I think that the fans that are freaking out right now were the ones who were being unrealistic and even thought we were going to make the playoffs this year. This team is at least a couple years away from making that happen. We need another top pick or 2 to add to this roster because we lack a lot of talent. It looks like we have finally found our QB. Now we need to build from this. Everyone knows we need an enormous amount of help all over the field. People keep bringing up Jim Harbaughs name. Why do you think he would come here to begin with, because he wouldn't. Get over your issues with Gus because he is not going anywhere and root this team on. I think we will win 3 games this year, 6-7 next year, and then start to compete for the playoffs the following year. It is going to take time to turn this around after completing gutting the roster, so just be PATIENT.
I already tried this angle. It didnt work.
I thought we would win 5 games this year. MAYBE 7. I never dreamed we'd be making the playoffs this year.
Everyone has been patient. It's not like this is our first rebuild. This is attempt #3 at our rebuild. We've been rebuilding for a long time.
Quote:I thought we would win 5 games this year. MAYBE 7. I never dreamed we'd be making the playoffs this year.
Everyone has been patient. It's not like this is our first rebuild. This is attempt #3 at our rebuild. We've been rebuilding for a long time.
This really isn't the 3rd rebuild. Those other "rebuilds" were more like retooling. We kept many carry over guys and added a couple of pieces to that. This is a true rebuild.
Meh I thought they were a 1 win team, and they'll likely be that, doesn't make the games any better.
As far as Jim why wouldn't he come if enough money was offered? I mean I'm not on the fire Gus bandwagon yet, but his coordinators need to be gone.
Here's the thing. This is the first time I've logged into the forums since the BYE week last year. Did I expect us to make the playoffs this year? Nope. Did I expect us to even have a winning record? Nope. But I did however expect them to be better than last year and that is debatable. Its all about progress and realistically, were in the SAME spot we were in last year. I sat in LP Field yesterday and after the first drive, was seriously about to fall asleep because it was so boring. After CS3, fumbled, I left. Only to realize while walking to my car that we magically scored and got an onside. Yeah I missed the final moments of the game, but did it really matter? They failed to do anything for almost 3 whole quarters. I love the Jags, but this whole decade of rebuilding is getting out of hand. You're(the general you) asking a lot of your fanbase to continue to stick it out until the process is over. How long do we have to wait? I put so much into this franchise and often times feel like I'm getting nothing in return. I think Blake is the answer, but he is one guy, the rest of the majority is already supposed to be in place. Yes, we are young and gaining experience and everything blah blah. I get that.
The problem is, watching this team go further and further downhill for the last 5-10 years, has begun to wear me down to the point that I do not enjoy Football anymore. They have sucked the joy out of it. I've done nothing but defend this team during the rebuilding process, I've stuck with this team since 94. I'm not expecting SB contention every year, heck I'd be happy with a playoff appearance consistently. When do the fans start to get rewarded for everything we've done?
After that game, on my long drive home, in the pouring monsoon, I realized that 0-16 is not only possible, but probable. We have potentially 3-4 games that are even remotely winnable(on paper).
I've seen the answer at QB. He IS THE guy. Problem is, nothing else is.
Winning solves everything.
Quote:This really isn't the 3rd rebuild. Those other "rebuilds" were more like retooling. We kept many carry over guys and added a couple of pieces to that. This is a true rebuild.
It amazes me how so many people don't understand this.
Basically I've thought of this team like an expansion team that started last year but didn't get extra draft picks. That's essentially what this is.
I don't even watch other football games after the Jags because I'm just bleh
Quote:It amazes me how so many people don't understand this.
Basically I've thought of this team like an expansion team that started last year but didn't get extra draft picks. That's essentially what this is.
Yup. They completely ignore just how massively this roster was gutted when Caldwell took over.
Gene Smith didn't rebuild anything. He made a few fringe changes, but stuck with most of what he inherited from Shack Harris. Caldwell took this thing down to the foundation, and even a little deeper than that. This isn't a rebuild. It's a build from the ground up. Most here recognized that was going to take time, especially when they've been saying they wanted to do the bulk of their building through the draft. That takes time. Even the best GMs don't nail it on every draft pick, so you can figure they're going to hopefully have a 50-60% success rate in order for this approach to be successful in 2-3 years.
Quote:Yup. They completely ignore just how massively this roster was gutted when Caldwell took over.
Not just gutted either. People don't realize that 4th - 7th round guys don't normally come in and start right away. That's what we're used to here because that's the only option. We didn't have entrenched starters who were serviceable so the young guys got thrown in. That's why we have the youngest starting roster. If it weren't for Lewis and Scobee we'd have the youngest roster in the NFL.
Seriously:
Storm - 7th round
Evans - 6th round
McCray - 7th round
Denard - 5th round
Bowanko - 6th round
Telvin - 5th round
I get that Denard and Telvin aren't starting, but you get the point. Lots of young guys who normally wouldn't be on the field this much this early after being a later draft pick are thrusted into starting lineup's and big roles.
Quote:I thought we would win 5 games this year. MAYBE 7. I never dreamed we'd be making the playoffs this year.
Everyone has been patient. It's not like this is our first rebuild. This is attempt #3 at our rebuild. We've been rebuilding for a long time.
I thought we would win 3 games this year. Cleveland, Houston, Miam
Quote:Not just gutted either. People don't realize that 4th - 7th round guys don't normally come in and start right away. That's what we're used to here because that's the only option. We didn't have entrenched starters who were serviceable so the young guys got thrown in. That's why we have the youngest starting roster. If it weren't for Lewis and Scobee we'd have the youngest roster in the NFL.
