Your 2015 projected starters...

[Ebenezer]

QB- Rivers
RB- Oliver/Gordon
TE - Gates
SE - Floyd
Slot - Johnson
FL - Allen
LT - Dunlap
LG - Franklin
C - Watt
RG- Troutman
RT - Fluker

I expect our 11 personnel to drop dramatically from last year, but will still be well over 50% of the snaps. Oliver starts the season because of his experience in pass protection.

D
OLB/DE - Ingram
DE/DT- Reyes
DE/DT- Liuget
OLB/DE - Attaochu
ILB - Teo
ILB - Butler/Perryman
NB - Wilson/Mager
CB - Flowers
S- Weddle
S- Addae
CB- Verrett

Mager will win the starting NB spot by midseason, allowing Wilson to focus on S. Expect Williams to play in the base D in much the same mold as JJ did. Hopefully, Mathews and Philton will cause Liuget and Reyes to lose playing time.

I generally agree. There are a few areas that I see differently. I think it will be a lot more Gordon/Woodhead than it will Gordon/Oliver. Gordon will get the lion's share of the early down work, with Woodhead reprising his role as one of the league's best 3rd down backs. Oliver can spell either.

I know you are running down a 4-2-5 look here, but when we are in base I expect Carrethers to push for the NT spot and Reyes to have a lot of competition to retain his starting DE role.

I think it's Robinson's job to lose as the nickel out of the gate, but with competition from Mager and Williams. Wilson seems to be their replacement for Gilchrist to platoon with Addae. He makes more sense in that role than Gilly did, because he's a coverage specialist whereas Gilchrist was better vs the run-- the former is a better compliment to Addae.

[KNSD]

Oliver's pass protection sucks. IMO, Gordon has a better chance at being the opening day starter.

[Ebenezer]

Oliver's pass protection sucks. IMO, Gordon has a better chance at being the opening day starter.

Doesn't this seem like it should be obvious given who we have and what we paid to get Gordon? I'm surprised that it's a question for anyone.

[Panamamike]

You mean his 2 million salary with incentives to make it 3 million? I'd call that close to starter money.
1.25 mil of it is guaranteed.

Starting punter or FG kicker money.....maybe. Gilchrist got 4yr 22MM with 3.5 MM guranteed.....and that is bottom end starter money.

[Lightningwill_420]

Doesn't this seem like it should be obvious given who we have and what we paid to get Gordon? I'm surprised that it's a question for anyone.

Kellen Clemens doesn't have a lot of experience. Philip Rivers, I'm guessing, is penciled in as the opening-day starter.

[Boltjolt]

Starting punter or FG kicker money.....maybe. Gilchrist got 4yr 22MM with 3.5 MM guranteed.....and that is bottom end starter money.

That's called over paying money for Gilchrist. He is going to play FS there. He is going to suck there, lol. You cant help what some guys are making. Brandon Carr who has never made a probowl is making 12 million this year with Dallas. Jerraud Powers is making 5.3 million. Those guys arent anything to speak of and wouldnt be starting here.
Robinson is making 2 mil to be a nickel back, is better than Wright who is making 3 mil. Robinson can make 3 mil with incentives. Certainly more than the 1 mil he was said to be getting and will make more than Verrett.

[Antonio's Gates]

Robinson will play in the slot. I wouldn't be surprised if Mager comes in on third downs similar to last year with verrett with flowers kicking inside.

[Boltjolt]

Robinson will play in the slot. I wouldn't be surprised if Mager comes in on third downs similar to last year with verrett with flowers kicking inside.

Yes but i doubt it will be anytime soon. He is coming from Texas st to the NFL.The kid has potentual but he is said to be very raw. It is going to take time. I dont think he will beat out Steve Williams at this stage.

[Steve]

I generally agree. There are a few areas that I see differently. I think it will be a lot more Gordon/Woodhead than it will Gordon/Oliver. Gordon will get the lion's share of the early down work, with Woodhead reprising his role as one of the league's best 3rd down backs. Oliver can spell either.

I know you are running down a 4-2-5 look here, but when we are in base I expect Carrethers to push for the NT spot and Reyes to have a lot of competition to retain his starting DE role.

I think it's Robinson's job to lose as the nickel out of the gate, but with competition from Mager and Williams. Wilson seems to be their replacement for Gilchrist to platoon with Addae. He makes more sense in that role than Gilly did, because he's a coverage specialist whereas Gilchrist was better vs the run-- the former is a better compliment to Addae.

Why do we care who starts?

I care about the players who will have an impact, not the guys who get introduced before the game. You have to play in order to have an impact. Not that role players can't have an impact, but the guys with the biggest impact typically are the guys who play.

