OFFENCE
Quarterback: Jennings (Backups - Lulay, Price (disappointed that McGhee was not selected over Price)
Offensive Line: C - Husband, RG - Vaillancourt, LG - Steward, LT - Olifoye, RT - Adcock (backups - Fabian, O'Neil) Practice Roster - Guy? (Our Leos made a great draft in Vaillancourt, who will likely start as a rookie, Husband has surprised and pushed O'Neil to guard)
Fullback: Lumbala
Tailback: Johnson (Backup - the big question is will we keep Allen or Coleman as the backup tailback?) I havent' seen anything in pre-season that makes me think we made a good decision in letting Andrew Harris go. Yes, he would have been expensive but we are paying Travis Lulay huge money to be a backup quarterback.
Reciever: Arsenault, Burnham, Moore, Gore, Iannuzzi (Backups - Adekolu, Blaszko, Brown). I really like Adekolu but somehow Iannuzzi keeps getting the nod to my chagrin. Hopeully we can keep both Adekolu and Blaszko).
The big question will be who will play short side receiver, with Hawkins gone and Jeffers-Harris not being able to take the step up. Will we go with Arsenault and Burnham inside, with Moore moving to the short side wide receiver side? Could Boldevijn be moved outside? Brown has impressed but he is not very big to play the outside.
DEFENCE
Defensive Line: Tackles: Westerman, Minter, Brooks, Defensive Ends Roh, Bazzie, Menard (Backups - Ford, Mrabure, Uko) I'm guessing that our Leos will keep Uko for the practice roster. I wonder if our Leos will choose to keep both Forde and Mrabure or cut one of them. (This unit is the one that concerns me most. Washington plays a lot vanilla and neither Bazzie or Roh can get consistent pressure. I actually think Menard is better than both of them and would start him) Defensive end was a key position in the off-season and we have not addressed it so far). Bryant Turner could be moved outside.
Linebacker: Bighill, Eliminian, Lokombo, Clarke (the big question is who will be the backup import linebacker who will also play special teams?)
Nickelback: Purifoy (He comes with baggage but he looks like he can play)
Defensive Backfield (Yell, Lee, Edem, Phillips, Stewart (NI Backups - Fraser, Parker) Import Backup -Clarke)
Special Teams: Leone (kicker, punter)
Returner - Rainey (Backups - Murray-Lawrence, Coleman) Rainey has not looked hungry and our special teams have looked like McMann is still coaching them - not good.
SUMMARY
The exhibition season is often a difficult read. There are positives but also still some big concerns.
Positives: Jennings looks good and Lulay looks a lot better than his past two seasons. Getting Steward into the starting offensive line lineup is a positive but I wish and Vallencourt has made a big impression. The tailback spot is not knocking my socks off and does not look like an upgrade. I would really like to see a change at NI receiver in the five pack receiver set with Adekolu getting a shot but I will likely be disappointed.
Wally has run a good camp and this Leos team has more spirit and more hustle and looks more disciplined.
I certainly don't like our offence. Very little motion or misdirection, just basically a vanilla spread passing offence relying on quick reads and great throws from Jennings from the pocket and the inside run.
I have even more concern with our defense. We don't have a stud pass rusher, we will likely play vanilla zone again with the occasional linebacker or nickel back blitz. Unless our pass rush improves, vanilla zone will not be the recipe for a championship season.
Making things even more worrying, is that our special teams downfield tackling and special teams return game have looked very poor.
