Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. QB. Kurt Warner is poised and ready for a big year. Having Matt Leinart in the fold should inspire Warner to be extra focused and motivated...Warner knows all too well what it's like to have a talented young high draft pick QB waiting in the wings...and he knows that if he struggles, restless fans will be exhorting the coaches to give Leinart his chance.
What very well could push Leinart into the starting role earlier than planned is Warner's propensity for getting sidelined by injuries. Should Warner get hurt early in the season, Denny Green may turn to John Navarre first, deferring to Navarre's three year knowledge of the system.
However, this team needs to avoid the 1-4, 2-5 starts that have plagued the team throughout the majority of the last two decades...and Green must know that if the team loses once again this year, his tenure as head coach within the organnization may come to a premature and unsavory end.
The reality is that under virtually all circumstances the team will have a better chance to win with Leinart at the reins and not Navarre. Hopefully, Leinart will clearly outplay Navarre in the pre-season and wrest the #2 job away from him right from the get-go. Green will lose credibility with the players if Leinart clearly outplays Navarre and Green tabs Navarre as the #2 anyway.
Prediction: I think Leinart will start the majority of the games this year. The hope is that he will transition into the role the way Ben Roethlisberger did his rookie year with the Steelers. I believe that with the talent at the skill positions that Leinart has to work with...and with his exemplary intelligence and instincts, that he will breathe new life into this offense...and the fans.
OL: Steve Loney first has to fire up the two veterans on the unit, starting tackles Leonard Davis and Oliver Ross. If either or both Davis and Ross falter, Loney doesn't have much depth at tackle to work with. It would make sense to give Reggie Wells a good, long look there. Hopefully that is already in the plans. Fred Wakefield may respond well to Loney's coaching. Could he be a solid starter if called upon? He has the desire and the right attitude. His progress will be interesting to watch.
Loney will need to excelerate the progress of the youngsters he has on the interior. Can he make a decent run blocker out of Reggie Wells? Is the bigger, stronger Deuce Lutui better suited to start ahead of Wells if the team is truly committed to running the football? Milford Brown's strength is run blocking. He seems to be a lock at RG...although Elton Brown flashed respectable talent at RG as a rookie. Will Milford Brown struggle in pass protection? Loney's coaching should make the difference there.
At center, Loney has two third-year players battling it out for the starting job. Nick Leckey lacks ideal size but plays with above average smarts and technique. Alex Stepanovich is more physically stout, but has been injury prone and was not as effective in giving the line a sense of continuity the way Leckey was. There's been talk of moving Reggie Wells to center. If so...and if Wells can gain a command of the center calls and responsibilities, he may find his niche there.
Prediction: I believe that eventually the starting line this year will be LT-Davis; LG-Lutui; C-Leckey; RG-Milford Brown; RT-Wells. Wells' athleticism and agility will win out if Ross continues to struggle in pass protection. And if Leinart plays as much as I think he will, protecting his backside will become a priority. It wouldn't be a total surprise to see Deuce Lutui tried at RT, seeing as Lutui did a fine job protecting Leinart's backside in 2004. While scouts say that Lutui doesn't have the feet to play RT, his combative and competitive nature may very well overcome whatever limitations he might have.
LB: Karlos Dansby is set at SLB, regardless of rumors that he's being tried at MLB. The key to this unit is the health and productivity of Gerald Hayes. If Hayes responds well and takes over at MLB, look for James Darling to slide over and start at WLB. Darling is too active and productive to be overlooked. Regardless, Clancy Pedergast will likely make full use of his talent there by shuffling Orlando Huff, Daryl Blackstock, Mark Brown and Brandon Johnson into roles suited for their respective talents.
Prediction: Pendergast will shuffle the deck from week to week until the cream rises to the top. Dansby and Darling will get most of the snaps...and watch for Daryl Blackstock to make a strong move this year at WLB, especially as an edge rusher.
FS: Incumbent starter Robert Griffith is the weakest link on the defense...and it is very hard to hide a free safety, as teams will pick on him ad nauseum. Griffith still defends the run respectably, but he has cement shoes in coverage...and lacks the instincts, reading ability and range to be effective in coverage. Pendergast will have to take a good look at some of his faster, more athletic DBs to better fit the bill. Newcomer Jack Brewer should have the best opportunity to become the starter...but he lacks experience and isn't exactly a blazer. Eric Green has the wheels and vision to be an intriguing option as the team's centerfielder, although forcing the run hasn't typically been one of his strengths. The two rookies who could make a splash at FS are Darrell Hunter and Jay McCareins. Hunter's 4.3 speed is attractive...but scouts question his mental and physical toughness. McCareins was a savvy and super opportunistic player in the Ivy League. Can he transition well making the leap into the NFL? Having a brother in the league may already be helping McCareins' prospects.
