Incoming VS Outgoing

[Auburn4Winners 0]

I wanted us to have a thread to talk about the new players that are coming in, this year (some of which have already arrived) versus the players that we just lost to the NFL and graduation. Where do you guys think we are stronger or weaker this year, and why?

My personal opinion.. we might take a step back at RB early in the season but will eventually catch up to where we were last year, but at WR I think the new guys, plus the development of the young guys are going to be a massive challenge for any defense.

[AuburnNTexas 7,497]

Improvement at WR.

Lost Greg Robinson at LT those are big shoes to fill have two really top notch guys who will try and fill the void plus have 4 returning starters on O-Line. By end of year O-Line will be better as a unit then last years which was pretty darn good.

Returing QB and Backup will be better at QB then last year.

D-line lost Ford and others but some Freshmane got PT I believe will be weaker at beginning of year but better by end of year in D-Line

Linebackers incoming will be an upgrade but will miss Holland more than many people believe.

D-backs great new talent coming in great old talent leaving this is a Question mark that could go either way. I think will be an improvement.

Same O and D coaches as last year playing same O and same D as last year so players are ahead of last year because of experience in the system. O will be awesome and D will be better just don't know how much better. I think being in same system will help a lot on D.

[Wareagletd 0]

DB will be much improved. Especially at the end of their careers compared to the other guys. Expect to see a couple play early. (Bessent and Ruffin)

WR upgrade.

DL will be good. People have to be patient. The guys are coming in the summer.

RB. Roc Thomas is the truth.

LB. Williams will be a head hunter and will contribute day 1.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Defensively, I expect to see improvement in the back seven based primarily on Holsey moving back to his natural position. Davis was really underrated. If Holsey has to play Safety, we're going to be weaker at CB, but if Moncrief locks that position down, I suspect he'll be better than Holsey/Smith were at that spot and Holsey effectively replaces Davis.

Even with improved coverage, I think we'll have issues defending the pass early. Ford was as good an edge rusher as we've had. He's every bit as good or better than Lemonier, Groves, McClover, Torbor, etc. Early on, I don't expect the same type of consistent pass rush, which means opposing passing games will have more time to work. Even with improved coverage on the back, you can't cover forever. I think losing Ford is going to show up early.

Offensively, I don't think you'll see a major difference at RB. Mason was great. Truly great, but Marshall has time to develop chemistry with CAP and Grant. I think the diversity of those three runners are going to paper over any step down in talent from Mason. Plus, I suspect the pass game will look better. With fewer teams loading the box, the run game will look fine.

We're not going to be as good at LT, but I think the offensive line will be better. Kozan was good. He can be better. Young was good. He can be better. Slade and Dismukes can be better. If those four step up their games collectively, it takes pressure off Coleman or Miller at LT. We won't be as dominant on that edge, but either guy will be good and the OL as a whole can be better.

[JFDTiger80 813]

Nice topic and intersting reading eveyones thoughts.

My 2 cents on a couple of things.

1. Offense will be scarier as long as Marshall completes his medium range passes and stays healthy. Marshall better not throw his shoulder into DB's this year in order to make an additional yard. He just needs to remember all the weapons we have get out of bounds and get on to another play. WR's are better. I think the line will be as good or better. RB's, IMHO will not skip a beat. They need to hold on to the ball, but we should continue to be an elite running team. (Marshall, CAP, Grant, Roc, Truitt, and Petway (hopefully) and sometimes Bray and Lewis. CAP and Grant were fantastic in the spring game.

My biggest concern for the offense is actually the FB position. Prosch was so good last year. he opened up some serious holes, and seemed to never miss a block in the last 8 games or so.

2. Defense concerns me until we show we can stop teams. As Mikey says, our LB's have not been SEC champion caliber. They have to get better. LB's have to be counted on to make tons of tackles. I think our DT's will be improved over last year. Our DE's may be very good, but that depends on Lawson being able ot play w/o getting injured, and needing some of the freshman to step up. I feel similarly about our DB's, we may be improved here, but we need a year in which the starters stay healthy, and we need to be aggressive going for the ball. I thnk we were getting better at this last year.

