1. Has the OL improved enough?
2. Does Eli still have it?
3. Will the Beckham contract be resolved and if not, how much of a distraction will it be?
4. Can Saquon live up to the hype?
5. What do we have with Webb and Lauletta?
I watched Giants Chronicles on Plaxico the other evening, some highlights from 2005 to 2008!!Three things stood out to me:
1. Just how good and a big play guy Plaxico was,
2. How special Tikki was
3. How much more mobile and nimble the young Eli was in the pocket
My biggest concern: Many here have expressed with confidence that Eli still has it. Given the weapons he has and a running game, he can regain the form I saw.
I don t know. Given the stark contrast between the 05 to 08 Eli and the 16 17 Eli, it s difficult to see him playing at that level again.
That is my biggest question. Close behind, and I guess they are related, is the development of Webb and Lauletta. These two guys have me more excited to watch preseason games than I have been in a while.
Googs' 5 Key Questions (stealing a few from Shock...) Â
1. Has the OL improved enough
2. Does Eli still have it?
3. Can Shurmur develop an Offense to match its potential?
4. How well does the Defense conform to new 3-4 scheme
5. Who is going to bring the pass rush?
Eli hasn't lost any arm strength. It has been his paranoia and happy feet behind the bad offensive lines the past several years. It isn't easy to overcome. If he does he'll do great with these weapons they added.
1) Will the convert to 3-4 hurt more than help, particularly early in the season as the defense adapts to the new system?
2) Can Flowers transition to RT and be at least average?
3) Will Eli bounce back or is he finished?
4) Will Beckham bounce back and be healthy? Will the attitude be brought down a notch? Will he be ok with Barkley, Engram, Shepard, etc taking touches away from him? Will the contract be a distraction?
5) If Eli Apple continues to regress what is the answer at CB? Beal too young/raw to step in right away.
The OL issue is obvious. Even an "average" OL will make our excellent skill position players a load to deal with and give Manning enough time to be effective. That solves the offensive questions.
I think the defensive front 7 is "good enough". I could be wrong but even as a critic of the 3-4 there seems enough talent there to make it work well enough to be competitive. The secondary is the big question and Apple has to play like a quality NFL CB for it to work. If he does that will make the entire defense a competitive unit.
1) What does consistent blocking from the left side of the line look like again?
Can't remember the last time we've seen that. Really hoping we will.Our number one health goal has to be Solder, he must play all year. If that happens, I think Eli will be fine, once again. Unless the right side....
2) Do Flowers grow on the right side?
Or will the flowers marks the spot of the new lines grave? I've always thought Flowers and his footwork looked more like a RT then left. If he can just use that wonderful body more like a road grader on Barkley runs to that side, maybe the newly dangerous play option can really him out? Maybe he can just get that footwork down with his new coaching staff?
3) Is there too much Barkley hype?
Everything about this guy seems almost too good to be true. But take it easy, let's not carve the bust yet, as an old coach once said. I think his career may end up even beyond Tomlinson, but that first test against one of the best D's in football will be a real nice first run. But I don't expect to see the hand of the Almighty for sure....
4)Can we cover a TE?
We will never be able to say we were able to cover Witten, that will never, ever happen, I can now safely say. Ogletree, Carter and maybe Beal are the new ingredients to this seemingly decades long attempt to find the opposing TE. I think Bettcher will find the answer, but it may take awhile...
5) Where is the pass rush coming from?
This is the question I hope all other teams will be asking about us. Seems like we might get multiple sacks from nearly every position on D. I think Martin is the real afterthought acquisition who will show the way for the rest of the rush. Carter is another one who I think may be a real treat to watch right away. Come to think of it, just like left side OL play, I may not recognize all the good linebackers making plays out there. Ogletree is also going to play well right away is my guess.
1. Has the OL improved enough?
2. Does Eli still have it?
3. Will the Beckham contract be resolved and if not, how much of a distraction will it be?
4. Can Saquon live up to the hype?
5. What do we have with Webb and Lauletta?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
will Odell play?
History with WRs like Cruz, Nicks and Smith has me worried, but on the plus side it's "only" an ankle injury and not knee. Still leg injuries to WR are bad.
Will the OL hold up/improve?
Will Odell be back to 100%?
Will Barkley have the impact we all think?
Will Eli Apple get his head out of his ass?
