[The Goat]

Well I'm def not a mod but it's too tempting to get into predictions.

Personally I have low expectations for this season even under the best circumstances. Those circumstances are IMO 1) a LT and RT drafted w/ our 1st and 2nd picks, respectively, 2) the best RB/NT drafted in the 4th 3) new FA signings for LB, NT and FS.

I think the offense gets noticeably better this year; however, we do not see a major downfield threat emerge. Thomas especially will show flashes, and Kelly will also improve, but we won't have consistent big game performances by any WR, thus the running game will struggle because defenses expect a lot of rushes.

Defensively, right now I expect a significant step backward. We lack the personnel to be a dominant 3-4 and it's unlikely we can acquire enough to talent in one off-season. I expect the Hybrid to yield a lot of yards on the ground. I think we'll see teams run all over us this season. Maybe we get to the QB a little more and maybe we create a few more turnovers, but the impact will be marginal. The defense will still rely heavily on Fletcher (a tackling beast) and whoever else plays LB, and nobody on the roster or left in FA is known for creating turnovers. Los probably plays a good share so don't expect many more turnovers in the passing game. Basically Haslett has an idea of what he wants, but he's very, very unlikely to make it a reality.

All in all I'd say 5-11 is reasonable. I won't be surprised if Shanny/Allen go looking for another d coordinator after a disappointing season defensively.