We have at least four foundational players. We just don't know who they are yet. The rookie QB with five starts under his belt? The running back who show flashes of brilliance and flashes of awful? The receiver who was lost as a rookie and now is a coverage nightmare and the best deep threat in the game? A cornerback who's going to be a foundational player for someone? Jack, Ngakoue, Allen, they all have question marks beside them. And who's to say that Robinson and Taylor don't grow into being a top-five tackle tandem in the NFL?

This is a young team in a lot of key areas. That's not an excuse, just a fact for the purposes of this discussion. It's too early to identify the four foundational guys given the roster churn.

---