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Comparing Rosters By Position

Genghis Cane

Genghis Cane

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Let’s OBJECTIVELY evaluate and discuss each position to determine if we expect improvement, regression, or similar production out of these groups heading into next year.

QB — Similar production. I want to say we will see some improvement here, but Beck gave us a tremendous year. Big shoes to fill for Mensah. We know, for sure, that he possesses all the physical tools. Hoping for the best.

RB — Similar production. Sounds like we’re returning everyone.

WR — Improvement. Toney and Moore are a year older. Losing Daniels and Marion sucks, but I like the guys we’re bringing in to replace them, especially if we land the Duke player.

TE — Similar production. Most of the room returns, and it doesn’t seem like we’re adding anyone else. Not sure I’m thrilled with that decision.

OL — Regression. We lost three NFL players, with one of them being a 1st rounder. There will be a ton of growing pains here, but I trust Mario. He’s earned it.

DL — Regression. But that’s not telling the whole story. Losing Bain and Mesi sucks, but I love who we brought in, and I have a lot of faith in what we still have in that room: Lightfoot, Blount, Lowe, etc. It’s unrealistic to assume we will still have the #1 DL in America, but I’d be surprised if we weren’t in the top 5. Moten might be the best DT in the country. Scott and Wilson are animals. Going to be another fun year.

LB — Similar Production? This room is a huge question mark for me. I have no idea what to expect. Losing Wes isn’t fun, but we do bring Toure back. Apparently, the staff likes the depth pieces in the room. Guess we’ll see.

Corners — Improvement. Another year of development for OJ, Lucas, Brown, and O’Connor. Should be one of the most talented corner rooms in the country.

Nickel — Regression. Impossible to replace Scott. Tough shoes to fill.

Safety — Similar Production. Losing Thomas isn’t ideal. But I like Thornton from Boston College. Fitzgerald and Poyser are awesome as well.

Thoughts?
 
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Fair on most points. I’m cautiously optimistic about the WR’s though Marion and Daniels gave us great production.

Oline and DE are the obvious big concerns, and they are so important.

We also need at least as good or better production on special teams.
 
AtlAtty said:
Fair on most points. I’m cautiously optimistic about the WR’s though Marion and Daniels gave us great production.

Oline and DE are the obvious big concerns, and they are so important.

We also need at least as good or better production on special teams.
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Probably should have evaluated the DE and DT rooms separately.

DE will be a regression. DT I expect improvement.
 
my thing is we don't know what's what ... some of the guys didn't become what they were until they got opportunity ... the only guy we had a good idea about was bain, even messi had question marks ... so who's to say someone else won't make a huge jump given the opportunity ... unlike years past, i don't think coaching is the issue
 
Genghis Cane said:
Let’s evaluate and discuss each position to determine if we expect improvement, regression, or similar production out of these groups heading into next year.

QB — Similar production. I want to say we will see some improvement here, but Beck gave us a tremendous year. Big shoes to fill for Mensah. We know, for sure, that he possesses all the physical tools. Hoping for the best.

RB — Similar production. Sounds like we’re returning everyone.

WR — Improvement. Toney and Moore are a year older. Losing Daniels and Marion sucks, but I like the guys we’re bringing in to replace them, especially if we land the Duke player.

TE — Similar production. Most of the room returns, and it doesn’t seem like we’re adding anyone else. Not sure I’m thrilled with that decision.

OL — Regression. We lost three NFL players, with one of them being a 1st rounder. There will be a ton of growing pains here, but I trust Mario. He’s earned it.

DL — Regression. But that’s not telling the whole story. Losing Bain and Mesi sucks, but I love who we brought in and I have a lot of faith in what we still have in that room. It’s unrealistic to assume we will still be the #1 DL in America, but I’d be surprised if we weren’t top 5. Moten might be the best DT in the country. Scott and Wilson are animals. Going to be another fun year.

