Strong argument. But if attrition is lower than 3 you can dial it back. If Newsome comes through healthy (or possibly red-shirts), you dial it back. If Ulizio or Spanelis step up to start capably in 2017 – you can dial it back. If Filiaga looks really good but they can afford to red-shirt him – you can dial it back.
We need numbers right now, but if Harbaugh can get these young guys looking like multi-year starters the situation can be righted quickly.
So yeah, I would start with 7 as the target because the situation is so bad right now, but I would also hope they don’t have to devote something like a third of the next class to the OL.
