Top 3 causes for hand wringing

[Partial]

I don't think they'll be a good team at the beginning of the year. The oline is going to struggle. The end of the year though, oh baby watch out. I think they'll be a top 10 team in the league by december, but that doesn't mean much for the season as a whole.

Ras - the vikes are running zone blocking now too, correct?

[Murphy37]

Oh yeah, the rookie coaching staff. I've been so flared up about the O-line that I forgot we got a bunch of noobies running the show. Now I'm really depressed. Thanks alot.

[Rastak]

I don't think they'll be a good team at the beginning of the year. The oline is going to struggle. The end of the year though, oh baby watch out. I think they'll be a top 10 team in the league by december, but that doesn't mean much for the season as a whole.

Ras - the vikes are running zone blocking now too, correct?

No, they have more drive blockers,,,,they are running a WCO though that will feature a power running game and a more ball control offense then they have run recently.

No zone blocking though.

[Partial]

alright, my bad. Then 4 teams in the league are currently running the gibbs blocking scheme

[LaFours]

1.) Colledge, Coston and Wells have a combined 4 years of professional experience (which equates more closely to a half a season when you actually look at the snaps that Wells has taken...Coston's redshirt is nothing more than a formality).

2.) So far, based on Brett's comments, he has no intentions of merely managing games and letting his defense keep him in it. He'll be firing fastballs from the 1st quarter of the Bears game on.

3.) And the starting running back is...

[Murphy37]

Good to have ya here LaFours.
I'm not as concerned about the RB position. If the O-line sucks, it won't matter who's back there unless he's the second coming of Barry Sanders. If the O-line is decent, any of the main three running backs on our roster will do just fine.

[FavreChild]

1) Injuries
2) Turnovers
3) Tackling

See? I could be a journalist with that amazing insight!

[KYPack]

Re: Top 3 causes for hand wringing

These are the three weaknesses I see going into the season:

1) Offensive line depth. Klemm can fill-in nicely at LT if Clifton goes down. I wonder if they have backups at any other position who are good enough to keep the unit from falling apart.

2) KGB. He is the hole in that D, and the pundits seem to think Montgomery isn't good enough to take a lot of snaps from him.

3) I'm not TOO worried about the WR's, they look OK. But I wonder how they will stand-up to playing a full season, getting scouted every week. Are they a below average unit? Don't know.

Good thread, H.

Yeah, I, too, am paranoid about a number of things:

1. I'm scared of our kicking game. Cundiff may make it. But our punters?

Will the new guy be able to get one off into the wind in the cold weather. Our last 3 games are the Lions, Vikes (in Lambeau) and the Bears on New Years eve. n We need a clutch kick with the December wind bearing down on a rookie? Oh God.

2. The RB's. We've lost depth and some other key guys are still hurt. Will we have the troops to get the job done, I really don't know. I wish with all my might that da Poop & Green make full comebacks. If they don't? look out below. I thought we'd pick up a back or two in the draft.

3. The OG's. There aren't any available vet's and we've got kids and guys that couldn't make it last year. I thought sure we'd get a vet or two to fill in til our good prospects get blooded. I'm also worried about the schemes. A modifed WC AND the Zone? That's more than a rookie can handle. A young guard learning the WCO line calls, running the zone, and learning pro pass protect? that's a load!

[packrulz]

1.) Colledge, Coston and Wells have a combined 4 years of professional experience (which equates more closely to a half a season when you actually look at the snaps that Wells has taken...Coston's redshirt is nothing more than a formality).

2.) So far, based on Brett's comments, he has no intentions of merely managing games and letting his defense keep him in it. He'll be firing fastballs from the 1st quarter of the Bears game on.

3.) And the starting running back is...

I'd like to see Colledge/Coston/Wells all start right from the 1st preseason game, that might be asking too much but I think Taucher started as a rookie. It'll take at least a 1/2 season for them to get the hang of it but the 1st half of the schedule isn't that tough, it's the 2nd half that worries me.

[LaFours]

Good to have ya here LaFours.
I'm not as concerned about the RB position. If the O-line sucks, it won't matter who's back there unless he's the second coming of Barry Sanders. If the O-line is decent, any of the main three running backs on our roster will do just fine.

I agree with you on that. I think the combination of question marks at both OL and RB makes for some significant hand wringing. I guess the zone blocking scheme could lessen the impact of these but only time will tell. I do think that -- if health is on our side -- our RB position stands to be an asset and not a liability, but that whole health factor is a completely different issue in and of itself.

[Harlan Huckleby]

one thing about kgb that i don't know if you guys over here had heard. it was said on another site that he has been hitting the free weights pretty hard and has put on somewhere around 15 pounds

OK, well some cause for hope.

[Deputy Nutz]

The offensive line is going to be a lot better this year barring injury.

Tauscher and Clifton return at the tackles, experience makes them better than they were last year.

Colledge is penciled in at left guard, but he is still better than Whitticker who started at right guard last year. A rookie for a rookie, but Colledge is a much better fit for this offensive line.

Klemm didn't work at offensive guard, but he is a decent back up. Coston is young, and everyone knew that he would need a year to pick up the NFL game. Coston has way more upside than Klemm. Klemm was so bad that he was benched for the last 6 games of the year.

Having Wells or even Spitz at center will offer more consistency than an injured Mike Flanigan, Grey Rugemer, and Scott Wells all rotating in and out. Wells may not be able to make all the reads right away, but who ever is starting there is going to stay, and improve with each game. I think Scott Wells is the answer, he is in his third year, and he should be a custom to the speed of the NFL, and most schemes that NFL defenses run.

Klemm and Whitticker are going to be your back ups at tackle, and Whitticker should be thrilled about making this team.

Spitz is going to be a helpful back up, and hopefully they have him ready to fill in at both guard positions, and center.

I am less concerned about the line this year than I was last year at this time. It does suck to lose Barry for the year, but in reality he was a back up at tackle that just could cowboy up and lose that 50lbs. In time, Whitticker can play as well as Barry.

[Murphy37]

one thing about kgb that i don't know if you guys over here had heard. it was said on another site that he has been hitting the free weights pretty hard and has put on somewhere around 15 pounds

OK, well some cause for hope.

Someone posted that around here not too long ago. I like KGB, and like many, was dissapointed in him last year. He seems to be a stand up guy to have in the locker room, and in life in general, and you cheer for a guy like that to succeed. I hope this years added muscle and new coaching staff maximizes KGB's ability as a pass rusher, and split's time with Montgomery to solidify that position.

[MJZiggy]

I refuse to wring hands until they get some pads on and I get a look at how they're working together. M3's done a lot of stuff I like and I want to see what they can get done.

[BlueBrewer]

Samkon Gado