Defensive line depletion
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 2:04 pm
This is not an excuse for the poor play of our front seven. But our shortcomings reminded me that, during the offseason, many of us wondered aloud about our depth, particularly on the defensive line. Three names come to mind ....
1) Mitch Crossley: Notoriously inconsistent, but a starter nonetheless, who would have been a senior this year.
2) Matt Leninger: I would argue that he was the best DT on the roster, no offense to Thaler. His personal problems took him off the roster.
3) Lance Laktiewicz (I'm sure that I've misspelled this): This was a recruit who I had very high hopes for, arguably one of the better DTs we've recruited in recent years. A heart condition ended his career before it started.
If those three were healthy and playing, would our record be any better? I doubt it. But our depth and quality of depth has obviously been cut significantly.
1) Mitch Crossley: Notoriously inconsistent, but a starter nonetheless, who would have been a senior this year.
2) Matt Leninger: I would argue that he was the best DT on the roster, no offense to Thaler. His personal problems took him off the roster.
3) Lance Laktiewicz (I'm sure that I've misspelled this): This was a recruit who I had very high hopes for, arguably one of the better DTs we've recruited in recent years. A heart condition ended his career before it started.
If those three were healthy and playing, would our record be any better? I doubt it. But our depth and quality of depth has obviously been cut significantly.