Quote:Gene was in full rebuild mode in 2009. The Jags record was better that year than now because Shack left Gene more than Gene left Dave (and a better QB didn't hurt). The fact that he always claimed it would take four years to rebuild shows that his intent wasn't just retooling and he was still getting rid of starters like Henderson and Nelson in 2010. You can't cut everyone the first year, and both Gene and Dave kept the same number of starters.

Going to have to disagree with you here.  When you are in 'full rebuild mode' you do NOT trade a future pick for a pick now.  Especially not in the 3rd round.  And especially not a 2nd rounder for that 3rd rounder.  If Derek Cox was such an amazing player that Gene had to have him, why not draft him over Knighton?  Did he consider them both amazing players he couldn't miss out on?  Derek Cox was a bandaid for the Repair Job. 


The argument goes: You trade a future 2nd for a 3rd now because you get that player a year early.  But you don't want to get a player a year early for the price it cost when you are rebuilding.  


The fact that he claimed to be rebuilding means that he had a very different definition of rebuilding (which was really just repairing).  He didn't want to rebuild from the ground up.  He wanted to rebuild from what we did have.  Sure he got rid of some players.  But he always aimed to have a higher floor.  He didn't want his team to be a basement dweller at all costs.  He did the same thing with his players.  Forget the ceiling, try to find the higher floor.  Base hits, not home runs, I believe he used to say.  Unfortunately this team was in the bottom of the 9th, with two outs, down by 2.  His base hits turned out to be strikes.  Alualu.  Gabbert.  Anger in the 3rd, and he's out!  

 

Caldwell has taken this team to base zero.  He's not going to put a bandaid on a gunshot wound.  He knows that sometimes you have to hit bottom to bounce back up.  And that hitting bottom isn't always a bad thing.  It's certainly not if it puts you in position to succeed.  If Caldwell gets a homerun with his quarterback -- this team will be back in the game.  And he's okay with waiting for the right pitch. 

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