| FTBL Position comparisons: '07 team to '08 team...

[TerryP]

One of the few guys that isn't a college football "fan," but follows the SEC closely, has brought this subject up often with me over the last few weeks. He's a bookie and often asks me what is happening with Alabama and other teams around the SEC when we run into each other.

His latest line of questioning has been, "position by position, do you think the Alabama team has improved since last year?" It's always followed by "coaching situation aside" which is a bit of a stretch.

So, I thought this morning I would pose the question to you guys and see what the general feelings are for you guys here at RTB.com

+ improved
= same
- worse than last year

QB: + ( coaching, for one. Senior as #2)

RB: + (we have a true between the tackles type of runner in Ingram.)

WR: + (The loss of DJ has to be taken into consideration but that is quickly outweighed with better distribution.)

OL: + (perhaps the best group we've seen in over a decade)

NT/DT: + (at the beginning of last season it was the biggest concern and in a year has elevated itself where it can be arguably in the top 5 in the SEC)

DE: = (still left to be determined. The loss of Gilberry hurts, but both Deadrick and Greenwood looked to have elevated their play)

ILB: + ( loss of Mustin comes to mind, but it's outweighed by the progress Hightower has made along with a few others)

OLB: = (still left to be determined and a lot of it rests on what kind of play we get out of our JACK linebacker. Even a little contribution would put this years group ahead of last years)

CB: + (Kareem, a year older. Even looking at starting Arenas as our other CB the tandem looks better to me. Honestly, I wasn't impressed with Simeon much throughout his career...too many mistakes outweigh the occasional PBU)

S: + (Rashad for one, and if we can get consistent play from our other safety we'll be in a lot better shape than last year)

--------

Heck, even with the number of "washes" on the defense I still feel our defense will be better than last year. Come November when we hit the "meat" of our schedule this could be a very special group!

Most importantly, I don't see a unit that is worse than last year, just a few that are the same today and will likely be a lot better by the time we hit the 4th game of the season.

Thoughts?

 

[Guest]

you know, when you break it down like that it makes a difference. talking heads say wr is a concern, but i, along with most bama fans know thats not right. we will be just fine there. the offensive side of the ball seems pretty good. the defensive side seems to be where most of the questions in my mind come to. i know the db's are going to be solid, i guess my only concern on the team is along the front seven. i just havent thought about the team in this light, just the team as a whole. am i right in thinking the only question would be the front seven?

 

[eshad]

Plus, if they are moving McCollough to the offensive line, you have to think the coaches feel good about the D-line.

 

[TerryP]

you know, when you break it down like that it makes a difference. talking heads say wr is a concern, but i, along with most bama fans know thats not right. we will be just fine there. the offensive side of the ball seems pretty good. the defensive side seems to be where most of the questions in my mind come to. i know the db's are going to be solid, i guess my only concern on the team is along the front seven. i just havent thought about the team in this light, just the team as a whole. am i right in thinking the only question would be the front seven?

I think we have to divide the front seven into their two respective groups; DL and LB's.

This fall we've had Washington slide out and play the DE position. What does that tell me? We are doing well in the middle of our DL. As mentioned, with McCullough moving to the OL it gives reason to say the DE's are ok as well.

Last year, at this time, the biggest concern was the DL. Now, we are easily in the top half of the SEC.

LB's is where there is a question but I feel more at ease about the situation now than I did over the early part of the summer. Our staff has said that Hightower is further along than Rolo was at this time last year. Prince will give us a solid back-up, Reamer playing inside and out will help as well.

Add to that the Saban factor and these guys understanding more of what is expected and some of my fears are calmed.

Looking over the West, I am beginning to see us on the same level playing field as 4 of the teams, higher than two, with the question of LSU being answered by October/November.