Prediction: The starting FS may not even be on the roster right now. With the team's reluctance to make trades, they will likely be combing the waiver wires bewteen now and the end of training camp.
What very well could push Leinart into the starting role earlier than planned is Warner's propensity for getting sidelined by injuries. Should Warner get hurt early in the season, Denny Green may turn to John Navarre first, deferring to Navarre's three year knowledge of the system.
However, this team needs to avoid the 1-4, 2-5 starts that have plagued the team throughout the majority of the last two decades...and Green must know that if the team loses once again this year, his tenure as head coach within the organnization may come to a premature and unsavory end.
The reality is that under virtually all circumstances the team will have a better chance to win with Leinart at the reins and not Navarre. Hopefully, Leinart will clearly outplay Navarre in the pre-season and wrest the #2 job away from him right from the get-go. Green will lose credibility with the players if Leinart clearly outplays Navarre and Green tabs Navarre as the #2 anyway.
Prediction: I think Leinart will start the majority of the games this year. The hope is that he will transition into the role the way Ben Roethlisberger did his rookie year with the Steelers. I believe that with the talent at the skill positions that Leinart has to work with...and with his exemplary intelligence and instincts, that he will breathe new life into this offense...and the fans.
OL: Steve Loney first has to fire up the two veterans on the unit, starting tackles Leonard Davis and Oliver Ross. If either or both Davis and Ross falter, Loney doesn't have much depth at tackle to work with. It would make sense to give Reggie Wells a good, long look there. Hopefully that is already in the plans. Fred Wakefield may respond well to Loney's coaching. Could he be a solid starter if called upon? He has the desire and the right attitude. His progress will be interesting to watch.
Loney will need to excelerate the progress of the youngsters he has on the interior. Can he make a decent run blocker out of Reggie Wells? Is the bigger, stronger Deuce Lutui better suited to start ahead of Wells if the team is truly committed to running the football? Milford Brown's strength is run blocking. He seems to be a lock at RG...although Elton Brown flashed respectable talent at RG as a rookie. Will Milford Brown struggle in pass protection? Loney's coaching should make the difference there.
At center, Loney has two third-year players battling it out for the starting job. Nick Leckey lacks ideal size but plays with above average smarts and technique. Alex Stepanovich is more physically stout, but has been injury prone and was not as effective in giving the line a sense of continuity the way Leckey was. There's been talk of moving Reggie Wells to center. If so...and if Wells can gain a command of the center calls and responsibilities, he may find his niche there.
Prediction: I believe that eventually the starting line this year will be LT-Davis; LG-Lutui; C-Leckey; RG-Milford Brown; RT-Wells. Wells' athleticism and agility will win out if Ross continues to struggle in pass protection. And if Leinart plays as much as I think he will, protecting his backside will become a priority. It wouldn't be a total surprise to see Deuce Lutui tried at RT, seeing as Lutui did a fine job protecting Leinart's backside in 2004. While scouts say that Lutui doesn't have the feet to play RT, his combative and competitive nature may very well overcome whatever limitations he might have.
LB: Karlos Dansby is set at SLB, regardless of rumors that he's being tried at MLB. The key to this unit is the health and productivity of Gerald Hayes. If Hayes responds well and takes over at MLB, look for James Darling to slide over and start at WLB. Darling is too active and productive to be overlooked. Regardless, Clancy Pedergast will likely make full use of his talent there by shuffling Orlando Huff, Daryl Blackstock, Mark Brown and Brandon Johnson into roles suited for their respective talents.
Prediction: Pendergast will shuffle the deck from week to week until the cream rises to the top. Dansby and Darling will get most of the snaps...and watch for Daryl Blackstock to make a strong move this year at WLB, especially as an edge rusher.
FS: Incumbent starter Robert Griffith is the weakest link on the defense...and it is very hard to hide a free safety, as teams will pick on him ad nauseum. Griffith still defends the run respectably, but he has cement shoes in coverage...and lacks the instincts, reading ability and range to be effective in coverage. Pendergast will have to take a good look at some of his faster, more athletic DBs to better fit the bill. Newcomer Jack Brewer should have the best opportunity to become the starter...but he lacks experience and isn't exactly a blazer. Eric Green has the wheels and vision to be an intriguing option as the team's centerfielder, although forcing the run hasn't typically been one of his strengths. The two rookies who could make a splash at FS are Darrell Hunter and Jay McCareins. Hunter's 4.3 speed is attractive...but scouts question his mental and physical toughness. McCareins was a savvy and super opportunistic player in the Ivy League. Can he transition well making the leap into the NFL? Having a brother in the league may already be helping McCareins' prospects.
Prediction: The starting FS may not even be on the roster right now. With the team's reluctance to make trades, they will likely be combing the waiver wires bewteen now and the end of training camp.
