TE
Waller, Moreau, Bowers, Carrier
Grade: Strong
Not much to say here. Waller is one of the best players in the NFL, in his prime. Moreau is finally healthy and should be an excellent #2. Carrier is a ST frontliner and underrated TE. Bowers was the best of the UDFA TE's and has alot to like. We're going to run alot of 12 and 13 personnel this year and should be tough to stop.
WR
Ruggs, Edwards, Renfrow, Jones, Snead
Grade : Questionable
I wanted to lean 'Moderate' here but Ruggs and Edwards were so disappointing last season. And they both were so fragile!! And so much is expected from them this season. Adding Brown as a FA at least added some proven production and increased confidence but his surprise release has injected doubt back into it. Renfrow is still our best WR if numbers mean anything to you - he's Mr. Reliable. Jones hasn't done jackshit since he came here, he's always been a camp star but a season dud even going back to his Bills days. I have zero faith in Jones. Snead is a nice signing but how much is he really going to change things? Ruggs and Edwards have a ton of 'Potential' and we're hearing good things out of camp - but we did last year too. Can they take getting tackled in a live game and not come up hobbling? The slightest ding and their 'Potential' goes way down. Color me skeptical.
Defense
DT
Hankins, McCoy, Jefferson, Thomas, Philon
Grade: Solid
Signing McCoy was a welcome surprise and he looks ready to go. Difference maker when healthy and a leader always. Hankins has been a rock at NT and expect him to do the same this season. Jefferson has been decent in his career but nothing special and his preseason play was uninspiring. Thomas, like Cle, will never play up to his draft slot - and hearing the coaches are unsure how he 'fits' is concerning. Philon has been a nice surprise - he plays violent and disruptive will be a nice rotational piece. The interior should be improved this season and the Defense better for it.
DE
Ngakoue, Crosby, Ferrell, Nassib, Koonce
Grade: Moderate
Yannick is the big ticket FA signing. He's been a reliable pass rusher in his his career having no less than 8 sacks per year. But he only has 10 or more twice in 6 seasons and 12 was his high - nice but not elite by any means. He's on his 4th team in 2 years - there are rumblings he might be a liability against the run. I'm glad he's here but we have to be honest about his past production - and see what he can do here before getting too excited. After him it's the same crew as last year except Koonce replaces Key. And we know how bad it was last year. Cle has suddenly faded into the background and you get a feeling Nassib wouldn't be here if he didn't have such a huge dead cap hit. Koonce has 'Potential' but the TDL breakdown of him in preseason shows he has a LONG way to go. Crosby has taken the leadership role and we know he'll be solid but lets face it, he gets effort sacks - not much quick speed or power sacks. I think we're improved here from last season but it's hard to see how much at this point.
LB
Wright, Littleton, Kwaitkowski, Perryman, Muse, Deablo
Grade: Solid
We really added some help this week. It was looking pretty bad with Morrow and White both going down as well as Kwait not been healthy for several weeks. Adding Wright and Perryman adds stability and confidence that we won't be a liability here. In fact on paper if all these guys play to their potential we might have one of the best LB rooms in the NFL. Littleton was one of the best coverage LB's in the NFL just a year before he came here. Wright is a top 100 player in the NFL, and Perryman had a 80+ PFF grade last year. Kwait is solid when healthy. Muse and Deablo are mainly ST players but are very athletic and can sub-in here or there. Both will learn so much from Wright and Perryman being here. You have to feel alot better about this group than just a week ago. But they need to stay healthy. As always that is a huge factor.
CB
Mullen, Hayward, Arnette, Hobbs, Robertson
Grade: Moderate
We only have 5 CB's right now and that's pretty thin. But all of them should contribute right away. Hayward is a reliable vet with a consistently solid history on the back 9 of his career. Mullen should be entering his prime and has all the tools - but he needs a bounce back year after poor play last season. Arnette has added some bulk and looks fast but we saw all the problems he had last year. Hobbs is the steal of our draft so far and has earned himself a starting role but he's a rookie and you know he'll be targeted alot. Robertson went from cut candidate to swiss army knife. This group potentially is better than Moderate but there are enough question marks here to generate healthy skepticism. They need to prove it on the field and depth is an issue.
S
Moehrig, Abram, Gillespie, Teamer, Leavitt
Grade : Moderate
I want to put 'Questionable' here but Moehrig has looked so good in camp. But he's a rookie and we won't know until we see live action. He will be targeted as all rookies are. Abram is a disappointment until he proves otherwise. After being literally the worst Safety in the NFL it's hard to think he's going to suddenly be good. Gillespie is getting praise from the coaches, he did make some nice plays vs the Niners but he' has a learning curve and limited role. Teamer is a journeyman who put some nice hits on people but he's unknown. Leavitt is strictly a ST player and offers nothing on Defense. This group has alot to prove with 3 new faces and Abram's past poor play. KJ's release is bothersome as he added stability.
ST
Carson, Cole, Sieg
Grade : Solid
Not much to say here. Carson has a good leg and has been accurate. Cole seems to be improving.
Overall Grades
Offense: Solid
Defense : Moderate
ST : Solid
Overall : Moderate
We have an average to above average overall roster with some bright spots and not so bright spots.
We're a .500 team with the hardest schedule in the NFL, a revamped OL, and a completely overhauled Defense.
There is ALOT to prove.
I am confident in we can win anywhere from 7 to 11 games. But not worse than that. I think 9-8 is a very realistic expectation. There is upside if this OL gels and the Defense can play mid-tier. I think we can be an 11-6 wildcard team if the stars align.
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