According to that ESPN article a few days ago, 70% of our snaps are in our nickle/dime, so those are the sets that matter. If our base D is missing a piece here or there, who cares. It won't really be on the field that much. And even if the other team gets a mismatch of their FB on our SILB, how much are they going to exploit it?

As far as Reyes, go ahead and take him out of the base D. 2nd half of the year they did for the most part. The important part is who will be lining up at DT in the rush line. I would rather see us put the best DT in that spot so that we can get more pressure on the QB.

How many impact plays are going to come from a 34 DE pressuring the QB on 1st and 10? When teams line up base personnel, they will throw off a 3, or quick 5 step drop, or will run. Our opportunity to make plays there are just too limited. But against 11 personnel, with the other team spread out, the chances to slip through the OL blocks are great, and the chances to get pressure are better. Be it sack, deflected pass, or even just tackles behind the line, the DL is in a position to impact the game in a way that makes a difference. So, put the best players in those impact positions. If Reyes is the best DE, he should line up on the pass rush line. Let the scrubs play in the base D. If Reyes is one of the scrubs, then go ahead and start him.

Again, we ask a little different role of our nickle DB, so I think you are dead wrong about Robinson. I don't think he can handle the run support aspects of being our nickle DB. We don't use the typical little quicker guy inside. If the nickle was just a pass D, then you might be right, but play our nickle so much on early downs, and against 3 WR teams who like to run, so run support is a key part of being a nickle DB, in our D. Again, you seem to focus mostly on Gilchrist as a starting S, but he rarely played that spot. Most of the time, he was playing up in the box, as the nickle DB. So the starting nickle back is really probably going to go to Mager or Wilson. In our D, it's more of a hyrbid LB. Robinson may play the dime DB, but that is not the starter spot.

Robinson is making about $2 mill. 53 players into a cap space of $143 million, gives him less than the average salary by almost $1 million. So, by definition, he is making less than average. Considering it is also such a key position, it is hard to see how anyone could justify a vet player making less than average salary as making starters money.

[Steve]

Yes but i doubt it will be anytime soon. He is coming from Texas st to the NFL.The kid has potentual but he is said to be very raw. It is going to take time. I dont think he will beat out Steve Williams at this stage.

When did our nickle back get demoted to only playing on passing downs? Don't confuse nickle D and 3rd downs D. Modern football plays a lot of 3 Wr formation. The Eagles have just proven yet again, spread teams LOVE to run the ball. It is a lot easier to spread teams out and run, then to try and block everyone. And the average nickle DB is a horrible run defender, which is why we ask our to play the run more.

Our nickle package is over 70% of our snaps, and considering that there are way more 1st downs then 2nd or 3rd downs, the nickle D had to be on the field a LOT on traditional runs downs. Did everyone else not notice how much time other teams spend in their 3 WR formations? Again nickle DB is almost a LB in our D.

[Lightningwill_420]

When did our nickle back get demoted to only playing on passing downs? Don't confuse nickle D and 3rd downs D. Modern football plays a lot of 3 Wr formation. The Eagles have just proven yet again, spread teams LOVE to run the ball. It is a lot easier to spread teams out and run, then to try and block everyone. And the average nickle DB is a horrible run defender, which is why we ask our to play the run more.

Our nickle package is over 70% of our snaps, and considering that there are way more 1st downs then 2nd or 3rd downs, the nickle D had to be on the field a LOT on traditional runs downs. Did everyone else not notice how much time other teams spend in their 3 WR formations? Again nickle DB is almost a LB in our D.

The nickle back is worth a lot more than a nickle nowadays.

[Boltjolt]

When did our nickle back get demoted to only playing on passing downs? Don't confuse nickle D and 3rd downs D. Modern football plays a lot of 3 Wr formation. The Eagles have just proven yet again, spread teams LOVE to run the ball. It is a lot easier to spread teams out and run, then to try and block everyone. And the average nickle DB is a horrible run defender, which is why we ask our to play the run more.

Our nickle package is over 70% of our snaps, and considering that there are way more 1st downs then 2nd or 3rd downs, the nickle D had to be on the field a LOT on traditional runs downs. Did everyone else not notice how much time other teams spend in their 3 WR formations? Again nickle DB is almost a LB in our D.

That 70% is a little exagerated since we play no base 3-4 vs Denver whom we play twice. Sure we still play a lot of nickel but you stil have to cover a WR. Robinson was brought here for a reason and its probably more than you think it is.

I dont see Mager being much for us this season unless we have injuries there which would be bad, but we'll see. Peyton will throw at him all day if he is in the game. I like his potentual but im not expecting much this year. Hope im wrong though.