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rpr52121
Sober Fan





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Posts: 3,647
Threads: 17
Joined: Apr 2012
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70
This is all in hindsight, but the most disappointing would have to be Cyprien. Needed a very good/great safety in this defense scheme and he was best available player any of the 3 years. He just hasn't worked.
Honestly, I'm sure you can say Caldwell missed with any of selections. Some may have not panned out like we wanted but for example
2013
Joekel. No one in the top 15 has lived up to their draft position. Highest maybe Ansah, but with how bad the offensive line was the prior year, Caldwell would have been blasted for passing on the player most had as the highest rated player that year. Plus no one would have traded up. Teams only trade up into the top 10 for QB's or ultimate game-changing WR/RB. None were there in 2013.
Cyprien dropped. He was supposed to be gone. The question is would he be the type of player that Gus needs at safety, and he is not. I don't know how much choice Caldwell has though becuase who else do you draft? Teo? Alonso? Both good players, and but the LB's were not horrible yet though though you could argue one could have replaced Smith. Caldwell was never gonna draft a RB this year (Bell/Lacy). I also doubt their were many legitimate trade offers given how the QB's were drafted.
Gratz could be called a miss given Logan Ryan has done. Gratz has been benched on/off ,and has not had Belichick and the NE pass rush helping him. Honey Badger has had some highlights but has not been good consistently.
2014
Bortles in 2014 has outplayed the other QB's of that draft class. He is not perfect, but this year I'm not sure how you cannot say he has been better than Carr, Bridgewater, or Manziel. For those talking about Mariota, would have really allowed the Jags to have another year of Henne at starting QB prior to that year? I doubt they would have won a game that year without that change, and I have no doubt one of you would have burned down the stadium and told them to move to London after an 0-16 season.
Lee could be seen as miss, but no one expected him to fall. Plus when healthy, he is the exact game changing/dynamic player you want on the field. His injury issues the past 2 years have been very different than those in college, so I'm not sure you could have project much other than "his build". However if he panned out, everyone would have panned Caldwell. In hindsight, you could argue that WR of this type (fast, quick but on the smallest side) seem to not last in the NFL anymore (Harven, Quick, Austin, Lee), but then you have Antonio Brown and others. There has to be some pattern to figure out a better drafting paradigm.
Robinson has worked out.