Originally Posted by DJ's left nut (Post 11578219)

Evidence ain't results, champ.

You're saying that there's more evidence that we won't improve than there is that we will. That's categorically false, just look at the roster. You have one mark in your camp - Hudson's gone.

What additional evidence is there that we won't improve?

Because yes, there's a SHITLOAD that says we will. No, I can't state with certainty that Maclin/Wilson/Conley will be better than Bowe/Avery/Hemingway but I can say that Maclin's production, skills and fit are all much MUCH better for this O than Bowe's. I can say that Wilson was more productive in his limited run than Avery was last season and I can say that Hemingway has largely proven to be trash and that if Conley isn't an improvement on him, Avery will be. That's evidence. Do you disagree with any thing I said there?

Fasano wasn't good last year. He completely stopped blocking and he was O-Lineman slow. Moreover, he started the first half of the season as the #1 TE. Kelce out of the blocks at #1 will make a large difference on it's own. In order to get to 'no improvement' from the TE group, Kelce has to not get better AND the replacements for Fasano have to fail to clear a pretty damn low bar he set last year. The former is pretty damn unlikely, especially given the increase in Kecle's playing time. At worst, I'll cede the latter in the TE position group breaks even. Aight.

The OL - seriously, if you don't see how markedly improved that line's going to be and claim 'no evidence that it will improve', I'm just not sure what to say. It simply completely disregards what a ****ing abortion McGlynn was last season while simultaneously deciding that Rodney Hudson must be Mike Webster. Yeah, losing Hudson's going to hurt, but there's good reason to believe that adding Grubbs will largely off-set that. So now you have to believe that Fisher won't improve, Fulton/Fanaika can't give us any improvement over where Fulton was last year (or even Morse) and that Kush or Morse will be as bad as McGlynn was. Oh yeah, and that no combination of Allen/Stephenson will be better than Harris. You have to look at that OL with the absolute most dour of lenses to believe that to be the case.

As to your 'improvement over nothing' line, the inconsistent logic that is necessary for that to hold tells me you're just trolling at this point. Yes, we got NOTHING from them last year. So ANYTHING from them is an improvement and a massive one at that. So how again do you say they aren't improvements just by playing to the level they are capable of? Because they weren't actually capable of playing AT ALL last season.

You're creating straw men to attempt to salvage a shitty argument. The D doesn't have to be the '85 bears to have shown improvement. DJ and Devito need to be better than nothing. Peters needs to be better than Cooper. Nelson needs to be better than Owens. Gaines and Ford need to be better their 2nd year in the league (THAT NEVER HAPPENS!).

This gets back to your fatalist bullshit. Improvement in the margins is still improvement. If you want to start the season with the expectations that you either build a 14-2 juggernaut or you've wasted your time, more power to you. Sadly, that's not how the NFL works. This is a parity driven league where wins are ALWAYS found in the margins.

The roster is objectively better than the team that played the vast majority of 2014 and by a significant amount. It's a complete loss to me how you can't find evidence of that.

Originally Posted by milkman (Post 11580760)

All your evidence is just hope.

Originally Posted by SNR (Post 11580781)

All my evidence for why I won't wake up tomorrow with a palm tree growing out of my asshole is just hope

Originally Posted by milkman (Post 11580749)

Here's the problem.

I struggle to believe that Kush was left on the bench because the staff sees him as center prospect only.

Okay, I lied, I don't struggle to believe it, I think it's an out and out lie.

I fully expect Kush to suck balls as much at center as McGlynn did at guard.
Add to that the evidence to suggest that Grubbs has begun his downward spiral, and that Allen has sucked, and that we have no idea what to expect Stephenson, or any of the other bodies that we are throwing out there, then there is reason to believe that there is no improvement on the line.

Maclin is a perfect fit for Smith, so that is assuredly an upgrade in this system, with Smith from Bowe.
Beyond Maclin, there are still nothing more than questions at WR.

The defense with DJ and DeVito returning is almost certainly going to improve against the run, and the pass defense will also almost certainly be improved.

But, at the end of the day, the defense wasn't really an issue last year, so the questions on offense are the ones that will have to be resolved to see this team improve.

Originally Posted by Sandy Cheeks (Post 11580731)

You really are a stupid asshole. Perfect for this forum. :doh!:

Originally Posted by beach tribe (Post 11578452)

I know. It's scary. It could be another huge let down, and although, I almost joined the dark side, this off season, something just feels different.
A part of me almost expects the pain, but when I look at the roster objectively, the amount of speed on offense, and loads of talent on defense are just beyond anything I've seen here all at the same time. We have talent at every level. The o-line is really my only concern, and the quick passing game to a plethora of playmakers kind of takes the sting out of that.
Actually, there's one more concern. The Run D. Pray for DJ to be healthy. If Berry pulled a miracle and made it to the field to play in the box later this season, we could be dominant.

Originally Posted by -King- (Post 11578454)

And we get more home games at the end to close it out. I still don't get the complaining.

If it was flipped the other way, you guys would complain about how we don't get enough home games late in the year and that impedes on our ability to "finish strong"

Originally Posted by Sandy Cheeks (Post 11580731)

You really are a stupid asshole. Perfect for this forum. :doh!:

Originally Posted by milkman (Post 11580760)

All your evidence is just hope.

Originally Posted by SNR (Post 11580781)

All my evidence for why I won't wake up tomorrow with a palm tree growing out of my asshole is just hope

Originally Posted by Mosbonian (Post 11580821)

OTP...sometimes taking a LONG break from this place is good.

It took a real serious health issue to right size my time here...and to start to pick what I read and what I just what threads I stay away from.

Now I glide in to read the threads that pique my interest (mostly duncan's takes in the MU threads or the occasional funny threads to give me a break from a painful work day) and then around August I start reading the football threads. (Check that...I read it as much in the weeks leading up to the draft)

It makes the board a little more tolerable...

Originally Posted by milkman (Post 11580727)

Alex Smith did not make plays against that Giant defense, while Eli Manning made 2 huge plays against that 9er defense.

If Smith makes just one or two plays, just converts one meaningful 3rd down play in that game, the 9ers win, and Williams never gets an opportunity to muff that punt.

Originally Posted by loochy (Post 11580845)

Good Lord almighty, some of you guys take this place waaaay too seriously