With Adams gone, will we finally play some D?

[DefendtheRed]

I've heard all the excuses the past several years for why we can't play any D when it matters. One of the biggest reasons being we score too fast which leaves our D on the field all the time. With Adams gone that may not be the case anymore, so will the D finally step it up this year? I would be willing to accept some lower scoring games if it meant that our defense was stopping some opposing offenses.

 

[clawman1]

:nod:

 

[eaglesfootball]

remains to be seen, but I like that the powers that be have accepted the fact that some changes are needed. I do think we will see some improvement. You had a lot of Frosh playing on the D line last year who got some experience so it should be a solid unit going into 2015. To me the ?'s are at linebacker and Safety. If they plan on using a red shirt on Dehonta Hayes then they should really look for a transfer to come in and help out at Safety.

 

[tomq04]

corner was our issue last year, how is that position going to improve this coming year?

 

[Rjones61]

I don't think corner was our issue last year. I think lack of a solid d-line rush left our secondary exposed.

 

[LDopaPDX]

I'd argue one hand didn't know what the other was doing. It just seemed like one or two groups on the defense would always have a crap game. Our DL played bad pretty much all year except against really poor offenses. It took until the end of the season to move Zylstra to DE to compensate for not having a strongside DE.

Our DBs were a strength, but even they got beat by most of the better offenses we played. Our LBs, thought to be a strength, were 50/50. It just seemed like if we got our DBs playing well, our DL and LBs would have a terrible game. If the LBs had a good game, the DBs and the DL were stank. Our DL was completely useless against every good team we played... see UW, Illinois State, among others.

 

[EWURanger]

corner was our issue last year, how is that position going to improve this coming year?

We had a bunch of CB's go down last year. I think the three guys that got a ton of experience this year (Wadood, Gamboa, Hoffman) will be really good players for us next season and the return of all those guys who were out for injury will really help. I am almost wondering if a couple of those guys don't transition to Safety since there are so many.

 

[LDopaPDX]

corner was our issue last year, how is that position going to improve this coming year?

We had a bunch of CB's go down last year. I think the three guys that got a ton of experience this year (Wadood, Gamboa, Hoffman) will be really good players for us next season and the return of all those guys who were out for injury will really help. I am almost wondering if a couple of those guys don't transition to Safety since there are so many.

My guess-- and it is just a guess-- is that Wadood and Tucker will be penciled in as first team corners. Certainly Gamboa and Hoffman will be in that mix as both improved a lot over the course of last year.

I haven't heard for certain, but I know Evan Day was a shoo-in for a sixth year if he chose to apply for the hardship waiver. Having a true strongside DE will help a bunch. That will leave us with Ebukam and Saugen to play in as the speed rusher.