Filling every level (a roster construction thread)

[burgold]

For years, perhaps decades, we've worried about talent on this team, but I think if we dig a little deeper the problem wasn't actually talent, but the distribution of talent. Jay Gruden's teams had some very good offensive playmakers, but the defense sucked. There was always a position group that was a black hole. Some unit that just felt ignored and was going to be a weakness. that almost every team found it easy to take advantage of Sometimes, that was at linebacker (Rivera) and sometimes it was at receiver or pick you position. Now, we're not there yet, but what I'm beginning to see is us stocking at least one good player on each level on both O and D.

QB JD5
WR Terry
RB Bill (Some will disagree, but I think he can be good, especially using a committee approach)
OL Tunsil
DL Oweh
LB Styles
CB _________ I am hoping by the end of the season, we can put either Amos or Mike here. Not yet sure.
S Nick Cross

I remember when people lauded Dallas because they had their "three-headed-beast) What made that team so hard to defend was that they had Irvin at wide receiver, then Novachek at tight end, and Smith as their running back. If you stacked the box against the run, Novachek or Irvin would get you. If you played coverage, Smith would gash you. It wasn't that their entire team out talented every other team, but that forced opposing defenses to choose. Likewise, we have McLaurin, Chig, Bill and Daniels. If you play coverage, Bill or Daniels can hurt you with their legs. If you go blitz heavy, White or Williams should be able to out quick defenders. If they stack the box, McLaurin hopefully is still McLaurin. So, there's a chance we aren't easy to diagnose.

Now, the offense is still limited and incomplete. Williams is a question mark, Bill is entering his sophomore year after mixed results as a rookie, and McLaurin is old. More, while we have one guy on each level, we don't have much more than that. Still, it's a good start.

On defense too, we now have at least one player we can rely on on each level. For twenty years, a swing pass to a running back or a shot to the tight end in the flat was a get out of jail free card. It was a free first down almost independent of down and distance. If we dialed in pressure, it was so easy to beat because we couldn't cover any quick players. So, at minimum, I feel better about the D. For years, I felt that the team just didn't have an answer on D. They had nothing they could try. Now, we at least have tools to work with.

If I'm right and we have the levels covered, the next step will be to make sure we at least have an average player at every position. We're there yet.

 

[burgold]

Borrowing this from Conn because I think it speaks to the thought I was turning around in my head though it probably attacks it from the glass half empty side.

 

[Chris]

I would be interested in hearing why Washington wasn’t included in the comment about significant defensive additions. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Doesn’t that aid Jayden as well?

 

[burgold]

100%

Now, I do think helping Jayden directly (getting him playmakers) helps him more than helping him indirectly, but that tweet's first sentence highlighted defense and we did a lot on that side. Heck, I think we turned around 66% of the starters.

 

[HTTR]

I would be interested in hearing why Washington wasn’t included in the comment about significant defensive additions. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Doesn’t that aid Jayden as well?

Strange. We added more to our D than any of them. And the Giants, Eagles, and cowboys? sure they added players, but all of them lost significant talent on that side of the ball as well.

Yes, it’s true we could use another weapon or two on O. It’s a work in progress. But that was a pretty stupid tweet overall.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I would be interested in hearing why Washington wasn’t included in the comment about significant defensive additions. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Doesn’t that aid Jayden as well?

I believe the context of that statement was that the 3 opponents of Washington made significant moves, and conversely Washington did little on the opposing side to counter-act those changes.

 

[Conn]

I believe the context of that statement was that the 3 opponents of Washington made significant moves, and conversely Washington did little on the opposing side to counter-act those changes.

Yes, this is the point. There’s an entire article in one of the quoted tweets there that explains the actual issue at hand, that was just one relatively well-known tweeters reaction to the idea of the article

 

[HTTR]

OK thanks. You guys are right I was just commenting on the reaction without the context of the article. Still though I think these supposed upgrades on D by our division rivals are overblown…

Giants drafted Reese and signed Edmunds, but they lost Sexy Dexy

Cowboys picked up a couple first rounders in the draft on D, but signed nobody of note in FA. And they are minus Michael Parsons.

