12-19-2016, 10:53 AM
I'm not going to make a survey. I would rather see specific ideas and solutions. I am curious what everyone perceives as the three biggest areas of weakness on this team. In other words, if you were to try and address three specific position groups, who do you address and why?
For starters, I am going to say let's keep this to the players, and leave coaches out of it. There are more than enough threads on that subject.
Here's mine:
1.) Offensive line can't run block. I think without Ced O at RT, the offensive line began to play pretty well from a pass blocking standpoint. However, it makes me want to vomit seeing three attempts to rush up the middle and get maybe a total of half a yard. I think the biggest weakness here is Center, and it needs to be addressed. Call it a witch hunt if you want, but Bodine needs to be pushed with a new center from the draft and he needs to spend a lot of time in the offseason working on his lower body strength. He may be able to bench press a house, but he can't anchor worth a damn.
2.) Defensive front four get no pressure, and the scheme isn't one to blitz hardly at all. So, if we know this, we can't accept a lack of speed on the outside of the right end. Dunlap is very good, and Geno is among the best, but there needs to be an infusion of strength and speed in the middle (Billings and Hardison should help here) and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the first draft pick should be utilized on one of the very talented RDEs coming out in the draft. I think that is the single greatest need on this team. Pressure out of the front four is an absolute necessity for this defense, and it just isn't there right now, because only half of the line can generate pressure.
3.) Vertical passing threat. I know AJ can get deep, and maybe Cody Core can be this player (I'm sure they will continue to ride Brandon Lafell instead of looking toward the future) but there needs to be a vertical threat that would help open up everything underneath.
Honorable mention: A new bell-cow RB. Hill just doesn't have it.
For starters, I am going to say let's keep this to the players, and leave coaches out of it. There are more than enough threads on that subject.
Here's mine:
1.) Offensive line can't run block. I think without Ced O at RT, the offensive line began to play pretty well from a pass blocking standpoint. However, it makes me want to vomit seeing three attempts to rush up the middle and get maybe a total of half a yard. I think the biggest weakness here is Center, and it needs to be addressed. Call it a witch hunt if you want, but Bodine needs to be pushed with a new center from the draft and he needs to spend a lot of time in the offseason working on his lower body strength. He may be able to bench press a house, but he can't anchor worth a damn.
2.) Defensive front four get no pressure, and the scheme isn't one to blitz hardly at all. So, if we know this, we can't accept a lack of speed on the outside of the right end. Dunlap is very good, and Geno is among the best, but there needs to be an infusion of strength and speed in the middle (Billings and Hardison should help here) and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the first draft pick should be utilized on one of the very talented RDEs coming out in the draft. I think that is the single greatest need on this team. Pressure out of the front four is an absolute necessity for this defense, and it just isn't there right now, because only half of the line can generate pressure.
3.) Vertical passing threat. I know AJ can get deep, and maybe Cody Core can be this player (I'm sure they will continue to ride Brandon Lafell instead of looking toward the future) but there needs to be a vertical threat that would help open up everything underneath.
Honorable mention: A new bell-cow RB. Hill just doesn't have it.