Most Excited I've Been in a LONG Time

[Essex Johnson]

(06-14-2020, 07:24 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Needless to say, like most of you, I'm really pumped for the 2020 season.  I was trying to think of the last time I was this excited for a season.  I think the honest answer to that question is that's been well over a decade.

Without going into too much detail, and completely rehashing old beaten down topics, I started losing a lot of excitement probably around '09.  I know we had some decent teams since that time, but I never had much faith in Marvin beyond then.  Brat was a hanger-on at that time, and the staff was littered with guys that managed to stay on well beyond. (Alexander, Zampese, Hayes Bros, etc.)

I really think what most bothered me is not enough ever seemed to change.  It was basically the same regime and the same approach.  And as much as I came to respect Andy, I never considered him someone worthy of having a "fund" for years in advance.  The team and thier appraoch to me became stale and boring.

A lot of people said that myself and others wanted change simply for the sake of change. I never really thought that was at all fair.  I simply wanted to try something different because what we we're doing never resulted in getting over the hump.  I often said I'd rather try drastic change and fail then try the same old, same old and get blasted in the Wild Card round.

Well, now we're here.  We've got an overhauled coaching staff, and one that is much younger.  We've got a brand new QB, who might very well be the best prospect to come out in the last decade.  And, to top it off, we've got the biggest Free Agent class in franchise history.  We actually spent the 3rd most in the league in free agency, to the tune of well over 100 mil dollars.

Call me crazy, I don't see how anyone couldn't be excited with all of that.  I actually think the not knowing exactly what we have yet is exciting in and of itself.  I really just can't wait to see what this team looks like.  I can't wait to see the approach with the new QB.  I can't wait to see what the new QB looks like. I can't wait to see how a guy likes Higgins looks.  I can't wait to see what difference the additions on defense makes.

Will this team be better than some of those Marvin teams?  I don't know, and frankly right now I really don't care.  For me, I knew exactly what we had in those teams. Average to good, but never great.  The beauty with this team is I have no idea what we have just yet, and that's exciting.  For the first time in forever I'm starting to look down the line and envision this roster and their potential to be a contender.  With the FA haul, I'm starting to allow myself to imagine all sorts of possibilities moving forward.

I LOVE the new aggressive approach, and I LOVE all the new faces.  September can't come soon enough!!!

 have to disagree with you premise that we had average only ever with Marvin... I would rank the 2015 the best team since Super Bowl Run and that team was not average..  As for excited yes.. but for me it is about what it was coming into Dalton and Greens 1st year.. the changing of athe guards.. moving on from Palmer and Chad was the correct time and bring in a stud WR and a solid College QB was very exciting and it put us on track for 5 straight winning seasons.. and that is really what we just did this offseason but adding FAs and  the difference now is Burrow.... really coming from nowhere into his Senior year to what he accomplished has to excite all of us... lets just hope that magic carries on into NFL...