LB — Similar Production? This room is a huge question mark for me. I have no idea what to expect. Losing Wes isn’t fun, but we do bring Toure back. Apparently, the staff likes the depth pieces in the room. Guess we’ll see.

Corners — Improvement. Another year of development for OJ, Lucas, Brown, and O’Connor. Should be one of the most talented corner rooms in the country.

Nickel — Regression. Impossible to replace Scott. Tough shoes to fill.

Safety — Similar Production. Losing Thomas isn’t ideal. But I like Thornton from Boston College. Fitzgerald and Poyser are awesome as well.

Thoughts?
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QB - Improvement. We maxed out Beck this year, but all three losses ended in misplays by him. Mensah is a different tier as a passer and decision maker, and he’ll have the best WRs he’s ever had. The only thing that could negate this is the OL, but he’s used to moving in and out of the pocket and is tremendous off platform.

WR - Improvement. They’re going to need to scramble more, but with Conner in the mix, this is the most solid corps we’ve had in decades.

RB - Improvement vs regular season. We found out how to run the ball with Fletcher in the playoffs, compared to a lackluster season from YPC and YPG. These were in part due to formation and scheme adjustments, which should be built upon next year. Because the OL will regress.

OL - Regression. No two ways about it, the ceiling of the season is here. Too many studs with too many games played together. We also had absurdly good health luck, across the board at OL.

TE - Can’t regress, so neutral is the play here. I have no idea why we are satisfied with TEU becoming TEWho, but here we are. Lofton is an H Back to me, isn’t an amazing blocker, and no one else shows promise yet.

DL - Regression. I love the new pieces, I love Moten and Scott, but the unit as a whole will take a step back from dominating games. Replacing two of the best ends in my lifetime isn’t possible in one season.

LB - Regression. Our LB recruiting rivals our TE recruiting. Actually, it’s worse. Shameful really, and we at the moment have lost Popo. He’s good, but in this abysmal climate, he’s critical.

Corners - Neutral, simply because they will have to cover for 4 seconds instead of 3. As a group, man I’m excited about them. All of them.

Nickel - Regression from Agent 0 because there is no one like Agent 0. Excited to see why develops here.

Safety - Neutral. My fingers are tired.
 
WR is a big improvement IMO
Moore, Upshaw, Toney, Daniels, Marion, Johnson, JoJo, Chance, Ray Ray, Carr
to
Moore, Upshaw, Toney, Vaughn, Barkate, Jacobs, Wingo, Parris, Spafford, Evans

Returning kids- I assume don't need to be compared.

Transfers
Daniels (4 years) - 148catches, 2434 yards, 21 TD pre Miami
Marion(4 years) - 57catches, 1125yards, 7 TD pre Miami
Johnson(4 years) - 108 catches, 1118 yards, 13 TD pre Miami
313, 4677, 41 TDs combined
78, 1170, 10 per year

Vaughn(2 years) - 83, 1334, 9 TDS - two years to play
Jacobs (2 years-1 shirt) - 47, 789, 5 TDS - two years to play
Barkate (4 years) - 185, 2848, 21 TDs - one year to play
315, 4971, 35 TDs combined
119, 1869, 13 per year

The question:
Jojo, Chance, RayRay, Carr vs Wingo, Parris, Spafford, Evans -
18 catches ,248 yards, 1 TD
I'll give that a push.
 
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On Defense the thing we will miss most about Mesidor and Bain is their strength against the run. I think we will see more rotation than when they were here which could make up for some of that. I think we may be more effective in straight pass rush situations. On offense i expect the pass game to improve , specifically the deep balls. They were there all year, Beck was not very good at it and I think it had alot to do with his surgery. The run game may also benefit from teams trying to defend the deep ball.

All contingent on Mensah being our QB.

As for the OL, you cant expect anything but a step back. You are losing atleast 3 draftable players, atleast 1 a sure fire 1st round Tackle. A 4 year starter at Guard and Megatron at LT. I think the chemistry is what gonna take some time much more than just talent.

