PLAYOFFS OR BUST!

[OZOC01]

Teams are built through the draft...but winning is built in the locker room imo. Even though the safe expectation is to assume that the Colts will be picking in the Top 10 (if not the Top 5) next draft relieves Colts fans from the heartbreak of another double-digit losing season, I'm personally not so inclined to write off the 2012 season before it even starts. It may seem like I'm being overly-optimistic or whatever, but I've followed the NFL for a long time, and the concept of 'worst to first' is not exactly foreign. I'm not saying that the Colts will win the division (there's a fine line between optimism and delusion), but I do not think that it is really as far-fetched as some would like to believe that the Colts can be really competitive and even win several games, at least. If this coaching staff can light a serious fire under this team, especially the defense, this team could surprise. I may be (and to most people out there, likely) wrong, but I CAN live with that, because the rewards of being right in this case is so much sweeter! There are still several key pieces from the 12+ win teams, a coaching staff that is used to winning, and a (soon to be) Colts QB that (if scouting reports are even remotely accurate) is as competitive and hungry to win NOW as any to come out in the last decade or so. Think about it this way: if the Bengals can make the playoffs with a rookie QB, a talented (but still rookie) WR, and a good defense playing in one of the toughest hard-nose division in the NFL, why not the Colts??? It's not like there are world beaters in the AFC South. WHO'S WITH ME?!?!

[21isSuperman]

I'm expecting around 5-6 wins, but I think 7-9 is a possibility. Wins coming against Minny, Jax twice, Browns, Phins, one against the Titans, then one toss up between Buffalo, KC, and the other Titans game

[ruksak]

Settle down, Beavis

[OZOC01]

^^^ A 90's MTV retort... how inspirational

[IndyTrav]

Last yr proved teams with Rookie QBs and new defenses can make it to the playoffs. It's not out if the realm of possibility, but it isn't likely to happen....

[GoColts8818]

This is why Irsay sent out the tweet he did a few days ago about it taking time to rebuild. He's trying to keep everyone's expectations realistic. I would love it if the Colts shocked the world and made the playoffs this year but I think to expect it is being unrealistic.

People throw the Bengals out there as oh they went to the playoffs last year with a rookie QB and rookie WR what they fail to mention is that the rest of the team is pretty much intact from the team that won the AFC North just two years before that, namely their defense which is what really carried them. Also their coaching staff stayed in tact. They weren't startng over like the Colts are. It's different situations.

[HungarianColtsFan]

Thats what I'm talking about in my blog.... I don't think we should put pressure on the team wit claiming "playoffs or bust".

We have new team, we are in the rebuilding phase.... This season gona be a roller coaster, believe me, with astonishing wins and unexpected dismals. Anything may occur between 2 and 9 wins... Most likely I would say, we will have 5-6 wins, and we should be very happy about that, we simply cannot fill up every hole on the roster this season.

Go Colts!!!

[OZOC01]

This is why Irsay sent out the tweet he did a few days ago about it taking time to rebuild. He's trying to keep everyone's expectations realistic. I would love it if the Colts shocked the world and made the playoffs this year but I think to expect it is being unrealistic.

People throw the Bengals out there as oh they went to the playoffs last year with a rookie QB and rookie WR what they fail to mention is that the rest of the team is pretty much intact from the team that won the AFC North just two years before that, namely their defense which is what really carried them. Also their coaching staff stayed in tact. They weren't startng over like the Colts are. It's different situations.

This is true, I guess the 2008 Atlanta Falcons would have been a MUCH better example to articulate my point as they had a rookie QB and rookie coaching staff and (unlike the Colts) their entire franchise was thrown under the bus due to a certain former franchise QB and won 11 games. It's just that there are so many on these message boards that are expecting a 2 - 4 win season that I thought it wouldn't hurt to shake things up a bit from a different perspective. And to be honest, there seems to me (imho) a lot of really tramatized Colts fans on here, and who wouldn't be after last season's fiasco. But never forget about 'Any given Sunday'. I'm sure the new coaching staff will be expecting to win every game (they certainly will not 'settle' for losing for the sake of 'rebuilding'). So why should we Colts fan bury our collective heads in the sand until 2013???

[Captain Americolt]

Lol...

Im expecting 6-7 wins.

[ruksak]

^^^ A 90's MTV retort... how inspirational

Don't be hatin! The 90's were an eclectic pop-culture dumbing down of American pop-culture. Beavis and Butthead taught us to not take ourselves so seriously.

