(04-02-2022, 09:13 AM)The Real Marty Wrote:

(04-02-2022, 04:54 AM)Bullseye Wrote: For the purposes of these questions, assume the following conditions:

A.  A top slot WR and top nickel/slot CBs are considered starters, given the prevalence of 11 personnel and nickel defenses.

B.  There will be no trades up or down in any round, nor will there be any trades for or away of players existing on rosters, so there will be no trading away Shenault or trading for DK Metcalf.  What you now see as far as draft picks is what we will utilize in this draft.

With the above conditions in place:

1.  How many new starters do you expect to come out of our free agency haul?  Who are they?

Scherff, Oluokon, Kirk, Darious Williams, Fatukasi, Ingram.   Zay Jones maybe but probably just a top reserve.    

2.  How many immediate starters do you expect to come out of this draft?

Probably 2.  I think once you get into the 3rd round, you're not looking at immediate starters.  

3.  Are there any guys drafted last year that did not start for whatever reason last year to be starters this year?  Name them and if applicable, name their positions.

Andre Cisco, Travis Etienne.  

4.  Given the number of new starters combined from the questions listed above, would you say that is a good or bad total?  Why?  Do you think the number of new starters is a reflection of a job well done in terms of player acquisition, a function of how bad the roster was in the first place, the need for newer players to fit the new schemes, or some combination? Will the players be clear upgrades or scheme fillers?

I think our 2021 draft was okay.  Not great, not bad.  As for free agency this year, Scherff and Kirk are clear upgrades.  Darious Williams is a clear upgrade over last year's 3rd CB.  I'm not sure about the rest of them. 


5.  Do your expectations rise or fall depending upon who has the most sway in the draft room between Baalke or Pederson?

Not really, because I don't think one will have more sway than the other.  

6.  Would your expectations be any higher if Baalke had been fired or an EVP beeh placed above him as promised by Khan?

I'm not sure Khan "promised" an EVP, but regardless, I don't have any answer to your question, because I don't know who the EVP would have been or what his actual level of responsibility/oversight would have been.  

7.  Of all of the positions deemed to be needs on this team, what's the one position you somehow think will not be addressed by round 3?

linebacker.  I really don't know what the team is thinking, but it seems like a dire need and I haven't seen much speculation about what we might do about it.  

I will give my answers a little later.  I want to hear your thoughts.

I would also add, so much of what you are asking involves pure speculation with no actual knowledge of what the Jags' brass is thinking.  

In answering your questions about "starters," I considered anyone who would be on the field a majority of the game a "starter."  Like Travis Etienne.  He may not start the game, but I think, if healthy, he will be on the field for most of the game.

I will also start with Marty's as the base as I largely agree.  My additional comments:

1.  If we're using over 50% as the definition of a starter, I would predict Zay Jones as well.  He'll surpass it as I think he'll likely start early in the year over a rookie and even if beat out mid-season, would still get significant playing time as a top reserve and a situational player

2.  I agree with 2 immediate starters in the draft.  I think we take Hutchinson who will start.  I think an inside linebacker taken early would also be an immediate starter.  I think a wide receiver and an interior offensive lineman would eventually become starters but may not win the job immediately against a veteran.

3.  I would add Walker Little to the list of draft picks from last year that will probably move into a starting role this year.

4.  The new starters this year are a combination of being a bad team last year and the fact that we had a lot of resources this year including a ton of salary cap space for free agents, extra draft picks and drafting first in each round.  I don't see scheme change as a major factor.  I largely see these as positions we would have wanted to upgrade anyway regardless of scheme.

5.  I don't like Baalke, so I would consider Pederson's influence as a good thing, but I'm not sure I'm too focused on it.  I'm confident that it will be a collaboration, so I think we're talking about shades of grey here.

6.  I hated the decision to keep Baalke and will discuss it in a thread specifically related to him.  However, I don't like being a "Negative Nancy".  The decision on Baalke has been made.  At this point, I largely work on the assumption that he will do the right thing.  If he doesn't, I'll criticize him on draft day.  As much as I dislike Baalke, honestly, my answer to these questions likely wouldn't be significantly different right now if we had someone else.  You have to assume that the current GM will do the right thing.

7.  Although I think we draft our center of the future, I don't think we draft our left guard of the future.  I know you said one position, but I would also note for those that want us to draft a replacement safety for Jenkins that I don't think that is addressed either.

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