How far back we step is the question.

Either way, we winning the ACC.
 
It may take some time but by the end of the season our Offense should be better. It may look more like 2024 but with a stronger running game which is deadly.

Defense should be about the same. The DEs are not going to be as good but the interior should be as good if not better with the Nebraska and O$U portal guys. I trust our D coordinator to get the LBs right. DBs should be better with one more year of experience within the system.

We have better kickers to choose from. That in itself should make our special teams better. Malachi should improve as a returner just with one more offseason of practice and strength & conditioning program.

We should be the favorite to win the ACC and top four seed in the playoffs.
 
Mensah throws a better deep ball than Beck, and Beck was pretty poor tbh at the deep ball?

RB - better, if we stay healthy

OL - step backwards BUT Mensah could disguise this by being more elusive

TE - can’t be worse than non-existent right?

DL - I think small step backwards because young guys step up and flourish

LB - could be a weak point

DB - corners same to better. Safety same to better. Nickel step back
 
Two elite DEs are impossible to replace, but trust JT to coach up talent in the room. Believe DL is loaded with talent, if not stand alone players. See Dl & secondary as strengths.

Biggest question no doubt will be OL. Expect growing pains, but also confident in Mario & his little friend. TE room is a problem as well.

Will also miss leadership & mentality of Cooper, Scott, Thomas, CiCi & Co.
 
Genghis Cane said:
Let’s OBJECTIVELY evaluate and discuss each position to determine if we expect improvement, regression, or similar production out of these groups heading into next year.

QB — Similar production. I want to say we will see some improvement here, but Beck gave us a tremendous year. Big shoes to fill for Mensah. We know, for sure, that he possesses all the physical tools. Hoping for the best.

RB — Similar production. Sounds like we’re returning everyone.

WR — Improvement. Toney and Moore are a year older. Losing Daniels and Marion sucks, but I like the guys we’re bringing in to replace them, especially if we land the Duke player.

TE — Similar production. Most of the room returns, and it doesn’t seem like we’re adding anyone else. Not sure I’m thrilled with that decision.

OL — Regression. We lost three NFL players, with one of them being a 1st rounder. There will be a ton of growing pains here, but I trust Mario. He’s earned it.

DL — Regression. But that’s not telling the whole story. Losing Bain and Mesi sucks, but I love who we brought in, and I have a lot of faith in what we still have in that room: Lightfoot, Blount, Lowe, etc. It’s unrealistic to assume we will still have the #1 DL in America, but I’d be surprised if we weren’t in the top 5. Moten might be the best DT in the country. Scott and Wilson are animals. Going to be another fun year.

LB — Similar Production? This room is a huge question mark for me. I have no idea what to expect. Losing Wes isn’t fun, but we do bring Toure back. Apparently, the staff likes the depth pieces in the room. Guess we’ll see.

Corners — Improvement. Another year of development for OJ, Lucas, Brown, and O’Connor. Should be one of the most talented corner rooms in the country.

Nickel — Regression. Impossible to replace Scott. Tough shoes to fill.

Safety — Similar Production. Losing Thomas isn’t ideal. But I like Thornton from Boston College. Fitzgerald and Poyser are awesome as well.

Thoughts?
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I thought Thornton was a nickel corner replacing Scott?

I hope Fitzgerald can be nearly as physical as J Thomas at safety but at least Fitzgerald will be a ball hawk back there catching everything.

It will be tough to be better in 2026 compared to 2025 but we may surprise at certain positions. I think our lines are key on both sides. I hope we can make another run assuming Mensah and the offense is more consistent than Beck and co was this year. I think our WR's will be better and deeper.
 
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Genghis Cane said:
Let’s OBJECTIVELY evaluate and discuss each position to determine if we expect improvement, regression, or similar production out of these groups heading into next year.