Final point - I think our offense will be so good that our defense will not matter a ton. We will outscore most teams. I do think that in order to be a National Champion, our defense will be the key. Our offense is already there; our defense will need to stiffen up. Frankly, I do not know if they can get there, but I do think our team will be very fun to watch this year.

[Auburn4Winners 0]

I, personally, think our defense has a chance to be really great. If you look at the production we got from some really young guys last year it will ease your mind. Losing Dee Ford is painful but Carl Lawson is going to be a monster. LaDarius Owens and Elijah Daniel are two guys I fully expect us to be praising by game 4.Owens just has a great motor and I think the little bit he struggled last year was mainly due to adjusting to a new position and defensive scheme. Having Jeff Whitaker back along with progression from Gabe Wright and Montravious Adams just has me giddy. As somebody pointed out above, the entire defense will receive an upgrade just by being in the same system for a second year.

Here's the real sunshine: The progress we saw from Cassanova McKinzy was C- to B+, through the season last year. Being moved from OLB to MLB might turn out to be a stroke of genius and I fully believe we will see some hard hits in the hole this year. Derrick Moncrief (JUCO S) will hold one of the starting safety spots and I really believe Holsey will get to go back to his natural position CB. We FINALLY get back last year's spring MVP, Justin Garrett, who was praised by coaches. Overall, I fully believe that the defense, by game 4, will be impressive enough that we will be hearing about in the media.

[tigerwings 75]

Defensively, I expect to see improvement in the back seven based primarily on Holsey moving back to his natural position. Davis was really underrated. If Holsey has to play Safety, we're going to be weaker at CB, but if Moncrief locks that position down, I suspect he'll be better than Holsey/Smith were at that spot and Holsey effectively replaces Davis.

Even with improved coverage, I think we'll have issues defending the pass early. Ford was as good an edge rusher as we've had. He's every bit as good or better than Lemonier, Groves, McClover, Torbor, etc. Early on, I don't expect the same type of consistent pass rush, which means opposing passing games will have more time to work. Even with improved coverage on the back, you can't cover forever. I think losing Ford is going to show up early.

Offensively, I don't think you'll see a major difference at RB. Mason was great. Truly great, but Marshall has time to develop chemistry with CAP and Grant. I think the diversity of those three runners are going to paper over any step down in talent from Mason. Plus, I suspect the pass game will look better. With fewer teams loading the box, the run game will look fine.

We're not going to be as good at LT, but I think the offensive line will be better. Kozan was good. He can be better. Young was good. He can be better. Slade and Dismukes can be better. If those four step up their games collectively, it takes pressure off Coleman or Miller at LT. We won't be as dominant on that edge, but either guy will be good and the OL as a whole can be better.

I like your points except I don't see the drop off at LT. For all intents and purposes if Coleman wins the job, which I am expecting at this point, his teammates feel he is stronger and more athletic than GRob was. He has already shown like GRob he is a run blocking Beast. He has more time and hopefully a more balanced offense to work on his pass blocking than GRob. By the end of the season I expect we may have an even better line by position than last year, given the room for improvement, continuity and additional strength training with coach Russell. Even Gabe thought Coleman was better than GRob.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

I hope you're right. I would note that where Shon's game is strongest (run blocking) to probably going to be a diminished portion of the offense (even if it's still our focus). I think Greg is one of the two best offensive line at Auburn in the last 15 years (at least). Marcus McNeil is the other. I think you'll see a drop-off.

[alexava 6,987]

I think the oline will be as good in the first game this year as the end of last year. Wr much better. Rbs will be good. Would have been better with Mason but can't dwell on that. Defense I honestly don't know. Kicking will have to improve a lot to get back to the level of'13.

