(06-23-2021, 10:14 PM)flsprtsgod Wrote: (06-23-2021, 11:51 AM)Bullseye Wrote: I can't speak for the consensus, but my opinion....no. We are far from a playoff team by adding a TE.
We still have to manage to improve the T play. Trevor Lawrence needs experience. The new defense has to come together, starting with stopping the run.
The new guys in the secondary also need experience.
Are we improved? Yes. But from 1-15...not necessarily saying too much.
Should we not try to improve by adding a TE if possible? Sure.
At this point, however, barring a cut, I don't see this team adding anything approaching a stud TE before next offseason.
So do you think the defense as a whole is trash this year like last, or are there parts that are trash and parts that are decent?
Will we play with more leads this year due to TL? If so, will that make the defense any better or less of a liability?
Me too.
I still think they wanted to go 34 last year but the loss of Woods and Gunter prevented that move. Adding RRH, Ward, and big man Malcolm Brown plus the scheme change makes this a better unit overall and I like what they've done there, but it's weird to think that the loss of Alualu might actually be the difference between very good and just good next season. I think the LBs will be a much improved unit with last year's ends playing OLB and Schobert with less ground to cover in the middle. Safety will definitely be better this season while CB most likely will be. Overall I think this unit could be top 18 or so and improvement on both sides of the ball will drive that upward movement.
I agree the intent was to go 3-4 last year, but I'm not yet prepared to say the additions of the DL or the switch to a 3-4 will make this defense perform at a higher level than last year. To me, for the most part, the DLs are largely unknown quantities. I see the DL more as the foundation of implementing the scheme, not so much as an absolute upgrade to dominance over last year's unit. I believe Josh Allen and Chaisson may be able to perform better in the 3-4 than they did last year, but to me, the ILBs are worrisome-Jack in particular-because I'm unsure if they can hold up against opposing guards.
Though it's hard to imagine the defense being any worse than it was last year, I hope we see the improvement you describe.
(06-24-2021, 12:13 PM)Dewboy01 Wrote: (06-22-2021, 04:47 PM)JagFanatic24 Wrote: The point of this conversation was to get the consensus as to why a TE this year is not important. I keep hearing guys say let’s go get Ertz. There’s really no reason.
We are the same team without a TE like Ertz.
We may be the same team in terms of wins and losses, but that's not what I'm looking for this year. Sure, winning more would be nice - but the biggest thing for me this season will be the development of Lawrence and trying to determine if he is in fact going to be a true franchise QB. A quality TE would certainly help Lawrence along in his development and give us a better picture of him as a QB than if we didn't have that quality TE.
I think James O' is an average/good receiving TE, but after that we have 2 blocking TEs and 1 that has never played the position before. I'd prefer to give Lawrence as many receiving options as possible, including a proven quality TE - even if it's a 1 year deal and we find someone else at the position next year. That would help to set our new QB up for success, rather than having to wonder - "well what if he had a good TE to throw to in addition to the WRs and RBs"?
I agree with this generally.
The one caveat I have is I am unsure how much the TE will be featured in the offense-assuming the offense is mostly Meyer's.
Worst to 1st. Curse Reversed!