To the OP; the proclamation of "bust" carries some serious weight and presents our club with a wholly unrealistic goal that screams "disappointment".

[theblueplague]

Honestly, I think our ceiling is 10-6 next year. And by ceiling, I mean if the stars and planets and comets align and the celestial gods come to the aid of our beloved Colts, the best we will do is 10-6.

So you don't have too much to look forward to unless your name is Lloyd Christmas:

[OZOC01]

Thats what I'm talking about in my blog.... I don't think we should put pressure on the team wit claiming "playoffs or bust".

We have new team, we are in the rebuilding phase.... This season gona be a roller coaster, believe me, with astonishing wins and unexpected dismals. Anything may occur between 2 and 9 wins... Most likely I would say, we will have 5-6 wins, and we should be very happy about that, we simply cannot fill up every hole on the roster this season.

Go Colts!!!

I did not intend to come off as to say if the Colts do not make the playoffs we should start over again, but maybe my headline WAS sensationalized a bit...LOL! No, if the Colts make the playoffs, it would definately exceed expections! But that's the thing, the popular opinion is the Colts will only win a few games. Some people call that realistic, but to me it's merely "safe" since what's realistic in this case is totally subjective. It would have been "realistic" for the Bengals to win a handful of games last season. It would have been "realistic" for the 2008 Falcons to win a handful of games. The Colts may indeed only win a few games next season, and as long as they improve while doing it, it will prove invaluable in the long run. But the media's sensationalism on the state of the Colts is somewhat overblown. It's been said that the Colts' biggest issue last season was QB play and run defense. The QB issue will be addressed this Thursday and the current head coach has a strong defensive background coming from one of the most consistent defensive team over the last 10+ years. There is much work to be done with what there is to work with, that much is obvious. But I personally will not throw in the white flag on the 2012 season until the Colts are mathmatically out of the playoffs, especially considering the division the Colts are in.

[GoColts8818]

This is true, I guess the 2008 Atlanta Falcons would have been a MUCH better example to articulate my point as they had a rookie QB and rookie coaching staff and (unlike the Colts) their entire franchise was thrown under the bus due to a certain former franchise QB and won 11 games. It's just that there are so many on these message boards that are expecting a 2 - 4 win season that I thought it wouldn't hurt to shake things up a bit from a different perspective. And to be honest, there seems to me (imho) a lot of really tramatized Colts fans on here, and who wouldn't be after last season's fiasco. But never forget about 'Any given Sunday'. I'm sure the new coaching staff will be expecting to win every game (they certainly will not 'settle' for losing for the sake of 'rebuilding'). So why should we Colts fan bury our collective heads in the sand until 2013???

I don't think most of us are burying our heads in the sand. In fact I would say the fact we are still posting here says the exact opisote. I am not hidding the fact I am a Colts fan from anyone. However, just because I am a fan of something doesn't mean I don't hav realistic expectations. It's not realistic to expect this team to make the playoffs next year it's just not. The Falcons didn't blow up their team in 2008. They just added a rookie QB to the mix. They were already in a rebuilding mood from the year before when they had brought in Patrino in just because he quit in the middle of it doesn't mean the work he had started to rebuild the team was undone. So again not the same situation. In the modern NFL there aren't many teams that blow up their whole team and then turn around make the playoffs the next year. Two years into rebuilding sure that's a different story. We saw that with Peyton as a matter of fact in his second year.

As for the any given Sunday. Yes you can beat anyone in the NFL on any given Sunday. However you generally don't get them 8 to 10 times a season. You get them one once or twice a year like when we beat the Texans last year or when we beat the Packers in 1997. That's any given Sunday win and while we won other games during those seasons we only got one major upset.

I don't think we will be 2-14 bad again next season. However, I don't think the playoffs is realistic either. If you look at our schedule there about 8 to maybe 9 games that the Colts CAN win. Just becuase they CAN win them doesn't mean they are going to win them all and probably wont. I think 5 to 6 wins sounds right but again I would love to be wrong and would be thrilled to see them make the playoffs. With that said I don't think it's very likely. However, pulling for it to happen and expecting it to happen are two different things. I am pulling for it to happen however, I don't expect it to. Nothing wrong with pulling for it, if you are expecting it I think you are going to very disapointed and generally speaking when people are disapointed about something they complain about why they didn't get it, that's what I think Irsay is trying to guard against with his tweet last week about how long it took to turn the team around with Manning. He doesn't want people to have unrealistic expectations and then kill the new coach and new QB when they don't reach them in the first season because it was unrealistic to think that they would.

