Syracuse Football: Marrone, Shafer & Adkins Talk Shop

So much Syracuse Orange football, so little time (actually, lots of time, but, you know...)

Doug Marrone has spent the off-season, especially the last couple weeks, telling anyone who will listen that he needs to do a better job and that he hasn't done the job as well as he should (Chin up, Doug!). The team isn't anywhere near where Marrone would like to see them but, as he puts it, "The mindset is – ready to go to work."

Drink every time Doug Marrone says "It starts with me" and "I need to do a better job."

Marrone mentioned a lot of folks aren't in camp due to academics, such as Kyle Foster, Davon Walls and Greg Tobias. Louis Addazio will be MIA for a little bit due to surgery recovery. He added that "the depth chart is only a starting point," reiterating that it's not something to be worried about too much.

Meanwhile, SU offensive line coach Greg Adkins spoke with Brent Axe about the new season. The biggest concern for Adkins and the O-line right now...Sean Hickey stepping in to Justin Pugh's shoes while the All-Big East player is out with an injury.

Even though Sean hasn't played, he has practiced a lot. He has been in meetings every day. I'm anxious to get out there and work with him on the field. I'm excited about working with all of them. We certainly have to look at what is best. We'll put a group out there on Monday when we take the field and go to practice. It may change on a daily basis or on a weekly basis. We may have to look at a guy here and a guy there. You always have to look into the future a little bit in terms of the offensive line because what I'm charged with is putting the best five guys out there. Hopefully we will put them in a position where they can be most successful to start with, but that doesn't mean that is where we will finish.

Brent also had a long chat with SU defensive coordinator Scott Shafer (Part I and Part II). One of the big topics...why two-year starting middle linebacker Dyshawn Davis is suddenly No. 2 on the sam linebacker side of the depth chart:

Really, we are just trying to get our top three linebackers in the starting unit. You never want to have a competition where you have three or four guys at the same position and maybe if you moved one inside and one outside you get more speed on the field or what have you. I think it is competition. Natural competition. Even though we aren't as deep as I'd like to be and probably never will be, the competition at level one and two is really good. I hope it presents itself in such a way that I have the problem of playing both guys at the same position in rotation because then in the fourth quarter you don't have a guy too tired or that you didn't want to use him on special teams because he got too many reps.