(10-20-2018, 09:15 PM)Bullseye Wrote:

(10-20-2018, 11:20 AM)Caldrac Wrote: This is what the team gets for thinking it was all set on offense and investing on defense in RD1 and RD3. They [BLEEP] this draft up pretty badly so far.

I think when it's all said and done it's going to be one of the ugliest ones we've had. Reeks of 2008 when the offensive line got ravaged with injuries and they thought going all in and early on defense was the answer to their prayers after that 2007 play-off push.

Oh well. Injuries happen. But [BLEEP]. We've sure had enough of them around here.

I understand the frustration that triggered these remarks, but not the facts underlying them.

We picked at the bottom of each round because of where we finished last year.

Our injuries have happened at LT, TE, and RB.

We just drafted a second round LT last year in Robinson, and he had performed pretty well up until he blew out his knee.

If you look at how the draft transpired, there were relatively few Ts taken between our pick at 29 and our pick at the bottom of the 2nd round.  In fact, per drafthistory.com, the only T taken between our first and second round picks was Connor Williams, who got moved inside to G.  After him, the Vikings, who actually picked after us, chose Brian O'Neill, and after him, at the top of the 3rd round, the Raiders chose Brandon Parker.  Neither Parker nor O'Neill have been full time starters at T per profootballreference.com, and that is with Vikings incumbent LT Kalil being injured.

The above notwithstanding, drafting a first round LT the year after drafting an effective LT at the top of the second round would have met with some criticism here, to say the least.

TE has been an issue here, as well.  There were only two TEs taken between our pick in the first round and the Chark selection:  Mike Gesicki and Dallas Goedert.  Gesicki was a good receiving threat, but likely did not meet the team's standard of run blocking.  Same with Goedert, who also had the small school "knock" against him (I am not categorically opposed to small school players, but I understand that has been a consistent basis of criticism here).  Furthermore, to the extent TC has ever had sway over the draft picks, he has never really been a guy to draft TEs in the first round.  However, the team did sign ASJ to address the position.  Now you can say what you will about that signing, but they made the attempt to address the position.

As for RB, everyone knows the recent history of RBs here on this team.  The team drafted Fournette at #4 overall last year, after spending a 2nd rounder on TJ Yeldon back in '15.  Even though the team allowed FA RB Chris Ivory to walk (cut?), that meant more playing time for RB Corey Grant, whom everyone wanted to see get more PT.  There was no shortage of people trashing the Fournette pick at #4 even before his hamstring injury.  What would the complaints have been like had we taken a RB in the first round a year after taking Fournette?

Also remember, everyone viewed LG as a major problem area going into this past offseason.  The team signed Norwell, widely considered the best G prospect in FA considering his age and his All Pro resume.

Now you can make the argument the team should not have taken Taven Bryan at 29.  He has had minimal impact thus far.  However, even assuming that to be an unwise draft decision (he may yet turn out to be a productive player), the facts show there weren't many offensive players who could have helped this team in the injury plagued areas of this team.  

The offense is struggling mightily right now due in large part to injury.  But I don't see how you can say the team approached this past offseason as if there were no offensive needs.

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(10-20-2018, 02:04 PM)SeldomRite Wrote: Thinking like you propose here is exactly why the team is in the position it's in now. Years and years of "need" drafting instead of best player drafting.

Last year the Jaguars "needed" a running back, so they flushed a top five pick on one with significant injury problems coming out. (didn't "need" a QB, lol!) In 2015 they "needed" a defensive end, so they flushed a top five pick on a guy that had never shown he could play the position. Keep going back and you'll keep finding examples of trying to fill roster holes with draft picks. It didn't help then and it wouldn't have helped now. If Chark, Harrison, and Bryan turn out to be players then this years draft will have worked out, if not then at least it won't be because they thought they needed to fill a roster spot.

What position is that?  A year removed from the AFC Championship, a 3-3 record and still tied for first in the division?!?

The position of having to spend most of the team's cap on free agents. It's going to be interesting to see what happens next year when they have to start letting go of players because of it. Of course the biggest problem is that the team still doesn't have a franchise quarterback, which they could have had several times if they had a legitimate GM. Personally I think Dave is marginally better than most GMs, but that's not saying much. I think most of them are no better than a knowledgeable fan would be if given their position, they are there mostly because that's how monied clubs like the nfl work, they keep it in the family, they don't rock the boat and bring in fresh outside blood. It's all very incestuous.

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