[OZOC01]

Don't be hatin! The 90's were an eclectic pop-culture dumbing down of American pop-culture. Beavis and Butthead taught us to not take ourselves so seriously.

To the OP; the proclamation of "bust" carries some serious weight and presents our club with a wholly unrealistic goal that screams "disappointment".

Ahh, my high school years!!! There is a LOT of uncertainties surrounding how everything will fall into place, and fortunately there's a full off season so the players and coaches can become popularly acquinted. I've always had more confidence in a quick turn around with defensive-mind head coaches than offensive since defenses are (usually) easier to quick fix than an offense. Should be interesting either way.

[oldunclemark]

Teams are built through the draft...but winning is built in the locker room imo. Even though the safe expectation is to assume that the Colts will be picking in the Top 10 (if not the Top 5) next draft relieves Colts fans from the heartbreak of another double-digit losing season, I'm personally not so inclined to write off the 2012 season before it even starts. It may seem like I'm being overly-optimistic or whatever, but I've followed the NFL for a long time, and the concept of 'worst to first' is not exactly foreign. I'm not saying that the Colts will win the division (there's a fine line between optimism and delusion), but I do not think that it is really as far-fetched as some would like to believe that the Colts can be really competitive and even win several games, at least. If this coaching staff can light a serious fire under this team, especially the defense, this team could surprise. I may be (and to most people out there, likely) wrong, but I CAN live with that, because the rewards of being right in this case is so much sweeter! There are still several key pieces from the 12+ win teams, a coaching staff that is used to winning, and a (soon to be) Colts QB that (if scouting reports are even remotely accurate) is as competitive and hungry to win NOW as any to come out in the last decade or so. Think about it this way: if the Bengals can make the playoffs with a rookie QB, a talented (but still rookie) WR, and a good defense playing in one of the toughest hard-nose division in the NFL, why not the Colts??? It's not like there are world beaters in the AFC South. WHO'S WITH ME?!?!

I'm with you man!!!! You gotta go for the playoffs EVERY year...

..and I think the Cubs are gonna rally and make the playoffs, too. Yeah, I said it!!!

..and Romney is a shoe in to be the next pres!!!!

[WSnotch]

Have faith, people.. Like the browns fans.. you guys are babied. wah wah

[Malakai432]

[buccolts]

Honestly, I think our ceiling is 10-6 next year. And by ceiling, I mean if the stars and planets and comets align and the celestial gods come to the aid of our beloved Colts, the best we will do is 10-6.

So you don't have too much to look forward to unless your name is Lloyd Christmas:

Well, they're sayin' this will happen, so it looks good for us.

Though it's supposed to happen on 12/21, so we may not finish the season.

[OZOC01]

I'm with you man!!!! You gotta go for the playoffs EVERY year...

..and I think the Cubs are gonna rally and make the playoffs, too. Yeah, I said it!!!

..and Romney is a shoe in to be the next pres!!!!

...and Iran will stop trying to enrich uranium!!

...and McNabb will get into the Hall of Fame!!!

See, you're getting it!!!

[OZOC01]

I don't think most of us are burying our heads in the sand. In fact I would say the fact we are still posting here says the exact opisote. I am not hidding the fact I am a Colts fan from anyone. However, just because I am a fan of something doesn't mean I don't hav realistic expectations. It's not realistic to expect this team to make the playoffs next year it's just not. The Falcons didn't blow up their team in 2008. They just added a rookie QB to the mix. They were already in a rebuilding mood from the year before when they had brought in Patrino in just because he quit in the middle of it doesn't mean the work he had started to rebuild the team was undone. So again not the same situation. In the modern NFL there aren't many teams that blow up their whole team and then turn around make the playoffs the next year. Two years into rebuilding sure that's a different story. We saw that with Peyton as a matter of fact in his second year.

As for the any given Sunday. Yes you can beat anyone in the NFL on any given Sunday. However you generally don't get them 8 to 10 times a season. You get them one once or twice a year like when we beat the Texans last year or when we beat the Packers in 1997. That's any given Sunday win and while we won other games during those seasons we only got one major upset.

