Each Thursday, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond will answer questions from subscribers in our Tiger Mailbag. This feature will allow for longer, more in-depth answers than you may get on the message board on a daily basis. To have your question in next week's mailbag, send an email to Gabe at gabedea@powermizzou.com. On to this week's inquiries:

MizzouTigers11 asks: Perhaps this would be better suited for next weeks mailbag, but after watching Gabbert in practice, do you believe he will play a little or get a redshirt?

Well, yeah, three days is hardly long enough to make that determination. But that said, if you're asking me what I think right now, I think Gabbert should get the redshirt. To me, you worry about 2009 in 2009. You have a chance to do monumental things this season. Those chances don't come around much unless you coach at a place like Ohio State or USC. You need to win as many games as you possibly can this year. To me, that means giving Chase Daniel every single snap while the game is still in doubt. And I don't burn a shirt for mop-up time. Daniel's situation as a freshman was different because he played meaningful snaps. If Gabbert played, I can't imagine it would be in a close game in the second quarter. Handing off and throwing a few passes with a 31-point lead isn't going to get him any more ready for next year than running the scout team and facing the top defense every week.

MU_DUDE_16 asks: How big of an impact will Tyler Crane make at Linebacker? Is it possible that they red shirt him or will play because of the lack of backers.

Just because he made the move so late, I have thought for a long time that a redshirt was possible. If Gachkar is truly healthy and Redmond gets back to health fairly soon, you've got six linebackers. Missouri would never play more than that. I'd put the shirt on Crane and Will Ebner so you have some depth because you lose four of the top six over the next two seasons (and possibly all this year if Spoon has a monster season).

NKC_Tiger asks: Who will lose the most playing time due to the addition of Coulter?

All right, guys, brace yourselves: I'm pretty sure Brian Coulter isn't going to start the season opener. At this point, I've got to see him on the practice field before I can predict he's good enough to take a single snap away from Michael Keck or Chris Earnhardt, much less Stryker Sulak or Tommy Chavis. I'm not saying he isn't good enough, but at this point, I haven't even seen the kid play a down so I'm going to reserve judgment.

mizzoufan14 asks: Our defense is good, which incoming freshmen can help out right away like Luke Lambert and Carl Gettis did last year?

I've seen a couple defensive freshmen that I think might be good enough to play: Kip Edwards and Zaviar Gooden. The thing is, the Tigers have plenty of depth at those positions and they'll have to be really good to see the field. It is possible those are kids that play on special teams though. If you want a wild card guy who could really surprise, let's throw Jacquies Smith out there.



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