Put A Muzzle On Him

Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:53:45 -0500

From: awiggins
To: peterbean
Subject: Depth Chart

Bean,

I just got home from work and saw the depth chart for the first time. I hate the defense. Specifically I hate the back seven. I don't want that to be my first post/comment back after a really long hiatus from BON. So, maybe you can reassure me some, or at least clean up my glass-half-empty comments.

Our back seven was terrible last year. Yeah, maybe some of it was scheme, but we just didn't make plays. Then we got rid of Chizik and bring in MacDuff and promote Akina. They both talk about putting the best players, not just the oldest and most experienced, on the field. Well, it looks like Mack and his "put in his dues" attitude won out. Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew are merely average. I thought it was nearly collectively thought that at least something had to change at LB. Kindle, Norton, and Muckelroy will be, and probably already are, way better. They will likely make huge mistakes that more experienced players wouldn't, but they may also change the game like our defense never did last year.

And our secondary. My God. How are we still keeping Kelson off the field? That I just don't understand. And yeah, I've heard the same stuff about Griffin from the practice reports that you have, but I simply can't shake his terrible play last year from my head. And then we have Foster and Palmer. This smells like Mack more than anything else. I fully expected Beasley to be a starter and one of the all star freshmen to break in at the other. Chykie or Curtis Brown. Either would be fine.

Please tell me that I'm on crack and that we aren't still promoting the team guys, the older guys, who've played in tough environments, and put in the hours in the classroom. Tell me we aren't sticking with the same conservative bend-but-don't-break (or really make any plays) defense that plagued us all last season.

Wiggins