TheReverend
02-04-2012, 03:00 PM
Hi guys. Here's a little something I wrote up elsewhere. Hopeful that it provides some insight or if nothing more, fodder for some good football discussion during the off-season!
Let's try and get some and look at this off-season and go point by point over what is going to happen and how our favorite football team is going to look in 2012.
If you don't want to read anything pertaining to this subject, please at least read the following statement:
Last year was an evaluation year to see what players on the current roster fit what EFX wanted to do offensively, defensively and according to their general football philosophy. We saw this manifest itself MULTIPLE times from rotating players in different positions on the depth chart to trading away and outright cutting veterans at certain positions so we could evaluate the younger players behind them. Despite being in an "evaluation year", this team went from the worst team in the NFL the year prior (when you factor SoS) to AFCW Champions and its first playoff win in 6 years.
Now let's look at what's going to happen in this coming off-season
Roster additions:
We will definitely be adding players at CB, MLB, IOL, RB, WR
We will probably be adding players at DT, DE, S, TE
I expect the majority of these roster moves to be strictly depth and competition moves, but I do expect 2-3 "blue chip" players to hit the roster this off-season which should make a dramatic effect on the players around them.
On top of adding some key vets and more vet leadership, we can expect to see some pretty substantial improvements from a young roster coming off a lockout season:
All of last years rookies will now have a full off-season of OTAs. Time in the system for the game to slow down for them and to make dramatic mental leaps, as well as more repetition being coached into them.
Areas I expect to see massive upgrades in current personnel:
WR - Demaryius will be healthy. Decker should be healthy. These two can both finally not only get a full off-season worth of work and coaching, but have time to establish good chemistry with Tim. Our WRs lead the NFL in drops per attempt, and I expect to see that dramatically improve this year for the aforementioned reasons. (Side note: It's my hope we also add a proven vet receiver with a known work ethic that can teach these two how to properly prepare at this level)
OL - Franklin played very well when you look at the wealth of his season and also showed some pretty dramatic improvement from game one to the end of the season. That being said, this unit has LOADS of room to improve. As is, we have Ryan Harris back and ready to compete. I'm hopeful we add a premier G to really solidify the unit moving forward, but as is the experience in this system should go a long ways with a corps of pretty talented young guys.
QB - Only 16 starts under his belt and 1.5 off-seasons and neither one involved taking reps of any significance with the 1s. He's had no stability as of yet in the offensive game plan as it's been an evolving system (not blaming anyone, it is what it is). Has one of, if not the best work ethic in the entire NFL. Has the closest physical parallel, a HoF'er, and the perfect potential mentor to him pledged to work with him during the off-season.
The entire offense:
McCoy will now have a full off-season to scheme to our teams strengths, incorporate a truly multi-dimensional offense, more trust to his QB, and better, healthy, more experienced players to execute it.
Defensively:
I expect to see leaps and bounds of improvement in
Von Miller - who will not only mentally be light years ahead of where he was last year, but now has a DC who as a former LBer has a history of getting the very best out of his LB'ers (apply this to DJ Williams as well)
Carter - excelled at a cerebral position his rookie year past expectations. The first step kills at the S position, to be able to excel a couple steps behind while diagnosing the play is going to provide a dramatic contrast to build off of a successful rookie season (apply the same to Rahim Moore. I expect him to be able to provide an impact next season)
And especially our front seven as a whole as we've now made a dramatic improvement at the DC position.
Also, it should be noted that we have a bonus asset uplifting the team as a whole: Tim's work ethic. Having the leader of your team spend so much time doing everything he can to improve his game absolutely has an effect on the players around him. Odds of something half-assing practice, OTAs, the weight room, film study, etc become dramatically reduced. Infectious work ethic and a desire to succeed is something we need and should also play a dramatic role on the team moving forward and potential FAs (I'd love to nab under-achieving Aaron Ross because of this and our HC's background as a former secondary coach. Could finally get him to play up to his talent level)
Fantasy section:
My dream off-season would be:
Carl Nicks (hands down my top priority)
Reggie Wayne (could do WONDERS with Demaryius the way Marvin did with him)
Mario Williams (DL becomes our top unit instantly... talk about a turn over events)
Dan Connor (though not as talented, he's still the heady, tough, smart linebacker that we've lacked since Wilson)
Aaron Ross (our coaching and Tebow's work ethic combined with a fresh start could turn him into what he should be)
And then Devon Still, Stephon Gilmore, Brandon Boykin, and Dan Herron via the draft.