[bikeriderga 137]

Call me one who definitely has the orange and blue glasses on this year, but as good as our departing greats were, I don't think we lose a beat. In fact this team, overall will be stronger and better than last year. Out of the gate and at the end of the year.

Ford will be missed, but Carl Lawson has the same talent level, just not the experience, YET!

Davis was well underrated, but we get Garrett and Holsey back. That will be a big boost in the DB backfield.

With Wright, Adams, Bradley, Daniel, and Blackson rotating it out on the D-Line not worried.

Wide receivers will be dynamite, along with an improved Nick Marshall. Tre Mason was a great RB, but with Grant, CAP, Barber, and ROC we are stacked in the RB core. No worries there.

The toughest guy to replace will be Prosch.

[aucanucktiger 1,989]

IMHO, from an overall offense & defense perspective, results shouldn't be much different. The new personnel fit ole Ellis' "system" better so maybe some improvement in total D. Moncrief was born to be in the 4-2-5 and it will be shocking if the secondary at least isn't much better. Extreme secondary talent in a pro-appropriate system (4-2-5) though to me means opportunistic D making lots of interceptions but, in college, giving up lots of big plays. Again. Anyway, our O will overcome our D so moving on...

SPECIAL TEAMS. Two redshirt freshmen at kicker & punter using a new deep snapper? Grant, Bray & Ford should be good in returns however.

It's really good Jeremy played in all those games last year. For a number of reasons (history, nature of our O exposing him to injury, his less than robust build, take-the-late-hit-and-neutralize-him thought process by opposing D's knowing how important he is to our triple option) I think Nick gets hurt a lot this year and opposing D's will not be impressed with Johnson's triple threat abilities. Our running game should again make deer in headlights out of opposing defenses but what would really missed without Nick is his judgment in the triple option. Johnson's a better passer but IMO not on the same planet as Nick running the option yet.

[Rednilla 5,469]

Call me one who definitely has the orange and blue glasses on this year, but as good as our departing greats were, I don't think we lose a beat. In fact this team, overall will be stronger and better than last year. Out of the gate and at the end of the year.

Ford will be missed, but Carl Lawson has the same talent level, just not the experience, YET!

Davis was well underrated, but we get Garrett and Holsey back. That will be a big boost in the DB backfield.

With Wright, Adams, Bradley, Daniel, and Blackson rotating it out on the D-Line not worried.

Wide receivers will be dynamite, along with an improved Nick Marshall. Tre Mason was a great RB, but with Grant, CAP, Barber, and ROC we are stacked in the RB core. No worries there.

The toughest guy to replace will be Prosch.

I don't think we're going to miss Dee Ford one bit; I don't mean that as a shot at Dee, just that we're stacked on the line. Quite honestly I believe Carl Lawson has a higher ceiling than Ford ever showed, to begin with, and between Owens' return from injury and Elijah Daniels moving back outside on a more permanent basis, we have the front line of the DE position covered quite well. I don't know what to expect out of Gimel President, but we have several highly thought of freshmen coming in to supplement the depth chart.

I pretty well agree with all of your other points, particularly about Prosch. I'm hopeful that Gage Batten learned well in his understudy role last season, because I haven't seen the tenacity for blocking out of any other candidate for the position.

Also, I want to go ahead and put out there that I think Shon Coleman is going to be as good or better at LT than Robinson. I can remember back when he was a junior in high school when Auburn offered and all the rival recruitniks were laughing, because at the time it was his teammate who was thought to be the prize...and then summer camps came around, and Shon (who had already committed at this point) shot up the rankings. Pretty sure he was a consensus 5 star, and there's good reason for all the attention.

Now, he's beaten cancer and clawed his way back to the same imposing physique from high school. I don't think there's much he can't overcome.

All in all, we look like we're going to be a better team, top to bottom, than we were last season. That doesn't mean this season will be better than last, only that the pieces are better in place; going on the road for both stops of Amen Corner isn't going to be a cakewalk, and there's a minefield of a season to go through before getting to our two biggest rivals.

