(03-20-2024, 08:05 AM)Mikey Wrote:

(03-19-2024, 10:19 AM)Cleatwood Wrote: The Eagles traded for AJ Brown, signed him to a big contract and then the very next summer signed Hurts to a big contract.

Trents biggest issue is that he can't draft which means they don't get the luxury of having really good players on rookie deals. I would have done that trade for Aiyuk because I think he's exactly what Trevor needs and he's only 25. Ridley will be 30 but Aiyuk would be someone Trevor can continue to grow with (Allen/Diggs Hurts/AJB Burrow/Chase)

is it?

or was it?

The reason we're having this discussion is because we have a number of guys worthy of second deals. There's a good chance we can land a good receiver prospect in this draft. Sadly, he won't be 25. Even worse, he won't take up an abundance of our (unavailable) cap room. If this draft were crap for WR, I'd be all for the big swing. Lamb went at 17 in his draft. Jefferson at 22. Deebo went at 36, Aiyuk at 25. Higgins at 33.

Those are some of the top young receivers today, and they all prove you don't have to pick in the top 5 to get a franchise guy, nor do you need to spend 100 million trying to acquire one.

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(03-19-2024, 11:02 AM)Cleatwood Wrote: You need to be savvy. 

The Eagles currently have Reddick at 21 million, Lane Johnson at 16, Hurts 14, AJB at 13 and Slay at 11. Those are their 5 biggest cap hits for 2024 per Spotrac.

The Chiefs have Mahomes at 37, Thuney at 27 (probably restructure), Taylor at 25, Sneed at 19 (the tag), Kelce at 15. However, they are drafting very well with Creed, Karlaftis, McDuffie, Rice, and Trey Smith playing on rookie contracts.

Keep your stars and draft well. Something the Jags have historically never done.

Where's CJones in the chefs' mix? He may be cheap THIS season, but those 30 and 40 million hits in the next few years are gonna start whittling away at those middling cap hits. Which is exactly the point - sure you can sign Aiyuk today and make this year dirt cheap, but in a year or two that cap room is necessary for much more important moves. How much better would it be to have a comparable WR around 7M per than the same caliber eating up 25-30?

I totally understand all that. You can certainly find great receivers throughout the draft but my main point (and I'll likely lay off this point for a while) is that I don't trust Baalke to make the correct moves in the draft. He has continually made the wrong choices (in my opinion) when it comes to building this roster through the draft. We aren't having this discussion because he's having trouble signing his young talent because he doesn't have many players that fit that. It's Josh Allen and then who? You worried the Jags won't be able to sign studs such as Chad Muma, Snoop Conner, Jay Tufele, Jordan Smith....  

Even players like Tyson Campbell, Cisco, Devin Lloyd and ETN are iffy for second contracts with this team. I get that you can find very good WRs all throughout the draft. Puka was in round 5 last year. ARSB went in round 4 in 2021. My issue is that I don't think Baalke can do that since he has an extremely poor draft record when it comes to WRs as well as rounds 2-7. 

And my last point here is that this all revolves around Trevor. Do you feel like the Jags have built a roster that will not only protect him but give him the weapons to truly flourish? My fear is that this turns into an Andrew Luck situation or he gets traded like Stafford. We are hoping that by just signing Mitch Morse, the entire offensive line improves so much that they can actually run the ball effectively (it might) and protects him long enough that play action can actually work (it might). Then, when play action does work, we are hoping Zay Jones and Gabe Davis are getting open. I have no worries about Kirk. He's the man.

I want this team to succeed. I want every single move that Baalke has done to work because I want to see playoff wins and an eventual Super Bowl. I just have my doubts.

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