At that point we go from a subpar talented but over-achieving team to perhaps the most talented team in the league.
Let's try and get some and look at this off-season and go point by point over what is going to happen and how our favorite football team is going to look in 2012.
If you don't want to read anything pertaining to this subject, please at least read the following statement:
Last year was an evaluation year to see what players on the current roster fit what EFX wanted to do offensively, defensively and according to their general football philosophy. We saw this manifest itself MULTIPLE times from rotating players in different positions on the depth chart to trading away and outright cutting veterans at certain positions so we could evaluate the younger players behind them. Despite being in an "evaluation year", this team went from the worst team in the NFL the year prior (when you factor SoS) to AFCW Champions and its first playoff win in 6 years.
Now let's look at what's going to happen in this coming off-season
Roster additions:
We will definitely be adding players at CB, MLB, IOL, RB, WR
We will probably be adding players at DT, DE, S, TE
I expect the majority of these roster moves to be strictly depth and competition moves, but I do expect 2-3 "blue chip" players to hit the roster this off-season which should make a dramatic effect on the players around them.
On top of adding some key vets and more vet leadership, we can expect to see some pretty substantial improvements from a young roster coming off a lockout season:
All of last years rookies will now have a full off-season of OTAs. Time in the system for the game to slow down for them and to make dramatic mental leaps, as well as more repetition being coached into them.
Areas I expect to see massive upgrades in current personnel:
WR - Demaryius will be healthy. Decker should be healthy. These two can both finally not only get a full off-season worth of work and coaching, but have time to establish good chemistry with Tim. Our WRs lead the NFL in drops per attempt, and I expect to see that dramatically improve this year for the aforementioned reasons. (Side note: It's my hope we also add a proven vet receiver with a known work ethic that can teach these two how to properly prepare at this level)
OL - Franklin played very well when you look at the wealth of his season and also showed some pretty dramatic improvement from game one to the end of the season. That being said, this unit has LOADS of room to improve. As is, we have Ryan Harris back and ready to compete. I'm hopeful we add a premier G to really solidify the unit moving forward, but as is the experience in this system should go a long ways with a corps of pretty talented young guys.
QB - Only 16 starts under his belt and 1.5 off-seasons and neither one involved taking reps of any significance with the 1s. He's had no stability as of yet in the offensive game plan as it's been an evolving system (not blaming anyone, it is what it is). Has one of, if not the best work ethic in the entire NFL. Has the closest physical parallel, a HoF'er, and the perfect potential mentor to him pledged to work with him during the off-season.
The entire offense:
McCoy will now have a full off-season to scheme to our teams strengths, incorporate a truly multi-dimensional offense, more trust to his QB, and better, healthy, more experienced players to execute it.
Defensively:
I expect to see leaps and bounds of improvement in
Von Miller - who will not only mentally be light years ahead of where he was last year, but now has a DC who as a former LBer has a history of getting the very best out of his LB'ers (apply this to DJ Williams as well)
Carter - excelled at a cerebral position his rookie year past expectations. The first step kills at the S position, to be able to excel a couple steps behind while diagnosing the play is going to provide a dramatic contrast to build off of a successful rookie season (apply the same to Rahim Moore. I expect him to be able to provide an impact next season)
And especially our front seven as a whole as we've now made a dramatic improvement at the DC position.
Also, it should be noted that we have a bonus asset uplifting the team as a whole: Tim's work ethic. Having the leader of your team spend so much time doing everything he can to improve his game absolutely has an effect on the players around him. Odds of something half-assing practice, OTAs, the weight room, film study, etc become dramatically reduced. Infectious work ethic and a desire to succeed is something we need and should also play a dramatic role on the team moving forward and potential FAs (I'd love to nab under-achieving Aaron Ross because of this and our HC's background as a former secondary coach. Could finally get him to play up to his talent level)
Fantasy section:
My dream off-season would be:
Carl Nicks (hands down my top priority)
Reggie Wayne (could do WONDERS with Demaryius the way Marvin did with him)
Mario Williams (DL becomes our top unit instantly... talk about a turn over events)
Dan Connor (though not as talented, he's still the heady, tough, smart linebacker that we've lacked since Wilson)
Aaron Ross (our coaching and Tebow's work ethic combined with a fresh start could turn him into what he should be)
And then Devon Still, Stephon Gilmore, Brandon Boykin, and Dan Herron via the draft.
At that point we go from a subpar talented but over-achieving team to perhaps the most talented team in the league.