I will say one thing about the Skins this year. They will be damn scary around the goal line. So many options like Cooley, Fauria, that huge fullback of theirs, Betts, and those quick receivers. Also, with a QB who knows how to get into the end zone. Oh, and Portis. Their TD percentage inside the 10 should be 90%.
San Fran
Strengths: Vernon Davis. This guy will light up the league. Manny Lawson might turn into an sack machine ala Demarcus Ware. Team is filled with rookies that might turn into stars...might. Nolon and Turner might turn into a better coaching tandem.
Weaknesses: Oh lord, everything. Alex Smith could suck again, no secondary. no oline, no WR's and suspect at RB. and they have Trent Dilfer backing up.
Going with Botunkus, 2-14, with first overall, picking up another QB.
Ahh, Peterson. He can be a great player, but theirs questions about his health and if that injury he had will decrease his speed and effectiveness. I think it was a great move to let him go, and bring in young blood like Lawson, it also gives you greater flexibility with his ability to play DE and OLB.
Lloyd I'm not too sure about. He hasnt really done anything.
48 catches 733 yards 15.3 yards per catch 5 TD's
those were lloyds numbers last year and as a part of a god awful team. I dont know if you saw him play much, but he made some of the best catches made the entire season.
A good TE is good, and Vernon Davis could develop into the best TE in the league, but SanFran just has no help.
Originally posted by forumcrew
48 catches 733 yards 15.3 yards per catch 5 TD'sthose were lloyds numbers last year and as a part of a god awful team. I dont know if you saw him play much, but he made some of the best catches made the entire season.
A good TE is good, and Vernon Davis could develop into the best TE in the league, but SanFran just has no help.
It's alright, but nothing to exciting. I think that's the best he has, nothing much else.
I heard on the radio (not sure if accurate) that Davis is already the highest-paid Tight End in the NFL. I'll bet Gonzalez and Gates loved to hear that news.
Next up:
ATLANTA
This is an appropriate team to discuss considering Michael Vick's #2 target just went out with a season-ending knee injury. White and Jenkins will have to replace Finneran, and then they will have to find some guys walking down Peachtree Street to be the other receivers. They protect Shaub from all the trade-mongers of the NFL like he were the lost treasure of Djibouti, so I think they need to get him in games somehow.
I like Mora's approach and I heard on an Atlanta talk show a month ago that they expect to win the division. They are also saying the same thing about the Panthers on the Raleigh radio stations where I live, and I'm sure the Tampa media is preaching the same thing.
Let's focus on their traditional weakness. Atlanta considers their secondary with Hall, Crocker, and Milloy to be among the NFL's elite. Normally I would disagree, but there are a lot of bad secondaries out there! Hometown boy Keith Brooking is a stud.
One last thing: When I was in Atlanta, I read in the papers that one of Mora's top priorities this training camp was getting a decent kicker. Todd Peterson didn't get it done last year in the clutch even though his numbers were good. Tony Yelk is their guy now. I don't know if that's great or abysmal.
Prediction: 8-8
Atlanta. For once, a Decent team.
Strengths: Vick is an good QB, he will win some games by himself, but he will probably get injured atleast once and give up a couple of games also. Schaub though, is a pretty damn good backup to have. Very good d-line with Abraham, Kerney and Coleman. Brooking is a beast while Hall is a damn good good (and the fastest) DB. Dunn is damn good too, but the older he gets and the small body he has, they'res always a chance of him breaking down. Crunpler well provide another great season
Weaknesses: WR sucks or not proven themselves to warrent to being laballed as a strength. Milloy aint what he was and this is the falcons, so anything goes.
Prediction: 9-7
Originally posted by Smasandian
It's alright, but nothing to exciting. I think that's the best he has, nothing much else.
well yea he wasnt an all star but he never had talent around him, no running game, no QB, no one else for the D to cover. and it was only his 3rd year in the league. I just think he has potential and losing anyone young with potential isnt good for that team.
ATLANTA
Vick should keep getting better at the west coast type of offense. The D there just got even better and some of the younger guys are more experienced now. Losing Finneran is big, eventhough hes not really the #2 target there but being like 6-8 is sweet for the endzone. and White wont be relied on. THeir WR's of the future will be. Jenkins already had taken the #1 spot, and ROddy White is the #2 guy there and hes got great speed for a good down field threat. add in the mix of Dunn and TJ and crumpler and of course the legs of Vick and the opposoing D has a lot to worry about.
Defenses have figured Vick out to an extent. He still gets rushing yards and TDs, but I doubt he'll single-handedly take over games anymore...especially in his own division.
Carolina and Tampa will both be better this season, imo. All Gruden has to do is bring the offense along a little more, and the D is still there. And Carolina's a chic pick for the SB by most experts.
That's funny, yesterday I was kind of thinking of starting Thursday off with (yes, this does occupy a big portion of my day 😑 ) -
CAROLINA
Would a legitimate Super Bowl XLI contender please stand up? Finally, this is the only team thus far that has any shot at representing the NFC.
HOWEVER
This team is loaded, but IMHO, they are a team that, if they get 2 significant injuries to starters, could decimate. Yes, even Brad Hoover.
Sure, you could say that about a lot of teams, but I could see them falling apart twice as fast as teams with more maturity. Why? Their starters are all-World, but there is not very much depth outside of whoever loses out the starting RB job. Offensive line is good, but trust me, there ain't sh*t if even one of them goes down.
The loss of Witherspoon has not stirred up much talk, but that guy can play. Jenkins is back and the secondary looks strong. They will not miss Playoffs '02 wonderboy Ricky Manning, who took a step backwards last year.
It seems like they don't have much pressure, but they really have more than any other team in the NFC besides Dallas. Especially with North Carolina fans getting spoiled by the Hurricanes Stanley Cup Championship, they finally know what a winner is - and won't like it when the Panthers' window finally closes in a couple of seasons.
But I'm going to go against the injury odds, and think that they will finally establish a winning tradition against the Saints, who have really b*tch-slapped them at inopportune times in the past few years.
Prediction: 11-5
NFC Championship Loser (again)
Panthers.
Strengths: Great defense with pretty good depth with Diggs and Keith Adams. Good secondary and a great d-line, even if Jenkins is not healthy. Offense is good, but not great. Keyshawn was a good pickup for them, thats if he doesnt complain. Smith is a beast like usual and O-line is good.
Weaknesses: RB. I can seriously see this being a huge problem if they want to get to the superbowl. Foster will get injured and Williams is an rookie, so nonbody knows what to expect.
But all in all, Fox is one of the best coaches in the league, and last year, they did get injured alot and still won, so my
Prediction: 11-5 seems reasonable.
Yeah, I gotta co-sign that. ESPN picked them to win it all, but somehow I can't see it happening. A loss in the NFC title game seems pretty right to me.
But yeah, John Fox is Top 5 in my book as far as coaches go. He turned Carloina around when he got them, and they've been plagued by injuries as much as any team in the league, but they're always competitive.