(07-06-2023, 10:25 AM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(07-06-2023, 10:13 AM)Caldrac Wrote: For me, it's the following:

1. Edge rush in general. Want to see how well that unit operates, veteran and newcomers across the board. My concerns in the secondary will dim if these guys shine bright.

2. Tank Bigsby, Brenton Strange & Derek Parrish in the backfield. Seems like a push was made in the off season to get a little bit more physical and stronger from out of the backfield to play more "complimentary" football that Doug Pederson was coining a lot last year.

3. The Ridley effect. Him being the clear, cut X receiver out there has a staggering effect in a positive way on Kirk and Jones. I want to see this.

4. The entire offensive line unit really. Little, Harrison, Bartch at LG, Fortner in year two, Scherff getting up there in the age. This is a vital unit to this team's success. If they cannot protect Lawrence. Our whole season falls apart really.

5. The nickel slot. Baalke went after three interesting prospects in this draft. Braswell in particular out of Rutger's is more of an outside CB, but, the Antonio Johnson & Hallett selections are interesting due to the slot experience in college along with them being safeties.

Good stuff. 

I totally left pass rush out of my list. But it should be there.
Personally, I tend to think in our situation, the secondary is going to need to help this pass rush more than the pass rush needs to help the secondary, but it's not that important a distinction. They need to feed each other. Chicken or egg debate. 

Travon Walker developing at OLB and from the inside will be a huge factor. 
Who steps up to create interior push and penetration will be a big unanswered question as well. 
Someone needs to collapse the pocket more often than last years' IDL rotation managed. 

I fully expect Josh Allen to have an uptick in consistency.

Yeah. Agreed there above in bold. A lot of ways to look at it whether we're strictly talking front three, four looks or front seven in general. Goes back to your last question regarding Mike Caldwell as a defensive coordinator. It's now his 2nd year, a lot of these guys are coming back from last year with maybe a handful of new faces rotation wise. So, expectations are there as they should be. He needs to coach these younger players into positions of success. We know what we have in Josh Allen, he's in a contract year so I agree, he'll be pushing himself harder to hit paydirt in the backfield. 

I think for me, it'll be fun seeing how he approaches Abdullah. I compared him to Riddick coming out of Louisville because of his size and build. However, he's got some uncanny qualities to his game that some people may have forgot. He can drop back in coverage, something we saw Caldwell doing with Allen and Walker last year from time to time with some hits and misses there. Walker had some interesting plays made in coverage from what I can recall. The interior pass rush has to shine more in 2023. I want to see more out of Fatukasi. I want to see more creativity from Caldwell. Use Oluokon's nose for the football and tackling ability to our advantage and let him knife in from time to time more.

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