A Big Question: Does Sean Davis have another level?

Replacing Tyler Adams will be a group effort, with the lion's share of the burden shouldered by 19-year-old Venezuelan youth international Cristian Casseres, Jr. He was signed and blooded in USL with RBNY2 last year with the express understanding that he was Adams' heir.

Given RBNY's track record when it comes to developing players, it'd be unwise to bet against them. Given how good Adams was, it's equally (maybe more?) unwise to bet that Casseres will step onto the field and deliver 100% of what Adams did.

That means there's slack to pick up elsewhere in midfield. Talk to anybody in the Red Bulls organization who's been around a while, and they'll tell you that Davis is the guy who can deliver more. The feeling is that he's still just scratching the surface of his potential.

Davis does a little bit of everything. He fills gaps:

What he doesn't do much of – or hasn't done much of, I guess – is dictate the game, either on the ball or on the press. He hasn't been that guy, and maybe it's because he hasn't had to be that guy.

That will change, at least a little bit, in 2019. If you listen to folks in Harrison, how much it changes really is up to Davis.