Quote:Personnel to have a Top 10 defense, likely so. Top 10 defense over all 16 regular season games, pretty unlikely, as is pointed out there is going to need to be time to come together as a group and to acclimate to the huge leap from college to the NFL for so many rookies.


I think a fair evaluation would be to ignore the first eight games, regardless of outcomes and make judgments based on the last eight and that goes for judging Gus as well.

I think five weeks is about right.

 

I remember when Jacksonville and Carolina played their first few games in their histories.

 

Carolina started out 0-5 and allowed 20 points or more in each of their first five games.

 

Then they won 5 out of their next 6 games, allowing 20 points or more once during that stretch.

 

Jacksonville started out 0-4 and then won 3 out of the next 4.

 

I think we should have six new starters on defense this year:

 

Fowler

M. Jackson

Jack

Ramsey

Gipson

 

six if you count Amukumara.

 

Of those players, Fowler already knows the scheme.  It's not like those expansion teams where everyone was learning the scheme at the same time.

Even though there are new starters at each level of the defense, there are guys at each level that knows the scheme and can help teach the new guys.

Furthermore, by most accounts, Jack, Ramsey and Gipson are picking up the scheme quickly.

 

Besides, this group appears far more talented than either expansion team's defense.

 

While there are some formidable QBs the first few weeks of the season, I think the defense will start showing signs of improvement before week 8, given good health.

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