Roster Areas of Concern

[GoSU96]

I could never reach the depths of despair that some like to sink to but there are a couple of obvious problem spots going into camp.

1. DE - The news that Pierce-Brewster was still on the outside looking in makes the biggest problem area an even bigger concern. While the interior defense has 10 scholarship players there are four DE's that I know about. This is purely my speculation but maybe Bromley and Coleman can be moved over to add depth and size to that position.

2. OL - Injury to the best player on the team at LOT, filling the right side with inexperienced players, depth players are redshirt and true freshmen. Pugh has to heal, Hickey has to stay healthy, and between Trudo, Alexander, Foy, and maybe even Palmer a RG needs to be found.

3. LB - Depth. I think Spruill, Davis, and Lynch will be a solid group, but behind them are freshmen and walkons.

Those are my biggest concerns. DB's looks to be the deepest unit on the team, I think WR is positioned to make a big leap forward in production, DT size, numbers, and experience, QB, RB, TE filled with kids that have been in the program for a number of years and the incoming kids are coming in are more highly regarded than the kids they will be backing up were when they arrived.

 

[kcsu]

Good observations Phat. OL is our primary concern without a doubt. I think we will be ok at DE and i believe that Googins will stay outside with Robinson as starters. Bromley could step outside lets hope that Crume Sloan Boatman and Zion step up as i would love to see Bromley at Strong side. Dont forget Vaughn Dietab Aneme and Coker at LB i think we are going to be fine. Lets just hope that a few of the OL guys step up and that Trudo and Hickey come back strong. Also i like Palmer as a dark horse at OG

 

[JeremyCuse]

I could never reach the depths of despair that some like to sink to but there are a couple of obvious problem spots going into camp.

1. DE - The news that Pierce-Brewster was still on the outside looking in makes the biggest problem area an even bigger concern. While the interior defense has 10 scholarship players there are four DE's that I know about. This is purely my speculation but maybe Bromley and Coleman can be moved over to add depth and size to that position.

2. OL - Injury to the best player on the team at LOT, filling the right side with inexperienced players, depth players are redshirt and true freshmen. Pugh has to heal, Hickey has to stay healthy, and between Trudo, Alexander, Foy, and maybe even Palmer a RG needs to be found.

3. LB - Depth. I think Spruill, Davis, and Lynch will be a solid group, but behind them are freshmen and walkons.

Those are my biggest concerns. DB's looks to be the deepest unit on the team, I think WR is positioned to make a big leap forward in production, DT size, numbers, and experience, QB, RB, TE filled with kids that have been in the program for a number of years and the incoming kids are coming in are more highly regarded than the kids they will be backing up were when they arrived.

Good post GO, agree with a lot of this. I think if Hickey and Trudo are healty the OL might be able to keep things serviceable pending Pugh's return. I hate to say it but Marrone may want to hold Hickey out of full contact until the first game, sounds crazy but we simply cant afford for him to go down. I have big time concerns at the LB position there is pretty much zero depth though Dom A the walk on could hold his own for a series or two in a pinch. The lack of LB recruits in the last class due to those last second decommits is really hurting the depth, I suspect Macfarlane will be moved to LB soon. The only thing I disagree with is your opinion on the WR position, outside of Lemon I have huge concerns. Sales hasn't played in a year and a half and wasnt exactly lighting it up outside of one game, West is constantly hurt, and Foster is allready out for the year. If Lemon goes down we are &cked. I have my fingers crossed that either the JUCO kid or one of the two Freshman will be a pleasant surprise.

 

[dollarbill44]

I would switch #1 and #2 and put STs in front of LB. We have got to find a way to improve the field position situation. Starting at our own 20 while our opponents start at mid-field is not a recipe for victory. It needs to be vastly improved in all aspects - other than long-snapping, which was not too bad last year.

 

[money3189]

ben lewis will be the biggest surprise, along with omari palmer. Those are my picks

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm still not sure what we really have at running back. I'm glad Smith came on, but we really don't know how good he is yet. PTG has had some moments I guess. I feel like I should be more excited about Ameen-Moore than I am. Broyld might be a difference maker, but I'll be really surprised if he takes many snaps at running back. Morris and McFarlane are interesting.

So it looks like there's something there, but right now it's hard to say what.

 

[SUinNYC]

ben lewis will be the biggest surprise, along with omari palmer. Those are my picks

count me in with you on Lewis.

 

[sutomcat]

count me in with you on Lewis.

Sutomcat, founding member of the Ben Lewis Fan Club.

 

[orangenirvana]

Regardless, it's a huge season for Marrone. Gotta see progress (bowl).

 

[billsin01]

Regardless, it's a huge season for Marrone. Gotta see progress (bowl).