Will Webb step up and show some promise as the next QB?
I'm not worried about Eli, as long as the line improves.
For the 5th, as others have noted, it's all about the defense.....how long will it take for the new system to be learned, where will the pass rush come from, can OV stay healthy & drop into coverage, who is the 3rd corner, has the linebacker problem been solved, will someone step up at free safety, is Collins back, and can Bettcher get the guys to buy into his system?
One could say that the giants have never asked for and expected more of a rookie class. And they need to see dividends right away.
We pretty much know what we have in the vets. Some questions, but for the most part we know what we have there. It’s the rookie class. Not only are the giants a little thin in some spots but they picked so high in the 2018 draft, it’s rare to pick 2nd and they also had two high 3rds.
Tell me the rookies kick ass early and i will feel very good about this team. To me the questions start and end there.
1. Where is the pass rush coming from?
2. Can Flowers play RT resonably well.
3. Can Apple be a starter.
4. Will Odel and Collins return 100%.
5. Can Eli get back to being depebdable and make the plays that he has opportunities to make.
My NON key questions since the key ones were covered: Â
1) What will Shurm call The Duke? The football? Will the players know what he means?
2) Which position will be inexplicably devastated by injury so we’re playing guys from the parking lot as starters?
3) Will OBJ continue his rocky relationship with the kicking net, and will the Me Too movement extend to sidelines equipment?
4) Who will replace JPP’s lack of production on D? (Bonus: Will Eli Apple learn to make his own Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese, or stay at a pre-teen maturity level?)
5) How will the new NFL helmet hitting rules be applied only to us so that Eli Manning is somehow ejected for ducking as he gets hit when Flowers whiffs, and how comforting will the NFL’s apology for the mistake be?
My three biggest questions, how good is the oline, how good is the Â
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
will Odell play?
History with WRs like Cruz, Nicks and Smith has me worried, but on the plus side it's "only" an ankle injury and not knee. Still leg injuries to WR are bad.
I think Odell is 100% healthy.
Will he play without a new deal?
We will see.
RE: My NON key questions since the key ones were covered: Â
1) What will Shurm call The Duke? The football? Will the players know what he means?
2) Which position will be inexplicably devastated by injury so we’re playing guys from the parking lot as starters?
3) Will OBJ continue his rocky relationship with the kicking net, and will the Me Too movement extend to sidelines equipment?
4) Who will replace JPP’s lack of production on D? (Bonus: Will Eli Apple learn to make his own Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese, or stay at a pre-teen maturity level?)
5) How will the new NFL helmet hitting rules be applied only to us so that Eli Manning is somehow ejected for ducking as he gets hit when Flowers whiffs, and how comforting will the NFL’s apology for the mistake be?
1. Is Eli capable at 37 to lead this offense to glory once again? And if not, is Webb capable?
2. Is the OL capable of blocking better for Eli and the RB's this year? After being among the league's worst OL's in 2016-2017, we have an infusion of new talent in Solder, Ompaheh and rookie Hernandez.
3. Is Barkley the "OBJ of the offense" in the sense that you must put 8 men in the box to stop him or at least slow him down? Thus leaving it much easier for Eli and the staple of fine receivers: Shepard, OBJ, Engram, etc.
4. Outside of Vernon, who can rush the passer? We can't count on rookies BJ Hill, Carter and 2nd year man Tomlinson be PR's?
5. Coaching: we came out FLAT last year and started 0 - 2; we lost two games on last drives after that and stood 0 -4 with the season basically over due to record AND OBJ's injury. This year's coaching staff must keep the discipline AND motivation going strong all year.
I do believe our last two drafts are solid ones and we'll see production from them this year. That will help a lot.
2) How much does Eli have left?
3) Is the Odell situation resolved?
4) How does the DB look?
5) What's the deal with STs? Is Rosas the answer at kicker? How the hell is our punter?
2) How much does Eli have left?
3) Is the Odell situation resolved?
4) How does the DB look?
5) What's the deal with STs? Is Rosas the answer at kicker? How the hell is our punter?
DB - I do believe the starters will be good enough. But does Gay have anything left for nickel duty? Can Beal at least cover in the dime to start the season and do it well? Does D. Thompson finally win the FS job based on talent and his health? Lots of potential problems at DB, especially if Apple doesn't develop or injuries hit.
