Quote:Let's take a look at the offensive side of that roster alone and try and figure out how many replacements it would take to make them "competitive" on a level of a 0.500 team.

 

QB, Blaine Gabbert - Safe to say that an immediate upgrade was needed here. Blaine only started 10 games that season but it was rather clear that he wouldn't be able to help out the team immediately, if at all. This is a specific notation here because if you are going to upgrade this position, it's going to take a high draft pick. Take particular note of the QB's who were available in the '13 draft class; EJ Manuel, Geno Smith, Mike Glennon and Matt Barkley were the top four QBs taken that season. Each of them has been benched or cut by this point.

 

Result - Replace. Players needed - one

 

WR, Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts - The team potentially had something here in Blackmon and Shorts, but Blackmon only played in four more games after this season and Shorts in 13. Regardless, neither of these players panned out for the team and neither were long term solutions. Scattered across the roster were also guys by the likes of Laurent Robinson, Jordan Shipley, Mike Thomas and Kevin Elliot. I don't believe any of these four are still in the League at this point.

 

Result - Replace. Players needed - one minimum, five if possible.

 

RB, Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashad Jennings, Jordan Todman - Jones-Drew only played in five games that season and it was apparent that the team had driven the wheels off of him. While Jennings is a competent player now with NYG, it should be noted that he has yet to play in all 16 games in a season and that his highest Single Year production was 733 yards. Hardly a bell cow type of back.

 

Result - Replace. Players needed - one minimum, two if possible.

 

Offensive Line (left to right), Eugene Monroe, Austin Pazstor (?), Brad Meester, Uche Nwaneri, Eben Britton / Cameron Bradfield - Four of those players at a minimum require replacement with the idea that Meester was playing well, but he was closer to the end than he was to the beginning.

 

Result - Replace. Players needed - three minimum, five if possible.

 

That's a minimum of six players on the Offense alone that required replacement, with one of them being a Quarterback. That's an entire draft class just on the Offensive side and in all actuality it's two since most NFL starters are Third Rounders and up. That's a titanic rebuild job.

By no means do I think our roster was remotely decent that year, but come on. We had JUST drafted Blackmon in the first. Of course he was going to be a long-term solution. And Shorts, he was what, 25?? Plus, a lot of our good guys ended up on IR. Gabbert sucked, I'll give you that, but we weren't COMPLETELY devoid of talent.

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