Quote:Here is another excuse I love:
"but you can't build through free agency and can get yourself in cap trouble."
That is total crap. The Jags spent big money in the 90's and it got them 2 afc championship games in 3 years. Yes we had cap trouble after that but we still had major success.
We have been consistent stinkers. Saving money on the cap hasn't done squat for us
Yep, it is the biggest "sell" that Oesher and some on this board have tried selling. The Jaguars loaded up on FA to quickly build that team early in our franchise. They just went too far with it. Add in some draft busts and it became an overpriced and aging team.
Believe it nor not, there is nothing wrong with Gene Smith's philosophy. He had some bad luck and even worse execution though.
You CAN build with a young core while signing good productive veterans to help them along the way.
Sure, you can draft a bunch of young guys and bank on them improving and all of them hitting it big, kind of like Seattle. But as Gus and Dave are finding out, its not as easy to build a team with majority of them being young guys. Caldwell has to dip into the cap next season, or both him and Gus will be on a very hot seat. Blake is getting over 10 games this season to get experienced, same with the OL and the WRs. Another 4 win season next year won't save Gus/Dave even if Blake proves to be the franchise QB we've been looking for.
Anything short of 8-8 would be a failure next year.
It took JDR and Shack two seasons to rebuild (although TC did leave them with cornerstone DTs, the depth on that team was depleted) and take us to 9-7, then 12-4 before the lack of production from the 1st rounders took its toll.
Gene Smith, despite letting go of some of the draft busts and aging veterans from Harris' regime...still finished 7-9 in 2009. That's 3 more wins in one season than the Gus/DC regime has had in 1.5 seasons. A year after that, Gene "Smiff"'s team managed 8 wins before the lack of stars (and the failure of Gabbert) doomed him (along with JDR and Wayne being lame ducks).
Think about that. For as bad as Shack/Gene + JDR combo were, to this point they have vastly outperformed Gus/Dave.
This regime MUST turn it around next season or that will be it for them...
In general, there is a theme to why the TC Jags and the Shack/Gene Jags failed...failure of draft picks to develop. TC startred out great before taking some wild swings and missing. Shack's 1sts were horrible but his 2nd/3rd rounders got him a competitive team. Gene's 1sts were even worse, and his 2nd/3rd rounders weren't as good, so his team fell apart.
The same will happen to Dave if his draft class doesn't step up. So far Blake looks like the only true "star" in the making. Cyp looks solid, and so does A-Rob, while Luke looks like an even worse LT than the guy he is replacing.
