It has been an eternity since Hardy Nickerson “stepped down” following a pathetic defensive effort against Maryland. It’s been even longer since Donnie Abraham bailed on August camp. And although Lovie Smith’s stated his priority was recruiting (and it paid off), he’s got two large hires to button up his coaching staff — and he’s taking his sweet time to make sure he’s doing due diligence.
That due diligence is well guarded, since names haven’t started to emerge yet on the interwebs. But from Lovie’s cryptic comments — and his general unwillingness to move away from his defensive philosophies — it appears we have either of two outcomes heading our way before the Spring.