Your confidence level, by position

[Debit One]

Where is your confidence level at in the 08/09 Hawkeyes, by position? Give me a number from 1 - 10 of how confident you are that each of these groups will perform at a level that is at least middle of the road (defined as the 6th best unit in the conference) for the Big 10?

My thoughts:

DL - 9 (King and Kroul are solid, Ballard and Clayborn look special, only question is quality of backups, who we haven't seen much of on the field)

LB - 4 (Other than Edds there are a lot of unprovens here)

CB - 2 (This group doesn't scream "lock down corners", does it? Couple so so talent, inexperience and Norm's scheme and I'm skeptical.

S - 4 (Better experience here than at corner)

OL - 5 (I'd feel better about this group if I hadn't actually seen them play last season. ;) Rating immediately drops to a 3 if Kyle Calloway is a starter week one.)

Receivers - 6 (TE is a position of strength. WRs are nothing special.)

RB - 3 (Hard to go higher than this until seeing one of the new guys in action, or seeing what Shonn Green looks like after the layoff)

QB - 2 (I'm no JC fan, and I'm not convinced that there is a viable #2 option with Stanzi out)

Kickers - 4 (Shanky will be fine at P, assuming he got all of the bugs out last season. Murray simply has to be better.)

Hmm ... looking over the above doesn't bolster my confidence in this team.

[Platon Karataev]

DL- 7
LB- 6
S- 5
CB- 1
OL- 2
QB- 3
RB- 1
K- 4

I only gave Bradley Fletcher a "1" because the rules prohibited "-5".

[PlannedSickDays]

Where is your confidence level at in the 08/09 Hawkeyes, by position? Give me a number from 1 - 10 of how confident you are that each of these groups will perform at a level that is at least middle of the road (defined as the 6th best unit in the conference) for the Big 10?

My thoughts:

DL - 9 (King and Kroul are solid, Ballard and Clayborn look special, only question is quality of backups, who we haven't seen much of on the field)

LB - 4 (Other than Edds there are a lot of unprovens here)

CB - 2 (This group doesn't scream "lock down corners", does it? Couple so so talent, inexperience and Norm's scheme and I'm skeptical.

S - 4 (Better experience here than at corner)

OL - 5 (I'd feel better about this group if I hadn't actually seen them play last season. ;) Rating immediately drops to a 3 if Kyle Calloway is a starter week one.)

Receivers - 6 (TE is a position of strength. WRs are nothing special.)

RB - 3 (Hard to go higher than this until seeing one of the new guys in action, or seeing what Shonn Green looks like after the layoff)

QB - 2 (I'm no JC fan, and I'm not convinced that there is a viable #2 option with Stanzi out)

Kickers - 4 (Shanky will be fine at P, assuming he got all of the bugs out last season. Murray simply has to be better.)

Hmm ... looking over the above doesn't bolster my confidence in this team.

DL-8 Obviously we have King an Kroul and I believe we will see more of a pass rush this year from the ends. Both Ballard and Clayborn will have some ups and downs but I really like what I see out of those two. The backups appear serviceable and should help give a breather.

LB-6 I like Edds and what he brings to the table. I think that the LB's may be better than people think. I think we will see subs this year and packages rotating the younger LB's depending on the situation; i.e. Anger for Coleman, pass vs. run. Coleman was a tenacious beast last year at times and I really like his nose for the football. His problem was he was so green that he was out of position a lot and coming in too high. That happens when you are inexperienced because you are busy looking all over the field when you should be looking at the oncoming fb's chest.

CB-3 Luckily the defense plays a cover two so there is usually help over the top. This is a scary unit that I think many people believe will be decent because of recruiting stars. I like Bernstine and his toughness but he lacks experience and that was evident giving up a touchdown against Purdue last year. Hopefully the Hawks find two guys that can make the open field to help stop the run and play decent coverage.

S- 1 I was really hoping for a breakout by a young guy for this unit. The Hawks have been lacking a quarterback of the backfield for a couple of years. I had high hopes for Dalton but he doesn't do it. Greenwood is scrappy but not my favorite player. Both of them would be 3rd team on a better Hawk team.

OL- 5 And 4 of that 5 is because of Bulaga. I wasn't sure of what to make of him last year. Was he just that good as a true frosh or was the rest of the line that bad. A little bit of both I suppose.

WR- 8 I hope these guys get passes they can catch this season without having to dive, jump, reach back, or take a serious shot. I would like to see some passes leading these guys so we can see what they do after the catch. Lots of young guys that had to learn under fire. I like how they attack their blocks and try to help out the running game. I really think DJK is a star and hope KOK can find a wrinkle or two that shows off his ability.

RB- 2 I think we will see a RB by committee this year and hope one of the new guys can break out. Not sure who it will be but I am sure not willing to put all the eggs in the Shonn Green basket.

QB- 2 Jake sucks. The spring game really showed how difficult it is for him to see over the line. When a taller Stanzi took the field and easily completed dump passes over the middle it became more obvious. Jake's other problem is that in order to balance his size KOK has to create a mobile pocket. Jake can't complete a pass on the run either. Can't drop back because he is too small, can't pass on the run. The Hawks need another QB.

K- 6 I only hope that Donahue doesn't have the chance to break his record of punts in a season.

Total Avg. 4.56

[VCRLover]

I think we should play a 3-4 with King, Kroul, Clayborn/Ballard...that lets us guard the spread more efficiently...

[Bulstrode]

QB- 2 Jake sucks. The spring game really showed how difficult it is for him to see over the line. When a taller Stanzi took the field and easily completed dump passes over the middle it became more obvious. Jake's other problem is that in order to balance his size KOK has to create a mobile pocket. Jake can't complete a pass on the run either. Can't drop back because he is too small, can't pass on the run. The Hawks need another QB.

Jake (6'1") is taller than both Brad Banks (5'11") and Drew Tate (6'0").

DL- 9 This crew is going to cause havoc.
LB- 6 Edds is solid. The others will be decent
S- 5 They're just OK. A little bit of experience can go a long way back there.
CB- 2 I have no reason to think these guys will be any good. Hopefully the front seven can help take the heat off. I'm interested to see what Bernstein can contribute.
OL- 6 This will make or break the season. If they can give JC just a bit more time, I think Jake could really develop.
QB- 6 Jake will obviously improve. there will still be troubles, but the line will improve from 2007, and the receivers will be better. Having Moeaki back will help.
RB- ??? - I have no clue.
WR- 6 They'll be OK. There is enough talent to work with.
TE- 8 - Moeaki, bitches
K- 3 - Do I have to watch?

[Debit One]

QB- 6 Jake will obviously improve. there will still be troubles, but the line will improve from 2007, and the receivers will be better. Having Moeaki back will help.

Is this from The Onion?

;)

[cloudhawk]

DL= 10, King, Kroul, Clayborn, and Ballard are awesome plus we play a 2A schedule
LB= 10, Edds, and Coleman are awesome plus we play a 2A schedule
CB= 10, Bernstine, and Fletcher are awesome plus we play a 2A schedule
S= 10, Greenwood has a ton of Moxy, plus we play a 2A schedule
WR= 10, DJK, is all I have to say
TE= 10, Moeaki, I'm not going to bother plus we play a 2A schedule
OL= 10, Bulaga is a Beast, plus more experience is huge- plus we play a 2A schedule
RB= 10, unknown- but with Bulaga and all the weapons we have running routes should be OK,plus we play a 2A schedule
K= 10, shanky will not need to be used due to our 2A schedule
QB= 2, 10's everywhere else should elevate his performance plus he may be able to complete a few passes against a 2A schedule

Cloudhawk= We are going to be salty, I'm pumped (wink)

[MikeyJoe]

DL= 9, King and Kroul should be the best two DTs in the Big Ten, and the two new DEs showed a lot of promise last year. They might not be quite as good in the run game, but I'm hopeful that this will be the year that Iowa returns to a dominant pass rush.

LB= 7 Edds is a stud, and Coleman looked good in spot duty last year. It's interesting that Angerer is reportedly pushing him hard for the starting job. I think we'll be solid in the middle with either. The big question is who wins the battle for the other spot between Tarpinian and Hunter.

CB= 2 No way to know what to expect here. Fletcher didn't look great last year, but he might not even end up as one of the starters. The return of Spievey is the wild card here. I'm also hopeful that a good pass rush helps out the new CBs.

S= 4 Iowa returns two guys who didn't look good last year. Hopefully Greenwood improves this year. This is another position where a potentially returning player (Marcus Wilson) could make a big impact. I'd prefer it if Dalton didn't see the field too often.

WR= 7 I think they'll be solid here, provided they have a QB that can deliver the ball. Brodell is better than fans give him credit for, and hopefully DJK and Stross provide the big play threat. The addition of a new WR coach from Michigan should pay dividends in the ability to actually catch the ball.

TE= 8 IMO, the second strongest position on the team. Myers looked great last year in Moeaki's absence, and the return of Moeaki from injury this year should help quite a bit for blocking.

OL= 5 I'm cautiously optimistic here with all of the players returning and the return of Bruggeman from injury, but I've learned over the past 5 years to not get too excited about a Reese Morgan coached OL.

RB= 1 No way to know what to expect. Greene returning will help, and he looked good in limited duty before, but that was two years ago. If Paki O'Meara is the starter for game 1, drop this score down to -3.

QB= 2 Rick Stanzi is out for a few weeks with a shoulder injury. Enough said.

K= 3 The loss of Signor's leg will hurt on kickoffs, and Murray didn't look that good last year. This is another position where the incoming freshman has a real potential to start.

P = 6 Donahue's got a big leg, he just needs to improve on his consistency. He's got a shot to be All Big Ten this year.

[Gushawk]

DL - 8 - If Hundtermark/Binns/others step up to provide quality depth, up it to a 9.5

LB - 6 - Edds is an NFL player; Coleman/Angerer will be solid, perhaps an upgrade; the loss of Humpal will be felt

CB - 4 - Three decently talented, if unproven/inconsistent players

S - 5 - Greenwood got better as last season went on, Dalton didn't - Would be pleased if Wilson/Morrow/Sash stepped up to take one or both of their places

OL - 6 - If it's not a top 3-4 unit in the league, it's time to reevaluate everything we're doing with the offensive line...from coaching, to develop/strength training, to schemes...we cannot succeed without a high quality offensive line

Receivers - 7 - Good quality depth, no go to guy has yet emerged

RB - 5 - I remain, probably unduly, optomistic that Greene can step up and be a quality #1 back in the Big Ten; good young depth...if O'Meara sees meaningful snaps, downgrade to a 2

QB - 3.5 - Jake has to be a little better, but he's not ever going to be a truly good Big Ten QB, IMO - Can McNutt push him, or Stanzi get healthy quickly enough to do it?

P - 7 - Always improve with experience

K - 2.5 - Murray doesn't have the leg, and if it isn't him, it's a freshman...even Kaeding was sporadic his first year

Return Game/Other Special Teams - Koulianos should be solid bringing back kicks, and Brodell can be okay if he's got a seem, but it takes him awhile to get going - no one on the roster has shown a knack for blocking kicks - coverage teams should be decent; love watching Murphy

[HawkLax6]

DL - 7 - King and Kroul are solid. Ballard and Clayborn show they can pass rush, but how will they do against the run? Also, lack any real depth with experience. So if one of those four goes down, who will step in?

LB - 5 - Edds is good. Angerer/Coleman have both shown abilites to be good. I also like Moses and the coaches keep talking up Tarp, but I will wait to see what he does.

CB - 2 - Lots of question marks here plus not a lot of depth. I am hoping Bernstine and Spievey step in with no problems.

S - 5 - I thought Greenwood improved as the season went on last year. I think Dalton is servicable, but still has moments of being a bonehead. There is some potential behind him too.

OL - 4 - They should be a lot better than they showed last year, but they seemed to underachieve. Iowa needs them to perform well if there is any hope to this season (and JC).

WR - 6 - They should be a decent bunch, but no "stud" like a Hinkel or Kasper or Solomon.

TE - 8 - Moeaki is good. Myers is good. Even Reisner did well last year as a true freshman.

QB - 4 - I think JC should do better this season, but still nothing great. And I think we are stuck with him for the whole season.

RB - 5 - I am not too worried about the situation. RB is the one position where you can put in a freshman and do well right awat. Plus, if Shonn Greene is back and ready to go, someone or someones should be enough to get something going. Also, if the OL is crap like last year, it won't matter who is back there if we couldn't do anything with AY and Sims last year.

K - 4 - Murray is eh. I am hoping this freshman is good.

P - 6 - Donahue improved as the season went on last year....because he had so many damn reps.

[PlannedSickDays]

QB- 2 Jake sucks. The spring game really showed how difficult it is for him to see over the line. When a taller Stanzi took the field and easily completed dump passes over the middle it became more obvious. Jake's other problem is that in order to balance his size KOK has to create a mobile pocket. Jake can't complete a pass on the run either. Can't drop back because he is too small, can't pass on the run. The Hawks need another QB.

Jake (6'1") is taller than both Brad Banks (5'11") and Drew Tate (6'0").


If he is really 6'1" then I am 6'8", not to mention both of those players were able to throw on the run. Jake has trouble in the shotgun completing a 5 yard down and out.

[Platon Karataev]

QB- 2 Jake sucks. The spring game really showed how difficult it is for him to see over the line. When a taller Stanzi took the field and easily completed dump passes over the middle it became more obvious. Jake's other problem is that in order to balance his size KOK has to create a mobile pocket. Jake can't complete a pass on the run either. Can't drop back because he is too small, can't pass on the run. The Hawks need another QB.

Jake (6'1") is taller than both Brad Banks (5'11") and Drew Tate (6'0").


If he is really 6'1" then I am 6'8", not to mention both of those players were able to throw on the run. Jake has trouble in the shotgun completing a 5 yard down and out.

Brad Banks and Drew Tate were both shorter than 5'10", from my experience standing next to them.

By the way, Greg Brunner is 6'1".

[MikeyJoe]

Jake (6'1") is taller than both Brad Banks (5'11") and Drew Tate (6'0").


If he is really 6'1" then I am 6'8", not to mention both of those players were able to throw on the run. Jake has trouble in the shotgun completing a 5 yard down and out.

Brad Banks and Drew Tate were both shorter than 5'10", from my experience standing next to them.

By the way, Greg Brunner is 6'1".
In thick woolen socks, perhaps.

[Aloha Mr. Hand]

Debit, I'm going to dispute your use of the term "08/09". That's overly optimistic.

[Rufus]

No way Tate was 6'0''. He was 5'10'' at best.

[maintain242001]

Wilson will not be back this year if ever

[HawkLax6]

Wilson will not be back this year if ever

Do you actually know something or just saying this?

Last I heard, they were waiting to see his grades after this summer school session (ends on August 1).

[Soda Popinski]

Doggy style is my best position, I'm pretty confident there.
I've never had any complaints from missionary that's probably my 2nd best.

[Rufus]

Dl - 8

Lb - 5

Cb - 4

S - 6

Ol - 6

Wr - 5

Te - 8

Qb - 3

Rb - 4

K - 3

P - 7

[PlannedSickDays]

RB- 2 I think we will see a RB by committee this year and hope one of the new guys can break out. Not sure who it will be but I am sure not willing to put all the eggs in the Shonn Green basket.

okay, I'm ready to change this. I still think we see 3-4 backs rotating over the course of the early season but Greene looks the part. I have a feeling that he (Green) may be a lot better than I had expected.

[maintain242001]

Well Stross pulled the hammy again and wont do anything for a few weeks....and if that wasnt enough for you Tony Moeaki broke his foot and is out 4-6 depending who is talking

[Gushawk]

Well Stross pulled the hammy again and wont do anything for a few weeks....and if that wasnt enough for you Tony Moeaki broke his foot and is out 4-6 depending who is talking

Damn. Moeaki either has horrible luck or genetics.

We've got suitable depth at both spots, but Moeaki can add another dimension to the arsenal.

[The Tin Man]

Confidence is high. I repeat, confidence is high.