More discipline!!! No more fucking false starts on 3rd and 2...no more holding penalties far away from the play...etc. Mulligan being gone should remedy 90% of that but more heads up play would be a good start.
Biggest concern is that the D is slipping to the middle of the pack. This means that the O has to be better then average (or worse, the pain from last year is still here). If mark figures out that his role is to make those around him better and not get frustrated the jump could be huge.
I think you hit it out of the park on the first reply to the thread. We had a lot go wrong last year and need to be healthy as possible and make less mistakes as much as see a huge talent upgrade. I have one more bringht spot for you. I think Kerley will make a big stride forward this year. He did well as a rookie with a team in turmoil around him, things are only looking up for the young man.
Totally agree with you HOI. I think offensively discipline was our biggest problem and was driven by two major factors. 1) an enormously complicated set of offensive schemes that our players could never execute. Hence a whole bunch of audibles, shifts, zone blocking, etc etc that caused nothing but confusion, lack of position, holding and false start penalties. This should be corrected with a no shit hit some one in the mouth and open a hole approach with Sparano. 2) Horrific holding penalties that killed our drives and put Sanchez in a position to fail. Here is where an improvement is personnel is essential. We need a no shit blocking TE that does not have more holding penalties than TDs, strong blocking from our FB, and a RT that's in sink with the rest of the OL.
We will have the best seconadry in the NFL with four probowlers starting. This under the hope we sign LaRon Landry and Reggie Nelson. Place them with Cro amd Revis and we will be incredible. I also expect us resigning Jim Leonhard for around minimum for depth, mentorship and a safety net. Nelson has had one great year, Landry injuries and Jimmy injuries. Between the three we would be in good shape. Eric Smith is overpaid depth who will be un the team only because he is already getting paid. If he starts this year we are in trouble again.
I'm assuming we're not getting both Nelson and Landry, (and I obviously prefer Nelson if we can only have one). My basis for this analysis is that I don't feel I did anything on St. Patty's day to deserve such a karmic gift. Bet you can't find a flaw in that argument. Anywho, if we were to sign both and we got 4 players out of the secondary in the Pro Bowl....I'm going on the record now as saying I think Kyle Wilson gets the nod before Cro does. To be entirely clear, I do not think it's very likely Kyle Wilson is going to the Pro Bowl next year.
Vlad should be improved in 2012. He is a beast and has loads of upside and I think he will continue to develop. I also expect improvement from wilkerson.
^that is funny. Talking about wishing for something that's never going to happen. We better draft a tackle with our first three picks, or at least sign a free agent. This is one of our biggest needs, along with a safety and pass rusher.
our downfield passing game. it can't possibly be worse than last year. punt returns. that was a nightmare. whoever replaces mulligan. sanchez and his turnovers. holmes. this is just pretty much a list of things that i thought hit rock bottom last year. they have to get better right? except wayne hunter. i didn't include him. he's not getting any better.
No more presnap motion bullshit. I think we will be pleasantly surprised how well our blockers can be blocking in a man scheme.