Reasons for Optimism
1) Explosive tandem of Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant - Even though we lost them both to season ending injuries, the hope is that both of them can recover fully and provide lots of big plays and TDs in the future.
2) Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jerome Baker - I think these two will be staples of an up and coming good defense for years to come. Minkah has been outstanding as a rookie safety/corner and Baker has shown the speed and savvy to make game-changing plays.
3) Laremy Tunsil taking his game to the next level - This really took me by surprise, and in a great way. I had LT wrongly pegged as a bit of an underachiever. He has done a terrific job against some of the NFL's best pass rushers this season. I just hope he can stay healthy.
Reasons for Pessimism
1) Coach Gase - Whether it's his boneheaded play calling, his dislike of good, young players, his terrible job overseeing Matt Burke and the defense, or his overall lack of elevating most young players' games, this guy has lost me. The guy needs a big, sloppy dose of humility and common sense. You ain't Sean McVay or Sean Payton.
2) Decline of our secondary - What was thought of by most as a strength in the preseason soon became a liability, as talented youngsters such as Cordrea Tankersley and Tony Lippett took HUGE steps backwards. This is mainly on DBs coach Tony Oden and Matt Burke, as they are directly responsible for overseeing the growth of talented young players. The aforementioned coaches should have been fired weeks ago, which is another fault of Gase's.
3) Tannenbaum/Grier/Ross - This trio gives me very little hope. Tannenbaum is a joke...I still know very little about Grier....and Ross could write a book about "How Not to Run an NFL Franchise". Giesecki is a prime example of a Tannenbaum pick. MT became enamored with the Giesecki's height, wingspan, and 40 time. He paid no attention to the fact that Giesecki is weak, and to call him a finesse player is a massive understatement. I have no hope that Ross can remedy the situation with his "fire the GM/keep the coach" or "fire the coach/keep the GM" bullshit, like he's plugging positions in a bank.