Sure, some of it is bad luck. But in my mind, it is in part due to priorities ..........ie to bring on speedy DBs, WRs and dual threat QBs, and beef up a thin OL. We've succeeded in all four areas, but have struggled bringing in high end DTs, and, (until this year) LBers.
So that leaves two areas remaining area to be filled...either by growth of existing young talent, or by upcoming classes, OR, by moving a few of the abundance of OL talent over to D.
FWIW: Back in the old days, we did a terrific job bringing in DTs who were often just 3 star kids but we developed them into outstanding college DTs. It's early, but I have yet to see that, as we continue to recover from the sanctions. Chalk it up to a variety of factors - bad luck, coaching changes, differing recruiting priorities.
While we have had great success these past three years, these two areas remain key to further and greater success, and to date, we still are searching for the kinds of kids that could take us over the top by providing the talent and depth we need to..... Go-All-The-Way. It is a tribute that we are no " this" close!
I fully believe we are on our way, and that it takes time to build a team from the ground up. CJF's recipe is a good one, and if all goes well, we should arrive at our ultimate destination in another year or two.
Great days have been here for several years now, and greater days are just ahead.
So that leaves two areas remaining area to be filled...either by growth of existing young talent, or by upcoming classes, OR, by moving a few of the abundance of OL talent over to D.
FWIW: Back in the old days, we did a terrific job bringing in DTs who were often just 3 star kids but we developed them into outstanding college DTs. It's early, but I have yet to see that, as we continue to recover from the sanctions. Chalk it up to a variety of factors - bad luck, coaching changes, differing recruiting priorities.
While we have had great success these past three years, these two areas remain key to further and greater success, and to date, we still are searching for the kinds of kids that could take us over the top by providing the talent and depth we need to..... Go-All-The-Way. It is a tribute that we are no " this" close!
I fully believe we are on our way, and that it takes time to build a team from the ground up. CJF's recipe is a good one, and if all goes well, we should arrive at our ultimate destination in another year or two.
Great days have been here for several years now, and greater days are just ahead.