Eagles drafted all offense. Yes, they traded for Greenard and signed Woolen. But they lost Blankenship, Dean, Phillips.

So I’m not sure any of those defenses are improved very much at all. In fact, I’d say the most improved defense in the division is ours. So the better question might be what are those teams doing to counter that 😁

 

[Commander Wraith]

I think the criticisms are pretty valid when accounting for all 3 offseasons. Yes, Ron left them a pretty bare cupboard (aside from extending Terry and “giving” this staff the 2nd pick in ‘24), but draft picks haven’t worked out (Sinnott, McCaffrey, and Lane), and they haven’t acquired a quality FA receiver to date. To be fair, the book is not quite closed on the draft picks.

This year was a bit different though IMO.

I can’t ding them too hard for missing out on the top FA receivers. Should/could they have pursued a guy in the next tier like Nailor? Maybe so, though Nailor’s a slot receiver and we seemingly upgraded the spot anyway with Williams (and extrapolating Luke’s numbers put him in Nailor’s range)… not to mention already having a developing Lane in the fold.

Linderbaum would have been a huge get, but wouldn’t have addressed the problem and would have come with a separate set of criticisms (‘we could have put that money towards Pierce/Doubs’, ‘mismanagement of resources’, etc).

The draft wasn’t really an option besides either trading up (not a good idea), or trading back and taking someone like Lemon, but again, that opens up new criticisms. No one wanted us to give up picks from next year to maneuver in the draft. We wound up drafting one of the more pro-ready receivers.

And then some tend to gloss over or minimize adding Okonkwo and White. Chig was the best pass catching TE we could have signed and White was one of the better 3rd down backs available. No, they don’t solve our issue, and yes, Okonkwo hasn’t proven he will put up better numbers than Ertz, but he’s still the best we could do at the position, and the two are still significant additions.

The idea that defense helps qbs is interesting in our situation. I don’t see Daniels as the type to throttle down much because he knows he can rely on his defense, but he’s also not reckless with the ball.
He is the type to push the envelope in terms of holding the ball and/or running to move the chains, which is problematic/scary since we need him healthy. However, my sense is that Blough, unlike Kliff, will be more willing to get situationally conservative - ie calling 3 straight runs and then punting if the D is playing well - and more willing to commit to the run.

Most importantly (IMO), is that there’s a good bit of versatility in this offense to create matchup problems. The potential for explosive playmaking from Terry, Okonkwo and Bill, the ability to hammer the ball with Bates, Sinnot, and Allen, the ability to flex/motion Okonkwo and White, and then Williams providing separation underneath. All of that anchored by what should be a pretty good oline, and the threat of Daniels’ legs. Barring a quality addition to the Z position, my guess is that our 12 and 11 personnel packages aren’t going to be too hot, but other packages could be used to great effect.

Season success probably comes down to Blough’s play calling, Daniels executing within the scheme, and our D taking a major step (or 2) forward. I’m not overly optimistic given Blough’s a rookie play caller and Daniels is learning a new system, but there is a runway in place IMO.

 

[KDawg]

I think the criticisms are pretty valid when accounting for all 3 offseasons. Yes, Ron left them a pretty bare cupboard (aside from extending Terry and “giving” this staff the 2nd pick in ‘24), but draft picks haven’t worked out (Sinnott, McCaffrey, and Lane), and they haven’t acquired a quality FA receiver to date. To be fair, the book is not quite closed on the draft picks.

This year was a bit different though IMO.

I can’t ding them too hard for missing out on the top FA receivers. Should/could they have pursued a guy in the next tier like Nailor? Maybe so, though Nailor’s a slot receiver and we seemingly upgraded the spot anyway with Williams (and extrapolating Luke’s numbers put him in Nailor’s range)… not to mention already having a developing Lane in the fold.