1)Is our rebuilt offensive line going to perform at least competently? That would represent a major upgrade as it hasn't approached even a league average level of play the last two seasons. This isn't a given imo. Flowers is still penciled in at a starting OT slot and in today's NFL any smart coordinator exploits mismatches with his best pass rush options and that means test Flowers. When you factor in chemistry and teamwork which understandably will take time to develop and the difficult early schedule we face becomes that much scarier. I do believe this unit will be improved but by what degree is uncertain, especially coming out of the gate.
2)Can our defense get teams off the field on 3rd down? This is a two fold proposition. First can we get teams in a favorable down and distance to assert pressure? I believe we'll be able to execute that phase. Second can we consistently make QB's uncomfortable and effect their ability to execute? This is an area of concern as we don't have the proven pass rushers en masse to hang our hat on right now. Having Betcher helps but gimmickry can only get you so far. If Carter's development is on the fast track it would help immensely as he has legit physical gifts.
3) Do we have enough quality depth at the CB position? Besides Jenkins this group has a ton of questions to answer. Fresh starts are understandable when a new coaching staff takes over but Eli Apple could be a problem. He was a dumpster fire last season and now he's the #2 guy by default with DRC gone. Behind him as the best nickel option is Gay, a 33 year old journeyman. Beal's recent supplemental draft pick bolsters the groups talent but factor in his truncated off season and imo he's more about the future than the now. Especially early in the season. The rest of the group are raw unknowns. It's our thinnest position group and God forbid if injury strikes it could derail the whole season.
4) Will we be able to run the ball effectively?This too would carry multiple benefits. It would allow us to keep our defense fresh in the 4th quarter and throughout the battle of attrition an NFL campaign represents. On the offensive side it would exploit one of Eli's greatest strengths by returning effective play action to the playbook and audible options. An ability denied him under MacAdoo's ill conceived passing schemes and Reese's failed offensive lines.
5)Did the Mara's get the organizational turnover right?It starts with the Gettelamn hire and treks right through to Shurmur and his staff. It's a brave new world in Giantland. They've accomplished a lot to date. I felt going in the roster they inherited from Reese and Ross would take fully two years to fix. Hence the serious questions still remaining at OT and CB. There just wasn't enough cap room and draft resources combined to address them all in one offseason. Now it's up to the HC to get the best out of them by rebuilding not just the product on the field but the culture...maybe in reverse order to how I listed them. Stay tuned for back end of the roster changes with our #2 waiver wire slot as we sorely need to improve the depth on this ballclub.
***Final point*** The schedule is ridiculously tough for the 2nd worst team of 2017. An 8-8 season would be a positive stepping stone imo. You never know and lightning can strike but I try to enter the season with realistic expectations and hope my team exceeds them.
(1) Is Flowers more than an expensive back-up?
(2) Can we consistently stop the run in the 3-4 with three defensive tackles on the line?
(3) Can Carter set the edge well enough to play as a rookie?
(4) Can we get better in what Coughlin called the green zone?
(5) Are our special teams fixed with all of the investment in special team players?
1. Can we establish a consistent running game? This is the top priority. Eli is an excellent play action QB, but needs a legitimate ground threat.
2. Can Bettcher's defense put enough pressure on the QB?
The Cardinals had 37, 48, 36 and 35 sacks over the past 4 seasons. (QB Pressure is just more than sacks). Our run defense will likely be stout, but can we stop teams on 3rd down?
3. Can Shepard and Engram develop into legitimate playmakers in their own right?
4. Can we develop quality depth across the team. This can keeps our players healthy and fresh (ideally playing 75% snaps max in most cases). This also builds continuity going forward
5. Can this team be better than the sum of it's parts? This is my take on the hallmark 2007 and 2011 teams. Shurmur and Gettleman have done an outstanding job on fixing the locker room. I have a lot of confidence in Shurmur and Bettcher's play calling to play to each players strengths and put us in positions to make plays.
1. Will odell be the same as before the injury.
2. Will Eli trust the new online
3. Will the run blocking be much better
4. Will the pass rush improve
5. Will the cb's not named Apple or Jenkins be able to cover.
I think ST improvement has to be a top 5 and surprised more dont have it there.
Manning's play is not in my top 5.