QB — Similar production. I want to say we will see some improvement here, but Beck gave us a tremendous year. Big shoes to fill for Mensah. We know, for sure, that he possesses all the physical tools. Hoping for the best.

RB — Similar production. Sounds like we’re returning everyone.

WR — Improvement. Toney and Moore are a year older. Losing Daniels and Marion sucks, but I like the guys we’re bringing in to replace them, especially if we land the Duke player.

TE — Similar production. Most of the room returns, and it doesn’t seem like we’re adding anyone else. Not sure I’m thrilled with that decision.

OL — Regression. We lost three NFL players, with one of them being a 1st rounder. There will be a ton of growing pains here, but I trust Mario. He’s earned it.

DL — Regression. But that’s not telling the whole story. Losing Bain and Mesi sucks, but I love who we brought in, and I have a lot of faith in what we still have in that room: Lightfoot, Blount, Lowe, etc. It’s unrealistic to assume we will still have the #1 DL in America, but I’d be surprised if we weren’t in the top 5. Moten might be the best DT in the country. Scott and Wilson are animals. Going to be another fun year.

LB — Similar Production? This room is a huge question mark for me. I have no idea what to expect. Losing Wes isn’t fun, but we do bring Toure back. Apparently, the staff likes the depth pieces in the room. Guess we’ll see.

Corners — Improvement. Another year of development for OJ, Lucas, Brown, and O’Connor. Should be one of the most talented corner rooms in the country.

Nickel — Regression. Impossible to replace Scott. Tough shoes to fill.

Safety — Similar Production. Losing Thomas isn’t ideal. But I like Thornton from Boston College. Fitzgerald and Poyser are awesome as well.

Thoughts?
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Qb should be improved, if only because Mensah healthy entering spring and I think Nickel/Dereon will be able to get quality reps to determine who is the backup.

RB will be better even with a step back with the OL because the threat of pass/deep ball will force defenses to play honestly all year.

WR are really solid. Hopefully we will take advantage of the depth by running 4 wide and leaving TE on the bench. I think running pistol out of four wide can be HUGELY successful next year.

OL will have their learning curve, and I am curious to see how in-house options handle the C position. For now, I’m giving Mirabel the benefit of the doubt that he knows something that none of us do when it comes to that position.

DL will not regress. We had best 1-2 punch ever last year at DE, but I’m calling it now, we will have more sacks and tfls this year. Part of it is growth and part of it is explosiveness but the majority of the reason is depth. Last year Bain and Mesidor never came off the field. Next year whoever is out there will be fresh. Expect a lot more disruption late into the game and deep into the playoffs.

LB is very dependent on health. If Mo has a full season of health, this unit will exceed expectations, especially since we will play a lot 4-2-5. Excited to see who develops as the other primary LB. Would love to see an expanded role for Wiley as that would show promise for future direction of our LB crew.

DB is dependent on how we fill the nickel spot. Fitz as free safety is exciting and my initial thought is that Poyser will be SS and Omar the nickel, but we will need depth behind them. If that JJ kid comes in ready to ball, that would be huge. CBs are going to be really good. Like best in the country good.

Crazy, but I think we are setup for another great run. Our schedule will allow us to break in some new faces but overall I think our floor is higher than it was this year - Barring injuries, I’d be utterly surprised if we don’t win the ACC.
 
Not buying that OL will be a regression. Cici is a big loss. I'm not sure loosing Anez and Bell is gonna hurt TBH. There's young talented kids that need to rise to the occasion. That OL could very well be dominant again come October.
 
ShadowSpring said:
Not buying that OL will be a regression. Cici is a big loss. I'm not sure loosing Anez and Bell is gonna hurt TBH. There's young talented kids that need to rise to the occasion. That OL could very well be dominant again come October.
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Difficult matching right side with CiCi & Coop, especially with two inexperienced players.
 
IMG_4620.jpeg
 
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