Finally, we've started assembling the pieces. So many years we were missing basic pieces, like a TE, or starting OL, or a Mike, or a FS, or a 2nd top pass rusher. This year we added Gesicki in the passing game and Smythe in the blocking game, neither piece we really had in the last few years. We added Sitton, the first top quality guard we've had since we pushed Incognito out the door. Raekwon McMillan looks to be the flat out answer at Mike. Minkah Fitzpatrick gives us a piece we have lacked forever, and whether we use him as a lock-down Dime or as a single high FS, he looks to be an excellent addition and a cornerstone leader that we need. With Quinn, we have that 2nd pass rusher.
This year we do not have the glaring holes we typically have this time of year. Injuries? Yeah, big "if" there, but we look slightly better prepared for injuries than in past years.
Regardless, our team has the capacity to change things up. We can finally play 4 WR's, or 2 TE's and have quality players either way. We can go super-speed with Grant, Stills, Albert and Gesicki(TE)/Parker(WR). We can go big with Smythe, Gesicki, Parker and Ballage. We can go max protect with Smythe, Ballage and Young. Options. We didn't have them in years past.
On defense, we can go nickel (425) with 3 CB's (Howard, McCain[Slot], and Tankersley/Lippett), or Dime (336) with 4 CB's (same guys plus Fitzpatrick as the Dime and TJ McDonald as the second Safety). We can play old school 43 with Allen at Sam or coverage 43 with Baker at Sam, we can go wide 9 with Quinn/Harris/Branch on one side and Hayes/Wake on the other, or we can go speed package and push Hayes inside to DT. We have fast LB's everywhere with Kiko being fast, Allen being fast, Anthony being fast, Poling being fast, and Baker the fastest of the bunch.
For the past few years, we've really not had a lot of options. This team offers the chance to adapt our personnel and game plan to exploit our opponents weaknesses and neutralize their strengths, better than we've had in recent memory. If we can use that adaptability, the outlook for this season looks bright.