We are on the cusp of having a good offense. If we are able to get a stud RG and maybe 1 more (LG or TE) who can turn this OL into a strong run blocking unit, then I think Ajayi can become a dominant RB. This will allow Drake/Williams to get carries as change of pace backs and force teams to keep stacking the box. Our QB and WR's are good enough to get over the hump with a strong ground game imposing their will on defenses. IMHO, that kind of offense can get us over the hump into becoming a consistent playoff team.
But, the defense needs to play closer to its potential. Last year had positives, like Kiko and Maxwell proving to be excellent additions, Wake making a remarkable recovery, the emergence of Lippett and additions of Howard and Isa. But at the end of the day, our LB corps was putrid aside from Kiko. Misi is done, Jenkins was injured too much and performed poorly when he was healthy. Hewitt and Paysinger were possibly the two worst LB's in the league. We were 30th against the run ... enough said about our LB's in run defense. Hewitt and Paysinger were noticeably even worse in coverage, where it was simply too easy to dominate our defense throwing at our LB's. That must change. I'm expecting a wholesale sweep of Misi, Jenkins, Butler, and Paysinger. Keeping Hull and possibly Hewitt as back up special teamers. We need to add LB's, because the people we have are the worst group in the entire league.
So, assuming that is our defensive focus, either in the draft or free agency, this group should improve significantly. The DL needs to be tweaked and hopefully gets younger. I'm expecting at least 1 draft pick in this area. Our secondary probably just needs to get healthier with maybe one free agent addition and a late round developmental guy. Our secondary isn't great, but it isn't bad either. With better LB play and more pass rush from the front 7, our secondary has the talent to help our defense become a top half or better defense. But, injuries really derailed us. Losing Jones really hurt, as he was playing very well again. Isa had his ups and downs, but he was decent. When he went down, our secondary play was shoddy. Maxwell wasn't healthy early, but he swung into a good year as our CB #1. Howard flashed awesome potential and fantastic play as a rookie ... but again, he needs to be healthy. As far as rookie seasons tend to go for very young CB's coming out early, he was stellar. The sky is the limit for X. Howard. I will be surprised if this defense isn't much improved next year.
The addition of a dominating run blocker at RG and better LB's can shift us into a team that plays complimentary football. This year we had a lot of times where only one unit was playing well. We were extremely fortunate to win most of those games, but that type of play cannot continue. Our defense cannot continue to let teams run the clock on us to protect a lead. Our offense cannot continue to give up almost entire halves of games without hardly any first downs. We need to improve, and I believe we will. We beat 1 team with a winning record ... and we won a lot of close games. That's good coaching, but it's also lucky.
My goal for next year is to repeat the record of 10-6, but to become a strong running team and a stout defense. A year ago both the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers rode strong defenses into the Super Bowl. This year the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots rode strong offenses into the Super Bowl. There is no one right way to build a good team. But, I see our offense as having the potential to be a complete and strong offense capable of putting us into that conversation. I also am encouraged by our defensive strengths along the defensive line and in the secondary. We don't have a shut-down CB or an Ed Reed type safety, but we have quality players back there, and if we solidify the LB's, it will be tough for teams to beat our DL. My hope and expectation is that we go 10-6, but do not have to win nearly as many close games to do it. That would put us back into the playoffs with a real chance to advance.