I love these kinds of posts, Rock. You do these so well, man.
Two disclaimers. I haven't yet re-watched this game and it is merely the first PS so conclusions are premature, to say the least.
Having said that, I pretty much agree with your points.
Harkey? Could go either way, I think. Higbee needs to get his blocking up to snuff, that's for sure.
Generally speaking, I'm impressed with Wade's D, already. Both scheming and upcoming personnel. Even without AD I had a feeling of confidence about this side of the ball. DL, LB, and CB all seem deeper with quality players than I had expected. Aggressive and constant pressure being applied both upfront and in the secondary. Only pass that really got behind the secondary players was that one TD throw, and that one had to be perfect to succeed. Pretty danged impressive for the first PS, huh? Gonna be some very difficult cuts on this D come Sept.
Gurley's gotta win some of us over. I'm optimistic, but I've gotta see it with my own eyes.
Justin Davis is intriguing if he can learn to hold onto the ball. As a pure runner, he impressed. Malcolm Brown now has officially got some serious competition.
Woods is a lock to make it as a starter, but Dang! A very poor first game, huh? What happened?
Kupp is the steal that I thought he was in the 3rd round. He will be a big part of this O for the next 10 years. Bank it.
Everett flashed nicely. Hope to see him getting more snaps, dammit! He earned that much, at least. I wanna see lots of Higbee and Everett 'cause I think that they're our future. Hemingway should just have to find a way to impress with 4th qtr snaps. Sorry.
Anybody else excited to see Watkins on the field as a Ram? Stupid question. Lol. Well, it starts today. Gonna be a WHOLE different O this year, y'all. Buckle up.
Spruce? Love the kid. Love his flypaper hands and heart. But this is gonna be a tough challenge to make the 53. It really is. Sigh...
I'm now pretty sure that Cooper is in on the 53. He's evolved, he's very, very football smart, and he has genuine ST skills. He's in, barring injury.
I'll say it again. Tavon is looking very much like a man without a starting position anymore. While pulling down $10 million a year, mind you. It kills me to think of Tavon's contract resulting in the release of a better WR. But it not only could, but probably will happen. Gawd!
I'm concerned about Jamon Brown. Others may not be, but I am. He needs to win me over on a consistent basis. Hope he does. But the clock is ticking and Sept 10th is coming on fast. Goff and Gurley need a solid OL from left to right in order to thrive. Make it happen, Kromer!
As to our draft class, let me ask a general question. Is there a single '17 pick that hasn't struck you as a real football player? They probably all won't make the 53 simply because it's an unforgiving numbers game. But I'll say this. They are all football players that at least appear to have a shot. This appears to have been an extremely well researched draft with good scheme fits throughout. How refreshing.
I'll close with these thoughts...
Snead and McVay seem to be working well together like hand in glove.
This draft looks like a strong one despite lacking a 1st rounder.
The Watkins trade strikes me as simply brilliant.
Wade will have his D running like a Swiss watch by Sept. He's off to an amazing start, already. What a hire!
Culture makes a difference. Can't see, feel, touch, or taste it. But it is real and it does make a difference. I love this new culture.
