Quote:
Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58
Regardless, we're a lot farther away than 4-5 players, as Boss suggests.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by the Talking Can
a real NT, a quality #2 WR, and a young center would do wonders for this team....
no team in the league is 13 players away from contending, that's just ****ing stupid....most teams are 1 player away: the QB
our OL is good enough for the top flight QBs....problem is, we have Cassel...hence the feeling we that have to have great players at every single position on the field to make up for him...
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Cassel/_______
Charles
Castillo/Cox
Bowe
_____
Moeaki
Albert
Lilja
________
Asamoah
Richardson/________
Dorsey
________
Smith/Jackson
Hali
Belcher
DJ
________/Studebaker
Flowers
Carr
Lewis
Superman
I count 3-4 for sure needs on this team that each would go a long long ways towards helping us get to the next step and three big ifs.
Add a nose guard to this defense and it makes EVERYONE on defense better and would round out one of the better 3-4 DLs in the league if Smith plays as well as he did and Jackson builds on what I saw as progress last year (though he will never live up to #3 billing and we all knew that as soon as the pick was made)
We add a guy that can compliment Hali in the pass rush while helping the safeties in coverage with tight ends and this defense has a chance to be one of the better ones in the league if we keep Crennel on staff for a couple more years.
I am starting to change my thoughts on Cassel a bit after the Zorn hiring. Matt did very well until the news got out about Charlie Weis and I think Zorn has enough experience and knowledge to help Cassel continue to progress into a guy we have a chance with. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt at this point and hope for the best after seeing him showcase the ability to improve his game quite a bit in one year under Weis.
Instead, I think the offense could take the next step with adding a good young center to the line to help protect Cassel against bigger nose guards and to give us the ability to effectively run up the middle in short yardage situations. The other major need on offense is someone to compliment Moeaki and Bowe by being able to stretch the field and run great routes while being able to effectively block for the running game.
If handled as well as the last draft/free agency period, we could be in much better shape next year to play with the big boys.
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All in all, the discussion about winning a championship ultimately is talking about if you think Cassel is capable of being that good once those pieces are there. I think he showed the ability to improve on a fairly good year but who knows how close to his ceiling he is?
After all the hatred for Cassel I have shown over the last couple years, this post should show how much I love the Zorn hiring.