Of course, I could be pumping sunshine! :shock:

 

[rammerjammer]

With all the talking heads making reference to loss of WR production......I would like to know what % of passes went to DJ last year. I know Brown had a considerable fall off for his senior season.....but with so many possible WR's this season I honestly don't feel that we will be hurting in this area. Granted DJ was the ace in the hole but that was simply because he made the catches. Granted it could be because so many went his way, but he still managed to go get the ball and was clutch for us many times during his career.

I think if JPW is able to just distribute the ball around and share the love with all of WR's they too will all have the ability to be "clutch" and will cause a lot of trouble for opposing D's simply because they have to wonder who do I double cover?

 

[Guest]

Dang Terry. That's just almost too optimistic to me. :wink: I still have concerns about JPW. I know what is said and written. I like the guy a lot. I just can't get over key mistakes last year. I want to be the most wrong person on this board on JPW though...trust me.

 

[Guest]

QB:= same guy different system....better chance of being better than worse.
RB:= (not sure how the 3rd sting can elevate but your welcome to say so)
WR:-you cant lose your most productive receiver ever and expect a freshman to make up the difference at this point.
OL:+ agreed should be an improved unit
NT/DL:+ couldnt really get any worse
DE:- Loss of Gilberry has to knock this unit down
ILB:=Loss of Mustin...McClain should be improved in year 2
OLB=no change
CB:+ Jackson should be a stud in year 2
S:+ Rashaud improved as well


Again this is preseason so its all really just a guess. FOr example the 2000 OL (ala the pancake posse) was supposed to be a strong point and ended up being terrible.

The WR unit we have today could also turn out to be better than last years unit........you cant say that at this point with the loses from last year though.

 

[BamaGradinTN]

Also, we upgraded at OC. Could be huge.

 

[Guest]

TE + all the guys returning

WR + not as much experience but more talent, attitudes improved so its a big plus

OL + would have been a good unit a year ago, then the suspensions hit, 1st time in a while that we have 5 upperclassmen starters.

QB + it is a big advantage to have a senior quarterback

RB + a several of the same guys, but a bit deeper with Ingram, hopefully the injury/suspension bug will leave us alone this time

DL + losing Gilberry hurts, but upgrades and improved depth will more than offset this.

LB ? lack of experience here, Remak is a great one, talent at the other positions but it will have to translate to on field performance quickly

DB + actually a pretty good unit a year ago, getting better with experience and depth added by newcomers.

PK + Tiffin figures to get better and better

P = Fitzgerald was an enigma last year. I hope he shows some consistency.

Schedule - Clemson better than FSU last year and we have tough road games at Ark, Ga, Tn and LSU

I'll say 9-3 for the year.

Yes, I know I'm wearing crimson colored glasses, but you don't really expect me to take them off at my age, do you?

 

[TerryP]

The only one I had to pause and think about awhile was the OLB. I kept coming back to the loss of Zeke. But, every time I thought about Zeke I immediately went back to the JACK position where we didn't get a lot of "impact" from Saunders last year.

With reports of how improved Fanney has become over the spring/summer camps that balances each other out every time.

Joe, you mentioned kickers and I didn't think about that position when I was going over this.

Agreed on Leigh.

When it comes to PJ I keep coming back to one point. When he first arrived on campus during the last of the Shula era he didn't have any coaching at all. When we pulled in the new staff we then had someone that would work with both our punters and kickers.

It seems odd to have a position that simply wasn't coaches, but we did with both players. It's simply a "faith" thing when it comes to PJ. I do believe he'll be more consistent this year. If the summer scrimmages are any indication, he should.

 

[firestorm]

Interesting post Terry. My thoughts:

QB (+): JPW is more focused in making business decisions and he fits better into new McElwain's offense. He's a senior QB with two years of starting experience. McElroy's emerged as a solid backup as well.

RB (+): Terry Grant is a home-run threat every time he touches the ball, and I think McElwain's gonna take advantage of his speed and elusiveness out of the backfield. Glen Coffee is a solid player, who provides help for the tough yards and as every-down back. Ingram is the workhorse the program has lacked for years.