This is a point some here can't seem to grasp. I know I've gone back and forth with one poster in particular who continually says the Rams have a younger roster and they seem to be more competitive. What he fails to look at is that while they may have the younger roster from top to bottom, their starting lineup, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, is significantly more experienced, by almost 3 times the number of total years.
I went and looked at the starting lineups for the Jags and Rams this week, and with Johnson stepping in for Gerhart, the total years of NFL experience for our starting 11 on offense was 21 years yesterday. The starting offense for the Rams? 59 years.
This is a VERY young team. Almost every time a talking head refers to the Jaguars, they make note of just how unprecedented it is to have so many rookies out there starting, but as you said, it was done out of necessity, especially on offense. The team will get better. Not all of the rookies will pan out, but I think most of the guys we have pulled into service will actually be solid contributors for this team. Especially on the offensive line. No, they're not strong enough yet to really push off, but one whole off season training program will help that progress along. I think the current configuration of the offensive line could become a long-term strength for this team if these young guys continue to develop.
I see the same potential with the receivers. We've got a lot of young talent on the roster there, and while they're making the kinds of mistakes you'd expect from rookie receivers, the experience they're gaining is invaluable in the long term.
Quote:Yup. They completely ignore just how massively this roster was gutted when Caldwell took over.
Gene Smith didn't rebuild anything. He made a few fringe changes, but stuck with most of what he inherited from Shack Harris. Caldwell took this thing down to the foundation, and even a little deeper than that. This isn't a rebuild. It's a build from the ground up. Most here recognized that was going to take time, especially when they've been saying they wanted to do the bulk of their building through the draft. That takes time.
Just to add to that
Below are players that ended the 2012 season with the Jags that are still here after the GM switch took place:
Chad Henne
Marcedes Lewis
Austin Pasztor
Tyson Alualu
Poz
Anger
Scobee
Branch
Shorts
Todman
Ryan Davis
Will T.
Mike Brown
13 players. Out of the 53 man roster, Practice Squad, and IR.
I think the problem is that some people believe that we have to win more than four games this season and that anything less is proof that the rebuild isn't working. Honestly, I was hoping for more wins, but given the inexperience of the offense, I accept now that winning is going to be tough this season. Maybe even harder than last season. You simply don't start that many rookies and expect to win.
I think we have to write off this season now and treat it as a sixteen game preseason.
But there is a problem with this. They say losing becomes a habit and its true. Players also need to learn how to win as a team. Too many defeats could be very damaging to their development and confidence.
Quote:Just to add to that
Below are players that ended the 2012 season with the Jags that are still here after the GM switch took place:
Chad Henne
Marcedes Lewis
Austin Pasztor
Tyson Alualu
Poz
Anger
Scobee
Branch
Shorts
Todman
Ryan Davis
Will T.
Mike Brown
13 players. Out of the 53 man roster, Practice Squad, and IR.
And 9 of those players where starters at the start of the season. or had significant playing time.
Quote:I thought we would win 3 games this year. Cleveland, Houston, Miam
Substitute Hou with Ten at home. Hou def will shred our line.
Quote:Just to add to that
Below are players that ended the 2012 season with the Jags that are still here after the GM switch took place:
Chad Henne
Marcedes Lewis
Austin Pasztor
Tyson Alualu
Poz
Anger
Scobee
Branch
Shorts
Todman
Ryan Davis
Will T.
Mike Brown
13 players. Out of the 53 man roster, Practice Squad, and IR.
Gene Smith's roster was 16 out of the 53 man roster left from Shack. Not much of a difference.
Quote:Gene Smith's roster was 16 out of the 53 man roster left from Shack. Not much of a difference.
Gene Smith was involved in the building of the roster prior to taking over as the GM. Did you forget that?
Quote:This is a point some here can't seem to grasp. I know I've gone back and forth with one poster in particular who continually says the Rams have a younger roster and they seem to be more competitive. What he fails to look at is that while they may have the younger roster from top to bottom, their starting lineup, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, is significantly more experienced, by almost 3 times the number of total years.
I went and looked at the starting lineups for the Jags and Rams this week, and with Johnson stepping in for Gerhart, the total years of NFL experience for our starting 11 on offense was 21 years yesterday. The starting offense for the Rams? 59 years.
This is a VERY young team. Almost every time a talking head refers to the Jaguars, they make note of just how unprecedented it is to have so many rookies out there starting, but as you said, it was done out of necessity, especially on offense. The team will get better. Not all of the rookies will pan out, but I think most of the guys we have pulled into service will actually be solid contributors for this team. Especially on the offensive line. No, they're not strong enough yet to really push off, but one whole off season training program will help that progress along. I think the current configuration of the offensive line could become a long-term strength for this team if these young guys continue to develop.
I see the same potential with the receivers. We've got a lot of young talent on the roster there, and while they're making the kinds of mistakes you'd expect from rookie receivers, the experience they're gaining is invaluable in the long term.
He didn't rebuild? He might not have jettisoned quite as much as Dave has, but the roster also had a lot more talent on it when Gene inherited it. Gene was a complete rebuild. Shack was a complete rebuild. Dave was a complete rebuild...
Almost every new GM completely rebuilds...
Quote:Gene Smith was involved in the building of the roster prior to taking over as the GM. Did you forget that?
So then its not a rebuild since he was on the staff? Even though he cut most of those players he supposedly helped draft? Makes no sense.