Quote:Your assessments of the list agree pretty closely with mine, so let me move on to the declines.
Cyp was playing better at the end of last year, and the beginning of this one, than he is now. Since he has the same FS he did last year that's not the reason.
Gratz has clearly declined. He was very good last year, this year he has been torched repeatedly.
Sanders is getting less play because of the rookies, but he was pretty good as a receiver last year, and has shown nothing when he has played this season. He also sucks as a punt returner, but I think that's always been the case.
Shorts wasn't a drop machine last year like he has been this year. That's a decline.
Yes Mike Brown. He was pretty good last year, but did nothing when given the opportunity this year due to injuries, and was recently cut. I'd call that a decline. You could make the argument that neither Brown nor Sanders have had enough play this year to accurately evaluate them. Maybe that's true.
I thought Joeckel was playing better earlier this season. Maybe that was just due to the opponents exploiting the hole at RT. In any case he hasn't improved over the course of the season. Pasztor was much better last year. No one was calling for a free agent RT to replace him like they are this year. Frankly, I'm hoping that it's due to injury, that he heals completely and gets back to his 2013 level of play. I just have a hard time believing that a hand injury that had six weeks (and more) to heal is the difference.
We'll know more by next year. In the meantime, I'm disappointed in the player development so far.
Okay, we can look at the coaching aspect of this since I think this is where you are unhappy. Cyp hasn't had the same safety since he has been here. He's played with Prosinski, Evans, Guy, and Martin. He's never had a reliable partner back there with him. Gratz hasn't played as well as last year, I will agree with you. But I also think a reliable FS would make both of them play a lot better.
Sanders has been who he is, he hasn't declined. Shorts becoming a drop machine isn't a coaching problem. He also was not a Caldwell guy so I'm ultimately not concerned with him. I also don't really care if Mike Brown declined or not, he was never part of the future of this team. I dont think we can be upset if a fringe talent didn't make it in the NFL.
I don't think there has a been lack of player development, there is a problem with consistency. I don't think we really know where these players level of play is. I think this will be a conversation to better have at this point next season.
Quote:Bradley doesn't get credit for developing them last year too? Marks never had more than 1.5 sacks before last year and McCray is a 7th round pick who seems to be developed into a starting caliber CB.
I'd like to see more development on offense but Gus has done a nice job overall with the defense.
Makes you wonder what they're teaching over there in Tenn!
I'm gonna temper my excitement with Colvin because I saw Gratz come out hot too.
We may need Colvin to be the corner stone of our secondary. Cyprien isn't really stepping up, and we desperately need a FS to help him.
Quote:Ya know, I think the Monroe trade has to be looked on in favor. It gave us ammunition to trade up to select (I don't remember exactly who but they're both good ) Linder or Robinson, and we still came out with Colvin and Smith, two future studs on defense.
Add in trading BLAINE GABBERT for a pick that turned into a possible long term solution at center...
Add in Marqise Lee who is showing flashes of being the elusive deep threat...
And of course the crown jewel, Blake, who Will grow into our franchise QB.
This draft was stellar. Last year got us some valuable pieces as well (although the class of the entire league last year was lacking). Caldwell is adding talent to this team and Bradley is developing it. Anyone who can't see that is... well, they should see it.
I'll tell you what I saw and what I see.
I saw 4-12 last season and I see 2-11 so far this season.
Those are the cold hard facts.
I can also tell you what I would like to see next season, a much better record then the 4-12 Gus was in his first year with the Jags.
Quote:I'll tell you what I saw and what I see.
I saw 4-12 last season and I see 2-11 so far this season.
Those are the cold hard facts.
I can also tell you what I would like to see next season, a much better record then the 4-12 Gus was in his first year with the Jags.
Your speaking the truth while most posters are in fantasy land. They are full of "maybe" "If" "young"
Quote:Bradley doesn't get credit for developing them last year too? Marks never had more than 1.5 sacks before last year and McCray is a 7th round pick who seems to be developed into a starting caliber CB.
I'd like to see more development on offense but Gus has done a nice job overall with the defense.
I'm not sure what the story was with Marks in Nashville.
McCray has been excellent since he took over for Ball, the best CB on the roster and one of the best in the NFL. However, what does it say about the coaching staff that it took an injury to make him a starter?
Some players have developed on defense. Abry Jones, Ryan Davis, and Telvin Smith are notable cases. I'd even be willing to say that Evans is playing better this year, although that's division by zero, and therefore not allowed. Gratz and Blackmon have definitely declined, and Cyprien can be argued. I think he was playing better at the end of last season and in preseason, vs. how he's doing now. The LBs other than Telvin haven't shown much in the way of improvement.