WR/TE (+): Yes, everybody talks about our losses (highlighted by our most productive receiver ever), but we've got depth with 10 valuable players into the rotation and one of the best bunch of freshmen ever. McCall and Nick Walker are one of the best duos in the conference.

OL (+): Standout O line with at least, two of the best offensive linemen in the game. Yes, 5 upperclassmen starters which builds one of the best OL in all the conference.

NT/DT (+): This is one of the most improved units I've ever seen in years. We didn't have no valuable players out there, but the unit took the hit in one year span.

DE (-): Gilberry departures hurts and IMHO Bobby Greenwood underachieved in the last years since his freshman season. However, true freshman Marcel Dareus could be the force coming out of nowhere.

ILB (+): Second year of Rolando at the Capstone, and he can only get better. We missed Prince Hall throughout the year and he's gonna be a consistent help into the rotation this year. Hightower is just the interior force we'll need with Rolo.

OLB (-): Zeke's inability to play hurts because he was solid and we do not have any experience far away. Although, in Jerrel we trust as a SAM LB. The JACK still is a concern.

CB (+): Second year of Kareem Jackson at the Capstone, and like Rolo, he can only get better. He could be one of the best of the country for years to come. I'm excited about the incoming freshmen as well.

S (+): Rashad is one of the best in the game at his position and I think he's gonna be high in some Draft boards when season ends. true freshman Mark Barron could step in immediately and increase the level of this unit even more...

K/P (+): Leigh Tiffin is one of the most improved players these years and now he's a reliable kicker. As said before, Fitzgerald is an enigma for me too.

RTR,

 

[TerryP]

DE (-): Gilberry departures hurts and IMHO Bobby Greenwood underachieved in the last years since his freshman season. However, true freshman Marcel Dareus could be the force coming out of nowhere.

I can't say Greenwood underachieved considering he battled a back injury all last season.

 

[Guest]

QB:= same guy different system....better chance of being better than worse.
RB:= (not sure how the 3rd sting can elevate but your welcome to say so)
WR:-you cant lose your most productive receiver ever and expect a freshman to make up the difference at this point.
OL:+ agreed should be an improved unit
NT/DL:+ couldnt really get any worse
DE:- Loss of Gilberry has to knock this unit down
ILB:=Loss of Mustin...McClain should be improved in year 2
OLB=no change
CB:+ Jackson should be a stud in year 2
S:+ Rashaud improved as well


Again this is preseason so its all really just a guess. FOr example the 2000 OL (ala the pancake posse) was supposed to be a strong point and ended up being terrible.

The WR unit we have today could also turn out to be better than last years unit........you cant say that at this point with the loses from last year though.

You lost all credibility when you called Rashad Rashaud. I agree with Terry on almost every point he made. I believe we will have a much better team and having JPW as a SR is a huge advantage for us in the SEC.

 

[Guest]

Youre welcome to critique my opinions, Bones.

If you think a 3rd stringer at RB deserves to upgrade the RB position at this point go ahead.
If you think losing 2 starters at WR (including the most productive in the schools history and another contributor in Keith Brown) deserves an upgrade go ahead. :roll:

 

[mckinjc]

Please help me out with this because I would LOVE to be excited about our offensive line. Assuming the starters will be Antoine Caldwell(Beast), Andre Smith (Best Player on the team IMHO), Marlon Davis Mike Johnson, Drew Davis, and Nick Walker at tight end, is this basically the returning starters from last year? I wasn't really impressed with our O-Line last year. If you take away the "1 year of growth, more experience" angle, what has changed to make our O-Line into one of the best in the nation or at the very least much improved? Please tell me where I'm wrong because I want to be pumped about our line.

 

[EuroTide]

good post terry

 

[TerryP]

Please help me out with this because I would LOVE to be excited about our offensive line. Assuming the starters will be Antoine Caldwell(Beast), Andre Smith (Best Player on the team IMHO), Marlon Davis Mike Johnson, Drew Davis, and Nick Walker at tight end, is this basically the returning starters from last year? I wasn't really impressed with our O-Line last year. If you take away the "1 year of growth, more experience" angle, what has changed to make our O-Line into one of the best in the nation or at the very least much improved? Please tell me where I'm wrong because I want to be pumped about our line.

