smith wasn't lighting it up last year either. Definitely not firing on all cylinders! We had many a conversation about how lackluster he looked at times leading this offense, even calls to have Colt come in instead. Smith's benefit was that he didn't turn the ball over often, something Keenum might be more prone to do. So yeah, maybe we have a small drop off in that area.
Last year we had to lean on AP for the run game. He did us proud getting over 1000 yards (just), but this year he has help! CT has said in interviews he was never right last year after his leg break, he said he feels much more back to normal this year. So that should help. Guice is back from his ACL, an injury that AP had too a few years ago. He came back and has said repeatedly that the ACL healed stronger than before. He's been helping Guice through the rehab, how to take care of his body and how to ensure that leg comes back full strength. We've only seen a glimpse of Guice in game form so far, but it was very promising. Between these three, you gotta say the run game has taken a step forwards, which may compensate for the drop off between Smith and Keenum (if there even is one!)
Now it's true, Trent is gone... for now.
We talk about how our O-line is great, and it has pieces in Trent and Scherff... but in reality it's not played to it's full potential in years. Honestly the last two years our O-line was decimated by injuries and played well below what it's healthy peak should be. If our guys can stay healthy this year are we REALLY that much worse off?
So... A healthy O-Line minus Trent this year - versus - an Injury decimated O-Line last year (a portion of the year without Scherff)?
We still went 7-9 both years with a deficient line and only 1 old veteran running back.
Our receivers are perhaps a cause for concern... But I think there's talent there. It's unproven in proper games but still, it's there. I mean who are we really missing from last year? Crowder? I liked Crowder but he is replaceable.
It's true that we could be unlucky enough to have a corps of 'Doctson's' (Now being used as a describing word for anyone who underperforms their potential!). However I believe it's much more likely we'll see a couple of break outs this year. The Skins have basically set the table for one or more of these guys to step up and establish themselves as a go-to target. I'm excited to see how it plays out to be honest. I'm expecting someone to establish a rapport with Keenum or Haskins, just not sure who it'll be, but I'm excited to find out.
Out TE's I'm fine with (Reed's concussion not withstanding). By his own admission this is the first year in a while his foot has been right. Sprinkle showed me some stuff in pre-season. Davis is always a good veteran presence (if he can limit those drops!). At this point my biggest worry here is that Reed will decide to retire. And I wouldn't blame him if he did.
Hopkins will be Hopkins, Tress will be Tress. Special Teams has looked shaky at times in pre-season, but I like that we have an influx of young talent eager to prove themselves in there.
So... optimistically speaking... are we really that much a worse team than last year? If at all?
I kind of think we may have taken a baby step forwards to be honest. We're younger and have more talent across the board now. Unproven talent in some cases, but the season is where they need to go prove it.
The bigger issue is whether our the teams we play this year have advanced or regressed. You gotta say the Cowboys and Eagles are better than us, or at least more proven. The Giants are in the same sort of boat.
I was listening to the John Keim Report podcast the other day (Or John Kevin as my predictive text on twitter called him... and he noticed!!!!) and he was interviewing Matthew Berry, who said that if we firmly are to believe that this Skins team is a bottom 5 team, then the fact Gruden has been getting 7 wins out of it should make him Coach of the Year candidate. While this may be overblowing Gruden, he does kind of have a point. The press have generally written us off with predictions of 2 or 3 wins total, Leagues worst WR corps etc. So if that IS true and Gruden gets us to 7-9 again or 8-8, what does that say about him?
Personally I think we're a 7-9 team this year anyway. Maybe better if we can duplicate last years playstyle but without the injuries. I think we'll surprise people this year.
One last thing to comment on.
The influx of Bama players, especially on Defense seems to have this team playing with a different mindset than I've seen in recent years. Losing begets losing sometimes, but the vibe you get from people like Allen, Payne etc is that last year was just year 1, and that they're ready to step up this year. I'm not sure those guys will tolerate losing, which sometimes seems like something we've been guilty of with the Skins of the past. Maybe it's just me, but from listening to the interviews and the reports from Camp etc, this team just feels different to me.
Go on... you can tell me I'm crazy!
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