Concerns you have about Off & Def

[Templar]

Offense
Center
Running Game (I think Matt Jones sucks and that Chris Thompson has been worst player on team for a couple years now)
Cousins keeping up momentum
Long and Moses continue to improve

Defense
NT
ILB
Safety Depth
Stopping run
Sua Cravens as Taylor Mays 2.0 without measurables

 

[Stymietee]

At first blush, there are a few things to consider that applies to the entire team before making differential concerns by squad.

1. Can the team recapture the chemistry that propelled them into the playoffs last year? (weak Division not withstanding)

2. Does this years squad have a "step-up" gear that allows them to meet or exceed the 9-7 record posted a season ago?

3. Health

4. I still think that we lack real difference makers on both sides of the ball, we do have Jackson and Reed on Offense and quite possibly Gallette on defense, but who else will have O & D coordinators up late trying to design ways to stop them?

5. Sabotage based on impatience by JG and the OC by abandoning the run game too quickly. More on this as I begin with:

OFFENSE:
QB....It is by now well documented that Kirk has a ways to go to convince me that he is "That Guy" at the position. That said, I will predict that KC will have a great year IF...IF...IF...IF, developmentally, the team is in position to ask less from him because an effective run game takes pressure off of the QB position. Asking Kirk to be the type of QB that uses the pass to set up or substitute for the run is a recipe for failure. This is something that Gruden has demonstrated time and again that he's all to willing to do with a QB who IMO is not suited for that. I'm really not comfortable with Colt if things go south.

RB....An unfinished offseason here tells me that there just might be a move or two still in the offing before Pittsburg comes to town.

WR.... So many hands and so few opportunities. Everyone will bite the bullet and put team first, if things are going well.......But.....what if times get tough? Do we see the fuse get short with DJax and a return of the sullen Garcon?

OL...THE most important players on any offense bar none. Without them nothing works. Last year only a couple of us thought that A. Reiter might be the answer at center. Well, he's back again and I'm sticking with my original prediction, while hoping that just in case, SM has his eyes closely focused on what move Pittsburg does with the player who does not win the starting center job there. Outside of that I'm really going to keep my eyes on the looming battle between Lauvao, Long, and Kouandjio, along with concerns that Moses can prove to be a year in, year out, reliable fixture at RT.

Let me add Dustin Hopkins to this list, but only because he is the unquestioned owner of the kicking duties earned a year ago. A job that is the most tenuous in the NFL comes with an every year, prove it, extremely short rope. He has to come in with the same attitude and hunger that won him the spot originally, or leave the team in search of his replacement.


DEFENSE:
DL....Maybe it was a joke, or written earnestly, but that 1-4-6 defensive base set that @Shark offered, has me actually wondering if that is going to be a necessity! Just like the RB position, there might still be a few moves made prior to the opening game. Right now, well, we certainly have some bodies to man our front line, but if anyone on this site is confident enough to quell major concerns about them, let's hear from you!!

FS....The leading guys right now are D. Hall, who is rather long in the tooth and a bit of a health risk, coupled with W. Blackmon, who we must rely on to make the transition from corner to FS. Confident anyone?

SS....The youngster Cravens is currently listed as the starter, and we're all hopeful, but did this team just draft someone who can be counted on, or like his backup (Ihenacho) likely to find himself on the M.A. S. H. unit?

DC.... Everyone deserves at least a second chance, Joe Barry found his here in Washington, Let's see what he has in store for us in year 2.

 

[Kevin12773]

Not concerned about anything honestly. This roster is better than last years team that won 9 games. Scot has proven he can reload mid season so it is what it is.
HTTR

 

[Krusheasy]

biggest concern for me year in & out is special teams ... atleast since danny smith split

was it the beginning of the season last year we were giving up punt & kick returns & failing to tackle or make blocks .... and allowing kicks to be blocked ? or is that every year ?

special teams speaks volumes about our depth, if guys are buying into the system & the direction the franchise is heading.

if Scots picks are to pan out their first impact should be felt here helping to win the battle of field position.

its a game of inches

 

[gkekoa]

biggest concern for me year in & out is special teams ... atleast since danny smith split

was it the beginning of the season last year we were giving up punt & kick returns & failing to tackle or make blocks .... and allowing kicks to be blocked ? or is that every year ?

special teams speaks volumes about our depth, if guys are buying into the system & the direction the franchise is heading.

if Scots picks are to pan out their first impact should be felt here helping to win the battle of field position.

its a game of inches

Can't say I understand that logic. Our STs under Smith were atrocious.

 

[Krusheasy]

Can't say I understand that logic. Our STs under Smith were atrocious.

the ranking would agree ... but they also got worse after his departure.

2010 - 25th
2011 - 21
2012 - 28 -- danny last season
2013 - 32
2014 - 29
2015 - 6th

made a big improvement last season based on these rankings

 

[gkekoa]

Smith was with the Skins from 04-12. Considering there is no discernible way to really rank STs play, we have to go by the memory and visual test. All I can remember with Smith here is the ball being taken back to the house, us never taking it back, and us getting FG after FG blocked. Those blocked FGs led us to cutting Gano, who has been very good in Carolina.

 

[Krusheasy]

biggest concern for me year in & out is special teams ... atleast since danny smith split

is that better ?