Or what? I'm not trying to be a pr!ck and I agree it's a big season for DM in that it's year 4, but I don't think there's any way he gets fired unless we have just an abject disaster of a season. I would put the chances of his getting fired for anything 3 wins or better at less than 5% and even in the event of <3 wins, I still would think he gets another year to try and straighten things out.

 

[billsin01]

I could never reach the depths of despair that some like to sink to but there are a couple of obvious problem spots going into camp.

1. DE - The news that Pierce-Brewster was still on the outside looking in makes the biggest problem area an even bigger concern. While the interior defense has 10 scholarship players there are four DE's that I know about. This is purely my speculation but maybe Bromley and Coleman can be moved over to add depth and size to that position.

2. OL - Injury to the best player on the team at LOT, filling the right side with inexperienced players, depth players are redshirt and true freshmen. Pugh has to heal, Hickey has to stay healthy, and between Trudo, Alexander, Foy, and maybe even Palmer a RG needs to be found.

3. LB - Depth. I think Spruill, Davis, and Lynch will be a solid group, but behind them are freshmen and walkons.

Those are my biggest concerns. DB's looks to be the deepest unit on the team, I think WR is positioned to make a big leap forward in production, DT size, numbers, and experience, QB, RB, TE filled with kids that have been in the program for a number of years and the incoming kids are coming in are more highly regarded than the kids they will be backing up were when they arrived.

Good observations -- I'd only quibble with two points. Depth at LB isn't great but Vaughan and Diabate give us a couple capable bodies there and hopefully Vigille and Anene can help out as well. If the DBs come along and we get in a pinch I could also see a guy like Mungwa or Shamarko being moved in a pinch. I agree it's not ideal but it's not a huge concern for me.

I'd love to see WR make a leap but I remain skeptical until I see otherwise. I like Sales and Lemon and there are some young kids there but I just feel like we've been predicting a leap for them like 8 of the past 10 years.

 

[OrangeMojo]

I could never reach the depths of despair that some like to sink to but there are a couple of obvious problem spots going into camp.

1. DE - The news that Pierce-Brewster was still on the outside looking in makes the biggest problem area an even bigger concern. While the interior defense has 10 scholarship players there are four DE's that I know about. This is purely my speculation but maybe Bromley and Coleman can be moved over to add depth and size to that position.

2. OL - Injury to the best player on the team at LOT, filling the right side with inexperienced players, depth players are redshirt and true freshmen. Pugh has to heal, Hickey has to stay healthy, and between Trudo, Alexander, Foy, and maybe even Palmer a RG needs to be found.

3. LB - Depth. I think Spruill, Davis, and Lynch will be a solid group, but behind them are freshmen and walkons.

Those are my biggest concerns. DB's looks to be the deepest unit on the team, I think WR is positioned to make a big leap forward in production, DT size, numbers, and experience, QB, RB, TE filled with kids that have been in the program for a number of years and the incoming kids are coming in are more highly regarded than the kids they will be backing up were when they arrived.

ok - how the #ck did I miss that news on Pierce-Brewster??? that really sucks

and you're overlooking two really solid seniors in Vaughan and Diabate unless I missed something about them as well

 

[orangenirvana]

Or what? I'm not trying to be a pr!ck and I agree it's a big season for DM in that it's year 4, but I don't think there's any way he gets fired unless we have just an abject disaster of a season. I would put the chances of his getting fired for anything 3 wins or better at less than 5% and even in the event of <3 wins, I still would think he gets another year to try and straighten things out.

Good question. I don't know the answer. At a good program that cares about winning and has expectations, it would mean he would be gone. Here at SU, who knows?

 

[kingottoiii]

Or what? I'm not trying to be a pr!ck and I agree it's a big season for DM in that it's year 4, but I don't think there's any way he gets fired unless we have just an abject disaster of a season. I would put the chances of his getting fired for anything 3 wins or better at less than 5% and even in the event of <3 wins, I still would think he gets another year to try and straighten things out.

Which is why it makes more sense again to extend him 2 years now. IMO we have a better chance at 3 Ws than 6 Ws. And if you aren't firing him for 3 Ws, why not extend him? If we go 3-9 will we extend him after the season? Or worse have him be a lame duck? The only way it doesn't make sense to extend him now is if you are truly willing to fire him after this year.

 

[Crusty]

Does anyone believe he deserves to be fired if we go 5-7 or higher against this tough schedule?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Which is why it makes more sense again to extend him 2 years now. IMO we have a better chance at 3 Ws than 6 Ws. And if you aren't firing him for 3 Ws, why not extend him? If we go 3-9 will we extend him after the season? Or worse have him be a lame duck? The only way it doesn't make sense to extend him now is if you are truly willing to fire him after this year.

I agree with this.

