3 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

We should at least give them one full series in the first game before declaring them terrible.

Of preseason you mean, I’m guessing.

5 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I will be disappointed if the running game isn’t better. It is somewhat concerning the dline seems to be so dominant. Maybe that changes when pads go on. I think the passing game will probably be inconsistent throughout at least the first half of the season. My hope is the execution is improving.

We'll see. The running game could be. I think the passing offense is going to be pretty bad though. For one, I think it has a low ceiling. They had one good passing year with Hurts in 2022. Everything outside of that was mediocre or worse. You just aren't going to have elite high flying passing attacks with him as your QB that's not his game. So we're starting with a lower ceiling than some other teams right out of the jump. Then factor in things like guys having to learn a new system in one offseason, a rookie coordinator tasked to do all this, and it's a pretty high ask to expect the offense to be vastly improved from last year.

Trying to think off the top of my head a team in recent memory that had a bad offense and the next season had a great offense without changing the QB or head coach. Doesn't usually happen.

To me this season isn't can the offense be great. It's can they get to an acceptable level where they can hold up their end of the bargain while the defense locks teams down? To me that is the bar they need to reach. If they do that then they can be pretty damn good.

Baseball is so dumb

If the NFL had no salary cap, would Lurie/Howie have an even more stacked roster?

8 minutes ago, NOTW said:

If the NFL had no salary cap, would Lurie/Howie have an even more stacked roster?

They’d basically be the Dodgers

Fired on his day off

17 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Fired on his day off

Theres a name I will never remember.

1 hour ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Of preseason you mean, I’m guessing.

Unless ESP declares them losers of a joint practice.

Graham needed an excuse like Campbell or this

22 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Fired on his day off

Making room for another Graham.

33 minutes ago, NOTW said:

If the NFL had no salary cap, would Lurie/Howie have an even more stacked roster?

Lurie doesn't have the money to dominate an uncapped league. The cap is to their benefit due to Roseman knowing how to navigate it better than all the other teams.

Practicing on asphalt is a choice. But the tush push is dangerous!

1 hour ago, Sack that QB said:

We'll see. The running game could be. I think the passing offense is going to be pretty bad though. For one, I think it has a low ceiling. They had one good passing year with Hurts in 2022. Everything outside of that was mediocre or worse. You just aren't going to have elite high flying passing attacks with him as your QB that's not his game. So we're starting with a lower ceiling than some other teams right out of the jump. Then factor in things like guys having to learn a new system in one offseason, a rookie coordinator tasked to do all this, and it's a pretty high ask to expect the offense to be vastly improved from last year.

Trying to think off the top of my head a team in recent memory that had a bad offense and the next season had a great offense without changing the QB or head coach. Doesn't usually happen.

To me this season isn't can the offense be great. It's can they get to an acceptable level where they can hold up their end of the bargain while the defense locks teams down? To me that is the bar they need to reach. If they do that then they can be pretty damn good.

I can’t see the passing game being worse than last year unless Hurts just craps the bed. If this is a Shanahan/McVay style offense then it’s going to be more qb friendly. The reads are not complex. The hardest part is the footwork. It doesn’t take a great arm. Do I expect miscues? Yes, but I hope the improvement in design makes it easier for them to be efficient. The talent level at receiver is above average vs most teams. The oline should be above average. Hurts just needs to be ok for the team to win.

5 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I can’t see the passing game being worse than last year unless Hurts just craps the bed. If this is a Shanahan/McVay style offense then it’s going to be more qb friendly. The reads are not complex. The hardest part is the footwork. It doesn’t take a great arm. Do I expect miscues? Yes, but I hope the improvement in design makes it easier for them to be efficient. The talent level at receiver is above average vs most teams. The oline should be above average. Hurts just needs to be ok for the team to win.

I have been optimistic that the offense can be good. But it is going to require Mannion/the system, and the run game pulling a ton of the weight. We know Jalen will be ball and chain holding it back from peak effectiveness. I just hope he is not too much for the system to overcome. Which, through the first 4 days of practice (3 with media) it sounds like he is having a very difficult time.