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Offense
Center
Running Game (I think Matt Jones sucks and that Chris Thompson has been worst player on team for a couple years now)
Cousins keeping up momentum
Long and Moses continue to improve

Defense
NT
ILB
Safety Depth
Stopping run
Sua Cravens as Taylor Mays 2.0 without measurables

I'm not that big on Thompson either but I'm not sure I'd call him the worst player on this team the last few years when I consider the names LeRibeus, Polumbus, Clark etc. Saying Jones sucks is kinda harsh too IMO.

 

[Buffalo_Nickel_1]

Leribeus is a good player, thompson is a 3rd back on the depth chart what do people want sanders,AD, portis, as are Rbs?? And For Kirk Do you want to pay kirk 20 million dollars for a qb thats hands it of to a rb 70 percent of offesive play calls No as a coach you say well if kirk want to be a 20 million dollar man we will go pass happy in 2016 to see what he can Do . look for a pats, denver etc etc type offense this year book it

 

[Buffalo_Nickel_1]

im sorry stie but if kirk wants to be a 20 mill player we have to see what he truly has Skins offense in 2016 will be pass heavy to see what kirk has thats what pats does with brady denver did with manning we have to do this with kirk Open up the play book go pass heavy an if kirk sucks he gone but if we hand ball off all the time like 65 percent run 35 percent pass we will never how good kirk is ................ bill snyder once said if i have good qb i will throw all day if i have good Rbs i would run all day i have neither so we have to be balanced

 

[Sportster 72]

Smith was with the Skins from 04-12. Considering there is no discernible way to really rank STs play, we have to go by the memory and visual test. All I can remember with Smith here is the ball being taken back to the house, us never taking it back, and us getting FG after FG blocked. Those blocked FGs led us to cutting Gano, who has been very good in Carolina.

Exactly, I was all for replacing Smith (thinking we can't get worse) I was wrong. Much better ST play last year.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Leribeus is a good player,

Based on what exactly? He was pushed back constantly regardless of position his entire career. I get it, center was a new position. But if you are in fact a good player you should able to handle it. Instead he continued to get blown up and his snaps were horrible and never improved, if not for Kirk's good hands it would have stood out more. I may be harping on this point toomuch but only when I see posters come to his defense which is baffling to me.

 

[Buffalo_Nickel_1]

watch dallas game last game of the year he was good people hate ribs because his rookie year he came out of shape he is good player he will start this year

 

[Sportster 72]

Spare Rib isn't as bad as some think. He also isn't a good player. He is a middling player that you would like to upgrade the position.

 

[Sharkinva]

Offense
Center
Running Game (I think Matt Jones sucks and that Chris Thompson has been worst player on team for a couple years now)
Cousins keeping up momentum
Long and Moses continue to improve

Defense
NT
ILB
Safety Depth
Stopping run
Sua Cravens as Taylor Mays 2.0 without measurables

Whoa wait.. Temp.. is that you?? I figured after the ESPN shutdown you vanished.

Welcome to the hoop man.

And aside from the Cravens comment, I mostly agree. While I was ( and still am) kind of concerned that we didnt really address the D-line thus far, I think Cravens has the ability to be a playmaker. Its just a matter of where. Im not buying this hybrid tweener plan. They either need to make him into a beast ILB, or a beast at safety. And we could use either.

 

[Sportster 72]

I believe you will see more players in the future in the NFL. There are already a couple. Sty isn't far off course when he talked about 1-4-6 defense. That is a bit far fetched but with the game becoming more and more like flag football there will be so many packages in the game. Even in the old days SS safetys were essentially a hybrid player that could support the run defense (ILB) and sometimes played in coverage. I can see him playing SS on early or run downs and playing a hybrid LB/SS position on passing downs.

 

[gkekoa]

im sorry stie but if kirk wants to be a 20 mill player we have to see what he truly has Skins offense in 2016 will be pass heavy to see what kirk has thats what pats does with brady denver did with manning we have to do this with kirk Open up the play book go pass heavy an if kirk sucks he gone but if we hand ball off all the time like 65 percent run 35 percent pass we will never how good kirk is ................ bill snyder once said if i have good qb i will throw all day if i have good Rbs i would run all day i have neither so we have to be balanced

Do you think a college coaches statements actually work for the NFL game? Maybe you do "Spurrier."
There isn't a magic formula for "balance." In today's game, the rules favor throwing the football...so most teams throw much more frequently and I don't think a single team is truly balanced like you are speaking, except Buffalo.

Of the top ten teams that led the league in being pass happy, only NE made the playoffs last season. You have to show a threat of the run to take pressure off the line and allow passes to develop. NE substitutes short dinky passes for the running game and that is why they still made the playoffs.

In the top four run call teams, two of the QBs are Cam Newton and Russell Wilson...but I guess they aren't worth 20 mil/ season.

 

[gkekoa]

Spare Rib isn't as bad as some think. He also isn't a good player. He is a middling player that you would like to upgrade the position.

Exactly. Ribeye is a backup that got the call to start. He was below average as a starter and can still improve.

 

[gkekoa]

Exactly, I was all for replacing Smith (thinking we can't get worse) I was wrong. Much better ST play last year.

Actually, I think you were right. I think we have improved since his departure. While I do not like Danny Smith, we do have to look at the value of keeping your picks has on STs.