Quote:So I'd give it 4 big, 4 not big. Again, I'm not complaining and I really like how well this class has done so far considering the circumstances. But the template also looks just like a Gene Smith draft, hopefully these guys turn out better and we get a QB and a pass rush next offseason.

 

I think the big difference between the two was that Gene Smith wanted to build a floor of 'Mediocre'.  His first draft wasn't bad for the most part, but what he did wrong was trade a future 2nd for a current 3rd.  That's not the kind of move you do at the beginning of a rebuild.  Not unless you want to raise the floor on your team.  What good will having Derek Cox a year early do for a team that's not ready to compete versus having a 2nd round pick the next year?  

 

The next year we only had 6 picks.  The year after that 5.  And then in his last year, 6 again.<i> </i> Yes, we traded our 4th in 2010 for Kirk Morrison, who was here only a year.

 

Gene never seemed to have long-term plans.  He planned for the short term. This failed when his QB didn't pan out, because a bad QB will make a mediocre team terrible.   He also valued character over talent (at least until his final year, when he was desperate and traded up for Blackmon).  

 

Gene had his guys, and he wanted them, and would trade up for them when he didn't have the ammunition to do so. 

 

Caldwell on the other hand seems to be more patience, with more plans for the long-term.  He doesn't mind if we're terrible now.  He didn't want to build a higher floor.  I'm sure he could've made this a 4 win team if he wanted to in just a year.  But that would not have benefited the team in the long run.  Not because of draft position, but because building that floor higher will do nothing but put duct tape on the situation.

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