Originally posted by captveg:
Originally posted by Afrikan:
We knew we didn't have a pass rusher who could get to the QB. (Besides Buckner)
We didn't go after anyone proven (FA or trade)
Many said wait for the Draft....ok understood... now after the draft we didn't get anyone...
Who was available to us in free agency, trade or draft that that is a guaranteed improvement over our current roster at edge rusher?
All such free agents were franchised. No one is trading such an edge rusher. Chubbs went before we had a pick.
You are suggesting they just draft that position to get bodies there, but if they aren't projected by the coaches to be any better than the current roster that is poor value use of draft picks. They *did* bring in a free agent they liked for competition, but since he's unproven and not a top name people dismiss it (even though fans want to draft unproven players and criticize then for not bringing those guys in).
Everyone here wants an all-pro Hall of Fame edge rusher. Shanalynch want that guy, too. He wasn't available to them.
A lot of people are gonna scream bloody murder when the team fails to win the Super Bowl this year because their expectations for the rebuild have gone way out of control. Slow it down. Breathe. Realize they are only in offseason #2 of a complete overhaul, and that you can't get every wishlist all-pro via free agency and the draft every offseason.
Yup, i didn't realize it until later but this is pretty much me. I know that 3 yrs is avg for a complete rebuild and this is just yr 2 for us and really yr 1 under jimmy fulltime. Not sure how his 5 games factor into this. Assuming last yr, with Kyle /JL just starting was yr 1, that means this yr and then NEXT yr before we are legit contenders. I know that intellectually, but emotionally knew we would do it in less time. Wrong. It just is going to take a full 3 yrs. And my disappointment in draft, not getting an ER, nor an OG...well, there were 31 other teams competing for those same guys and because of the Jimmy deal, we had no pick between #9 and #59....50 players, all starters, all guys we could have used. So we did move up ...but it was to get Pettis, and if that's what our HC wants, so be it. That is why he IS HC. The problem i ignored was that with OG/ER/2 LBs if not 3/ 2 CBs...that was just too much to hope for in one draft, and i just blocked that part out. Realistically, that IS a 2 more yr build out. So we got a starting OT, a speedy WR who is an ace at PR, a CB, a LB and all should start ultimately, if not initially. That leaves perhaps an OG, but here it depends on what we really have in Garnett, Laken, cooper, and magnus. Coaches know...we don't. So that may or may not be a need. Since we needed TWO ...I will take that as an unmet need. Unlikely we got two starting OGs sitting on the bench....but one never knows.
I hope DBs are now taken care of but that remains to be seen this yr. ER of course is our biggest concern. Will Pita, marsh, atta, Solomon, make an ER unnecessary? I rather doubt that . Add in the guard situation, and really, that is pretty much where we end up...just and OG and ER away from a SB bound team. Considering the hardest position to fill is already done, QB, we are ahead of schedule. So whereas i thot we might have a shot at making a run this yr, almost certainly it will be next yr. This will allow OL to all get on one page and do we need one or TWO OGs? We definitely need an ER. Based on what we did this yr, it was a success, with a speed merchant at RB, and a WR with speed and runs great routes. Right now...WE ARE CLOSE...but not quite. The ER will probably show up as a major league need sooner rather than later. And based on filling OT, (we will need another next yr), an OG or two, we are just about there.. Now it is Paciencia , and that is hard when you are a fan who got bitten by the Joe/Jerry/ SB bug and then once gone,, we have had to wait 20 long yrs for the circumstances(OK, jimmy G) to reappear. Now i just want us to win the SB...and we still need 2 key players...one with luck. The addition of the best play caller in the league as HC , happened at an incredibly fortuitous time. Kyle and JG together is a lot more than a good HC and good QB. It is two exceptional guys at the two critical spots you need them. GETting an ER is still necessary, but those two make us a lot closer to being ready for a run, than some think. But still, i am afraid it wont be this yr. Next yr with an ER... then we take it all.
With some exceptional good luck this yr we still could make those SB stats about odds on winning it all...come true. But realistically , it is not fair to expect that this yr....which I did following jimmy's incredible surprise entry into the NFL the last 5 games this team played ...with NO interior line, no ER, no real pass rusher to speak of, only 2 starter DBs, missing 2 LBs, no rocket RB, no exceptional WR with burner speed(and no special PR either). Of all those missing pieces, the OG/C/OG was the worst part missing. ER was right after that and we need both, or 4 players....two of which, i hope we have at OG. The kilgore thing was taken care of with Richburg. So now just really 3 question marks and hopefully the OGs are close to ready. We do have 3 1st rd picks there, but until they produce, it doesn't matter what round they were taken in. So still, 3 key players, ER and 2 OGs, which we lack. With any luck we get at least ONE starter at OG from our 4 potential OGs, and hopefully Richburg can help out with the other one if needed. If we have two bona fide OG starters, then we are just missing one piece, and that would be ER. We will need another OT NEXT yr if Williams, Gilliam,et al don't measure up.
FRankly to be this close after just one yr and FA+ Draft yr 2...is truly an amazing job done by Kyle and JL. Guys like myself just have to be patient and thankful for the work done so far. The day after draft i wasn't thinking so , but given a week and change, i get it.
