C'mon validate your pov with the current shortfall on Defense 8 starters gone. Most notably imo is Ramsey and why I pick him out is because the secondary as a whole lost 4 of the 5 starters and he was the glue that held everything together. Without him you want to bet on Durant, Kendricks, Fuller, Lake, Yeast who will be asked to cover longer than in 2022 because we currently have almost no OLBs and no anchor with Flowd. Interior D is weakened and no Wagner all that defensive firepower currently all on the shoulders of AD which is unrealistic.
Moving to the Offense the OL was way better with Whit and Scaffold back in the day. No Whit and we have struggled, no Edwards just leaves another hole to fill. Robinson is on the trading blocks and no great backups behind Akers or Higby.
Yes the Offense should be better than last year yet not nearly as good as 2017 - 2021 based on a suspect OL. Noteboom hasn't planned out, no Edwards, Center Allen/Shelton are marginal, RG is a camp battle which means it is totally unsettled only the RT is settled.
It's fools gold to assume that our draftees will make a huge difference in 2023. Not to mention how many really ever pan out. All you need to do is review each years full draft rounds in any year excluding the first round and the majority of picks are outright failures with a very small percentage being really good the rest - marginal to poor mostly 2nd/3rd string backups.
I rest my case. Please address our defense and tell me and the rest of the posters going from 8 starters leaving most of those starters were the best at their position excluding AD that alone to me spells disasters.
Held what together? The #19 defense, #21 in pts allowed?
We lost Ramsey. A great CB, with no fear in attacking the run. There may be 5 guys in the NFL as good, all around. So that's 27 teams who've got by without one. But he does get beat, as all CBs do (re: Kendricks). But when Kendricks gets beat, "he sucks". When Ramsey get's beat, "somebody must have missed an assignment".
We lost Floyd. Very good setting the edge. Very good at rushing the QB. But was he worth a $22 mil cap hit? We can replace him with 2 young guys, one who's good at pressure, another good at setting the edge. And I hope they go that way in the draft.
Troy Hill? Come on man.
Rapp? Yeah, if I went by the overwhelming support he got from Ramsnation his 4 years here, I'd say he sucks. If I don't go by that, I'd say he's "average".
Nick Scott. Yeah, legit back end presence. I will miss him. But is he better than Fuller? I'm not so sure.
Gaines? Blue collar under rated DT. Great? No.
A'Shawn? Solid run stuffer. Ramsnation ignores the fact in 3 years he missed 15 games. But Noteboom & Allen we should crucify because of their absences.
Who am I missing? That's only 7
Oh yeah, BWags. Not the guy who came with the rep. Solid? Sometimes. Stellar? No.
So yeah, it's a lot to replace. Impossible to hold to the #19 ranking? I don't think so.
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