Quote:I'm not sure what the story was with Marks in Nashville.
McCray has been excellent since he took over for Ball, the best CB on the roster and one of the best in the NFL. However, what does it say about the coaching staff that it took an injury to make him a starter?
Some players have developed on defense. Abry Jones, Ryan Davis, and Telvin Smith are notable cases. I'd even be willing to say that Evans is playing better this year, although that's division by zero, and therefore not allowed. Gratz and Blackmon have definitely declined, and Cyprien can be argued. I think he was playing better at the end of last season and in preseason, vs. how he's doing now. The LBs other than Telvin haven't shown much in the way of improvement.
If I remember correctly Marks played the 1-tech for the Titans and Jurrel Casey was their 3-tech.
I don't think it taking an injury for McCray to become the starter has any bearing on the coaching staff at all. Kurt Warner and Tom Brady come to mind as guys who got their start due to injury and I don't think anybody gave Belichick or Vermiel to much grief over it, im sure there are others as well that I can't think of right now. Some guys don't show enough in practice but step up when its gametime, thats just how things happen sometimes.
Gratz has declined, im the first to admit that. As for Blackmon, an arguement can be made that pre-injury, he was playing at the level he's played at his whole career but that Gus and Co. got the most out of him last season and he played above his head. I think he just came back down to what he's been his whole career so really I would argue that Gus and Co. deserve some credit for even getting him to that level in the first place.
Quote:I can agree with the former, I'm not at all convinced of the latter.
I agree in Caldwell thus far. I agree that Bradley has yet to develop them in a way that a good coach should. They have not progressed. It's like they are using their God given talents, but aren't expanding it to the NFL level.
Quote:McCourty, Avril/Houston, KJ Wright and Iupati would be some really good additions to this squad in the off season. Hopefully we can hit on some high draft picks and make a big leap next year to .500
Agree with all of them - and amazingly enough, if we cut Poz/Lewis and some of the other overpaid vets (Alualu?? Hence??) who contribute little or nothing to the long-term success of the franchise, we could actually afford to sign all of them...
Quote:I'm not sure what the story was with Marks in Nashville.
McCray has been excellent since he took over for Ball, the best CB on the roster and one of the best in the NFL. However, what does it say about the coaching staff that it took an injury to make him a starter?
Some players have developed on defense. Abry Jones, Ryan Davis, and Telvin Smith are notable cases. I'd even be willing to say that Evans is playing better this year, although that's division by zero, and therefore not allowed. Gratz and Blackmon have definitely declined, and Cyprien can be argued. I think he was playing better at the end of last season and in preseason, vs. how he's doing now. The LBs other than Telvin haven't shown much in the way of improvement.
You're really reaching with this one.
What does it say about Belichick that it took an injury for him to start Tom Brady? What does it say about John Harbaugh that it took the Ray Rice fiasco for him to start Forsett? What does it say about Tom Coughlin that it took an injury for him to play Fred Taylor?
Quote:Justin Houston
I would love it. But there's absolutely no way he doesn't get re-signed or tagged.
Quote:I wouldn't mind adding a starting corner in the draft, and moving McCray to nickel.
Maybe I'm missing something here... But I think McCray has been playing really good coverage all season. My ideal line up includes him as one of our starting CBs.
What's your concern about him as a starter that you would only want him in on nickel packages?
Quote:Maybe I'm missing something here... But I think McCray has been playing really good coverage all season. My ideal line up includes him as one of our starting CBs.
What's your concern about him as a starter that you would only want him in on nickel packages?
no, this guy just has a random hatred for McCray.
McCray to nickel. Makes no sense
Quote:I'll tell you what I saw and what I see.
I saw 4-12 last season and I see 2-11 so far this season.
Those are the cold hard facts.
I can also tell you what I would like to see next season, a much better record then the 4-12 Gus was in his first year with the Jags.
That they won 4 games last year with the group they had is INCREDIBLE. The team was horrible last year! How they won 4 games is actually pretty amazing. You can't just look at things black and white, you know what's going on and why the team is where they are. This team is much better than last years team, record or not, you know this. This team would kick last years teams butt. We're not a great team or even a good team, but we are improving and will continue to improve and then the wins will come. I have faith in that.
Quote:I would love it. But there's absolutely no way he doesn't get re-signed or tagged.
I think he gets tagged. They just gave another lineman on their team (can't think of this name) a big contract so i doubt they sign him to a big contract.
Quote:I think he gets tagged. They just gave another lineman on their team (can't think of this name) a big contract so i doubt they sign him to a big contract.
Allen Bailey. It would be awesome to get Houston but yeah, I am sure he gets tagged.