Quote:How can you win when your GM surrounds you with crap? The first orders of business by the new GM were to get rid of a few guys.

 

Rashad Jennings (starting RB for Giants)

Darryl Smith (starting LB for Ravens)

Brandon Marshall (starting LB for Broncos)

Terrance Knighton (starting DT for Broncos)

Rashean Mathis (starting CB for Lions)

Eugene Monroe (starting OT for Ravens)

Dawan Landry (starting SS for Jets)

 

Who did he replace most of those guys with? Rookies and cheap signings even when the Jags had the most cap space in the league. Gus cannot win with a second rate team. The fact that this team is still playing hard speaks volumes of how they feel about Gus. The Raiders have basically given up after getting their one W to get them out of the 0-16 discussion. The Titans have basically given up as well. The Jags were down big early and could have given up, but they didn't. Gus deserves another year and hopefully Caldwell decides to use some of the cap space to give Gus a chance to succeed.

Marshall did nothing for the Jags in 2012.  It has clicked for him in Denver 2 years removed from Jacksonville.  While he was here, he was drafted, released, re-signed, released, moved to the practice squad, and put on the roster at the end of the 2012 season before being released again prior to the start of the 2013 season.  He was given an opportunity to earn a roster spot under Bradley/Caldwell, and he didn't make the cut. 

 

Knighton wasn't sticking around.  He wanted to play for Del Rio.  He did well in year 1 in Denver, but his stats are down this year.   

 

Fans sure didn't embrace Rashad Jennings when he was here.  I remember a lot of people hammering the team for drafting a kid from Liberty.  I always liked Jennings, and thought he showed a lot of potential.  Unfortunately, that wasn't even remotely realized until he went to Oakland. 

 

Rashean Mathis was done here, and while he's starting in Detroit, go look at his stat line.  Most of the time, when you see highlight reels of teams hitting big plays vs. Detroit, Rashean's jersey seems to make the highlight. 

 

Eugene Monroe suddenly became the greatest LT since Boselli after the team traded him.  Prior to that, the luminaries on this board were ready to send him packing.  It's amazing how romanticized players are when they're gone.  Monroe wasn't the long-term plan at LT once they drafted Joeckel.  He wasn't going to take a pay cut that would be required to play RT.  The team got value in trade for him rather than just letting him walk in free agency.  Yeah, what a huge loss. 

 

Landry was never anything special here.  Solid, but nothing special. 

 

Daryl Smith is the one real personnel mistake I feel Caldwell has made.  But, I don't think that would have happened if Bradley didn't sign off.  They clearly felt he wasn't a fit for what they wanted to do here. 

 

As far as replacing this murderer's row of All Pro talent with rookies and inexpensive free agents, it's pretty clear some folks still don't really understand what the intention was in 2013.  They were purging the roster to begin the build.  They brought in less expensive free agents, giving them "show me" contracts, and those who contributed and proved their value as foundational players were identified. Nobody, including the front office was expecting to land a group of awe inspiring players in the budget market of free agency.  Marks is one of those guys they signed, and he's been worth every penny so far with his new deal, and outplayed his original contract significantly.  

 

They clearly had a plan going into this thing, knowing that they would be required to spend to the cap in 2015.  By clearing out the players who weren't part of the long-term plans, and back filling with youth and less expensive free agency, they were able to build a serious war chest in 2015.  Money won't be an issue in pursuing any player they want in free agency, and they've already made it clear they intend to be serious players as soon as the market is open.  I expect to see them signing multiple impact free agents (depending on what is available when we get to that point).  Had they blown their reserves in year one on free agency, it would have undermined what they wanted to do in building through the draft.  Credit to them for not succumbing to the temptation of going the easy route.  Hopefully it will pay off with long-term, sustainable success moving forward. 

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