1) The biggest knock on Carey was and is his laziness, not his athleticism. If Houck can make a woeful SD line inot the force it was last year with three rookies then, I'm sure he has alot more insight into the nuances of Carey's talents.
LT's have special athletic qualities. Carey is a big power player. I don't see Houdini making this switch work, but who knows? Everybody in here has avoided the question of what happens to Carey's confidence if he crashes and burns at yet another OL position.
2) Travis Minor showed us last year that he can't be a featured back, however he also was misused and running behind the worst offensive line in the NFL. (No wonder RW quit). With that said Minor is on a one year contract, which he can easily just be training camp fodder. Nonetheless, Linehan offense, features plays that exploit his talents and uses mulitple backs. Either way, I wouldn't read too much into that move.
Minor hasn't shown us anything since his rookie year. He's another wasted Spielstadt first day pick and a lot of it goes on him for not improving or stepping up at all last year. Sammie Morris did.
Whitley on the other hand has been underwhelming, but is it his talent? or is was it coaching? Jeno James, didn't look great last year either. My feeling is, as long as we can have these expanded rosters, especially with the completely new coaching regime, every player with low cap figures should at least be given a chance to compete.
Maybe but again how much is Spielman justifying his work in the past? Whitley was another 3rd round pick who just can't cut it. He's a doughboy who flat out sucks, was the worst player by far on a very bad line. James at his worst can't touch the ineptitude and lack of any ability as lineman that Whitley showed.
3) Madison just re-worked his contract last year and there would be a big cap hit if we cut him this year. Reggie Howard is in the same boat. Besides Reggie is more suited to play cover corner, in the zone schems that Saban implements. Now I'm a big fan of Pat Surtain and I don't want to see him go, as well as I didn't want to see O-Gun go, but if we're going to be successful as a team, the wealth needs to be spread acrros the entire team not just the defense. I know having Sutrain in limbo is fustrating, however, why trade him for less than he's worth. In that case, we should just let him play out his contract this year than give him up for less than market value.
People want to give ol Reggie a break but D-backs either make plays or they don't and I'm afraid that that little poodle don't hunt for anybody. The move to sign him to a pretty big deal might be one of the worst moves made in what was the most desperate and poorly thought out
offseasons in history. Especially if his awful contract is one of the reasons we can't afford to keep Pat.
4) Again Tebcuky was great in NE, under Bellichick. Then he was misused in NO, under a coach and team that probably is the most talented team in the league but under performs every year. FA is still open, there's still June 1st cuts and training camp cuts as well as the draft. It's way to early to pencil Tavares Tillman and Jones as the starters.
They moved pretty decisively to sign those safeties so I think they have a good idea they want them both to start.
I didn't see Tebucky make a lot of plays ever, even with the great coaching of Belichick.