We WILL miss Okeafor...we WILL not miss Ross....and if Berry can stay healthy, the loss of Okeafor can be minimized.
What have Pace (now into year four) and Blackstock (now into year three) done for us? Correct....not much. But what opportunities have they really been given....not much. Therein lies the rub.
But where was Okeafor (or Berry for that matter) at similar stages of their careers....nothing special. They developed however, at about this time frame and I truly believe that so will Pace and Blackstock....cuz it's now or never and they know it. The difference is, they now have the opportunity....and they are being deployed in positions that are made for them.
Hayes has pro bowl talent and has come into his own. But the darksiders would have gotten rid of him two years ago. Wilson...he was a bum in the eyes of the darksiders for his first three years. Now he's a pro bowler.
Bryant Johnson.....can't catch a ball...yeah, right!
JJ Arrington...gutless....he's probably running as well as either Shipp or Edge right now.
Pope....can catch, but can't block.....yeah right. He looked just fine to me against Oakland....and he is still a kid for cryin out loud.
Dansby...the darksiders were saying he was a head case....a complainer....what's with this toe stuff....get rid of the bum. Good thing the FO didn't listen to them.
Al Johnson....what was Graves thinking signing him in FA? Sure held his own in pre-season game #1.
Rolle...cut his ass.
I think we'll be just fine...sorry k9 and cheesebeef.
First, I am a darksider, and I know I didn't call for Hayes to be cut. I loved the pick, and was sorry he was so injured. I felt that, once he got onto the field, he would be a good pickup.
Second, good point about the parallels between Berry and our young guys. I'm hard on Pace (for good reason), and Blackstock hasn't shown much. It's put up or shut up time for them now. Let's hope at least one of them can step up.
Next, Bryant Johnson.....can't catch a ball...yeah, right! Um, yes, that is correct. I cannot recall a single real clutch catch that he has caught. He's dropped them, sure. Also, JJ needs to actually show something in a real game before I'll start giving him mad props.
I still don't think Pope is a truly serviceable blocker at TE, but he wasn't a blocking TE coming into the league, so I am neither surprised nor disappointed.
With Dansby, he really was playing like a headcase and acting like a bum. Maybe it was displeasure with the Green regime, and maybe not. I didn't want to cut him then; I wanted him to come back and play well. Let's hope he lights it up this season.
And Al Johnson? Good signing, idiotic contract. 'Nuff said.