But color me optimistic that Auburn will be a force on the national picture for this entire season.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Again, I really hope you're right, but I think some Auburn folks are in denial about how good Greg Robinson really was.

[bikeriderga 137]

Again, I really hope you're right, but I think some Auburn folks are in denial about how good Greg Robinson really was.

No, Robinson is one ultra gifted player. But Coleman is actually stronger.

[alexava 6,987]

Its the overall strength and development of the oline as a whole that o think is as good or better than the end of last season. If Greg was back it would be even better.

[DivisionN 102]

I'm glad we have Coleman but G-Rob was one of those once in a decade guys. Still, Coleman will do the job well.

Improved at linebacker by experience and new guys coming in.

Improved at QB by experience.

Dropoff, big one at Fullback.

Secondary will not be a good at beginning of the year but will be better by the end of the year due to greater talent and size.

Defensive tackle... loaded, better

Defensive ends.. We will miss Ford, but I think, by the end of the year, IF we stay healthy, then we will be better overall.

Running back. Big loss in Tre, but we have talent and will be equal by end of the year.

Wide Receivers... Better in every way

Kickers.. and this could be the "kicker" ... I was not impressed with our placekicker or our punter. They looked like high schoolers, not kids that had been in the program a year. We could have a big dropoff here.

[AU Counsel 64]

On a random note, it was good to see Greg Robinson make a brief appearance along with Clowney, Moseley, Watkins, and a handful of top draft prospects on the Tonight Show last night. Unlike a few others, he put non a suit, an orange tie, and looked like a well dressed monster. I expect he'll be playing on Sundays for years to come.

[WarEagle84 0]

On a random note, it was good to see Greg Robinson make a brief appearance along with Clowney, Moseley, Watkins, and a handful of top draft prospects on the Tonight Show last night. Unlike a few others, he put non a suit, an orange tie, and looked like a well dressed monster. I expect he'll be playing on Sundays for years to come.

Good showing for him, and Fallon got in a good joke off him too. "He doesn't let anyone through, which has earned him the nickname The Obamacare Website."

[Rednilla 5,469]

Again, I really hope you're right, but I think some Auburn folks are in denial about how good Greg Robinson really was.

I'm not in denial about how good Greg Robinson was, I just have a really, really good feeling about Shon Coleman. You don't go through what he went through without gaining something a little extra.

[Tiger 8,908]

Again, I really hope you're right, but I think some Auburn folks are in denial about how good Greg Robinson really was.

I agree with this. Greg Robinson, from the moment he was on campus it was evident he was going to be a star by the time he was done at Auburn (and he only played 2 years!). There is buzz around the draft, I had read online, about Greg Robinson's potential to be a hall of famer. People like him don't come around very often. This is not a shot to Shon Coleman, but the last time Auburn had a generational talent (Cam Newton) people thought the next guy (Frazier) would just seamlessly keep the offense moving. Sure its only one example, and Shon Coleman, I believe, will be very good by the time he's finished. But to expect there to be no drop off at the LT position because the guy filling the departed guy's position (who couldn't beat him out in the first place) is kind of silly. I understand it though, fans have been doing this for years (James Swinton, Philip Pierre-Louis, Deangelo Benton, Kodi Burns as QB all generated lots of fan/message board hype for no reason)

[WarEagle84 0]

Again, I really hope you're right, but I think some Auburn folks are in denial about how good Greg Robinson really was.

I agree with this. Greg Robinson, from the moment he was on campus it was evident he was going to be a star by the time he was done at Auburn (and he only played 2 years!). There is buzz around the draft, I had read online, about Greg Robinson's potential to be a hall of famer. People like him don't come around very often. This is not a shot to Shon Coleman, but the last time Auburn had a generational talent (Cam Newton) people thought the next guy (Frazier) would just seamlessly keep the offense moving. Sure its only one example, and Shon Coleman, I believe, will be very good by the time he's finished. But to expect there to be no drop off at the LT position because the guy filling the departed guy's position (who couldn't beat him out in the first place) is kind of silly. I understand it though, fans have been doing this for years (James Swinton, Philip Pierre-Louis, Deangelo Benton, Kodi Burns as QB all generated lots of fan/message board hype for no reason)

Since when do we need a reason for hype?

