Everything is new

Everything is new.

New owners
New Front Office
New coaches
Training staff
Dieticians

You can even argue that the roster is all but new. Look at the QB room, the linebacker room, the tight end room, even the offensive and defensive lines look to have 50+% turnover.

It’s like we bought a new house and never hired a moving company. Instead of U-Hauls, we decided to only take with us whatever we could stuff into the trunk.

What does all this new mean?

I think it means it’ll take time. I mean look at that amazing bookshelf we ordered. It’s not ready for books yet. We have to assemble it. That oven isn’t ready to cook meals yet. First, we need to get it wired up and get the electricity flowing.

Now, it may be quick. By buying everything new means we aren’t looking for out of stock replacement parts. We don’t need a patch job on that old jalopy to keep it from overheating as we pile in for one last family trip. What we need is patience, skill, great communication, and a bit of luck that all this “new” will look as amazing put together in the real world as it did in our imagination .

The work’s barely begun. We have about six weeks before everything gets real. So for now, pick a wall and get going. Nails are in the cup by the sawhorse. Pass me the measuring tape and the level. Don’t worry about the paint job. We’re not ready to cover anything up yet.

It’s building time.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

It's going to be an exciting year, one way or the other, the remnant stains of the past are finally all gone, many questions obviously remain but it is certain this is a different feel in the subconscious and conscious psyche.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Well, in fairness, the owners were here last year but they came so late they weren't in any position to actually do anything.

I agree with everything, the thing is, I'm not entirely sure how long it's going to take. I mean, it could take a couple off-seasons to really get going.

Or...

It might be faster than you think.

Here are some reasons why there could be close to immediate results:

- The offseason approach of getting veterans for leadership and who know what they are doing and pairing them with rookies or younger players at key positions. Examples: Wagner and Luvu, Lucas and Coleman, Ertz and Sinnott. Where they have young guys, they tend to have vets. Where they have vets, they tend to have young guys.

- They really should be well coached. People forget that Dan Quinn got a team to the SB in (I think) his third year, and then back to the playoffs the next year. For some reason, Kyle Shanahan and Matt Ryan seem to get all the credit, and Quinn takes the blame for the eventual collapse. However, for the past 20 years, whatever team Quinn has coached, they've been well coached. Seahawks, Falcons and Cowboys. And the members of the coaching staff all have had success at varying levels.

- They have a young, dynamic, dual-threat QB. Young QBs who can use their legs as they gain experience are good for 4-5 good plays a game just because they're shifty and fast.

- There is talent on the defense, specifically, which has been misused because Ron and Jack were damn fools. This staff should be able to bring some of that talent out.

- Nobody knows exactly what they are going to do on offense.

- I'm predicting Dotson is the breakout player of the year. I think he had a good rookie season, and EB had literally no idea how to scheme plays to get certain players the ball. Dotson started pressing, dropped some passes, and was very disappointing. But I personally still think he's got a lot of talent, and if he's got talent, with this coaching staff and what looks to be a scheme which should feature a lot of quick throws, he should thrive.

Reasons to be cautious:

- Who exactly is starting at Left Tackle? And Wiley is starting at Right Tackle? (Slight shudder)

- Literally no idea who can play corner.

- Rookie QBs do Rookie QB things. Even the really, really great ones.


Bring it on. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this whole thing comes together.

 

[burgold]

Love the post. I could see us coming out of the gate running. I can also see us stumbling because football really is a team sport and it takes time to get to know the guy next to you and develop that almost instantaneous recognition and communication that tells you what your teammates are going to do. I don’t think, even with savvy vets, that football is plug and play. It takes time, especially on the lines, to get the choreography down.

At the same time, I do think great coaching and smart, vet players can reduce the time it takes to get in sync.

OTOH, just to argue against my own point, Del Rio had tremendous consistency on D and still had ridiculous communication lapses even within units where the players had been together for three, four years. So, that process of getting all the gears turning in the right direction isn’t developed simply via playing time, but a combination of factors which include leadership, preparation, etc.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I think it’s going to come down to three basic principles:

1. Can they protect Daniels enough for him to be successful?

2. Can Daniels play at a high level, taking what the defense gives him and limiting turnovers?

3. Can the CBs cover anybody?

If the answer to those three things is “yes” then they could win between 9 or 10 games

if the answer is no, it’s more like a 6-8 win team.

What I want to see more than anything though is progress. I want them to be better in week 17 than week 1.

And set up an off-season next year when they can add some pieces to become a contender while still building through the draft.

 

[Boone]

I think the defense is going to be playoff worthy and it won’t take long to see a huge leap forward on the field.

The offense (and the team’s overall success) will almost entirely be driven by what Kliff Kingsbury comes up with on offense and how quickly and well Jayden Daniels plays.

I know that’s not exactly earth-shattering analysis but that’s how I see it.

 

[Knightingale]

I agree with all said here, especially with VoR’s first point about the Vets/young players. It’s such a smart approach and such a simple thing that gives me a level of confidence in the operation (front office and coaching) that they’re doing things right. The devil is in the details. It’s signing big names to the right contracts for the right reasons, rather than just to make a splash. It’s refreshing.

In the past it’s always seemed to be a Snyder driven “which big name can we sign to make noise in the media?”
This time it feels more like the FO asked the question “which veterans do we need at which positions to teach a young generation”
Feels like we’re asking the right questions at last.

 

[SkinsBusDriver]

Just to play “Captain Obvious” - IMO, a lot of Jayden Daniels success will be tied to Kliff’s ability to interweave a running game from the RBs into the Commanders offense.