(10-03-2017, 03:17 AM)TheAll22 Wrote:

(10-02-2017, 03:14 PM)StroudCrowd1 Wrote: Dave Caldwell deserves BLAME for his Bortles draft pick. In fact, he should be fired for it.

Part1: Bortles
I have no issue with the selection, Despite that, I got killed for bemoaning the pick the day of the draft. Dave thought he had a QB, he took him and for the first two years, it seemed like there was something there. FFWD: It's not working out. I'm not even upset that DC kept him this season or extended the 5th year option.

The issue is that Bortles had serious flaws, magnified by overuse and a poor offensive system. This FO failed to realize and do anything about the situation before now which is too late in the game. There were opportunities to acquire young ascending players like Garrapolo or McCarron..Understandable, those trades would be very costly. The team then passed on every QB in the draft last year (QB's went much higher based on potential). This is where I can't forgive DC.

Looking at this defense, I think two conditional first rounders would be more than worth it for Garrapolo. I'd gladly send the Bengals my 2nd.

I am not willing to wait on Bortles any longer because this team won't be playing a defense led by Dan Pees every weak that gifts Marcedes Lewis 3 TD's by putting a back-up rush LB in coverage. Bortles may be able to hide his flaws here and there, but I could never take this team into January just to have the mistakes come out again. It's always a matter of time with Blake. I felt this way win or loss before Sunday afternoon.

Part II: Overall Team
There is credit being given to DC where he deserves but his track record has some serious bad marks from Free Agents to draft picks to Coaches and the Brandon Albert disaster. There's a lot, I don't know of any GM that has survived this much and the way he dismantled the prior team to recreate and then again was very unorthodox. I like a good amount of what he has done and he has a good reputation with people in the business from what people have told me in my circles.

I just don;t think that DC knows the game or knows athletes enough to make the best decisions. I go back toe Joeckel pick, this was my first indication that DC was not going to be successful. DC raved about analytics (which I love) and we try to sell folks on Blaine Gabbert needing .02 more seconds to throw and he would have a better passer rating than Tom Brady, Matt Ryan or Peyton Manning. Right there, I realize that this man does not know the game, he doesn't see athletes or feel in his gut how a guy is going to evolve. Joeckel had one trait, he looked the part of a LT but when I saw his games, I did not see a franchise piece.

Part III: The bad news
DC has survived the bad decisions (all GM's make bad moves) but his problem is going to be replenishing the tank. Caldwell has some serious issues upcoming. DC is staring at a cycle of having to replace bad draft picks and bad FA signings with Free Agents. Meanwhile, these young defenders are going to be looking to get paid. Ramsey is going to be somewhere near a $20M+ cap hit and could likely be the highest paid CB at his position. Smith, Jack, Ngonque are all going to command high dollars and they are a homegrown talent you want to see stay. Same for Poz, Church and maybe Jackson. DC is going to have to find the jar players that he can pull off the shelf when the big money signings fade away with bloated contracts that DC handed out. DC is going to have to keep spending big money to maintain his roster and he better hope he has the success he has had this season and not the Sergio Browns or Dan Skuta's of the league.

I know people felt like this team was ascending, but Caldwell needs to start hitting on more picks bec and find a competent QB