Thanks for the compliment... I knew making that post that the Pro Bowler statement was the least provable thing in it. Still... Let's count them up.
Jackson--You agree on.
Holt--You agree on but point out age. He had 1200 yards in an offense with no line and bad QB play last year and in fact made the Pro Bowl last season. I say you have to give a guy credit for being a Pro Bowler if he made it the previous season, right? (TO is at least three years older and still considered a threat btw)
Pace--Has had severe injury issues but is already borderline HOFer for his work during the GSOT years and is still in his early thirties, a time when most HOF tackles are still at least PB worthy.
Bulger--He was the Pro Bowl MVP in 2003 and has some truly amazing stats, already having set numerous franchise records for a QB. The jury is out on whether or not the beatings have permanently rattled him but I think that he is a very solid QB in this league, IF he can get a line. (I will give you this... you could be right on him and his mechanics have been horrible for a year now, but I think he can come back)
Dante Hall--Just look at his averages last season. The guy averaged more than Hester on punt returns and almost as much on kickoffs. He broke a TD versus Dallas (no special teams slouches) and almost had one in the first game of the season but pulled a muscle, going down inside the ten. He was on pace for about four TDs last season before getting injured. People who say he did nothing last season are idiots, flat out. Maybe he htis the wall this seaosn but last season he was the second best returner in the league when he was on the field (almost half a a season).
Randy McMichael--This guy is a beast at TE. He had great numbers in Miami with no one throwing to him. Last season he was basically used as an extra lineman due to our OL injuries and while he is a good blocker his real strength is receiving. He had something like 77 yards last week even as the rest of the team tanked. In the Al Saunders, TE friendly system look for him to thrive.
I also think our RG Incognito has tremendous potential. He was picked by Dr. Z on his yearly team because he loves his never say die attitude (though he was horrible last weekened). Alex Barron is another guy who has tremendous potential, being a top 20 draft pick with freakish athleticism for a guy so big (but no heart or brain).
Defense:
FS OJ Atogwe--Had like 8 picks last year and at least 5 forced fumbles. Watch him play sometime. He is not perfect and could take better tackling angles but he is solid in coverage and has the best ball punch move in the league. When he gets on a receiver he will punch the ball out almost every time and I promise he is going to be toward the top of the list in terms of forcing fumbles from the safety position every year.
DE Little--This guy has looked ferocious all preseason and IMHO still has it. Having Long on the other side should help give him more single teams which should result in a nice year. He has really been doubled and tripled for years now since no one else has stepped up, which has hurt his ability to put up monster numbers. Turf toe killed his chances last year but he had 13 sacks the season before.
Will Witherspoon--Had something like 7 or 8 sacks last season and was not even used as a blitzer until Little went down. Could easily be a double digit sack guy and is great in coverage as well. Might be better suited as weakside linebacker than MLB, though, which is once against a schematic issue.
I also like the potential of Cliffton Ryan (DT) and Chris Long, but like Incognito and Barron they have not proven it yet. The other guys I have listed have already had PB seasons whether they made it in or not.
So I count nine guys that have displayed Pro Bowl ability on a consistent basis with the older (really only early thirties) guys having either shown they still have it last season (Hall, Holt) or been injured/hampered last season but having shown me something the one before (Little, Bulger, Pace). Witherspoon and Atogwe had awesome years last season and broke out. I guarantee McMichael will have a great year even if we suck everywhere else.
I just feel like they never have their great games at the same time and cannot get on the same page. We have individual talent but no chemistry. And our lines are huge weak spots, which is why guys who would not even make our squad at skill positions for the Giants are going to look like studs in a few days and our stars won't even get a chance.
I think the weak spots are just so weak that we cannot overcome it. You are right about guys like Pisa being overrated and Chavous stealing a paycheck. Chavous is horrible and Haslett continuing to start him and even sometimes ask him to be the last line of defense or cover freggin two guys at once compounds the problem. Chavous is being schemed around like he is a Pro Bowler when he is our weakest link on D. I cannot overstate just how much I think Haslett sucks.
I also question the mental toughness of all our stars outside of Little. Like I wrote, I think the issue is psychological. I think they can take it but they just do not want it bad enough and in this league that type of indifference is fatal no matter how talented you are. All IMHO. (and yeah our kicker and punter are great but I don't even count those positions)