Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiefnj2
(Post 10757549)
He's destined to fail this year behind a makeshift OL and no upgrade to the receivers.
Swing pass to Charles. Swing pass to DAT. 5 yard pass to Bowe/Avery dropped. Punt.
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I think that the offensive line is going to be better than last years version.
Fisher really started to play well the last quarter of the season and Stephenson was solid. Getting both of those guys into the mindset of "this is going to be your position (LT & RT respectively) for the rest of the time you are with the team" is going to help a ton. Both are incredibly athletic for their size and both possess very good footwork and hands. I think that they are a very good tackle tandem with the potential to be great.
Allen and Hudson were essentially rookies last year in a new system. Allen has a very good work ethic, is smart and has a good skill set. I really think he turns the corner this season and lives up to his billing and high draft pick. (Most drafturbators considered him as a top three guard in his draft class)
Hudson was very solid for a majority of the year (graded out as our best offensive lineman numerous times if I remember correctly) and will only continue to get better. He should be pretty comfortable now at the center position and I look for him to start owning guys in the same manner he did in college where he was best offensive guard I've seen since Will Shields.
The real question mark is ROG, but we've basically replaced Schwartz with his twin in Linkenbach. Size, playing style, etc. are all virtually similar. Between he, Kush, Johnson or Fulton, whoever beats out who - all the better. And having a "new" guy play between Hudson and Stephenson is probably the best of a worst situation in terms of having a new guy on the line.
The real good news as far as offense goes is that, hopefully, to start the season, we'll have a healthy Fasano, Kelce to go along with a further developed McGrath. Early in the season, when Fasano was in games, Smith was a different quarterback - more confident, quicker, etc. As the season progressed, Smith started to build a rapport with McGrath, who was essentially a rookie who only played a single season in his entire college career at a college that had less people than most normal high schools. By the end of the season, McGrath was getting open and turning upfield against seasoned NFL LBs and Safeties. The guy does have a pretty good ceiling and showed it last year, along with some major grit and determination. Kelce, if healthy, gives us the TE we've clamored for since Gonzalez was traded to the Falcons. And the tight end plays an important role in Reid's West Coast system.
The one thing that they did not address was the WR position. Bowe was horrible. Avery was horrible. McCluster was solid, but he's gone and his numbers are going to be replaced by a rookie (DAT or Albert Wilson) or a Canadian league hero Weston Dressler, or the emergence of either Junior Hemingway or AJ Jenkins.
(Personally, I think that the Dressler, Wilson, DAT battle for McCluster's vacated slot receiver spot is going to be the most interesting battle of the summer. Wilson was an absolute steal in FA and has good hands, legit sub-4.40 speed, is built like a tank and excels on special teams. Dressler just plays football. Well. Three time All-State in HS, set 19 records in college, CFL rookie of the year and 4x CFL All-Star. And DAT is a human highlight film. Should be a fun battle and one of these guys will get Dex's spot and another might even take Jenkin's roster spot too.)
However you slice it, it's a pretty poor receiving group from an initial look with a lot of questions that remain unanswered. Bowe, as it currently stands, is the most overrated and overpaid receiver in the NFL. Avery would be the fourth guy at best on most teams in the NFL. Hemingway still remains a question mark as does Jenkins. And Dorsey did nothing to address the position in a draft that was considered the best WR draft since 1996.