Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Harrington, Joey 19 QB 3 34 49 5 yrs
Ragone, Dave 2 QB 2 14 59 2 yrs
Our future remains tied to Joey Harrington and his ability to read opposing defences which has soared from "5" to "6." To be fair, he does have 100 for timing now and 49 for accuracy, so if we keep him upright he can do well. He wasn't helped last year by the league's worst rushing attack and repeated injuries to receivers.
Ragone is 1-0 as a starter and his read defence is a very healthy 38/90, with 21/80 accuracy and 28/71 timing. If we can develop him well then he's going to be a pretty solid Quarterback.
Doug Flutie retired in a huff at the end of the season after becoming increasingly angry that he wasn't picked in front of Harrington until Joey was put on IR in week 14. When that happened we picked up the battered shell of David Carr who had been ditched by Houston the year before following a serious concussion, but he won't be back.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Huntley, Richard 20 RB 9 53 53 2 yrs
Fargas, Justin 25 RB 2 24 28 2 yrs
Schlesinger, Cory 22 FB 10 38 38 5 yrs
2002 was Huntley's last season in real life and after watching him for us in 2003 I can see why. 657 yards at 3.46 a carry isn't scaring anyone and I'll be in the market for a replacement this year through Free Agency or the draft. Sadly the 2004 draft class is weak for Running Backs.
Fargas wasn't supposed to be much more than a change of pace and my Head Coach's aversion to running at the edges of the offensive line meant he never really got to use his speed to the outside or elusiveness. Regardless, he's not a back to rely on for more than five or so carries a game.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Gates, Antonio 81 TE 2 67 67 4 yrs
Gates was hobbled for most of the year, firstly by a coach who criminally underused him and then, for the last four games, by one of those annoying hamstring pulls that means he's constantly playing at half speed.
34 catches, 351 yards and four touchdowns is reasonable, but I expect that to be the worst season he ever has, or I'll be punching my coach in the throat.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Crowell, Germane 89 FL 7 49 49 2 yrs
Hakim, Az-zahir 86 FL 7 46 46 1 yr.
Drummond, Eddie 85 FL 3 26 43 5 yrs
Morton, Johnnie 88 SE 11 47 47 1 yr.
Too many injuries at the receiver position last year and they struck just as our running game was collapsing, raising the focus on this position. Johnnie Morton was a fantastic late free agency grab from Kansas and in 15 games he caught 104 passes for 1,209 yards.
Morton is all about getting deep and he had 20 catches of more than 20 yards and a third of his total yards came after the catch. For some reason he couldn't crack the end zone however, scoring only twice.
Drummond and Hakim are largely returners and the two old soaks who were here last year, Germane Crowell and Bill Schroeder have a good chance of being elsewhere next year. Schroeder is a receivers leader, but he's dropping away as he reaches his 12th year in the league and Crowell wants a lot of money for someone who put in a very routine ~65 catches for ~850 yards.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Raiola, Dominic 50 C 4 51 52 4 yrs
Smith, Brent 62 LG 8 47 47 3 yrs
Joyce, Matt 67 LG 10 32 32 1 yr.
Thomas, Randy 64 RG 6 58 58 3 yrs
Hopson, Tyrone 61 RG 6 37 37 1 yr.
Backus, Jeff 76 LT 4 59 71 3 yrs
Glenn, Tarik 72 LT 8 40 40 1 yr.
McDougle, Stockar 69 RT 5 62 62 1 yr.
The line was frequently shaky thanks to injuries through the middle three positions and this hurt our running game and our pass protection. Jeff Backus played brilliantly at Left Tackle, dropping his sacks allowed from 14 in 2002 to 5, but often saw the protection inside collapse.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Hanson, Jason 11 K 13 76 76 5 yrs
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Edwards, Kalima 79 LDE 3 23 38 3 yrs
Hall, James 70 RDE 5 51 51 4 yrs
De Vries, Jared 71 RDE 6 33 33 5 yrs
Rogers, Shaun 93 LDT 4 55 61 4 yrs
Elliss, Luther 73 RDT 10 69 69 2 yrs
Luther Ellis held out before the season begging for a big contract, which I finally gave him and then he turned in a very mundane season with 1.5 sacks, (down from 6 the year before), and 38 tackles, (down from 49).
Robert Porcher showed everyone the way with 9 sacks and then promptly retired.
Along the line, Edwards could probably use a switch to RDE as he doesn't run stop well, but James Hall is a decent pass rusher with an all-day motor, (stamina = 100!), so a switch would be pointless as Hall never comes off the field.
De Vries is an old hand who reads the game well, which is good as being in the right place is the only thing that saves him, as the rest of his skills are barely average.
Shaun Rogers is a bull in the middle and should destroy opposing lines with Elliss, when Elliss can be bothered. Rogers picked up his first three career sacks this year.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Claiborne, Chris 99 MLB 6 52 52 2 yrs
Hillenmeyer, Hunter 58 MLB 2 18 38 2 yrs
Curry, Donte 98 SLB 4 30 40 5 yrs
Favors, Greg 54 WLB 7 42 42 3 yrs
Linebacking was a disaster zone due to low talent and then injuries. Two players were on injured reserve by the end of week one and Claiborne - Rudd - Favors who should then have been our main were banged up all year as they had very little depth to give them plays off.
Eventually we ended up signing a bunch of free agents to one year deals, one of whom had a brilliant "0" rating for his run defence.
It wasn't pretty and outside of halfback, this is where we could use most help.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Newman, Terence 39 LCB 2 38 43 2 yrs
Goodman, Andre 48 LCB 3 15 37 5 yrs
Walker, Bracy 32 SS 11 44 44 4 yrs
Mikell, Quentin 46 FS 2 12 29 2 yrs
We finished 31 out of 32 for passing yardage allowed which apparently isn't too good. Contracts mean we've only one of our three Walkers left and this whole unit is pretty patchwork.
Terence Newman had a respectable rookie season, but he's a cornerback whose primary strength is in run support, which isn't too clever. He ended up starting 13 games thanks to, (stop me if you've heard this one), injuries, finishing with one interception and nine passes defensed, but he allowed
fifty two catches.
Despite this I would be ok starting him again next year as I suspect he'll get a play diagnosis bump to help out and I may have no choice but to do so anyway if better players don't show up in Free Agency or fall to me in the draft.
Cohesion for our secondary was 51 in 2003 and I expect it to be even lower this year.