I don't think we will be 2-14 bad again next season. However, I don't think the playoffs is realistic either. If you look at our schedule there about 8 to maybe 9 games that the Colts CAN win. Just becuase they CAN win them doesn't mean they are going to win them all and probably wont. I think 5 to 6 wins sounds right but again I would love to be wrong and would be thrilled to see them make the playoffs. With that said I don't think it's very likely. However, pulling for it to happen and expecting it to happen are two different things. I am pulling for it to happen however, I don't expect it to. Nothing wrong with pulling for it, if you are expecting it I think you are going to very disapointed and generally speaking when people are disapointed about something they complain about why they didn't get it, that's what I think Irsay is trying to guard against with his tweet last week about how long it took to turn the team around with Manning. He doesn't want people to have unrealistic expectations and then kill the new coach and new QB when they don't reach them in the first season because it was unrealistic to think that they would.

The Falcons were in a 'gloom and doom' mindset, just like some of the present Colts fans. The media said they would take years to rebuild, if ever, too, the articles are pretty easy to find. And NO ONE anticipated their rise, either (except maybe delusional fans like me). And a lot of their impact players came the same year as Matt Ryan or later (Turner, Gonzalez, etc), Roddy White being the main exception. The Colts' cupboard is not bare, either. If Wayne was gone, I'd be less optimistic. But you cannot deny that the OL has a lot of potential. Then there's Wayne and Collie (maybe Avery). There's Donald Brown and Carter. On defense there's some young future studs; Nevis, Moala, Angerer, Conner. Then there's Bethea and Zibikowski and some guys named Freeney and Mathis. Never underestimated what a TEAM can accomplish with good coaching and a 'us against the world' mindset. We both want the Colts to win and despite my pro-Colts propaganda I am also in a 'wait and see' mindset. The only difference is I see things a little brighter a little sooner, that all...

[GAColt]

Other "unrealistic" expectations:

1998 Rams 4-12, "unrealistic" to expect them to win the SB in 1999 (especially after losing their starting QB for the season in training camp)

2000 NE Patriots 5-11, "unrealistic" to think they could win the SB in 2001.

In other words, there is no such thing as "unrealistic" in the NFL.

It may not be probable that they make the playoffs, but possible, yes, unrealistic, definitely not.

[Quantum88]

The problem with all of these "the Colts will win ___ games in 2012" is we don't know who our team will have at each position. In another thread, I did my analysis of the current "starting" roster against the one that Manning had on offense in 1998 and this roster as it is currently built comes up way short in comparison with the one Peyton started with. He took that team to a grand total of 3 wins.

While our defense certainly looks better on an individual player basis than it did in 1998, we are instituting a whole new scheme that has player playing in positions they have never played before with assignments they have never had to fulfill. That means we could be much better on defense than we were in Peyton's rookie year, or we could be the same or worse. We just don't know.

For that reason, I am still predicting that we will be doing well to match the record that Peyton put up as a rookie.

[GAColt]

Thats what I'm talking about in my blog.... I don't think we should put pressure on the team wit claiming "playoffs or bust".

I don't agree with you on the pressure. I would bet every player on the team has the expectation to make the playoffs. The word "rebuild" for them is worse than having high expectations. A competitor expects to win and relishes the pressure to do so, and you don't get to the level they are at by not having a highly competitive streak.

[GAColt]

The problem with all of these "the Colts will win ___ games in 2012" is we don't know who our team will have at each position. In another thread, I did my analysis of the current "starting" roster against the one that Manning had on offense in 1998 and this roster as it is currently built comes up way short in comparison with the one Peyton started with. He took that team to a grand total of 3 wins.

While our defense certainly looks better on an individual player basis than it did in 1998, we are instituting a whole new scheme that has player playing in positions they have never played before with assignments they have never had to fulfill. That means we could be much better on defense than we were in Peyton's rookie year, or we could be the same or worse. We just don't know.

For that reason, I am still predicting that we will be doing well to match the record that Peyton put up as a rookie.

I've heard this argument before and I don't agree with it at all. If that roster was so much better, why did they only win 3 games the year before? They had Harbaugh at QB, which he may not have been great, but he was no Curtis Painter either. They had Marvin, who in his 2nd year was not as good as Reggie is now. I would take Collie and Avery over Aaron Bailey and Jerome Pathon. Pollard was still young and not much at that time, Dilger was ok, but not exactly a pro-bowler. Tarik Glenn was coming into his 2nd season and was still no where near what he turned out to be. The defense was awful, ranking 29th out 30 in virtually every meaningful catagory. If your offense stalls on the 30 yd. line, who would you rather have getting you 3 points, Vinaterri or Cary Blanchard?