1. New defense especially can they generate a pass rush
2. Improved OL play
3. Improved ST play (all of it; kicking, returns and coverage)
4. Who emerges as #2 WR
5. A bad start will test Shurmur; how will the team respond
2. Does Eli still have it?
3. Will the Beckham contract be resolved and if not, how much of a distraction will it be?
4. Can Saquon live up to the hype?
5. What do we have with Webb and Lauletta?
I watched Giants Chronicles on Plaxico the other evening, some highlights from 2005 to 2008!!Three things stood out to me:
1. Just how good and a big play guy Plaxico was,
2. How special Tikki was
3. How much more mobile and nimble the young Eli was in the pocket
My biggest concern: Many here have expressed with confidence that Eli still has it. Given the weapons he has and a running game, he can regain the form I saw.
I don t know. Given the stark contrast between the 05 to 08 Eli and the 16 17 Eli, it s difficult to see him playing at that level again.
That is my biggest question. Close behind, and I guess they are related, is the development of Webb and Lauletta. These two guys have me more excited to watch preseason games than I have been in a while.
2. Does Eli still have it?
3. Can Shurmur develop an Offense to match its potential?
4. How well does the Defense conform to new 3-4 scheme
5. Who is going to bring the pass rush?
2. How will the Oline mesh with Solder and Hernandez?
3. Will Eli's age begin to show?
4. Evan Engram's progress. Is the game slowing down?
5. Will Ogletree solve the LB corps
That's why David Carr didn't work out in Houston.
2) Can Flowers transition to RT and be at least average?
3) Will Eli bounce back or is he finished?
4) Will Beckham bounce back and be healthy? Will the attitude be brought down a notch? Will he be ok with Barkley, Engram, Shepard, etc taking touches away from him? Will the contract be a distraction?
5) If Eli Apple continues to regress what is the answer at CB? Beal too young/raw to step in right away.
Apparently technique is an issue -- any easier on the right side? I have hope but also doubts.
A corollary -- can we find a serviceable RT on the waiver wire should Wheeler not be one.
2. How will the transition go for the new defense
Remember it took the D quite a number of games to get Spags. When they did ....
3. Can the D muster a pass rush.
Yes, it's in the Bettcher's MO, but do we have the talent? Vernon will loom large here; great expectations for Carter and should be fun with Collins.
4. Can Apple return to the upward arc of Year 1
He has the talent -- hopefully he has matured and the new staff will be a new start.
5. Will OBJ be 100% physically OK
I'm not worried about his 'attitude.' Never was. There is a psychological ramification though -- if he plays more cautiously du to fear of injury.
1. Is the OL good enough.
2. Is Eli Apple good enough.
The OL issue is obvious. Even an "average" OL will make our excellent skill position players a load to deal with and give Manning enough time to be effective. That solves the offensive questions.
I think the defensive front 7 is "good enough". I could be wrong but even as a critic of the 3-4 there seems enough talent there to make it work well enough to be competitive. The secondary is the big question and Apple has to play like a quality NFL CB for it to work. If he does that will make the entire defense a competitive unit.
Can't remember the last time we've seen that. Really hoping we will.Our number one health goal has to be Solder, he must play all year. If that happens, I think Eli will be fine, once again. Unless the right side....
2) Do Flowers grow on the right side?
Or will the flowers marks the spot of the new lines grave? I've always thought Flowers and his footwork looked more like a RT then left. If he can just use that wonderful body more like a road grader on Barkley runs to that side, maybe the newly dangerous play option can really him out? Maybe he can just get that footwork down with his new coaching staff?
3) Is there too much Barkley hype?
Everything about this guy seems almost too good to be true. But take it easy, let's not carve the bust yet, as an old coach once said. I think his career may end up even beyond Tomlinson, but that first test against one of the best D's in football will be a real nice first run. But I don't expect to see the hand of the Almighty for sure....
4)Can we cover a TE?
We will never be able to say we were able to cover Witten, that will never, ever happen, I can now safely say. Ogletree, Carter and maybe Beal are the new ingredients to this seemingly decades long attempt to find the opposing TE. I think Bettcher will find the answer, but it may take awhile...
5) Where is the pass rush coming from?
This is the question I hope all other teams will be asking about us. Seems like we might get multiple sacks from nearly every position on D. I think Martin is the real afterthought acquisition who will show the way for the rest of the rush. Carter is another one who I think may be a real treat to watch right away. Come to think of it, just like left side OL play, I may not recognize all the good linebackers making plays out there. Ogletree is also going to play well right away is my guess.
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
will Odell play?
2. Does Eli still have it?
3. Will the Beckham contract be resolved and if not, how much of a distraction will it be?
4. Can Saquon live up to the hype?
5. What do we have with Webb and Lauletta?
5 good ones i must say
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
will Odell play?
Are you talking about contract issues or injury RECOVERY?
IMO the first is not an option issue.
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
will Odell play?
History with WRs like Cruz, Nicks and Smith has me worried, but on the plus side it's "only" an ankle injury and not knee. Still leg injuries to WR are bad.
Will Odell be back to 100%?
Will Barkley have the impact we all think?
Will Eli Apple get his head out of his ass?
Will Webb step up and show some promise as the next QB?
I'm not worried about Eli, as long as the line improves.
For the 5th, as others have noted, it's all about the defense.....how long will it take for the new system to be learned, where will the pass rush come from, can OV stay healthy & drop into coverage, who is the 3rd corner, has the linebacker problem been solved, will someone step up at free safety, is Collins back, and can Bettcher get the guys to buy into his system?
We pretty much know what we have in the vets. Some questions, but for the most part we know what we have there. It’s the rookie class. Not only are the giants a little thin in some spots but they picked so high in the 2018 draft, it’s rare to pick 2nd and they also had two high 3rds.
Tell me the rookies kick ass early and i will feel very good about this team. To me the questions start and end there.
2. Can Flowers play RT resonably well.
3. Can Apple be a starter.
4. Will Odel and Collins return 100%.
5. Can Eli get back to being depebdable and make the plays that he has opportunities to make.
2) Which position will be inexplicably devastated by injury so we’re playing guys from the parking lot as starters?
3) Will OBJ continue his rocky relationship with the kicking net, and will the Me Too movement extend to sidelines equipment?
4) Who will replace JPP’s lack of production on D? (Bonus: Will Eli Apple learn to make his own Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese, or stay at a pre-teen maturity level?)
5) How will the new NFL helmet hitting rules be applied only to us so that Eli Manning is somehow ejected for ducking as he gets hit when Flowers whiffs, and how comforting will the NFL’s apology for the mistake be?
Quote:
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
Will Odell play?
will Odell play?
History with WRs like Cruz, Nicks and Smith has me worried, but on the plus side it's "only" an ankle injury and not knee. Still leg injuries to WR are bad.
I think Odell is 100% healthy.
Will he play without a new deal?
We will see.
2) Which position will be inexplicably devastated by injury so we’re playing guys from the parking lot as starters?
3) Will OBJ continue his rocky relationship with the kicking net, and will the Me Too movement extend to sidelines equipment?
4) Who will replace JPP’s lack of production on D? (Bonus: Will Eli Apple learn to make his own Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese, or stay at a pre-teen maturity level?)
5) How will the new NFL helmet hitting rules be applied only to us so that Eli Manning is somehow ejected for ducking as he gets hit when Flowers whiffs, and how comforting will the NFL’s apology for the mistake be?
You missed a BIGGIE
Who will pick Shurmur's suits?
2. Is the OL capable of blocking better for Eli and the RB's this year? After being among the league's worst OL's in 2016-2017, we have an infusion of new talent in Solder, Ompaheh and rookie Hernandez.
3. Is Barkley the "OBJ of the offense" in the sense that you must put 8 men in the box to stop him or at least slow him down? Thus leaving it much easier for Eli and the staple of fine receivers: Shepard, OBJ, Engram, etc.
4. Outside of Vernon, who can rush the passer? We can't count on rookies BJ Hill, Carter and 2nd year man Tomlinson be PR's?
5. Coaching: we came out FLAT last year and started 0 - 2; we lost two games on last drives after that and stood 0 -4 with the season basically over due to record AND OBJ's injury. This year's coaching staff must keep the discipline AND motivation going strong all year.
I do believe our last two drafts are solid ones and we'll see production from them this year. That will help a lot.
3) Is the Odell situation resolved?
4) How does the DB look?
5) What's the deal with STs? Is Rosas the answer at kicker? How the hell is our punter?
3) Is the Odell situation resolved?
4) How does the DB look?