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[RF2044]

Does anyone believe he deserves to be fired if we go 5-7 or higher against this tough schedule?

Tougher schedule--hmmm, I know that I'm one of the more optimistic posters on this board in general when it comes to football, but I look at our schedule and see opportunity.

It all hinges on Northwestern / Minnesota. If we win those games, we're going bowling--and it wouldn't surprise me to see us take down RU / uconn and possibly Pitt.

We'd need a few of the question marks we have going into the season to be answered positively, but if a few things break our way and we get off to a fast start, this team could easily win 6 or 7 or 8 games, even against the tougher schedule.**







**Says the guy who is greatly concerned about our OL with Pugh injured / missing a portion of the season.

 

[Rocco]

Which is why it makes more sense again to extend him 2 years now. IMO we have a better chance at 3 Ws than 6 Ws. And if you aren't firing him for 3 Ws, why not extend him? If we go 3-9 will we extend him after the season? Or worse have him be a lame duck? The only way it doesn't make sense to extend him now is if you are truly willing to fire him after this year.

Bingo, been saying this all along. They won't fire him after this year. I just don't see it happening unless we put up Temple circa 1998 numbers.

Extend him now, take some of the pressure off of him, which should help him prepare better and make more rational decisions. If he is constantly looking over his shoulder that he might get canned, that takes his eye off the team IMO. I know others will disagree with me on that.

DG - extend him 2 or 3 years with no bump in pay...

 

[All4SU]

I would switch #1 and #2 and put STs in front of LB. We have got to find a way to improve the field position situation. Starting at our own 20 while our opponents start at mid-field is not a recipe for victory. It needs to be vastly improved in all aspects - other than long-snapping, which was not too bad last year.

Well, the rule change moving the KO up 5 yards will certainly help. Plus we seem to have bolstered our K situation some. Punting? We'll see. I think we have a couple of good options. But they may be going with the hot hand game to game. We don't have the depth to put our best players on ST yet. We have to hope some young guys can come together on the return/coverage teams.

 

[rrlbees]

Well, the rule change moving the KO up 5 yards will certainly help. Plus we seem to have bolstered our K situation some. Punting? We'll see. I think we have a couple of good options. But they may be going with the hot hand game to game. We don't have the depth to put our best players on ST yet. We have to hope some young guys can come together on the return/coverage teams.

When will we have the depth? We have I believe 83 players. Other teams have just 2 more. Unless the point is we don't have quality depth. If that's the case, then our recruiting has been poor if we are giving out scholies to that many players that can't contribute at all.

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[All4SU]

When will we have the depth? We have I believe 83 players. Other teams have just 2 more. Unless the point is we don't have quality depth. If that's the case, then our recruiting has been poor if we are giving out scholies to that many players that can't contribute at all.

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Quality depth. I think all of the players HCDM has recruited can contribute. (Which is an upgrade over the previous few years.) But "contributing" takes more time with some players. The OP was concerned about Special Teams. SU may have 83 players on the roster, but how many of those 83 are ready to contribute right now, even just on Special Teams? We can't put guys like Lemon or Sales or our starting LBs on ST, so we need other guys who may be less talented/experienced to step up, essentially trying to push them along through ST roles. Most teams do the same, they just have more quality depth than we have. We're not there yet. I don't think that's a serious indictment of the recruiting.

 

[PhatOrange]

When will we have the depth? We have I believe 83 players. Other teams have just 2 more. Unless the point is we don't have quality depth. If that's the case, then our recruiting has been poor if we are giving out scholies to that many players that can't contribute at all.

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And of those 83 players how many are underclassmen? True freshman, redshirt freshman or true sophomores? I count 43. It's inexperienced depth is what it is.

 

[RF2044]

And of those 83 players how many are underclassmen? True freshman, redshirt freshman or true sophomores? I count 43. It's inexperienced depth is what it is.

No argument there, but hopefully that inexperienced depth is an upgrade both speed-wise and athletically over what we have had the first few years of Marrone's tenure, and that this improvement will translate over to ST.

 

[dollarbill44]

And of those 83 players how many are underclassmen? True freshman, redshirt freshman or true sophomores? I count 43. It's inexperienced depth is what it is.

That means that we have 40 players with at least 2 years in the program, which is pretty much the split between older and younger players that you want to carry on the roster every year, is it not?

 

[PhatOrange]

No argument there, but hopefully that inexperienced depth is an upgrade both speed-wise and athletically over what we have had the first few years of Marrone's tenure, and that this improvement will translate over to ST.

It's no doubt been an upgrade. The kids are bigger phsyically and faster. On paper they are bigger although bees will ask me If I measured them and time them.

Since I didn't, even deducting 1 inch of height off every recruit’s listed height we’ve only brought in 15 kids out of 83 who are under 6-0 tall.