re: Portal & Roster Tracker (see first 2 posts for updated roster info) - PORTAL CLOSED

Possibly from time to time but not as a strategy as you seemed to be implying.

N/m

Why the hell would you be down voted for that post? We have some posters that would down vote "Merry Christmas" being posted.

Let’s not forget that the QB class this year is down. Next year, he might not even be in the top 5 QB drafted.

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Let’s not forget that the QH class this year is down. Next year, he might not even be in the top 5 QB drafted

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Two deadend franchises at the top of the draft has him spooked. His career was pretty much settled to be a bust from the outset.

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Two deadend franchises at the top of the draft has him spooked. His career was pretty much settled to be a bust from the outset.

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I’m a Raiders fan. I’m probably going to hate myself for having hope, but I have some hope.


Bringing in Mendoza with Jeanty and Bowers is an exciting young core. Maxx Crosby on D and a ton of cap space in a destination city with no state income tax. If we can hire a half decent coach then this thing could finally resemble competency.

Raiders definitely are in a wilderness that they've been in since Thomas Brady sent them to an icy tuck ruled hell.

They're paying the cost of having a television draftnik be their GM in the recent past. If they actually have good draft classes stack for 2 or 3 more years, they may be able to do something but I think it the wrong time for the QB to be there. I actually think they should draft outside of QB this year and just roll with Geno Smith one more year. Build a roster that a new QB can succeed in.

I’m hoping Bama’s DL ends up looking something close to this:
5-tech/4: Thompkins (USC)/ Edrik Hill
3-tech: Terrance Green (UO)/ Beaman
Nose/Shade: Simmons/ Bingley-Jones
Edge: Pierre/ Purchase (UO)
(Justin Hill can play Edge as well)

That is a MUCH better Front-4 compared to last year imo. It also fits their 3-Down (3-4) alignment better than a year ago.

When I say “3-Down”, I don’t mean just 3 DL. It’s a 3-4 Under alignment with a Shade and an Edge defender to the run-strength, and a 3 and 5-tech to the weakside.

It may look like “4-down” watching on TV, but it’s actually an Odd-Front alignment the majority of the time.

Wommack will still mix in a 4-2 alignment depending on formation and D&D, but ever since the Vandy loss a year ago, they have been in a
3-4 Under Front far more often.

The defense was much better against the run this year (Indiana game aside). They were 2nd in the conference in Total Defense (ahead of UGA), and finished Top 10 in scoring D last year (they were #10 this year as well at the end of the regular season and finished 14th after the 3 postseason games were included).

The defense played well enough to win every game they played with the exception of FSU and IU. I would argue they carried the team to 3-4 wins that they otherwise would have lost due to the putrid offensive output.

I think Bama is bringing in bodies that fit what they are doing defensively, and fit much better than many of the under-sized players who have now all transferred.

Simmons and Keenan were the only 300lb DL a year ago, and they rotated at the Nose/Shade. Thompkins from USC is listed at close to 300lbs and will play the 4-tech that Overton/Renaud/Keeley played last year and also slide inside to DT in obvious passing situations. Bingley-Jones is a 330lb Nose who will rotate with Simmons. Then (hopefully) IF they can land Terrance Green from Oregon, (he is listed at 340lbs) would play the 3-tech that James Smith primarily played last year.

All 3 of these positions would be filled by MUCH bigger bodies that fit the scheme better imo.

Bama went from allowing 326ypg two years ago (despite finishing Top10 in scoring defense), and this year they cut that number down to just 296ypg despite playing a more difficult schedule including 3 postseason games.

I’m very optimistic about the defense. The Secondary is as good as any in the country and Pierre is one of the best pass rushers in the country.
Hopefully these bigger bodies up-front will make them tougher against the run.

Also, getting a legitimate Punter is a MASSIVE addition to the defense. It seemed like everytime the offense went 3-and-out (which occurred frequently), the opponent would start near mid-field the majority of the time due to short and returnable punts.

IF they can finish with Terrance Green, a backup Edge (Purchase from UO perhaps) and 1 more LB, I will be very pleased with what the staff did on the defensive side of the ball, and have legitimate reason to believe they can go from being a fringe Top-10 defense to becoming a dominant defense that finishes ahead of OU and #1 in the SEC in both Scoring and Total Defense as opposed to being 2nd or 3rd in the league.

Purchase is already on the campus visiting.