These are my two biggest concerns heading into the season. Having a healthy Derwin is too important to our overall defense that I just can't understand having him him risk injury returning kicks. I realize we have had some of our best players return kicks in the past, for example Ramsey and Joyner, but we don't need to risk injury to Derwin with so many young and talented tailbacks that will have difficulty getting enough carries on offense and can make an impact as kick returners. Returning kicks is not like returning punts, where the returner has an opportunity to call for a fair catch and not risk injury. The ability to signal for a fair catch is why I am not that concerned about a McFadden potentially returning punts. We have a history of great punt returners who can really change the momentum of a game, but can Derwin make enough of a difference returning kicks to justify the risk versus reward?
There have been so many offensive line threads that I won't go into much detail, but as of right now Kelly is the only different projected starter going into the season from an offensive line that nearly got Francois killed last year. The offensive line played better down the stretch but they were still not as good as you would expect. I pray that Eberle's hip injuries last year is what made him look so awful at times and that he is a different player this year. I think Minshew and Dickerson will be great guards but you need a solid center guard combination to have a successful running game and to prevent defenders from getting pressure up the middle. I think Leonard will be great from a run blocking perspective with his quick feet and ability to get to the second level, but pass blocking is still a concern. Kelly is essentially an unknown how he will play, but at least we have been hearing positive things. Getting anxious to see how these guys perform.
There have been so many offensive line threads that I won't go into much detail, but as of right now Kelly is the only different projected starter going into the season from an offensive line that nearly got Francois killed last year. The offensive line played better down the stretch but they were still not as good as you would expect. I pray that Eberle's hip injuries last year is what made him look so awful at times and that he is a different player this year. I think Minshew and Dickerson will be great guards but you need a solid center guard combination to have a successful running game and to prevent defenders from getting pressure up the middle. I think Leonard will be great from a run blocking perspective with his quick feet and ability to get to the second level, but pass blocking is still a concern. Kelly is essentially an unknown how he will play, but at least we have been hearing positive things. Getting anxious to see how these guys perform.
