QB: Projection: Continued improvement after great strides in '22.
Perhaps they'll add a viable or developmental QB3 but otherwise, DJ and TT are back as QB1,2.
DJ had a turnstile of lousy coaching, OL and weaponry his first several years. Is that an excuse? No, its just a fact. All of that saw an upgrade in '22 and the projection for '23 is a positive one.
RB: Projection: Modest improvement (mainly in the depth area).
Much like QB, the personal for 1st, 2nd string is the same. While I can see DJ continuing his improvement, I think Saquon is what he is, a damn good RB. Breida is a fine backup and Gray I think is a solid guy to bring into the group.
WR: Projection: Significant improvement, but still a bottom 3rd NFL group.
Added some burners in Campbell and Hyatt. Hopefully, as Hyatt told the Cowboy position coach, he's more than that. Crowder may be an underrated pickup. Hodgins and Slayton were pleasant surprises. I love Robinson but wonder what he is capable of this year after the ACL. I am not optimistic that Shep or Johnson can contribute.
TE: Projection: Major improvement.
NYG took a swing for the fences adding the uber talented Darren Waller. He has been injured but nothing severe. He is as talented as it gets at this position. If he has the success we hope for, it will greatly impact DJ, the run game, spacing for the WRs. It also improves the TE2 spot as Bellinger goes from a subpar TE1 to possibly an above average TE2.
OL: Projection: Modest improvement.
LT Thomas is outstanding.
LG: Ezeudu has plenty of work to do, but I like what he has to work with. Bredeson at the least is a good backup at all 3 interior spots.
C: We can't expect JMS to be a stud right of the bat, but we can anticipate him being an improvement over Feliciano.
RG: None of us like Glowinski. Maybe he hangs on to the job or maybe Bredeson or McKethan steal it. Regardless, this is probably the most troublesome of the 5 OL.
RT: Neal needs to develop, we all know that. But one would hope he is at least an average RT in '23. I was surprised they didn't grab a swing OT in the draft e.g. Ryan Hayes or Asim Richards to knock Matt Peart off the roster.
His optimistic outlook...was very encouraging!
His optimistic outlook...was very encouraging!
He really comes off as a bright, sincere guy. I agree that was an encouraging listen. Also, the youth of this group suggests development is on the way.
If he doesn't develop, even great play from our interior lineman will be undermined. I think and hope he develops.
On the running back front, I think it is possible that they use SB a lot less this year (so it might look like regression) as they spell him more with Gray and as they look to pass more. I think this will be good for SB and give him a chance to get better YPC numbers even as his carries go down.
Lastly, I expect DJ to take a big step forward. Think how DJ looked his first year with Slayton. Hyatt is faster,adjusts to the ball a lot better, and hopefully, doesn't have the drop issues. Plus Waller, other WR improvement, and hopefully better line play. I think he will be a top 5 QB, the best quarterback in NYC, and will have a chance to challenge for the best QB in NY.
Good point; however, I don't believe he'll be used as much as last year. The pickup of Gray should take enough snaps away from Barkley to extend Saquon's career. That is, if he finally gets a contract. The ground game should be interesting this season. I'm excited about seeing Gray get some snaps. Not only is he a herky-jerky juking runner, he's an ace in the hole for DJ as an excellent slot receiver.
An injury to Andrew Thomas would transform it from an average NFL line to... I shudder to think.
An injury to Andrew Thomas would transform it from an average NFL line to... I shudder to think.
Well there's a pessimistic view.
I am hoping for 25-26 pts. Run yardage may dip a bit but more running back carries taking some out of Jones totals. 40-60 yards more in the pass game/game.
78 A. Thomas
Guard
75 J. Ezeudu
Center
61 J.M. Schmitz
Guard
60 M. McKethan
Tackle
73 E. Neal
Interior swing
B. Bredeson
His optimistic outlook...was very encouraging!
Bobby Johnson sounds great but the proof is in the pudding. We need to see improvement from the OL. Thomas was already great before he got here. Glowinski seemed to have a worse year than in the past based on PFF greades. The rest of the OL wasnt very good. This year we will see what kind of coach he is. I expect major improvement or his job should be in jeopardy. He talks a great game now we need to see the results.
His optimistic outlook...was very encouraging!
Tight end looks like the most exciting upgrade. Just having Bellinger a year stronger and healthy for most of the season would have been a huge step up. Waller could be transformational.
As a 5th round pick, it is just as likely that he gets released as him making a significant contribution as a backup. The fact is that 2022 was a wasted development year with the exception of learning the playbook.
Posted this because it seems that every poster mentions him as a real possibility while the underlying facts suggest he will be on the bottom of the roster and you hope he will not see the field for 2023 regular games.