Urgent
In the Starting Line-Up
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- Mar 1, 2005
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A comparison by position, from the start of 2010 to the start of 2011.
QB: Wash
Added rookie Ryan Mallet.
More depth, another year of experience for back-up Hoyer, but hard to expect more from Brady.
RB: Upgrade
Added rookies Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, lost Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris
Lost Laurence Maroney midyear
Gained youth & athleticism.
WR: Upgrade
Added Chad Ochocinco for Brandon Tate
Added Deion Branch for Randy Moss midyear
Ochocinco has shown little, but not hard to upgrade over Tate. Taylor looks improved, and even Slater looks like a weapon.
TE: Wash
Added Dan Gronkowski for Alge Crumpler
Both rookies last year had break-out seasons, so hard to expect a major upgrade. Crumpler was a dependable blocking tight end, and by all accounts an excellent mentor and locker-room presence.
OL: Wash
Added Nate Solder, lost Mark LeVoir, Nick Kaczur, and Steve Maneri
Added Brian Waters, lost Steve Neal and Quinn Ojinnaka
Added Logan Mankins midyear
A full year of Mankins is balanced by the retirement of Neal.
The team lost some decent veteran back-ups in Kaczur and LeVoir and an emerging player in Maneri, but gained a young player in Solder who might start for years.
Big DL: Big Upgrade
Added Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis, lost injured Ty Warren, Ron Brace to full-season IR.
Major upgrade in athleticism and experience.
DE/OLB: Upgrade
Added Andre Carter and Mark Anderson, lost Tully Banta-Cain and Eric Moore.
It took a system change, but some real potential production from Andre Carter, and Anderson should be a minor upgrade over Moore.
LB: Wash
Added ST Jeff Tarpinian, lost ST Marques Murrell
eh
CB: Upgrade
Added rookie Ras-I Dowling and Antwaun Molden, Leigh Bodden returns from full-year IR, lost Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, Jonathan Wilhite
The return of Bodden solidifies this group. Dowling is a bigger injury risk than Wheatley, and Molden is someone else's bust, but the group that departed all underperformed.
S: Downgrade
Added ST James Ihedigbo, Josh Barrett returned from IR, lost James Sanders, Brandon Meriweather, and Jarrad Page
Page may be the biggest off-season loss when we look back at the season. Huge loss in depth, with dependence on players with some ST experience but not much else. Barrett, if he is the starter, has a total of two quarters of pre-season experience with the defense.
Specialists: Wash
Added rookie LS Danny Aiken, lost Jacob Ingram/Matt Katula
Sort of a revolving door at LS, and Aiken is totally untested and unfamiliar with the kicker or punter. Could be a minor concern. Gostkowski returns from mid-season IR.
QB: Wash
Added rookie Ryan Mallet.
More depth, another year of experience for back-up Hoyer, but hard to expect more from Brady.
RB: Upgrade
Added rookies Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, lost Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris
Lost Laurence Maroney midyear
Gained youth & athleticism.
WR: Upgrade
Added Chad Ochocinco for Brandon Tate
Added Deion Branch for Randy Moss midyear
Ochocinco has shown little, but not hard to upgrade over Tate. Taylor looks improved, and even Slater looks like a weapon.
TE: Wash
Added Dan Gronkowski for Alge Crumpler
Both rookies last year had break-out seasons, so hard to expect a major upgrade. Crumpler was a dependable blocking tight end, and by all accounts an excellent mentor and locker-room presence.
OL: Wash
Added Nate Solder, lost Mark LeVoir, Nick Kaczur, and Steve Maneri
Added Brian Waters, lost Steve Neal and Quinn Ojinnaka
Added Logan Mankins midyear
A full year of Mankins is balanced by the retirement of Neal.
The team lost some decent veteran back-ups in Kaczur and LeVoir and an emerging player in Maneri, but gained a young player in Solder who might start for years.
Big DL: Big Upgrade
Added Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis, lost injured Ty Warren, Ron Brace to full-season IR.
Major upgrade in athleticism and experience.
DE/OLB: Upgrade
Added Andre Carter and Mark Anderson, lost Tully Banta-Cain and Eric Moore.
It took a system change, but some real potential production from Andre Carter, and Anderson should be a minor upgrade over Moore.
LB: Wash
Added ST Jeff Tarpinian, lost ST Marques Murrell
eh
CB: Upgrade
Added rookie Ras-I Dowling and Antwaun Molden, Leigh Bodden returns from full-year IR, lost Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, Jonathan Wilhite
The return of Bodden solidifies this group. Dowling is a bigger injury risk than Wheatley, and Molden is someone else's bust, but the group that departed all underperformed.
S: Downgrade
Added ST James Ihedigbo, Josh Barrett returned from IR, lost James Sanders, Brandon Meriweather, and Jarrad Page
Page may be the biggest off-season loss when we look back at the season. Huge loss in depth, with dependence on players with some ST experience but not much else. Barrett, if he is the starter, has a total of two quarters of pre-season experience with the defense.
Specialists: Wash
Added rookie LS Danny Aiken, lost Jacob Ingram/Matt Katula
Sort of a revolving door at LS, and Aiken is totally untested and unfamiliar with the kicker or punter. Could be a minor concern. Gostkowski returns from mid-season IR.