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We also lost 12 games from Monroe, not that keeping the QB alive matters considering none will be on the team next year. And Monroe could have been franchised, so that's another 16 games even if the Jags couldn't get him to agree to a long-term contract.


 

Whenever someone claimed that So-And-So was a bust, a lot of Gene defenders replied that one shouldn't expect anything from picks after round 3. Gene 2.0 just got two "Shouldn't Expect Anythings" for a good starting LT and the only OL'man we had grading out positive on PFF.


For reference, here are the Jags 4th and 5th round picks through the years. There are a few good players, and a lot of garbage.

 

12 games that he wasn't going to make a difference in.

 

So you'd rather franchise him and pay him huge bucks instead of moving Luke to LT (where he's more comfortable) and finding someone at RT now (when we're going to be hopefully drafting a franchise QB) for a lot less, leaving more room to spend money on other parts (some of which will probably be the Offensive line)

 

Calling Caldwell Gene 2.0 at this point is both premature and immature. This isn't a Gene Smith type move at all.  Yes, we got late round picks for an LT.  It's more than the Cardinals got for Levi Brown.  Considering Monroe is in a contract year, and hasn't been playing as well as he has in the past, now was a time to deal him.

 

Monroe dips in quality next year after getting a big contract ala Marcedes Lewis, we pay him big bucks, and you'd be complaining that we franchised him.  

 

We didn't get much out of the trade -- but considering they were planning on letting Monroe walk at the end of the season rather than franchising him -- we at least got something.  It's not ideal -- but who knows what Dave will do with those picks.  Maybe we trade up with those picks.  Maybe we trade back into the 1st, or 2nd, or even 3rd.  There's nothing that says Caldwell can't trade those picks to get an earlier pick.  Maybe he's pushing for other deals so he'll have plenty of ammunition to trade ahead of someone and get somebody who's really good when the time is right.  

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