2006 Season -- Early Thoughts

An email thread with Mike Floyd and today's AJC article got me thinking about the 2006 Georgia Bulldogs. Here are my thoughts on things since it's senior week and that seems to be something to have thoughts about.

I'm hearing Milner will be back, but Moses is likely gone and Josh Johnson likely isn't coming back from GMC. My top concerns for 2006 are:

1. OT - Dan Inman is what Dan Inman is. A guy that can block standing still, but not moving around much. For instance, he hasn't blocked well on a screen pass since LSU 2003 when he sprang Browning. Shackleford is a guy that can't beat out Inman or Roland. He's a JR, if he were going to be a big time player wouldn't it have happened by now? Behind them will be Michael Turner, my mom and her sister, Nellie. Both have a good first step, but they tire by their 2nd step, and mom is a major disruption in the clubhouse.

2. DE - Charles Johnson returns, and he's a stud in the making. However, Marcus Howard is smaller than ALL of our starting linebackers, and for no explicable reason whatsoever, the coaches have him at DE. Seeing him line up against Marcus McNeil last week was so ridiculous that I thought it might be some funny inside joke that only Fabris and Martinez are privy to. Brandon Miller seems much better suited to DE based on his play this year in space. Granted he's been hurt, but he doesn't play linebacker at a speed that UGA outside linebackers have been playing at since 2000. Behind them will be freshman DEs and varsity cheerleaders.

3. QB - If it's JT3, I'm concerned. He's a good kid, but he appears very limited physically. I can't help but think that it's Stafford or Cox. Stafford enrolls early so that essentially gives him the opportunities that a Redshirt freshmen has. I don't see Barnes factoring into the race.

4. DB - Martinez doesn't seem to play backup DBs very often. Kelin Johnson hasn't seen meaningful game minutes since UK last year when we were up by 40 or so. We've got INCREDIBLE athletes in Sims, Oliver, Evans and to some degree Kelin, but they are barely going to know which direction is up. Battle will have to lead them. I think Martinez is a very good position coach so this worries me less that it probably should.

5. DT - I worry less about this now than 2 months ago. Gant is playing his nuts off this year, and Owens is getting better at a geometric rate. Kade Weston will play, and he gets a year in the weight room. We're also bringing in the Crawford kid out of NC. Crawford will enroll early, and he's VERY strong. Described by some as a bit stiff and slow, but he's further along strength wise than any DT that we've signed in ages. Plus, we don't sign DTs to run races. He and Dale "I Sprained Something Brushing my Teeth" Dixson will give us some decent minutes. We still need to sign a stud DT still in this class. This class needs another Owens.

I feel pretty good about LB, RB, TE (if Martez comes back) and even WR to some degree. Mo Mass might be the second best freshman WR in the SEC this year behind the ridiculously good Sidney Rice at SC. Kenneth Harris has shown flashes, and both will be older and bigger next year. We need more coaching and production here, but this group should be improved over 2005.

Overall, I see 8-4 or 9-3 next year. We benefit from UT losing everything and a favorable SEC West schedule rotation of Auburn (away), Ole Miss (away), and Miss State (home). We also get Tennessee at home. South Carolina and Auburn on the road look tough, and Florida should be improved over 2005.

It will be an interesting year in the SEC to be sure, and our progress will be decided by how fast a QB emerges, how fast our OL gels and how injury free we get on the DL.

Til then. Beat Kentucky!

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