Quote:Okay, I'll tackle your points in turn...

 

1. In no way am I espousing indifference. I have a vested interest in the success of the team. Simply because I view it in a different light than you, and that my perspective does not call for a change in the current mindset or actions does not mean I am indifferent, nor do I want other people to have an indifferent mindset. That is not true in any way shape or form.

 

2. I never once said value, I was focused on success. The value of a draft pick is only as good as the people who want it, and my listing of the past five Champions -- teams who have enjoyed success by my definition -- was showing that you can have success while having "middle of the pack" draft value. Highest possible draft value is your platform, not mine.

 

3. Again, you are being incomplete. What I am espousing is that a team does not need to have extremely high value in terms of draft picks in order to be successful. The only top five draft selection in that list is Manning, and I'm fairly certain that the argument can be made that he may be the lowest player on that particular five Quarterback totem pole.

 

4. I dunno, maybe draft Russell Wilson in the Third Round ahead of Seattle and post a better record these past two seasons than what they have? Think that might be a possibility?

 

1. I don't call for a change in mindset of the team, I call for a change in mindset of the fans. This place being a cave of raving lunatics when the team was 0-8 was the wrong reaction. The reaction should have been "I don't like losing, but let's get this out of the way now so we can be rewarded in the draft."

 

2. Of course you can have success while having middle of the draft picks. That doesn't mean those picks are more valuable. Do you think teams will give the same value in trade for a #16 pick as they will for a #3 pick? Of course not, the actual value of the picks are vastly different. If Caldwell really is a superior GM then he'll achieve more success more than the average GM with his draft position, but it's not something that can be counted on.

 

3. Of course not, but the value of the picks and the availability of choice increases with higher draft picks.

 

4. Or maybe we could draft Brady, or Romo, or Kaepernick, or Roethlisberger. Of course we couldn't draft those guys if we didn't have the pick in position to do it and other teams wanted them more. What you're suggesting is that our GM must be smarter than other GMs, which I'd certainly like, but that's a separate issue from the value of the draft slots we occupy.

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