The depth charts are here and it is rife with conjunction. This is a depth chart more inclusive than a Benetton ad. You have to be careful what you read into this as much of it is theater, but there are some instructive items.
We are all starters!
Quick observations:
Offense
A message is being sent to Malcolm Williams. No 3rd receiver listed. Cosby is listed as the starting split end with Buckner backing him. Quan Cosby is not a split end. Malcolm: get your head in the game, homes. He'll still start at #3. This is posturing.
Irby OR Greg Smith at TE. That suggests that Smith has beaten out Ullman as our primary blocking TE.
David Snow is listed behind Tanner; Huey listed behind Dockery. Huh? I could understand using Huey to motivate a complacent senior who feels unchallenged, but we'll see how long that charade persists.
We appear to have four starting running backs. Unless a superior talent manifests itself, running back by committee has never bothered me the way it does some. This isn't fantasy football. At the end of the day for most mortal runners, it's about the OL, stupid.
Defense:
Miller is listed at NT. Clears up any doubt as to whether he's a permanent one tech with Houston at 3. Love it. Houston is going to be a gap shooting terror while Miller demands double teams. Lewis is listed as a co-starter with Lamarr. O RLY?
Acho backs Orakpo. Melton or Lewis at the power DE with Eddie Jones on the outside looking in. Surprising. I hope this tell us more about Melton than Eddie. We've clearly pegged Aaron Lewis as our primary utility player Swiss Army Knife. He'll be useful against the run against a Colorado while playing inside against a Tech.
Kindle starting. We just created six more turnovers and knocked two QBs out.
Bobino/Norton co-starters.
Our LBs are improved at 2.5 of 3 positions.
The safety depth chart made me laugh out loud. I don't think this is overly inclusive wussiness. I think this is genuine confusion from our coaches after Earl Thomas takes his spot. Why they'd have Scott backing Thomas is a mystery. As much of a mystery as Nolan Brewster being listed at all. Ishie is conspicuously absent altogether.
CB: Palmer is the clear starter at one corner. Deon OR Chykie at the other. O RLY? Maybe that's their way of saying that Chykie is the coverage nickel.
Kick returns: Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley. This irritates me. Sure hands paired with a torn hamstring waiting to happen.
What are your thoughts?