Sit & Wonder: Texas A&M Football's most pertinent offseason questions

Now in my mid-50s I realize I have much in common with Silver Bullet Band front man Bob Seger.

I still love that old time rock-and-roll. I’m still running against the wind. I’m still working on my night moves, though regrettably not as often as I once did.

Sometimes I even wake up to the sound of thunder. Except when I do, I don’t wonder how far off it is.

I sit and wonder, what will Texas A&M do during spring football with Koda Martin, Keaton Sutherland, Jermaine Eleumunor, Ricky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil, Justin Dunning, Justin Evans and James Lockhart?

Kevin Sumlin and his new coaching staff have several pressing questions to address when spring football starts on Monday. Fortunately, they seem to have many options. It’s like finding the right pieces of the puzzle.

One can’t help but wonder how those pieces will fit.

For example, what will be Martin’s role?

A backup tackle as a redshirt freshman, Martin has often been praised for this athletic ability, work ethic and selflessness. He’s likely to move into the starting lineup as Germain Ifedi’s replacement at right tackle.

But Jordan Davis’ recent decision to transfer leaves A&M without a tight end.

True, that position has not been a significant part of the Aggies’ offense the last four seasons, but perhaps new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone feels his system is better with a tight end.

In that case, would the Aggies be tempted to use Martin there at least in some packages?

In short yardage situations, which have been so problematic for the Aggies, would another tackle be brought in and Martin shift to tight end?

What about Sutherland, who is so talented he started at guard as a true freshman, albeit while experiencing predictable growing pains?

Perhaps Sutherland could shift to tackle, especially if Eluemunor shows he’s ready to move into the starting lineup at guard.

If Eluemunor emerges as a viable starter under coach Jim Turner’s tutelage and Sutherland shows he could be a solid tackle, would that make A&M coaches consider Martin at tight end?

Or will A&M even bother with a tight end? After all, what receiver would you take out of the lineup in favor of a tight end?

If the Aggies were inclined to use a tight end in an “H-back” role or line one up away from the tackle, would they just use Seals-Jones? At 6-5, 240-pounds, Seals-Jones is bigger and more athletic than anyone else that could fill that role. I can’t help but wonder if Mazzone will experiment with Seals-Jones.

The Aggies also must make dramatic progress in bolstering a run defense that has been abysmal for the last three seasons.

A major task in rebuilding the run defense is upgrading linebacker play, which last season was the weak link.

I sit and wonder if John Chavis will be content with Otaro Alaka and Richard Moore on the edges and count on A.J. Hillard, Claude George or injury-plagued Josh Walker to show vast improvement inside.

Or will he consider moving Alaka inside and shifting Dunning or Pryor to linebacker?

As a true freshman last season Dunning was listed at 6-4, 220 pounds. Yet, a photo posted on Twitter shows that Dunning has added what appears to be 20 to 25 pounds of muscle over the offseason.

Two of the biggest safeties in NFL history were Denver’s Steve Atwater and Cincinnati’s David Fulcher. Atwater played at 6-3, 218 pounds. Fulcher was listed at 6-3, 236.

Dunning has developed so much that both Atwater and Fulcher would look at him and say: “That’s a big safety.”

Yet, word is Dunning hasn’t lost any speed. He could be an intimidating presence in the secondary. Even with today’s rules that limit contact in the secondary, few receivers would want to go across the middle with a safety of Dunning’s size lurking there.

If Chavis wants that intimidating presence at safety, what would be done with Evans, who played very well opposite Amani Watts last season?

I wonder if Evans might move to cornerback, which could be an area of concern.

Priest Willis, a transfer from UCLA, figures to take over for departed cornerback De’Vante Harris, but who will start at the other corner? Nick Harvey? Roney Elam?

Evans could be the best option. Would Chavis be willing to move him there? If so, would that thwart the Dunning-to-linebacker idea? Or would Donovan Wilson just move from nickel back, where he excelled in 2015, to safety with Watts?

The Aggies also have depth concerns at defensive tackle and a glut of talent at defensive end. Therefore, I wonder if A&M coaches would consider asking freshman James Lockhart, who arrived last season at 6-3, 260 pounds, to bulk up and moved to defensive tackle. That plan has previously worked with Spencer Nealy, Alonzo Williams and Julien Obioha.

Finally, I wonder what the future holds for Noil, who has been suspended three times in two seasons.

Though he has great talent, his production has not yet matched his reputation. Will Sumlin decide Noil is not worth the trouble if there is another incident that requires suspension?

Or will Noil emerge this spring as the consistent big-play threat he was touted to be and give A&M a dangerous one-two punch with Christian Kirk at receiver?

That’s what I wonder about now.

And like Bob Seger sang — I’ll probably wonder about them even more when autumn is closing in.