Peppers, Jenkins, Gross, Wharton

agree. It should be, and I don't know why it isn't. Run blocking was good, up to now. Sacks, other than TN, haven't been a big problem.

Certainly.

And I'm not pleased with this either.

 

Yes, and overall Davidson has been an embarrassment as an offensive coordinator. The only people even suggesting that he's not a huge step down from Henning are the ones who invested so much in saying that Henning should go, although we were rarely a good running team with Henning either. Wharton and Gross have always been mediocre at best, but it's odd that Hartwig and Wahle were so much better with their previous teams, and not just because of the people around them. Some keep pointing to the overall rushing stats as evidence that we've been good there, but anyone could see that we've consistently struggled to run whenever it actually mattered. Whether or not new linemen or a new scheme would fix the problem, I don't know, but this clearly isn't working.

 

As am I. This is a total reversal of how I felt earlier in the year, but the GB game really turned me off of Wharton. Kampman took his lunch money, but Gross held him in check. I've been pleasantly surprised at Gross' progression this year. I haven't seen much game film, but from what I have seen, it looks like he's finally learned to anchor without taking a 15 yard drop. I don't know if I'd feel warm and fuzzy about shifting him to LT, but he's more than adequate in this system on the right side IMHO.

As for the others...

Peppers - I'd still take some solid draft picks to send Peppers packing. I'm tired of his over-hyped, part time ass. JR is marketing him as the face of the franchise, but he doesn't deserve it. He doesn't even deserve that C on his chest.

Jenkins - Jenks isn't what he was in '03, but he's still the most effective DT on the roster. I shudder to think what would happen to our D if Kemo and Lewis (or worse, Moorehead) were our starting tackles.

 

I was under the impression we would have to choose between Gross and Wharton to keep and based upon Gross's unspectacular play and him probably being a more expensive player to keep Wharton would be the better value. I'm not so sure any more.
It seems like a done deal that Peppers gets franchised (to me at least) and I would still want Jenkins around. He is one of the few players that still gives a shit

 

Yeah, I have no clue whats going on with him unless there is a medical reason we don't know about, but if there is one that is causing him to suck thsi bad he shouldn't be on the field.

As big a fan as I am of Peppers it's hard to stomach this much money on a player that isn't performing as well as some scrub players.

But with that said, if we looked at the numbers only Smith would be gone, even though we know his problem is more of the QB slot.

This team just doesn't have enough talent on it and they must upgrade across the board, having a star or two on your team just doesn't matter if the rest of it sucks.

 

He's under contract for the 2008 season so if we Franchise him it won't be until the 2009 season.

 

Doesn't the ridiculously bland defensive playcalling have alot to do with this? How often is Peppers double teamed now? Someone is, because we rarely send more than just our 4 D-linemen and in passing plays that means they are going up against at least 6 protectors maybe more. Without any deviation from this norm, opposing coordinators can call all kinds of pass plays because they know their QB will have all day. I'm just so sick of this defensive playcalling it has become the most glaring negative in my eye. Look what Philly did. Why can't we do that? I mean seriously, why can't we game plan like them? Is it that freaking difficult or are our coaches that freaking SCARED??

 

just because the replacement has been worse doesn't mean the decision to let Henning go was a bad one.

 

You gotta try some of the defensive guys under someone besides Trgo before you make a final judgment.

I am so sick of Trgo, he can't pack his bags fast enough.

 

Peppers isn't being double-teamed anymore,,, other teams are seeing that they can neutralize him with only one OT, and they have.

IMO, his lack of production may have something to do with the coaches having him occasionally drop back in pass defense, because if you isolate on Peppers and watch him closely during the course of plays, he occasionally appears unsure as to what he wants to do on certain plays.

I believe the idea of dropping him back into pass coverage has him screwed up. I would just tell him to get in there and tackle somedamnbody and forget about covering the pass.