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- Jul 20, 2001
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Defense
Up front they have Calais Campbell, Rodney Gunter (rookie, 4th Rd, Delaware St), and Frostee Rucker. Campbell is a good player and at 6'8" can disrupt the passing game. Who knows about the rookie. He's replacing Corey Peters who was injured in preseason. Rucker is a solid player entering the twilight of his career. He turns 32 on opening day.
At LB, they have Woodley, a savvy vet, but past his prime. Kevin Minter is a former 2nd round pick that has largely disappointed and will be upgraded following this season if at all possible. He's ok against the run but average in coverage. Witherspoon was allowed to walk by the Falcons. That doesn't mean he's not talented, but he's also not exactly fearsome, though athletic and good in coverage. Alex Okafor plays opposite Woodley and is the best player in the unit. He had 8 sacks last year in his first year starting.
The secondary is a mixed bag. Peterson was considered a top corner, but was repeatedly picked on early last season before playing better in the latter half. Jerraud Powers is decent on the other side but was expected to be a cap casualty by AZ beat writers. Then they have Mattheu and Tony Jefferson at S. AZ media speculated that Jefferson would have a reduced role with Tyrann returning, but he's still listed as starter on the depth chart. Also expect to see Rashad Johnson, who is a playmaker but not good against the pass.
Offense
Carson Palmer is an up and down player that will make mistakes. We've all seen him play.
The OL is a bit banged up, and Iupati will miss the game, so Larsen will start in his place. Larsen has started a lot of games but was seen as a backup. Cooper is a very good guard. The center Shipley is a decent journeyman player, Earl Watford and Veldeer are nothing special on the edges. Overall it's just a "meh" unit, though it was a pretty awful unit in the preseason. They allowed a lot of heat on Palmer.
At TE I'm guessing they'll start Gresham, though he's listed second on the depth chart. I'm guessing he's the go to guy. Nobody in Cincy cried when he left because he's prone to mental mistakes like dropped passes and fumbles. At receiver they have Fitz and Michael Floyd. Floyd hasn't been cleared after dislocating a finger but I'd expect him to play. Fitz is just Fitz. He's a great player.
At RB, Ellington looked explosive his rookie year, but averaged just 3.3 YPC last year and was bottled up in preseason. Chris Johnson is a big play threat but is a journeyman at this point in his career.
Overall, it's a solid roster but not intimidating. I think we have a solid shot if Brees can avoid the costly mistake against an opportunistic secondary.
Up front they have Calais Campbell, Rodney Gunter (rookie, 4th Rd, Delaware St), and Frostee Rucker. Campbell is a good player and at 6'8" can disrupt the passing game. Who knows about the rookie. He's replacing Corey Peters who was injured in preseason. Rucker is a solid player entering the twilight of his career. He turns 32 on opening day.
At LB, they have Woodley, a savvy vet, but past his prime. Kevin Minter is a former 2nd round pick that has largely disappointed and will be upgraded following this season if at all possible. He's ok against the run but average in coverage. Witherspoon was allowed to walk by the Falcons. That doesn't mean he's not talented, but he's also not exactly fearsome, though athletic and good in coverage. Alex Okafor plays opposite Woodley and is the best player in the unit. He had 8 sacks last year in his first year starting.
The secondary is a mixed bag. Peterson was considered a top corner, but was repeatedly picked on early last season before playing better in the latter half. Jerraud Powers is decent on the other side but was expected to be a cap casualty by AZ beat writers. Then they have Mattheu and Tony Jefferson at S. AZ media speculated that Jefferson would have a reduced role with Tyrann returning, but he's still listed as starter on the depth chart. Also expect to see Rashad Johnson, who is a playmaker but not good against the pass.
Offense
Carson Palmer is an up and down player that will make mistakes. We've all seen him play.
The OL is a bit banged up, and Iupati will miss the game, so Larsen will start in his place. Larsen has started a lot of games but was seen as a backup. Cooper is a very good guard. The center Shipley is a decent journeyman player, Earl Watford and Veldeer are nothing special on the edges. Overall it's just a "meh" unit, though it was a pretty awful unit in the preseason. They allowed a lot of heat on Palmer.
At TE I'm guessing they'll start Gresham, though he's listed second on the depth chart. I'm guessing he's the go to guy. Nobody in Cincy cried when he left because he's prone to mental mistakes like dropped passes and fumbles. At receiver they have Fitz and Michael Floyd. Floyd hasn't been cleared after dislocating a finger but I'd expect him to play. Fitz is just Fitz. He's a great player.
At RB, Ellington looked explosive his rookie year, but averaged just 3.3 YPC last year and was bottled up in preseason. Chris Johnson is a big play threat but is a journeyman at this point in his career.
Overall, it's a solid roster but not intimidating. I think we have a solid shot if Brees can avoid the costly mistake against an opportunistic secondary.