Other than Marshall, where was all this supposed talent on the 1998 team? There were a couple of young guys like Marvin, Pollard, and Glenn that developed into really good players, but they were not at that level in 1998.

[MR. Blueblood]

I don't know about playoffs, but I do expect the Colts to surprise quite a few teams this year. The Texans switched to a 3-4 with next to no off season, lost Williams for most of it and still had a pretty darn good defense. Hopefully the Colts with a full off season can get the guys on the same page and teach them the different assignments positions etc. Is everything going to be perfect? Absolutely not, but I definitely expect the D to be a much better more solid unit than before. I wouldn't be at all shocked if we were close to .500 this season, give or take a game.

[Raycolts12]

Yo just wondering but how do you make your own topic in the forums?

[Quantum88]

I've heard this argument before and I don't agree with it at all. If that roster was so much better, why did they only win 3 games the year before? They had Harbaugh at QB, which he may not have been great, but he was no Curtis Painter either. They had Marvin, who in his 2nd year was not as good as Reggie is now. I would take Collie and Avery over Aaron Bailey and Jerome Pathon. Pollard was still young and not much at that time, Dilger was ok, but not exactly a pro-bowler. Tarik Glenn was coming into his 2nd season and was still no where near what he turned out to be. The defense was awful, ranking 29th out 30 in virtually every meaningful catagory. If your offense stalls on the 30 yd. line, who would you rather have getting you 3 points, Vinaterri or Cary Blanchard?

Other than Marshall, where was all this supposed talent on the 1998 team? There were a couple of young guys like Marvin, Pollard, and Glenn that developed into really good players, but they were not at that level in 1998.

We are just going to have to disagree. The only thing we can compare right now is individual players at positions. The following is what I posted in another thread that is my opinion of the talent level we have right now. What is in place at the end of training camp will be different, but comparing the starters from 1998 to what we have now, I believe we had more individual talent on the 1998 team.

Left outside:

1998 Jerome Pathon 2012 - vs Reggie Wayne – clear advantage

Left tackle:

1998 Tarik Glenn – clear advantage -vs- 2012 Anthony Costanzo

Left guard:

1998 Steve McKinney – advantage -vs- 2012 Joe Reitz

Center:

1998 Jay Leeuwenburg – advantage 2012 Samson Satele

Right guard:

Tony Mandarich - wash 2012 Mike McGlynn – wash

Right tackle:

Adam Meadows – advantage -vs- 2012 Winston Justice (?)

Tight End:

Ken Dilger – advantage -vs- 2012 Brody Eldridge

Running back:

Marshall Faulk – clear advantage -vs- 2012 Donald Brown

Fullback:

ZackCrockett – advantage -vs- 2012 Chris Gronkowski

Right outside:

Marvin Harrison -clear advantage -vs-Donnie Avery

As far as our 1997 team with Harbaugh compared to the 2011 team with whoever at quarterback, our offense scored 313 points and our defense gave up 401. Last season our offense scored 243 points and our defense gave up 430. Clearly we were a better team in 1997 than 2011, even though we only won one more game.

[Blackhawk4]

Sorry, but I'm going out on a limb here and saying we go

[FireJimCaldwell]

Sorry, but I'm going out on a limb here and saying we go

[GAColt]

We are just going to have to disagree. The only thing we can compare right now is individual players at positions. The following is what I posted in another thread that is my opinion of the talent level we have right now. What is in place at the end of training camp will be different, but comparing the starters from 1998 to what we have now, I believe we had more individual talent on the 1998 team.

Left outside:

1998 Jerome Pathon 2012 - vs Reggie Wayne – clear advantage

Left tackle:

1998 Tarik Glenn – clear advantage -vs- 2012 Anthony Costanzo

Left guard:

1998 Steve McKinney – advantage -vs- 2012 Joe Reitz

Center:

1998 Jay Leeuwenburg – advantage 2012 Samson Satele

Right guard:

Tony Mandarich - wash 2012 Mike McGlynn – wash

Right tackle:

Adam Meadows – advantage -vs- 2012 Winston Justice (?)

