If our defense would be solid next year, then we [just like this year] would be in every game. Losing Gray, Blanton, and especially Harrison Smith will be a massive blow. Our D-Line should be shockingly good: KLM, Nix, Tuitt, Lynch, Schwenke, Hounshell, [all as already proven commodities], and Springmann, Okwara, Jones, Day as high-octane unproven ones. If further recruiting this year "went South", then even Cwynar could be asked back. We will be loaded.
Linebacker should evolve into a better group. I do not subscribe to the idea of Te'o leaving. Argue away but my line-up still has him in there. Niklas, Shembo, Spond, IWilliams, Fox, Calabreese, should provide the competition for the new blood of Councell, Rabasa, Perkins, Grace, and, I am hoping, Odenigbo. Maybe Kendall Moore will step up as well. Diaco will spend all off season trying to get these pieces correct. The group looks like it can function. It needs to gel. I imagine Niklas and IWilliams at CAT; Te'o and Shembo in the middle [Fox and Calabreese contending]; and Councell and Spond showing speed and smarts at Dog. I'd like to see our "extras" load it up as kick coverers and athletic return blockers as well.
But it all comes down to how fast can Wood, JAtkinson, Hardy, Brown, Shepard, Darby, Prosise, Turner et al fill the corners. Safety will be good, though no one back there will be Harrison Smith.
To me the defensive backfield and getting the linebacking corps settled properly is more significant to our record next season than offense. Assuming we heal the right side of the line, we are pretty much loaded with experience. Big Mike is irreplaceable but I see a lot of flash in TJ, Theo, Robbie, Davaris, a motherload of tight ends that anyone else would kill for, and, I think GAIII goes back there , plus Matthias Farley surprises. This is to say nothing of the elite newbies arriving. My biggest concern on O is finding the second RB. Could be McDaniel, Mahone, GAIII staying there. Rees is a grinder. He gets a little smarter every game---a slow-evolving but upward trending plain vanilla Joe. If other things are solid then we could gain 500 yards all the time, as we have already done.
This team will play well next year if the back of the defense can hold up. Diaco's got a big job.
