candyman4881":ia6aki3e said:
Marvin49":ia6aki3e said:
candyman4881":ia6aki3e said:
I have a few:
- 49ers will not make the playoffs - the injury bug has already hit the team and they have not even played their first preseason game yet - the 49ers are 2 injuries away (Gore and Justin Smith) away from being a .500 team
- Ravens will not make the playoffs either
- The Dolphins will not be as good as advertised either
- The Colts will take a few steps back this year due to a tougher schedule - still a playoff contender, but as a wild-card team again
LOL....I was just KNEW someone was going to say 49ers.
1) Dolphins again prove that winning the offseason means nothing and will suck in a big way. WAY to much money spent on marginal players.
2) Rams crash and burn and realize too late that the only reason they had success in the division last year is that all the other teams featured QBs in their rookie year, first year as a starter, or in the Cards case, simply sucked. That divisional record won't look so hot this year after losing the only 2 guys who were worth a damn on that offense.
3) Falcons again fail to reach the big game because Matt Ryan is a choke artist of the first order.
4) Colts fall back a bit because there is no way Andrew Luck can survive another season like his last one.
And I knew that someone would bring up the Rams
. Looks like we agree on the other 3.
My two biggest concerns for the Rams this year is RB and health of the O-Line. IF both pan out, then the Rams could be a playoff team - COULD be. For your "2 guys who were worth a damn on that offense" - were you referring to Amendola, who has been hurt for more games than he has played in the last 3 years, or Steven Jackson, who I still love but who's best days are clearly behind him? I am not counting on much from the rookie WRs (even Austin) as it does take time for a WR to develop in this league, however I do think that the 2 biggest offseason moves for the Rams are Jake Long at LT and Jared Cook at TE. IF Long can stay healthy, he is a Top 5 LT in the NFL, especially playing in the power scheme and not the zone blocking scheme, which he was playing last year in Miami. Jared Cook has potential to be a very dynamic weapon who finally has a decent QB throwing to him. I am cautiously optimistic about the Rams.
You have to admit though that the offseason has not gone well for the 49ers. The injury bug has bit hard already, and we are only 2 1/2 weeks into training camp. The 49ers did have a few big offseason moves. The most underrated move of the offseason for any team that I have not seen discussed by hardly anyone is the signing of Phil Dawson for kicker. I know of 2 games that the 49ers could have potentially won if Akers could have made a field goal. The trade for Boldin is a good one, however which Boldin are you going to get? The regular season Boldin who averaged 61.4 YPG and 4 TDs total OR the postseason Boldin who averaged 95 YPG and 4 TDs total? I think the injury to Crabtree is a very huge loss, especially considering who is after Boldin? Unproven players and two injury prone players in Kyle Williams and Austin Collie? The Niners still have one of if not the best O-Line in football, a very strong running game, and a very stingy defense, however it could unravel very quickly if the front 7 cannot sustain pressure on the QB and if the running game is not what it was.
I was taking about Amendola AND Jackson. While neither had a huge season, they were a big part of the tie. Jackson worried me because the 49ers had trouble last year with bigger, bruising RBs. (See Jackson, Steven, Peterson, Adrian, and Lynch, Marshawn).
As for the offseason for the 49ers, IMO it hasn't been as bad as some make out. Losing Crab hurts. no way around that one. Homefully they'll get him down the stretch. Losing Culliver hurts a bit, but Cully didn't look so hot down the stretch when the Niner pass rush disappeared (when both the Smiths were hurt). Willis will be OK.
As for Boldin, I don't buy into what people say with him...that he's getting old, etc. I think alot of the problems he had in Baltimore came from the OC there. People forget, but that team wasn't going anywhere until they fired the OC and replaced him with Jim Caldwell. Moreover, ALL of Boldins numbers in Baltimore are similar. He had 900+ yards in all three seasons there after several 1000 yard seasons in Arizona.
My point is that I think his production had more to do with playcalling and the system in general than a decline in skills. Do I think he's the exact same guy he was in Arizona? No, but I don't think he's declined as much as people think.
I totally agree on Dawson. Akers just KILLED them last year. He had shots to win both games vs the Rams and missed both times. Kaep was also showing his "rookie" play last year in those games. He made some huge mistakes that cost them the second game.
Here's the thing tho. Its too early to know for sure but I think they hit it out of the park in the draft. I really like Reid. I have never been a Goldson fan. He was a big hitter, but he was poor in coverage. So is Whitner for that matter. I love the picks in particular of Vance McDonald, Tank Carradine, Quinton Patton and Marcus Lattimore.
The draft alone made the offseason fun to watch.
BTW, I won't comment on the 49ers/Rams again just because it's kinda hijacking the thread.
My biggest dissappointment team this year will be the Dolphins. All they got was 100% fools gold in Free Agency...and I thought that LONG before the Hall of Fame game.