Linderbaum would have been a huge get, but wouldn’t have addressed the problem and would have come with a separate set of criticisms (‘we could have put that money towards Pierce/Doubs’, ‘mismanagement of resources’, etc).

The draft wasn’t really an option besides either trading up (not a good idea), or trading back and taking someone like Lemon, but again, that opens up new criticisms. No one wanted us to give up picks from next year to maneuver in the draft. We wound up drafting one of the more pro-ready receivers.

And then some tend to gloss over or minimize adding Okonkwo and White. Chig was the best pass catching TE we could have signed and White was one of the better 3rd down backs available. No, they don’t solve our issue, and yes, Okonkwo hasn’t proven he will put up better numbers than Ertz, but he’s still the best we could do at the position, and the two are still significant additions.

The idea that defense helps qbs is interesting in our situation. I don’t see Daniels as the type to throttle down much because he knows he can rely on his defense, but he’s also not reckless with the ball.
He is the type to push the envelope in terms of holding the ball and/or running to move the chains, which is problematic/scary since we need him healthy. However, my sense is that Blough, unlike Kliff, will be more willing to get situationally conservative - ie calling 3 straight runs and then punting if the D is playing well - and more willing to commit to the run.

Most importantly (IMO), is that there’s a good bit of versatility in this offense to create matchup problems. The potential for explosive playmaking from Terry, Okonkwo and Bill, the ability to hammer the ball with Bates, Sinnot, and Allen, the ability to flex/motion Okonkwo and White, and then Williams providing separation underneath. All of that anchored by what should be a pretty good oline, and the threat of Daniels’ legs. Barring a quality addition to the Z position, my guess is that our 12 and 11 personnel packages aren’t going to be too hot, but other packages could be used to great effect.

Season success probably comes down to Blough’s play calling, Daniels executing within the scheme, and our D taking a major step (or 2) forward. I’m not overly optimistic given Blough’s a rookie play caller and Daniels is learning a new system, but there is a runway in place IMO.

Overall agree here with the premise.

And I am happy with Williams… but…

If we sign Nailor, that 3rd rounder might be a high floor X.

Now there is always the what if game…

What if we did go after Nailor and he said no.

What if we did get Nailor and draft, say, Fields and Fields is Burks during his rookie year and Williams turns out to be a stud.

What if we wouldn’t have ignored receiver aside from Deebo last year (and a developmental draft choice)?

We can ask what ifs all day. So it’s probably not worth it.

I think we’re beyond the point of what we did previously this offseason now. These are probably discussions for whatever result occurs from them.

The season will come down to a lot of factors - not just what you listed. There are many.

I just hope we’re not middling. I have a feeling we’re going to be.

 

[Dlts20]

Again to be fair, sometimes you just have bad seasons also, especially when injuries are involved. We had a top 4 offense the previous season. We may not have truly been as good as that but we also aren't nearly as bad as our showing last season either. We are capable of bouncing back into the top 10 if not higher

 

[Commander Wraith]

Overall agree here with the premise.

And I am happy with Williams… but…

If we sign Nailor, that 3rd rounder might be a high floor X.

Now there is always the what if game…

What if we did go after Nailor and he said no.

What if we did get Nailor and draft, say, Fields and Fields is Burks during his rookie year and Williams turns out to be a stud.

What if we wouldn’t have ignored receiver aside from Deebo last year (and a developmental draft choice)?

We can ask what ifs all day. So it’s probably not worth it.

Too true. Lot of unknowns. No problems with criticism of the roster construction, but I do like that they seem to have taken some positive steps in their approach at least.

I think we’re beyond the point of what we did previously this offseason now. These are probably discussions for whatever result occurs from them.

The season will come down to a lot of factors - not just what you listed. There are many.

Oh absolutely, there are tons of factors, big and small that could play in. That was just my opinion on the top few… though it doesn’t take much drilling down to want to add in Terry and Daniels staying healthy, our center position working out, etc.

I just hope we’re not middling. I have a feeling we’re going to be.

Me too man, me too.

The optimist in me thinks that Blough and Jones seem like guys that really have their shit together and know how to teach. Blough has the added benefit (seemingly) of being able to incorporate a portion of Kliff’s offense to smooth the transition, particularly for Daniels. I generally like our depth better than last year, we’ve added a lot of nice pieces on D, and while I don’t want to overstate it… I do think it makes a difference that our culture is damn good, lol.

But a lot of things could go wrong.

 

[Commander Wraith]

Wasn’t sure the best place to put these thoughts…

I was struck by a comment from Logan Paulsen. I’m paraphrasing, but he was saying that due to the nature of Kliff’s offense, our coverage wasn’t stressed in terms of communication/alignment changes and he thought that issue/weakness then showed up in-season.


Setting aside (for the moment) Blough and Jones’ relative inexperience, I think these 2 sides/schemes going head to head could lead to better prepared units. Flores’ defense isn’t widespread, but I could see the offense having to deal with a more aggressive, dictating, and disruptive type of scheme as a long term benefit. Conversely, presuming Blough utilizes some of the foundational aspects of a Ben Johnson style offense - marrying run and pass, using lots of motions and play action, and getting into the same plays with different personnel (ie, disguising looks) - should put that pressure on the defense that Logan alluded to.

Now, as to the matter of inexperience with regard to Blough… I do think it’s going to lead to growing pains. I do, however, think there’s some context to consider and some reason for optimism.
Blough, unlike Ben Johnson last year with the Bears, is dealing with a lot of offensive personnel he already knows well. Due to retention, he, and much of the personnel/coaches, are also coming from the shared experience/language of Kliff’s system. Does that make the transition easier? Does it mean they can hold on to some of the plays they ran under Kliff? I have no idea, but it certainly seems possible. Additionally, Ben Johnson started off with a very simplified version of his offense last year, which makes sense when dealing with a young qb. With that said, if I had to pick which qb is better equipped to learn and execute a new offense between Williams and Daniels.. it’s Daniels by a mile for me.

I have no idea how to try to predictively balance that context vs the experience (or lack thereof) though.

Add to that the idea that there are (as I’ve mentioned before) multiple avenues this could go downhill quickly, particularly losing Terry, Daniels or even Okonkwo to injuries, or Allegretti not working out at center (allowing interior pressure is a killer for an under center, PA style offense).

As for Jones, I think the D will benefit more (than previous years) practicing against an offense with roots prevalent throughout the NFL, in particular those Ben Johnson principles I mentioned above. It’s interesting that we retained a bunch of defensive coaches (though they moved around a bunch). On one hand, Jones doesn’t have a staff he handpicked, on the other hand is the continuity that retention brings with it - in terms of the staff’s familiarity with each other, and also the personnel we did retain. I find it kind of fascinating that the massive influx of personnel gives Jones a lot of toys to play with, but it could also - especially in the context of implementing a new scheme - make his job harder in terms of trying to fit those pieces together.

I think it’s going to be really interesting to see it all play out. It’s kind of a shame that this is (presumably) a make or break it year for DQ, because on paper anyway, I’d like to see this (the offense and defense under these coordinators) develop beyond this year. And actually, in writing this post, I’m a little less certain Peters would move on from DQ if the season wasn’t a “success”.

 

[Boone]

Great post with a bunch of thoughts I haven't seen a lot of.

Just some drive-by thoughts of my own. I think the discussion around how facing our offense on a daily basis impacts the development and readiness of the D is really interesting. While I don't know that I buy into the idea that Kingsbury's offense didn't challenge the D (it certainly seemed to challenge opposing D coordinators at times), it is absolutely true that Kingsbury's offense was one of the more unique ones and certainly not a 'standard' modern NFL offense. That fact alone would logically argue that our D would be less prepared for the more common offenses they would face during the regular season.

On Blough and Jones - they aren't 'relatively inexperienced', lol, they are absolutely inexperienced. Yeah, I get they may have relevant experience, but neither has called a scheme or a play in real action - ever. That's pretty inexperienced.

I don't see how there is a lot of carryover from the Kingsbury offense and even the language - given how different the scheme Blough will reportedly run will be. I think knowing *some* of the players will be helpful, but we are looking at a lot of turnover on the roster both on offense and defense so I don't see that as a huge factor. The biggest concern in replacing both coordinators with inexperienced ones in the same offseason is that these guys have never HAD a scheme much less a playbook of their own. They are both starting from scratch. Who knows how much time either one spent prior to getting promoted looking at 'what would my offensive/defensive philosophy be?', 'what scheme and play styles do I believe in?', 'how do I create schemes and a playbook that support the overall vision of what Dan Quinn wants to do?'. I don't think we are appreciating the gravity and scope of all of this - putting all of the things involved in becoming a very good NFL coordinator into play on both sides of the ball at the same time. I don't think it is hyperbole to say that what Quinn did this offseason is the riskiest move of his entire coaching career.

I also would push back against the idea that 2026 is make-or-break for Quinn. It probably SHOULD BE, but I don't think AP allows him to move on from both coordinators (especially when one of them was moderately successful) without the tacit understanding that it may take awhile for their replacements to get their feet underneath them. I think Quinn bought himself at least 2 seasons when he made that move.

 

[Commander Wraith]

Great post with a bunch of thoughts I haven't seen a lot of.

Thanks, and I appreciate the response!

Just some drive-by thoughts of my own. I think the discussion around how facing our offense on a daily basis impacts the development and readiness of the D is really interesting. While I don't know that I buy into the idea that Kingsbury's offense didn't challenge the D (it certainly seemed to challenge opposing D coordinators at times), it is absolutely true that Kingsbury's offense was one of the more unique ones and certainly not a 'standard' modern NFL offense. That fact alone would logically argue that our D would be less prepared for the more common offenses they would face during the regular season.

Not going to pretend that I know, but my guess is that Kliff’s offense was challenging, but it was because of his innovation/unique plays (which ties into to your second point). I think the lack of pre-snap movement (and disguising looks and marrying run/pass) however, meant less last minute changes to coverage calls/rules.
Tying this back to the defense, as an example, I’m reminded of a game (vs the Eagles maybe?) in which the opposing offense kept sending a receiver in motion, Lattimore followed him, but wasn’t in position when the ball was snapped. They kept hitting quick outs off this. Finally, on the 3rd or 4th time, our slot corner motioned to Lattimore (as he was running across the formation) to take the slot receiver and the slot guy moved outside. Speculation on my part, but that probably should have been automatic… but they hadn’t faced it before.

On Blough and Jones - they aren't 'relatively inexperienced', lol, they are absolutely inexperienced. Yeah, I get they may have relevant experience, but neither has called a scheme or a play in real action - ever. That's pretty inexperienced.

Semantics, but I meant it as “relative to their peers”, vs the colloquial use of the term in place of “somewhat”. I should have been more clear.

I don't see how there is a lot of carryover from the Kingsbury offense and even the language - given how different the scheme Blough will reportedly run will be. I think knowing *some* of the players will be helpful, but we are looking at a lot of turnover on the roster both on offense and defense so I don't see that as a huge factor.

Yeah, I’m not sure how it factors in… total unkown (for me anyway). I’ll push back a little on the turnover piece though (on offense). Besides our rb room (only 2 of 5)… all of our oline (aside from Gulbin), all of our qbs (besides our 7th rounder), 3 of 4 TEs, and 5 of our top 7 receivers were in Kliff’s system. Again, not saying that necessarily means anything.

The biggest concern in replacing both coordinators with inexperienced ones in the same offseason is that these guys have never HAD a scheme much less a playbook of their own. They are both starting from scratch. Who knows how much time either one spent prior to getting promoted looking at 'what would my offensive/defensive philosophy be?', 'what scheme and play styles do I believe in?', 'how do I create schemes and a playbook that support the overall vision of what Dan Quinn wants to do?'. I don't think we are appreciating the gravity and scope of all of this - putting all of the things involved in becoming a very good NFL coordinator into play on both sides of the ball at the same time. I don't think it is hyperbole to say that what Quinn did this offseason is the riskiest move of his entire coaching career.

Generally agree, particularly in terms of the scope of what these guys are going to have to handle. I tend to think that the philosophy part though is something these guys have both thought of, and is instrumental for anyone interviewing for a coordinator position?

I don’t know about Blough, since he’s a few years removed from his time under Johnson, but for Jones at least, I’d guess he could sit down and diagram, and explain in detail every defensive play call from Flores’ play book. I suppose we don’t know if he tries to implement the same scheme (with his own spin/tweaks/add-ons), or if he tries to start from scratch with a whole new scheme. The latter sounds crazy to me, but again, what do I know.
We also don’t know how well he’ll manage to impart his knowledge on the other coaches, or how well they will be able to get the players up to speed.
Bottom line, there’s a lot we don’t know. Different factors suggest we’re not exactly starting from scratch, but as you suggest, our coordinators are going to have a lot on their plate. I’m optimistic, but I have my reservations that we’ll suddenly be a top 10 or even 15 defense.

I also would push back against the idea that 2026 is make-or-break for Quinn. It probably SHOULD BE, but I don't think AP allows him to move on from both coordinators (especially when one of them was moderately successful) without the tacit understanding that it may take awhile for their replacements to get their feet underneath them. I think Quinn bought himself at least 2 seasons when he made that move.

I think I’m pretty much aligned with you on this. I was more going off what the general consensus seems to be.

 

[KDawg]

Wasn’t sure the best place to put these thoughts…

I was struck by a comment from Logan Paulsen. I’m paraphrasing, but he was saying that due to the nature of Kliff’s offense, our coverage wasn’t stressed in terms of communication/alignment changes and he thought that issue/weakness then showed up in-season.


Setting aside (for the moment) Blough and Jones’ relative inexperience, I think these 2 sides/schemes going head to head could lead to better prepared units. Flores’ defense isn’t widespread, but I could see the offense having to deal with a more aggressive, dictating, and disruptive type of scheme as a long term benefit. Conversely, presuming Blough utilizes some of the foundational aspects of a Ben Johnson style offense - marrying run and pass, using lots of motions and play action, and getting into the same plays with different personnel (ie, disguising looks) - should put that pressure on the defense that Logan alluded to.

Now, as to the matter of inexperience with regard to Blough… I do think it’s going to lead to growing pains. I do, however, think there’s some context to consider and some reason for optimism.
Blough, unlike Ben Johnson last year with the Bears, is dealing with a lot of offensive personnel he already knows well. Due to retention, he, and much of the personnel/coaches, are also coming from the shared experience/language of Kliff’s system. Does that make the transition easier? Does it mean they can hold on to some of the plays they ran under Kliff? I have no idea, but it certainly seems possible. Additionally, Ben Johnson started off with a very simplified version of his offense last year, which makes sense when dealing with a young qb. With that said, if I had to pick which qb is better equipped to learn and execute a new offense between Williams and Daniels.. it’s Daniels by a mile for me.

I have no idea how to try to predictively balance that context vs the experience (or lack thereof) though.

Add to that the idea that there are (as I’ve mentioned before) multiple avenues this could go downhill quickly, particularly losing Terry, Daniels or even Okonkwo to injuries, or Allegretti not working out at center (allowing interior pressure is a killer for an under center, PA style offense).

As for Jones, I think the D will benefit more (than previous years) practicing against an offense with roots prevalent throughout the NFL, in particular those Ben Johnson principles I mentioned above. It’s interesting that we retained a bunch of defensive coaches (though they moved around a bunch). On one hand, Jones doesn’t have a staff he handpicked, on the other hand is the continuity that retention brings with it - in terms of the staff’s familiarity with each other, and also the personnel we did retain. I find it kind of fascinating that the massive influx of personnel gives Jones a lot of toys to play with, but it could also - especially in the context of implementing a new scheme - make his job harder in terms of trying to fit those pieces together.

I think it’s going to be really interesting to see it all play out. It’s kind of a shame that this is (presumably) a make or break it year for DQ, because on paper anyway, I’d like to see this (the offense and defense under these coordinators) develop beyond this year. And actually, in writing this post, I’m a little less certain Peters would move on from DQ if the season wasn’t a “success”.

I don’t agree that Kingsbury’s was an issue with our defense. That is why you run scout teams.

The issue with our defense was that it sucked.

I think Quinn and Peters may be tied together and they are going to get 5 years regardless. But we’ll see. Not saying I agree. Just saying I think that is absolutely the current plan. Why else would you let both coordinators go and keep the HC?

The offense is a single injury, maybe 2, from being abysmal right now. That worries me.

 

[Commander Wraith]

I don’t agree that Kingsbury’s was an issue with our defense. That is why you run scout teams.

Hmm, good point. I certainly didn’t think of that… though you’d think Logan Paulsen would have? Huh.

The issue with our defense was that it sucked.

I think Quinn and Peters may be tied together and they are going to get 5 years regardless. But we’ll see. Not saying I agree. Just saying I think that is absolutely the current plan. Why else would you let both coordinators go and keep the HC?

My guess is that, barring another terrible season, DQ gets a 4th year. If we’re not in the playoffs year 3 and/or 4, I think its a fair assumption he’ll be gone. I believe Peters will get another shot with a 2nd HC regardless… unless he does something idiotic like sticking with Quinn after another poor season in ‘26.
I’m not sure I understand your logic about getting 5 years regardless? As to them being tied together, I suppose it’s possible, but it would be pretty strange.

The offense is a single injury, maybe 2, from being abysmal right now. That worries me.

Could very well be the case - as of now we have a lot riding on Terry (and maybe Okonkwo). It might depend on how quickly the offensive scheme can become effective and defensive performance. Of course, it could be argued that a lot of teams would face a massive drop off with 2 key injuries, particularly if one of them is the qb. To your point though, Terry’s certainly looking like a lynchpin for us at this moment. My guess right now is that we’d be average to below average without Terry, but that guess presumes Blough will be able to do a decent job. If he can’t? Yikes.

 

[burgold]

That feels right.

I think Quinn sticks around for year four as long as we win 8 games or more. I think there's a chance at 7. Below that, I imagine their hiring real estate agents. Peters probably gets one more swing. Harris made his billion in reclamation. He is by nature patient. Peters was a golden-child-get. He probably deserves his growing pains too. I also, no matter what was publicly said, don't believe Quinn was his first or second choice. I do believe Quinn was a choice he was comfortable with and ultimately happy with. In one respect it made sense to pair a rookie GM with a veteran coach, but I think we wanted Johnson and MacDonald was probably plan B, but Peters was too slow on the draw after Johnson pulled out and MacDonald either didn't like the offer or didn't want to feel like someone's second choice whereas Quinn was over the moon to get a second shot.

Anyway, I think Quinn and Peters fortunes aren't tied together, but that this season needs to go well. It can't be a two trainwrecks in a row. If Quinn botches two sets of coordinator hires then he needs to be out and Peters needs to be strong enough to fire him without having his hand forced.

 

[RexTomb]

Strange. We added more to our D than any of them. And the Giants, Eagles, and cowboys? sure they added players, but all of them lost significant talent on that side of the ball as well.

Yes, it’s true we could use another weapon or two on O. It’s a work in progress. But that was a pretty stupid tweet overall.

Let ‘em sleep on us. I think we will punch Philly in the mouth week 1 and stomp Dallas week 2. Notice will have been served.