Being Optimistic

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-25-2021, 12:45 AM)Joelist Wrote: Hi!

Here are in my opinion reasons for guarded optimism (in no particular order):

a) Turner is gone. He was not only a cancer but a terrible coach - under his tutelage linemen actually regressed. This was the first sign of intelligent life in the front office this offseason.

b) Pollack is in. We have a good line coach note with a good track record. And lest we forget we saw improved play the one season he was here, and he was respected (not to mention that under his tutelage Price was actually shaping up nicely prior to the second injury). With Pollack I don't feel like OL draft picks will be wasted the way I did with Turner.

c) So far Free Agency has actually made sense and felt like there is a plan of getting the coaches players who are strong in the scheme the coaches want to run. For example, we have basically restocked the secondary with players who actually are sound in zone coverage as opposed to our past idea of taking players best suited for man and putting them in zone. Likewise on the DL we appear to be concentrating on players who actually both generate pass rush AND finish the play.

On OL I think they handled the nature of the FA class as best as was realistically possible. The Guard pool was crazy expensive at the top and not deep so what they are doing again makes sense. Also Reiff is no contest a pretty significant upgrade at RT and fits right into the scheme Pollack favors.

Are things perfect? No. Remember I said GUARDED optimism. We still need reinforcements on the interior OL and the WR room after Tee and Tyler badly needs more playmakers. So we need to see the rest of Free Agency and the draft to tell the story of the offseason. But so far not bad.

Well, this is kinda what some of us have been saying since day 1 of the current regime. You had a TOTALLY different philosophy on both sides of the ball, that had been in place for 16 years. Not only were your starters suited for it, so was your depth. It takes time to shape a roster like that to fit your vision. The only other option would have been a complete fire sale, and restock in year 2. Looking back, that may have been the best option.

That said, here we are, no excuses to not get to 500 or better.