IDK. I know the common theme is injuries but IMO, we need an upgrade athletically defensively. And while experience can help teach you how to take angles, the proper way to take on a block, etc... it can't help you run faster. Against explosive teams we seriously struggled and it wasn't just about inexperience. Some if it? Sure.
All of it? No. We just looked slow. Say, 60% of that was from inexperience. That's fair and valid.
But the other 40% of that? That's just not having that natural ability to go from a 20 technique, scrap over the tackle and make a tackle in the D or E gap. That's what made Rose early and Hummel special as he got his moments to shine was their ability to run the width of the field. Because a lot of runs that killed us this year and even to some degree last year have not been right up the middle, but rather off tackle, which is where the LB has to be able to fit and scrape.
And losing Peterson, TO and Singleton - the three best edge setters we had when Dom was at nose guard - puts even more pressure on that. And now add losing two hammers in the run game in Malik and Beau. Again, more pressure there. Which is nothing the coaching staff I'm sure is not already aware of.
But that's why the QB killed us and off-tackle / stretch plays have hurt us recently. We didn't have quite the dominant edge setting like we had earlier, and then we lacked the LB's who can fit and scrape at a super high level. So kind of a perfect storm.
Right now on paper, our edges looked suspect with TO leaving and JR/ Peterson graduating. The kid from UNI looks decent, would have been nice to get the D2 kid to at least add depth, and I know we picked up another edge guy from Tulsa but based on build my guess is he'll be better at rushing than a true edge setter against the rush although maybe time will prove me wrong on that. Maybe Carnell takes a huge step forward next year and we're going to need Ikenna to be massive next fall.
But right now? The front 6 has me a little cautious in terms of expectations for next year. We needed to improve before TO left. Had we had TO, Ike and Orange starting with Carnell / Hawk / new people or Myles ... we'd have still needed to improve but the floor felt higher.
I don't think we're anywhere close to at risk of going 4-8 or 5-7 next year. But until we get a better idea of how the front 6 fits together, I'm think 7 wins is probably my projection. If the DL + LB can take steps to improve back to what has been more the norm (Solid) not looking for elite, knowing the secondary probably takes a slight step backwards ... then maybe we can challenge again. I know his stats maybe don't show it, but losing TO to me was a massive, massive loss. Sure, Carter and Moore have in theory the size/frame, but that's an unknown right now.