I don't see it as a fair shake to compare the results of last year's OL to the returning group this year. The main reason is that in only 4 of our 12 regular season games we had the same group starting. Andre was the only player to start at the same position in all 12 games last year.

When you have 75% of your games where you are starting a different offensive line I don't think you can find a team in the NCAA that would be able to get a good running game established.

Then, adding to that, the injuries that took their toll in our RB crew. Remember, Grant was already hurt and we were left having Lowe as our backup.

 

[TerryP]

Youre welcome to critique my opinions, Bones.

If you think a 3rd stringer at RB deserves to upgrade the RB position at this point go ahead.
If you think losing 2 starters at WR (including the most productive in the schools history and another contributor in Keith Brown) deserves an upgrade go ahead. :roll:

RB: A true RB that can run between the tackles. I said it in the first post on this thread. That is something we didn't have last year and it was sorely needed. In all aspects of his game (running, pass routes, blocking, etc.) he's done very, very well this fall.

Where you are shooting your theory down that it isn't an upgrade is the guy taking the 3rd RB slot right now has replaced the guy who had that last year. It's easily seen, he's better so how can you not call it an upgrade?

While Hall does hold the records you mentioned he also holds the spot as one of the guys that was detrimental to the team finishing last season. He's admitted that point himself. Having lost that type of attitude (and you can add Brown to this as well especially considering his attitude is what kept him on the bench quite a bit last year) is an upgrade in itself. Quite frankly, DJ should have been kicked off the team and out of school at the end of the 2005 season.

Across the board at our WR position we have the same amount of talent in our starters and a hell of a lot more depth than last year. Again, upgraded position.

Quite frankly, I have to wonder if Brown even should be considered in this conversation considering Grant, McCoy and Walker had more receptions last year than he did.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

QB:= same guy different system....better chance of being better than worse.
RB:= (not sure how the 3rd sting can elevate but your welcome to say so)
WR:-you cant lose your most productive receiver ever and expect a freshman to make up the difference at this point.
OL:+ agreed should be an improved unit
NT/DL:+ couldnt really get any worse
DE:- Loss of Gilberry has to knock this unit downILB:=Loss of Mustin...McClain should be improved in year 2
OLB=no change
CB:+ Jackson should be a stud in year 2
S:+ Rashaud improved as well


Again this is preseason so its all really just a guess. FOr example the 2000 OL (ala the pancake posse) was supposed to be a strong point and ended up being terrible.

The WR unit we have today could also turn out to be better than last years unit........you cant say that at this point with the loses from last year though.

Getting better at the third string rb is called acquiring quality depth which is what usually puts teams over the hump and into championship quality teams. Saban said it early on in his tenure at Alabama that depth was one of the most important aspects of a championship team. Having a quality third string RB that can come in and contribute is invaluable, especially late in games and when the god forsaken injury happens. We should know how important depth is by now.

With regards to WR I think you're over looking the fact that a seasoned JR (Mike McCoy) will be sliding into the roll of DJ Hall, not all on the shoulders of a freshman. We do not have to have the exact production of DJ Hall to succeed. We had it last season and went 7-6. Our quality depth at WR has improved and again, depth is very important.

The DE position will actually benefit from the DL improving. I see in your assessment that you said the DT will be an improvement. Well this will indirectly benefit the DE. Since Washington is now moving to the DE position we've got a legitimate pass rusher. Washington proved last season he can get to the qb and he was doing it from the DT position.

I think overall we've improved as a team. It's hard to look at our team in 2007 and see what we didn't have and then in turn look at what we have in 2008 and say we haven't gotten better.

 

[Guest]

If this was written by a Barn poster about the Barns 3rd stringer...............you guys would be rolling around laughing your asses off at him. :wink: