Long time lurker. Thought Id post a few thoughts.
The good:
Sammy Watkins. I wouldnt trade him for any receiver in the league (literally, even one) right now. Yes, he wants the ball. Im glad he does, and that he's not afraid to ruffle some feathers. Since the bye week, he has completely backed up all of his talk.
Tyrod Taylor. 20TDs, to only 5INTs. A passer rating of more than 101. And a dynamic runner. Does he have growing to do? Undoubtedly. But this is a hell of a start, and people saying "abandon him" are insane. There's about 5 quarterbacks in the league with better numbers, all of whom are on their way to the HOF. He's the best QB we've had since Jim Kelly and he has more than earned another full year.
The left side of the OL. The Eagles notwithstanding, Richie has been great himself. More than that, he has elevated the play of both Cordy and Wood. We should keep them intact.
Our 2015 draft. Getting the DROY in Darby, an excellent #2 RB who overachieved before injury, and a starting (though uneven) guard in one draft is a home run. Great GMs strive for a 33% hit rate on their draft picks. From Peter King this morning: "Mastering the draft is not easy. No one has done it. Ron Wolf, a Hall of Fame GM, once told me he’d be happy if he could hit .333 in the draft … meaning one of three players he picked would be a direct hit. That’s a Hall of Famer talking."
Shady. Expensive, and had some injuries, but the best and most successful RB we've had in a while.
Greg Roman. Nice to have some creative and aggressive play calling.
Charles Clay. Nice addition, and nice to take him away from Miami.
Doug Whaley. Done a very nice job building this roster. Calls to can him after his successes are lunacy. He's way above average in the NFL.
Having an organization that finally keeps its stars. Nice to lock up Marcel, looking forward to the OL and Gilmore getting done.
Our starting two cornerbacks, when healthy.
The bad:
Mario's disappearing act. Part of that is on Rex, part is on him, but none is acceptable.
Our utter lack of linebackers. Im not sure that Id keep any of the the three on the team.
Right tackle.
Penalties. The most frustrating thing about this team this year, with no close second.
Coaching. The defensive drop off from the prior year and the penalties are both really difficult.
Put differently, Im more optimistic about our roster than ever before. Id like to draft a LB in round 1 and an OL in round 2. Then best player overall for the remaining draft.