5) What's the deal with STs? Is Rosas the answer at kicker? How the hell is our punter?
2)Can our defense get teams off the field on 3rd down? This is a two fold proposition. First can we get teams in a favorable down and distance to assert pressure? I believe we'll be able to execute that phase. Second can we consistently make QB's uncomfortable and effect their ability to execute? This is an area of concern as we don't have the proven pass rushers en masse to hang our hat on right now. Having Betcher helps but gimmickry can only get you so far. If Carter's development is on the fast track it would help immensely as he has legit physical gifts.
3) Do we have enough quality depth at the CB position? Besides Jenkins this group has a ton of questions to answer. Fresh starts are understandable when a new coaching staff takes over but Eli Apple could be a problem. He was a dumpster fire last season and now he's the #2 guy by default with DRC gone. Behind him as the best nickel option is Gay, a 33 year old journeyman. Beal's recent supplemental draft pick bolsters the groups talent but factor in his truncated off season and imo he's more about the future than the now. Especially early in the season. The rest of the group are raw unknowns. It's our thinnest position group and God forbid if injury strikes it could derail the whole season.
4) Will we be able to run the ball effectively?This too would carry multiple benefits. It would allow us to keep our defense fresh in the 4th quarter and throughout the battle of attrition an NFL campaign represents. On the offensive side it would exploit one of Eli's greatest strengths by returning effective play action to the playbook and audible options. An ability denied him under MacAdoo's ill conceived passing schemes and Reese's failed offensive lines.
5)Did the Mara's get the organizational turnover right?It starts with the Gettelamn hire and treks right through to Shurmur and his staff. It's a brave new world in Giantland. They've accomplished a lot to date. I felt going in the roster they inherited from Reese and Ross would take fully two years to fix. Hence the serious questions still remaining at OT and CB. There just wasn't enough cap room and draft resources combined to address them all in one offseason. Now it's up to the HC to get the best out of them by rebuilding not just the product on the field but the culture...maybe in reverse order to how I listed them. Stay tuned for back end of the roster changes with our #2 waiver wire slot as we sorely need to improve the depth on this ballclub.
***Final point*** The schedule is ridiculously tough for the 2nd worst team of 2017. An 8-8 season would be a positive stepping stone imo. You never know and lightning can strike but I try to enter the season with realistic expectations and hope my team exceeds them.
(2) Can we consistently stop the run in the 3-4 with three defensive tackles on the line?
(3) Can Carter set the edge well enough to play as a rookie?
(4) Can we get better in what Coughlin called the green zone?
(5) Are our special teams fixed with all of the investment in special team players?
2. Can Bettcher's defense put enough pressure on the QB?
The Cardinals had 37, 48, 36 and 35 sacks over the past 4 seasons. (QB Pressure is just more than sacks). Our run defense will likely be stout, but can we stop teams on 3rd down?
3. Can Shepard and Engram develop into legitimate playmakers in their own right?
4. Can we develop quality depth across the team. This can keeps our players healthy and fresh (ideally playing 75% snaps max in most cases). This also builds continuity going forward
5. Can this team be better than the sum of it's parts? This is my take on the hallmark 2007 and 2011 teams. Shurmur and Gettleman have done an outstanding job on fixing the locker room. I have a lot of confidence in Shurmur and Bettcher's play calling to play to each players strengths and put us in positions to make plays.
1. Can we run the ball?
2. Can we protect the QB?
3. Will Special Teams improve?
4. Can we rush the passer?
5. Can we stop the run?
Returning Players
1. Eli Manning?
2. Eli Apple?
3. Eric Flowers?
4. BJ Goodson?
5. OBJ?
New Players
1. Ogeltree
2. Hernandez
3. Solder
4. Barkley
5. Carter/Martin
Positions
1. Kicker
2. Center
3. Slot Corner
4. Safety
5. Right tackle
2. Will Eli trust the new online
3. Will the run blocking be much better
4. Will the pass rush improve
5. Will the cb's not named Apple or Jenkins be able to cover.
I think ST improvement has to be a top 5 and surprised more dont have it there.
Manning's play is not in my top 5.
1. New defense especially can they generate a pass rush
2. Improved OL play
3. Improved ST play (all of it; kicking, returns and coverage)
4. Who emerges as #2 WR
5. A bad start will test Shurmur; how will the team respond