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Last year was very different from the year before in Texas. With WR Grady Gomez retired, QB Clayton Chung had to find other avenues at which to move the ball. We didn't have a good 2nd WR and it showed during the year as many teams simply double-teamed WR Andre Watt and without another solid WR we became one dimensional. But, as the season progressed, Chung moved the ball using RB Battles and TE Bennett. The general consensus in the league is that the QB-WR-WR elite tandem is nearly unstoppable and I agree. It could have been the reason why we lost to West Virginia(among other reasons) in the big game.
But balance was the key to success for the Trojans as they went thru the season to get to the game. After going 3-3 to start, Texas went 8-2 to close out the year. This years schedule looks very rough the first 5-6 games, so I suspect that I will be lucky to get to .500 by the first 6 games.
This team hasn't changed that much from last year, except for a couple of needed positions. Safety is the biggest upgrade to the Texas defense. Rookie safety J.C. Boldin joins the team at 45/73. Clearly a starter right away and I suspect that he will make a marketable difference to our ability to stop opposing offenses from throwing the ball with impunity. (Namely Tulsa). I also took a CB in the 5th round. CB Norm Wooden will help my ever-aging CB's. Like I said in my last post, He has all the skills he needs to be a great back-up.
My project from last year was to give me some depth on the defensive line. DE Herkel and NT Blum should come into their own this year. Blum will still be a back-up but has some good skills and had a very nice combine his rookie year so he should develop into the starter I hope. As for Herkel , he is going to start this year and I think he is also going to have a great second year. Opposite DE Randle, he should have plenty of opportunity's . Randle collected 13.5 sacks last year and we weren't getting a lot of pressure from the other side. This year will be different.
On the offensive line we got a nice pick in the 3rd round with G Mack “Truck” Monroe. He joins the team at 25/59. The one deal that I did get done this year(you guys know I don't do many) was to trade my 2nd pick in the draft to VAN for LB Hinson. But as soon as he got on the team it was apparent that it wasn't going to work out. So I worked a deal with Oakland to trade for T Kyle Boyer for Hinson. So with Boyer and Monroe I believe the o-line should be much improved.
The last thing that I needed was a good 2nd WR and I didn't see anything in the first few rounds that I thought was a good pick so I waited till the last couple of picks. I may have found my WR in the 6th round. WR Nafis (27/51) is not a great receiver but I think he will be a good one.
While I think we have improved as a team, It's always a roll of the dice. I think all three of the other teams in my division have gotten better and it wont be easy to get a winning record. Good luck to all (except LR) this season.
But balance was the key to success for the Trojans as they went thru the season to get to the game. After going 3-3 to start, Texas went 8-2 to close out the year. This years schedule looks very rough the first 5-6 games, so I suspect that I will be lucky to get to .500 by the first 6 games.
This team hasn't changed that much from last year, except for a couple of needed positions. Safety is the biggest upgrade to the Texas defense. Rookie safety J.C. Boldin joins the team at 45/73. Clearly a starter right away and I suspect that he will make a marketable difference to our ability to stop opposing offenses from throwing the ball with impunity. (Namely Tulsa). I also took a CB in the 5th round. CB Norm Wooden will help my ever-aging CB's. Like I said in my last post, He has all the skills he needs to be a great back-up.
My project from last year was to give me some depth on the defensive line. DE Herkel and NT Blum should come into their own this year. Blum will still be a back-up but has some good skills and had a very nice combine his rookie year so he should develop into the starter I hope. As for Herkel , he is going to start this year and I think he is also going to have a great second year. Opposite DE Randle, he should have plenty of opportunity's . Randle collected 13.5 sacks last year and we weren't getting a lot of pressure from the other side. This year will be different.
On the offensive line we got a nice pick in the 3rd round with G Mack “Truck” Monroe. He joins the team at 25/59. The one deal that I did get done this year(you guys know I don't do many) was to trade my 2nd pick in the draft to VAN for LB Hinson. But as soon as he got on the team it was apparent that it wasn't going to work out. So I worked a deal with Oakland to trade for T Kyle Boyer for Hinson. So with Boyer and Monroe I believe the o-line should be much improved.
The last thing that I needed was a good 2nd WR and I didn't see anything in the first few rounds that I thought was a good pick so I waited till the last couple of picks. I may have found my WR in the 6th round. WR Nafis (27/51) is not a great receiver but I think he will be a good one.
While I think we have improved as a team, It's always a roll of the dice. I think all three of the other teams in my division have gotten better and it wont be easy to get a winning record. Good luck to all (except LR) this season.
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