(04-02-2022, 11:22 AM)TheDuke007 Wrote:

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

1.  I would say based solely upon his prominence as a free agent, Jones could be a starter, though I don't have much faith in him (Zay Jones) at this stage.

2.  We are in agreement about ILB.  I think one thing Baalke has proven able to identify over the years, especially in the middle rounds, is linebacker (Navarro Bowman).  As I theorized in a different thread, ILB is deep in this draft.

3.  Agreed.

4.  Agreed mostly with your analysis, here, with minor differences regarding the relationship between scheme and the changes in starters.  The roster was so bad, we would have wanted to upgrade the positions anyway, I think scheme played a role in terms of the importance placed on different positions (i.e. Pederson's offense emphasizing the TE position).  How long as this team needed to improve the TE position?

5.  Fair answer, though I might caution against putting too much faith in the collaboration between Baalke and Pederson.  Baalke supposedly did not collaborate with many of the other coaches in San Francisco.

7.  That answer is somewhat curious, especially since Pederson has placed so much emphasis in the trenches throughout the offseason thus far.  But of course, we have so many needs and, at the moment only 4 picks in the first three rounds, some position might go lower than one might think.

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