Reasons to be positive for 2013

[Romonater]

Terrance Williams
Gavin Escobar
A little better offensive line
A Healthy running back(if Murray goes down too)
Our new defense

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

With the 31st ranked run game we can't run the ball much worse this year!

 

[Reverend Conehead]

With the 31st ranked run game we can't run the ball much worse this year!

What that 31st stat doesn't show is how much better the running game was after Murray got back. We stunk to high heaven with Murray off the field. We were decent with him on it. I'm excited with the drafting of Randle to help things.

I've always really liked Lance Dunbar. He showed some flashes and has a great attitude. Alas, he struggled with blocking. He can again be a good role player and occasional relief for Murray and Randle.

 

[JBS]

If these are the best reasons for us to be excited about 2013 then this team is in serious trouble

 

[gmoney112]

Terrance Williams
Gavin Escobar
A little better offensive line
A Healthy running back(if Murray goes down too)
Our new defense

The way I see..we haven't lost anyone of significance this offseason. If our team personnel were in a vacuum and the draft was discounted, I'd still say we improved just by the addition of Kiffen and Marinelli.

Our defense, a certified MASH unit at the end of year, can't be any worse than it was for the majority of last season.

Our offensive line certainly can't be worse than it was last season.

Not even factoring in the new additions, we're already a better team than we were last year and we were in it until the last game of the season.

Now if we can get some healthy contributions from our rookies and continue to develop our 2nd year players, as well as a few unexpected surprises here and there (Price? Leary? Matt Johnson?) we should be a much improved team and that's a reason for optimism.

 

[Frozen700]

If these are the best reasons for us to be excited about 2013 then this team is in serious trouble

I mean, we could always panic.

 

[va0702]

Terrance Williams
Gavin Escobar
A little better offensive line
A Healthy running back(if Murray goes down too)
Our new defense

One thing I would add to your list is a healthy team overall. I think that alone would add 1-2 victories on top of last years 8-8 record. If this team can stay fairly healthy this year along with the off season changes, this team can go 10-6 or 11-5.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

One thing I would add to your list is a healthy team overall. I think that alone would add 1-2 victories on top of last years 8-8 record. If this team can stay fairly healthy this year along with the off season changes, this team can go 10-6 or 11-5.

You guys are right that health is going to be a big deal. I do wonder if the team has a problem with its conditioning program. Was there something besides unfortunate coincidence behind our being so snakebit with injuries?

 

[Galian Beast]

What that 31st stat doesn't show is how much better the running game was after Murray got back. We stunk to high heaven with Murray off the field. We were decent with him on it. I'm excited with the drafting of Randle to help things.

I've always really liked Lance Dunbar. He showed some flashes and has a great attitude. Alas, he struggled with blocking. He can again be a good role player and occasional relief for Murray and Randle.

Murray averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

Felix and Dunbar averaged 3.6 yards per carry.

Tanner 2.4 yards per carry.

Those three running backs averaged together 3.43 yards per carry. 3.43 would put us slightly above the 32nd ranked Arizona cardinals.

4.1 puts us generally in the middle of the pack.

The idea is that improving the line

- more experienced with callahan
- healthier than last year
- drafted top center in the draft

and a healthier demarco murray, with a more talented back up with similar features as murray, will give us a more consistent running game.

I still hope we make a move or two in picking up some free agent linemen though.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

One thing I would add to your list is a healthy team overall. I think that alone would add 1-2 victories on top of last years 8-8 record. If this team can stay fairly healthy this year along with the off season changes, this team can go 10-6 or 11-5.

That's called the gambler's fallacy. There's nothing mathematically or scientifically that says we will have any lower chance of having the injuries we had last year again this year.

 

[Idgit]

That's called the gambler's fallacy. There's nothing mathematically or scientifically that says we will have any lower chance of having the injuries we had last year again this year.

Of course you're likely to have fewer injuries following a year when you saw a higher-than-statistically-average number of injuries.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

That's called the gambler's fallacy. There's nothing mathematically or scientifically that says we will have any lower chance of having the injuries we had last year again this year.

That's true if it's a random situation. It's not if there are other variables at play such as a better conditioning program, refs more aggressively calling cheap hits, etc.

 

[Bay10]

Tony and Dez picking up where they left of last year.
A healthy defense.

 

[BIGDen]

One thing I would add to your list is a healthy team overall. I think that alone would add 1-2 victories on top of last years 8-8 record. If this team can stay fairly healthy this year along with the off season changes, this team can go 10-6 or 11-5.

This is certainly reasonable.

 

[Gaede]

Never bank on a healthy team. Injuries happen and will happen again this year.

But, yeah, I am excited about our new defense (can't stand the 3-4, really excited to see Ware and Spencer in a 4-3) and the new players on offense. In particular, Terrence Williams. I have no idea how he fell to the 3rd round and I think he's going to be huge for us this year.

I would say I am excited about our new offense, but with Garrett in charge, I think we'll end up seeing more of the same.

 

[Joe Realist]

Garrett's last year as head coach!

 

[Falcon554]

Garrett's last year as head coach!

And Dez

 

[CF74]

Healthy o-line
Healthy defense
Travis
Williams
Free agent upgrades
11-5 is attainable..

 

[Future]

Tony and Dez picking up where they left of last year.
A healthy defense.

That's the two biggies.

 

[reddyuta]

the most pressing problem last year is our secondary (specifically our safeties)and we have a lot of uncertainty about that group.