After watching the spring game this past weekend my feelings about the upcoming season remain very positive.  I almost hate to say it, but I really feel like this is a bowl bound East Carolina Football team.  The reason I don’t want to say it, is because we have all learned over the past 5 years to keep our expectations low and hope to be pleasantly surprised.  After going to 3 straight Bowl Games from 1999-2001 the Pirates have hit a skid of 4 straight losing seasons.  Last seasons finish with 3 late wins to get the team to a respectable 5-6 was big for the moral of the team, the staff, and the fans. 

 

Coming into the 2006 season the Pirates return an offense that boast a three year starting QB looking to make a name for himself in the ECU record books in James Pinkney.  Backups Brett Clay and Patrick Pinkney had great springs and will be solid players when their time comes.  ECU returns an offensive backfield that possesses a three headed monster of speed and quickness in Chris Johnson, Brandon Fractious and Dominique Lindsay.  All of them have great talent, but they do different things well.  Lindsay is great in between the tackles, Johnson has great hands and runs great on the edges, and Fractious as amazing quickness and is very tough to corral. 

 

The receiver position will be one of the most solid groups on the team.  All American Andre Allison will lead a solid core that is very experienced including seniors Bobby Good and Kevin Roach and emerging star Phillip Henry.  Oh by the way, don’t forget about the Junior College transfers and freshman coming in at the receiver position.  The Tight End position has been touch and go for the Pirates over the last few years, because of all of the injuries, but this could be the year that they see plenty of action.  Pinkney is now a senior quarterback with much better field awareness, so the TE’s will become a factor in this offense.  After graduating two seniors at tight end last year, East Carolina will look to Matt Butler, QB convert Devon Drew and a few others to fill that void.

 

The offensive line is the weakest position group on offense, but the Pirates have enlisted some immediate help from the Junior College ranks.  Eric Graham will be the returning anchor of that group. Next week I will wrap up the defensive side of the ball, where the pirates return a crew of DB’s and Defensive linemen, but need to replace Chris Moore, Richard Koonce, and Josh Chilsolm at linebacker.  This 2006 Pirate team will have tons of talent and “To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected”.