Alabama football: Three key positions where the Tide still need to improve after their 'rebuilding year

Alabama coach Nick Saban called 2021 a rebuilding year, so what will the Tide have to work on in 2022?

Imagine a world in which the national runner-up and SEC champion with the Heisman Trophy winner achieved those accolades in a rebuilding year.

Well, that's exactly what Alabama did in 2021, according to coach Nick Saban.

"Last year, we had kind of a rebuilding year,

" Saban said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on WJOX in Birmingham.

"We should have nine starters back on offense, nine on defense but (seven) guys go out early for the draft,

so now we have five back on offense and seven back on defense.

So that in and of itself creates a few more question marks,

but it also creates opportunities for other players to be able to shine in the program and contribute in a positive way."

OK, so the definition of "rebuilding year" is obviously subjective based on the status of each program.

For Alabama and Saban, it is apparently nothing less than "winning it all.

" The program is a perfect example of the old adage that great teams don't rebuild, they reload.

What, exactly, needs to be rebuilt in Tuscaloosa for the preseason No. 1 team in the CBS Sports 131?

This is like choosing between $50 steaks or various ice cream flavors.

You're going to just fine even if you make the wrong choice.

Let's play along with Saban and examine the Crimson Tide's ongoing construction project as they head into the 2022 season.

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