This offense is only QB friendly to QBs with certain skills. Those necessary skills like pre-snap reads, quick decision making, and accuracy happen to be QB skills that Jalen struggles with. Its not a Hurts friendly passing game at all.

1 hour ago, NCiggles said:

I can’t see the passing game being worse than last year unless Hurts just craps the bed. If this is a Shanahan/McVay style offense then it’s going to be more qb friendly. The reads are not complex. The hardest part is the footwork. It doesn’t take a great arm. Do I expect miscues? Yes, but I hope the improvement in design makes it easier for them to be efficient. The talent level at receiver is above average vs most teams. The oline should be above average. Hurts just needs to be ok for the team to win.

I'm curious how the Oline will be without Stout. Would be interesting if it's actually better

1 hour ago, NCiggles said:

I can’t see the passing game being worse than last year unless Hurts just craps the bed. If this is a Shanahan/McVay style offense then it’s going to be more qb friendly. The reads are not complex. The hardest part is the footwork. It doesn’t take a great arm. Do I expect miscues? Yes, but I hope the improvement in design makes it easier for them to be efficient. The talent level at receiver is above average vs most teams. The oline should be above average. Hurts just needs to be ok for the team to win.

It may not be worse but I think it could very well be as bad. Losing AJ Brown is a colossal loss. If Lemon doesn't come out of the gate ready to produce well, this WR group is not going to be very good. Then all of a sudden defenses will double Devonta and things could go south very quickly. We'll see how much this new offense will scheme guys open compared to previous years.

Not trying to join the negative train but I’m still skeptical about Mannion. So many people seem to be caught up in the "at least he’s not Patullo, can’t be any worse” train of thought. I hope I’m wrong but to me this feels a lot like when the Eagles wanted to run a Fangio style defense and went with Sean Desai who worked under him in a limited role but never ran it himself.

6 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

It may not be worse but I think it could very well be as bad. Losing AJ Brown is a colossal loss. If Lemon doesn't come out of the gate ready to produce well, this WR group is not going to be very good. Then all of a sudden defenses will double Devonta and things could go south very quickly. We'll see how much this new offense will scheme guys open compared to previous years.

Will defenses dare us to throw?

4 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Not trying to join the negative train but I’m still skeptical about Mannion. So many people seem to be caught up in the "at least he’s not Patullo, can’t be any worse” train of thought. I hope I’m wrong but to me this feels a lot like when the Eagles wanted to run a Fangio style defense and went with Sean Desai who worked under him in a limited role but never ran it himself.

I'm on that train. I get excited just hearing about how the offense is "different"

9 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Will defenses dare us to throw?

Undoubtedly

2 hours ago, NOTW said:

Practicing on asphalt is a choice. But the tush push is dangerous!

Bills play Jets every year at MetLife, so that asphalt helps prepare for that turf.

My response is in the comments to his post

2 hours ago, HazletonEagle said:

I have been optimistic that the offense can be good. But it is going to require Mannion/the system, and the run game pulling a ton of the weight. We know Jalen will be ball and chain holding it back from peak effectiveness. I just hope he is not too much for the system to overcome. Which, through the first 4 days of practice (3 with media) it sounds like he is having a very difficult time.

This offense is only QB friendly to QBs with certain skills. Those necessary skills like pre-snap reads, quick decision making, and accuracy happen to be QB skills that Jalen struggles with. Its not a Hurts friendly passing game at all.

At this point, Jalen is playing for an extension. I don’t think he will be a ball and chain but it is fair to wonder if he will succeed. At this point, the reluctances attributed to Hurts (middle throws and motion seem to be rooted in Nick, who is also on a bit of a hot seat following the free rein he was afforded with Patullo.

2 hours ago, NOTW said:

It’s a bit funny that with one OL in 7 on 7s, he manages to hit the only center.