SI.com - Gibbs, 'Skins feeling more comfortable

Ahhhh...I love where this thread has gone. Needless to say I am a Cooley fan, but my bias is not the only reason I agree with Ramseyfan when I say his numbers will go up.

I believe the biggest factor that will lead to an improved year is his relationship with Ramsey. They are good friends and Cooley's sure hands made him an easier target than, say, fiddy-fiddy. The trust Ramsey has in Cooley moves him from a second or third option to a first or second option. That is even more true in the Red Zone.

I don't expect him to make the Pro Bowl, but I think he will steadily improve over the next few years.

Off the top of my head I can't think of any TEs who hit sophomore slumps after a great rookie year

Winslow jr., last year he at least played the pre-season. :biggthump

Winslow jr., last year he at least played the pre-season. :biggthump

LOL...walked right into that one

I don't know. We need someone that can get it done in the Redzone, I really don't want to rely on old man Dyson for those duties. He's a good solid vet, but how many games has he missed in the last two years? I think McCants will be okay.


Daseal, I think our red zone problems were more of a team problem, rather than a big WR problem. Our WR's [from all that I can gather from what's coming out of camp this year] couldn't get any seperation last year, and the word is these guy's can, big time.

As for McCant's, the dyson signing is an indictment on what Gibbs thinks of McCants, he just doesn't like the guy, it sound's to me like McCant's is not a big effort guy, and for a coach who believes effort is synonymus with winning that's a big problem, I am a McCant's supporter, and believe he's far better than Dyson, and a particular favorite target of Ramsey's, he's a player who can make the big play's, but if he doesn't see the field it's all for not.

Gibbs has made some mistakes on personel since his return, he has conceeded that Betts is a much better back than he first thought, hopefully he will come around to McCants, or McCants will come around to him.

I know the crucifiction is coming, but I think Cooley may have a drop off this year. Not that he's not a great player but how many TEs have great rookie years then hit the sophmore slump once some film gets out on em, etc. I think he'll be productive, but I could see him being a bit more tightly covered next year. I think we should have at least one big target on the outside. it takes a long time for Cooley/Royal to get to where you'd throw a fade to.


Daseal, I don't believe he will be more tightly covered, in fact I believe he will have more room to rome, if indeed our WR's start pressuring the secondary the way Gibbs I believe intends, that will force more double coverage on the outside and leave more room in the middle. With that said if he does drop off it will be more so because Ramsey will be throwing more balls to the WR's rather than the TE's and H-back's.

From watching Cooley this kid is a very smart football player, and he's second to no one in the hand's department, he's a hard worker who strides to get better, I think we will see an over all better TE this season especially in the blocking department, and keep in mind he's at this point Ramsey's favorite target, which means plenty of balls to Cooley.