Tight End:

Ken Dilger – advantage -vs- 2012 Brody Eldridge

Running back:

Marshall Faulk – clear advantage -vs- 2012 Donald Brown

Fullback:

ZackCrockett – advantage -vs- 2012 Chris Gronkowski

Right outside:

Marvin Harrison -clear advantage -vs-Donnie Avery

As far as our 1997 team with Harbaugh compared to the 2011 team with whoever at quarterback, our offense scored 313 points and our defense gave up 401. Last season our offense scored 243 points and our defense gave up 430. Clearly we were a better team in 1997 than 2011, even though we only won one more game.

The 1998 offense was probably better mainly because of Marshall. Other than that I think you are looking more at the players career ather than what kind of a player they were in 1998. However, the defense this year should be much better than the 1998 defense.

[sb2001]

If luck is as good as promised, there's a chance, but I'm expecting a learning curve for the entire team. Maybe some REAL ugly games in the beggining.

[Smonroe]

Have faith, people.. Like the browns fans.. you guys are babied. wah wah

I don't know what that means, but please don't compare us to the poor Browns fans. That's one cursed franchise.

[Vance]

I don't know about playoffs, but I do expect the Colts to surprise quite a few teams this year. The Texans switched to a 3-4 with next to no off season, lost Williams for most of it and still had a pretty darn good defense. Hopefully the Colts with a full off season can get the guys on the same page and teach them the different assignments positions etc. Is everything going to be perfect? Absolutely not, but I definitely expect the D to be a much better more solid unit than before. I wouldn't be at all shocked if we were close to .500 this season, give or take a game.

We did it because we got one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, and because not only did we hit on our draft picks with JJ Watt and Brooks Reed in 2011, we also signed Manning and Jonathan Joseph, who immediately became two leaders on defense, as well as Jason Allen, who I believe tied for team lead in INTs.

And remember Pagano isn't going to be the D coord, he's gonna have his hands full with HC duties, so who knows how much he can impact the defense.

So yeah it wasn't as easy as some think it was.

[Malakai432]

...and Iran will stop trying to enrich uranium!!

...and McNabb will get into the Hall of Fame!!!

See, you're getting it!!!

Ron Artest aka Metta World Peace will stop getting suspended.

[GoColts8818]

Other "unrealistic" expectations:

1998 Rams 4-12, "unrealistic" to expect them to win the SB in 1999 (especially after losing their starting QB for the season in training camp)

2000 NE Patriots 5-11, "unrealistic" to think they could win the SB in 2001.

In other words, there is no such thing as "unrealistic" in the NFL.

It may not be probable that they make the playoffs, but possible, yes, unrealistic, definitely not.

Most people would still tell you that those expecatations going into those season was unrealistic which is what made it so shocking when they did happen. Unrealistic doesn't mean Impossiable. It just means not likely to happen.

[Blackhawk4]

At times that "optimism" just seems more like being delusion than being realistic.

[OZOC01]

I don't agree with you on the pressure. I would bet every player on the team has the expectation to make the playoffs. The word "rebuild" for them is worse than having high expectations. A competitor expects to win and relishes the pressure to do so, and you don't get to the level they are at by not having a highly competitive streak.

Couldn't have said it better myself!!!

[OZOC01]

Ron Artest aka Metta World Peace will stop getting suspended.

Wohhh...Even I'm not THAT optimisstic... ^^^^

[MR. Blueblood]

We did it because we got one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, and because not only did we hit on our draft picks with JJ Watt and Brooks Reed in 2011, we also signed Manning and Jonathan Joseph, who immediately became two leaders on defense, as well as Jason Allen, who I believe tied for team lead in INTs.

And remember Pagano isn't going to be the D coord, he's gonna have his hands full with HC duties, so who knows how much he can impact the defense.

So yeah it wasn't as easy as some think it was.

Didn't say that we would be as good as your defense, just that having the whole off season should help. You should know from playing our defense that any change made will be an improvement over the previous seasons. We have made some good free agent signings and it's yet to see what happens in the draft. I think Pagano while involved in HC duties will have a big influence over the D and how it prepares and plays. If you don't think he will manage to set aside some time to make sure that it is progressing and playing at a level that he's going to be happy with then I don't really know what to tell you. I never said that building a great defense is easy but when you are constantly at the bottom of the league there is nowhere to go but up!

[funktacious2]

You should know from playing our defense that any change made will be an improvement over the previous seasons.

I'm going to have faith our D will be better this season, but 3-4 isnt meant to have you plug in players that aren't even physically meant to a certain position. I'm really holding out hope that out D will emerge as a fearsome contender, but our old D at least had all players appropriate to their positions.