The two question marks I have before the Spring Game are as follows:
1.) Do we have enough difference makers/play makers on both sides of the ball? I like the depth overall and the talent of our youngsters, however I'm not sure there's a good mix of experience and talent. Good football teams need 3-4 difference makers on offense and defense. Do we have them this year? I like our RB corps but are any of them true playmakers? Lots of raw talent at WR but 1-2 need to emerge as more than just good. The OL has potential for a couple - Borrayo and Cochran come to mind. Is it enough? Defensively, Drew is/was a difference maker IMO. If he's gone, that's tough to replace. Looney is a potential playmaker. Who else? To be good as a football team, you need unity, toughness and depth of talent. To be great, you need stars. I'm more sanguine about the former than the latter.
2.) Leadership is essential. And it's been an ingredient that has been in short supply during Dykes tenure IMO. The key is finding guys who have the right mix of experience, emotional presence and production on the field. Goff had the on the field cred but was not a natural leader that raised the game of those around him emotionally. Nickerson has the teams respect for his knowledge, motor and discipline but he's not a dynamic playmaker. He's also got a personality similar to Goff - understated and laid back. Again, Drew was a likely candidate to marry a fiery and charismatic personality to on the field production but he's hurt. Looney's laid back and more goofy than intense. Not obvious to me who the 1-2 guys on each side of the ball are that everyone will look to when things go the wrong way.
There's an opportunity for folks to emerge here: In bucket #1, perhaps Stovall, Singleton, Hansen, Borrayo, Cochran and one of the RBs step up. Looney, Westerfield, Saffle, Downs, Psalms, Turner, Rambo, etc on defense. Leadership wise? The new starting QB? Tre Watson has some leadership traits IMO. Borrayo on the OL. Piatt, Allensworth, Wilson on defense?
1.) Do we have enough difference makers/play makers on both sides of the ball? I like the depth overall and the talent of our youngsters, however I'm not sure there's a good mix of experience and talent. Good football teams need 3-4 difference makers on offense and defense. Do we have them this year? I like our RB corps but are any of them true playmakers? Lots of raw talent at WR but 1-2 need to emerge as more than just good. The OL has potential for a couple - Borrayo and Cochran come to mind. Is it enough? Defensively, Drew is/was a difference maker IMO. If he's gone, that's tough to replace. Looney is a potential playmaker. Who else? To be good as a football team, you need unity, toughness and depth of talent. To be great, you need stars. I'm more sanguine about the former than the latter.
2.) Leadership is essential. And it's been an ingredient that has been in short supply during Dykes tenure IMO. The key is finding guys who have the right mix of experience, emotional presence and production on the field. Goff had the on the field cred but was not a natural leader that raised the game of those around him emotionally. Nickerson has the teams respect for his knowledge, motor and discipline but he's not a dynamic playmaker. He's also got a personality similar to Goff - understated and laid back. Again, Drew was a likely candidate to marry a fiery and charismatic personality to on the field production but he's hurt. Looney's laid back and more goofy than intense. Not obvious to me who the 1-2 guys on each side of the ball are that everyone will look to when things go the wrong way.
There's an opportunity for folks to emerge here: In bucket #1, perhaps Stovall, Singleton, Hansen, Borrayo, Cochran and one of the RBs step up. Looney, Westerfield, Saffle, Downs, Psalms, Turner, Rambo, etc on defense. Leadership wise? The new starting QB? Tre Watson has some leadership traits IMO. Borrayo on the OL. Piatt, Allensworth, Wilson on defense?
