The DL is still below where it needs to be from a talent perspective. If they have money to spend that is a very good place to spend it. The program needs more players for sure. But what they really lack is impact players. If they have a shot at an impact DL but spend it on depth players that is really disappointing.Shocky1 said:
oskisneighborisrichlyons, wut specifically r ur concerns?
my take is that this is by far the deepest team during the wilcox era of relative mediocrity, really think this roster could win big this fall in the acc & there's honestly no tomorrow if that don't happen, the time is now which is why shocky is gonna attend all 12 games in person this fall with FREE pregame tailgate parties at buc-ee's
the linebackers wuz my biggest concern heading into spring camp, the addition of grad transfers teddye buchanan & liam johnson considerably strengthens the inside backer room (cade uluave got 1st team all acc upside & nobody works harder than hunter barth)...the outside linebacking room behind david reese & xavier carlton is now the #1 targeted area for improvement via the transfer portal, running with the 2s is athletic ryan mcculloch & a walk on...the staff desperately needs to close on another alpha edge defender asap
and yeah the defensive line is kinda a mix of multiple guys but the reality is that there aren't any elite defensive linemen in the transfer portal that don't wanna sec money...ricky correia got intriguing upside if he can get his conditioning to a non stop motor point of violence
watching the teams during warm ups in shreveport it wuz shocking how much slower the bears wuz compared to the raiders at the skill positions but those concerns have been addressed with the significant portal additions of SPEED based players at wide receiver & defensive backs that are replacing the much slower players on the roster at that time...there will be much faster bears with footspeed against uc davis on august 31 with tobias merriweather & mikey matthews now the starting wideouts alongside trond grizzell...and marcus harris (the fastest guy in the program) starting & ja'ir smith & isaiah crosby potentially also running with the 1s are key additions to the defensive backs room that couldn't close on balls in the air during 2023
fernando mendoza & chandler rogers are not stinson beach high school's jared goff but fully expect much improved qb production with much better playcalling & development by coach bloesch (the best coach on the staff) & qb coach sterlin gilbert
jaydn ott is the best running back in the acc & a legit heisman candidate if the bears win big on a national level, kadarius calloway (who could be the next sam jackson to flunk out if he don't got any academic ambition, he's not quite the nfl talent he's banking on right now) is an elite talent of speed and size & my boy javian "the jet" thomas is the FUTURE (just like haas biz ad grad mike saffell is the future head coach in waiting) of the cal football program...when the jet touches the ******* football, u got action & that's the magic of cal football
jack endries has put on 10 lbs of muscle after sometimes getting pushed around last season & got all acc tight end upside...the back ups are working hard but nobody has stepped up yet among the 2s
right now there are 6 trusted trench workers among cal's monster offensive line with tj sessions, sioape vatikani, nick morrow, matthew wykoff, bastian swinney & rush reimers...another portal transfer is being targeted during next week's dialing for dollars
ryan longwell is the worst coach on the staff (vic so'oto is a figurehead special teams coach, anybody who put the unshifty jeremiah hunter as the punt returner for 2 unproductive seasons is not knowledgeable in this area) but ryan coe got a nfl level leg, the punting will be fine & david bird is the gene simmons of long snapping
kinda wishing now shocky planned better (instead of a in & out weekend game at the valley club of montecito plus a quick meal at arigato sushi which got good people watching on state street) to attend next saturday's spring game, hopefully u & others will report from memorial stadium re: the 2024 talent levelOne week out from the Spring Showcase! ๐
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) April 14, 2024
Come out and support the Bears! #GoBears | #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/AlHtKsyE6C