Fencer
Pro Bowl Player
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 14,293
- Reaction score
- 3,986
I'm a day early starting this thread, but what the heck ...
QB Brady had an off year. Should be significantly better than last year.
WR I'd rather have Welker out in the regular season and available for the playoffs than vice-versa. But that's an unfair comparison. In reality, we're starting with less Welker, but with the Holt upgrade, another year of experience for Edelman, and ditto sort of for Tate. Net, that's a downgrade
TE TBD
RB As of now, pretty level. I don't think the old guys are necessarily losing further steps, and Maroney is still learning, even if annoyingly slowly.
OL Everybody's growing older. This is a bad thing in the case of three starters, no biggie in the case of Kaczur and Mankins, and a good thing in the case of Vollmer and the developmental guys. Vollmer's such a big deal I call this a net small improvement.
DL TBD. Depends on the improvement of Pryor and Brace.
OLB Addition through subtraction dumping AD. Should be flat to up as guys settle into roles. Crable could help.
ILB. Mayo and Guyton are still learning. McKenzie could help. Should be better.
S Meriweather and Chung are still improving. Should be better.
CB I'll count the first-round rookie as an asset. Bodden has another year with the team. Butler should take a step up. The other youngsters might. This group should be significantly better.
STs Good shot at upgrading returners and punter. If McCourty is a difference-maker in coverage, so much the better. So we should see improvement.
Injuries Welker was huge for the playoff(s), and Mayo was playing hurt. Otherwise we had pretty good injury luck, after many years straight of the opposite. Could be a negative comparison.
Bottom line: Talent should be flat to somewhat up vs. last season. The chance for big improvements, however, lies largely in coaching and player attitudes.
QB Brady had an off year. Should be significantly better than last year.
WR I'd rather have Welker out in the regular season and available for the playoffs than vice-versa. But that's an unfair comparison. In reality, we're starting with less Welker, but with the Holt upgrade, another year of experience for Edelman, and ditto sort of for Tate. Net, that's a downgrade
TE TBD
RB As of now, pretty level. I don't think the old guys are necessarily losing further steps, and Maroney is still learning, even if annoyingly slowly.
OL Everybody's growing older. This is a bad thing in the case of three starters, no biggie in the case of Kaczur and Mankins, and a good thing in the case of Vollmer and the developmental guys. Vollmer's such a big deal I call this a net small improvement.
DL TBD. Depends on the improvement of Pryor and Brace.
OLB Addition through subtraction dumping AD. Should be flat to up as guys settle into roles. Crable could help.
ILB. Mayo and Guyton are still learning. McKenzie could help. Should be better.
S Meriweather and Chung are still improving. Should be better.
CB I'll count the first-round rookie as an asset. Bodden has another year with the team. Butler should take a step up. The other youngsters might. This group should be significantly better.
STs Good shot at upgrading returners and punter. If McCourty is a difference-maker in coverage, so much the better. So we should see improvement.
Injuries Welker was huge for the playoff(s), and Mayo was playing hurt. Otherwise we had pretty good injury luck, after many years straight of the opposite. Could be a negative comparison.
Bottom line: Talent should be flat to somewhat up vs. last season. The chance for big improvements, however, lies largely in coaching and player attitudes.