[Tiger 8,908]

Again, I really hope you're right, but I think some Auburn folks are in denial about how good Greg Robinson really was.

I agree with this. Greg Robinson, from the moment he was on campus it was evident he was going to be a star by the time he was done at Auburn (and he only played 2 years!). There is buzz around the draft, I had read online, about Greg Robinson's potential to be a hall of famer. People like him don't come around very often. This is not a shot to Shon Coleman, but the last time Auburn had a generational talent (Cam Newton) people thought the next guy (Frazier) would just seamlessly keep the offense moving. Sure its only one example, and Shon Coleman, I believe, will be very good by the time he's finished. But to expect there to be no drop off at the LT position because the guy filling the departed guy's position (who couldn't beat him out in the first place) is kind of silly. I understand it though, fans have been doing this for years (James Swinton, Philip Pierre-Louis, Deangelo Benton, Kodi Burns as QB all generated lots of fan/message board hype for no reason)

Since when do we need a reason for hype?

I would think past merit would be reason to hype something. I personally am not a fan of singing praises of anything before something has been accomplished.

[alexava 6,987]

Not understanding the Greg Robinson vs Shon Comparisons. Greg was great, but gone now. Shon might be great. The fact is Shon might not even start on this line and the line could STILL be better than last year and one of the best ever. No need to worry, argue, fret or fear. We are smooth stacked on the oline. That is as confident as I can be about any position I have seen heading into a season.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Well, the comparisons stem from the fact that this entire thread is a comparison between the departing players and their replacements. Sooooo... not sure how you avoid comparisons between the LT we had against one of the candidates to replace him.

Like everyone else, I'm a huge fan of Shon Coleman, and personally, I think the leap Patrick Miller made between year one and year two was incredibly impressive. He went from liability to consistent performer. Non-playing issues took him out of that position. He was good enough to hold Avery Young off in preseason, and without the off-field stuff, he never would've been replaced. I'm not just giving Shon the job, but if we're guessing (and we are), I think Shon wins the starting spot.

Again, I think the OL, as a whole, has a chance to be better than last year (when it was the best OL in the country), but I expect a dropoff at LT, no matter who wins the job. The last time we lost a truly dominant LT (McNeil), we were able to replace the starter with an eventual NFL starter (Dunlap), but we still saw a massive dropoff. I don't think it will be that severe, but it's really difficult to replace truly great LTs. They don't come around often.

Personal opinion, McNeil was the best OT at Auburn since Willie Anderson (I think both were better than Victor Riley), and he would've been a top ten guy if not the questions about his back. I think Greg is as good or better than both of those guys. Shon Coleman or Patrick Miller will be very good this year, but very good, even first-team All-SEC-type good, would be a step down from last year.

[McLoofus 35,182]

This has all probably been said already one way or another, so apologies for any redundancy, but I see potential for dropoff at:

LT- Already been discussed, and I can see all sides of it. I do think we'll be good enough.

RB- Ditto. I'm optimistic- we'll definitely be deeper with Barber and Thomas- but I simply can't assume we'll get production like what Tre gave us last year.

FB- Evidently there's already dropoff. Gus has essentially said that he hasn't found Prosch's replacement yet. I feel like Fulse has looked great at times, and Uzomah could definitely give us a superior receiving threat, but we probably still need a legit road grader. Will be a point of concern until it isn't.

CB- Chris Davis was very good. Hopefully Holsey can be better.

P- Obvious.

K- "

I see improvement at QB, WR, DL, LB and S... so, almost everywhere else.

EDIT: Meant to add that I love the idea for the thread and have enjoyed the discussion.