The more I think about this years team and the more posts I read in this forum the more I get to wondering how everybody else feels about what kind of depth we have and at what positions we have it at. I feel like we possibly have good depth at QB but that remains to be seen. I also feel like we have good depth at TE, on the inside of our Offensive Line, and to an extent at all of the LB positions. I guess it also could be argued that we have decent depth at safety given how good Adams and Sorensen have been playing but I'm not sure I trust either to fill in. I know that I shouldn't type this but if Lewis, Stallworth (Donte has been known to get hurt more than he stays healthy), Eric Wright or Brandon McDonald, any starter on our DL, or either one of our safeties goes down I think that it makes us a significanly worse team. I'm just wanting to get a grasp as to how everybody else feels about this topic and if most of you are as worried as I am.

Injuries have a huge impact on teams in the NFL, I cant think of any teams that can afford to lose multiple people and still have a good season. Last year was the first year we've been successful for a while, and it was the first year that we werent bogged down by injuries. Granted, we had more talent. Still though, no team can suceed with a lot of injuries. Its part of the game.

I think the defensive line depth is a bigger concern than anything else. I remember last year we only went in with six guys, and when Washington and Roye went down, we had to play guys like Simon Fraser and Ethan Kelley.

While the top three are vastly improved over last year, the only real rotational player we have is Shaun Smith. Maybe Loius Leonard too, but I don't have much confidence in him. We need to have quality guys who are able to go in and relieve the starters once in a while. So far it looks like it's down to Rubin, Purcell, and Pittman. Not exactly confidence inspiring, although it looks like the year spent on the practice squad has done more for Pittman than Purcell.

Babatunde Oshinowo, anyone? I hear he was just released by the Redskins...

quote:

Originally posted by areasee:
Injuries have a huge impact on teams in the NFL, I cant think of any teams that can afford to lose multiple people and still have a good season. Last year was the first year we've been successful for a while, and it was the first year that we werent bogged down by injuries. Granted, we had more talent. Still though, no team can suceed with a lot of injuries. Its part of the game.

The Patriots seem to do a good job with their injuries. But we seem to loose the biggest parts of our team. QB, RB, #1 reciever etc.

No one can overcome that. How good would the Cowboys have been if they lost Aikman, Emmitt AND Irvin in the preseason?

Wow, the Patriots....the 90's Cowboys?

Getting a little ahead of yourself, no? Relax, we are just the Browns. The paranoya around here is out of control. Oh my god if Jamal gets hurt, oh my god if....if.....if

Relax, man I can't say it enough RELAX.



Of course we don't have any depth, 3 short years ago we gutted the entire team....Remeber Gerrard Warren?? William Green??

Relax

Depth is meant to be just that DEPTH.

In a normal regular season case it would be for a series or two for one player to come in...maybe even a game or two.

But the surrounding 10 should keep things in order and actually provide an environment that the depth (who we already deemed to be a downgrade from our starter) could be productive and possibly provide some impact.

But in preseason. We are holding guys out with nicks and bruises in hope to have them 100% for our Regular season. We are downgrading our starting positions WHOLESALE so that the total downgrade in talent sticks out like a sore thumb.

Also when we give a starter a rest...in the regular season it wouldn't be the ENTIRE DL...we would have a rotation to keep the DL fresh. In the Preseason we were bringing in an entire new DL all a major downgrade but collectively multiplied that downgrade in talent shown on the field. So its not that easy to judge how bad our depth is in a lot of cases.

Other teams must make changes too in preseason but I think we were facing a lot of teams trying to dig themselves out of wholes dug from the 07 season. (Obviously not the Giants but Caughlin treats the Preseason differently than probably any other coach out there) Keeping the starters out in a mix longer...having competitions in positions so that in fairness have to have supporting cast out there double...like we did in the QB competition of last year. Well what we don't see is Maybe a ILB in competition will get his starting Will n Sam out there longer to look at the comptition with both.

I haven't liked what I've seen from a lot also...don't get me wrong I am not pleased as a fan and I'm sure the coaches aren't pleased either. But my point is - its not as bad as its first glance.

JMHO