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Is it just me, or is generating a pass rush perhaps the most important goal for the defense this spring? I really thought going into this season that we'd be able to get a lot more pressure on opposing QBs -- from the DEs, LBs, even an occasional safety blitz -- but QBs had altogether too much time to throw. I like the guys we have, and I'm not saying they should be replaced. I guess it popped back in my head because I haven't seen any DEs mentioned among possible recruits.
Thoughts?

I would have to agree with you. Start planting the QB a few times, and suddenly those passes into the secondary have a fraction of their previous accuracy, meaning more incompletions and more picks! I sure would like to see a defensive end or two coming in. Melvin's going be a senior next year, and we're not deep enough at the position.

While I remain extremely worried about our offense for next year, the defense does excite me. I see us better at just about every position. The D-line will still not have the depth that is needed, but will have solid experience. The linebackers will carry us with the experience of the veterans mixing with the speed and athleticism of the redshirt freshmen. The DB's should be servicable with some decent freshmen and that guy from Air Force. If we can get any pash rush at all, it will make the DB's 10 times better.

I disagree. I am very concerned about the defense.

Still no playmakers yet at DE. Rogers and Delay need to step up and win jobs for me to get excited about those positions.

DT should improve with experience.

LB - what experience? I am really excited about the talent there, but we will probably have Carrington in the middle with a couple of games under his belt and frosh on the outsides. The talent is there, but inexperience is a concern.

DBs are also a big concern. We lose the two who performed best last year to graduation. A lot of talent in the youth, but it is inexperienced and unproven. The AF guy is supposed to be good, but who knows how he will turn out. Our secondary was a weakness this year, and I think it will be again next year due to the youth.

Saftey should be a strong point, though.

Overall, I think the defense might take a step back next year, unless youth wins jobs at the DE and some players really step up at corner.

I don't think any starter should consider his job safe after 0-12. We are going to have so many young great athletes (albeit inexperienced) competing for jobs that its really going to be a little exciting. Still looking 2-3 years down the line but next year we will begin to see the potential we got. I believe the uptick in talent will be quite noticeable quite early-but they will make mistakes.

Agreed, and I didn't mean to imply that the young LBs are worse or CBs are worse. They are all skilled. But with youth comes mistakes, and that is why as a whole I think the D might take a step back next year.

Originally posted by Stallion:
I don't think any starter should consider his job safe after 0-12. We are going to have so many young great athletes (albeit inexperienced) competing for jobs that its really going to be a little exciting. Still looking 2-3 years down the line but next year we will begin to see the potential we got. I believe the uptick in talent will be quite noticeable quite early-but they will make mistakes.

That's true, they will make mistakes. But they'll be foregivable mistakes, made as they learn on the job. More importantly, those freshman LBs also will make plays the likes of which we haven't seen as a group around here in a loooooooong time.

Well, even though the corners we had last year were experienced, I can't possibly see that position getting any worse.

You will seee the most improvement at LB IMO. These new young guys are FAST.

Let's not forget the secondary. We've got a lot of guys back there and more coming in to compete at the corners. Harper looked good the last couple of games, but we need improved safety play, too. I keep wondering whether Fitzgerald might get a look at safety, especially with the stable of running backs next year.

I am not worried about saftey. Rico Harris was much improved last year, and with Sturdivant, Harper, and Nnabuife back, I think it is a solid group.

Having a bunch of young corners out there, however, worries me. Especially against spread offenses that force us to play nickel and dime packages.

Right now at corner we have:

Humphrey, Jr, has played a lot, but hasn't stood out.

Barnett, So, new to the position, not much playing time.

Akinyemi, Jr transfer. Really an unknown quantity.

And then a bunch of unknowns with little to no playing experience: McGee, Gilmore, Moss, Turner, and Dorsey.

It is a position that may be set for the future, but it really worries me for next year.

We need D linemen. No secondary is good without a pass rush. Fast LB's can help with that with blitzes but the D line is our weakness right now. Pressure makes a lot of mistakes in the secondary and inexperience sins by the LB's go away.

Man-I think our safeties have been absolutely attrocious for the last two years. I'd like to start completely over with an entirely new group.

Originally posted by Stallion:
Man-I think our safeties have been absolutely attrocious for the last two years. I'd like to start completely over with an entirely new group.

Are you including Joe Sturdivant in that statement? Seems to me that as a true freshman, he did a pretty good job when he was in there.

<small>[ 12-17-2003, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: PK ]</small>

Also Rico Harris was pretty solid pre-injury and Harper stepped it up at the end of the year.