So...year one, we basically dissassembled the team Got rid of a lot of players and driafted pretty well. We won 4 games. Year two (this year) we got our franchise QB, picked up some wide receivers, improved the defense in free agency...and tried to pick up an all-pro Center. Unsuccessfully, but it was a heckuva try.  And only won 3 games. I do think they made a mistake going with Henne (for the primary QB) because he was just not very good. Steady...but his level of steady is not at all good. Meant we had to put Bortles in earlier than desirable, but the kid has done all right. 

 

How bad is Bortles? Not too bad. For instance, the sack by Watt in the end zone was absolutely on Bortles. He really needed to throw that ball away. On the other hand, he had at least 5 passes dropped by receivers (Lee for 3, Marcedes for 1 and Hurns for 1. I think Shots dropped one too...but it happens so often...). Several of those passes were for critical first downs. Yes, he missed a few passes. Marcedes in the end zone, for instance. Clearly he needs to work on his footwork under pressure. 

 

The thing is, the kid is big, tough, and pretty close to fearless. He is also (so far) indestructable. Who said that availability is the best ability? Bortles is the poster child for availability. He seems to have a lot of courage too...his runs are big and usually effective. The problem is that his OL and WR's are young...and make rookie mistakes. So does he. If, in the offseason, Bortles works (as I am absolutely sure he will) as hard as he can, he will be much improved next year. Similarly, his WR's will be another year experienced and will play better too. 

 

Offensive line? Clearly there is room for improvement. Not as much as some say, but room. I think Joekel gets an off-season to improve his craft...and strength. He didn't get that opportunity last year. He should wind up pretty good...ok at worst. Beadles? I can't tell. Not very special, but seems to usually get the job done. Bowanko? Room for improvement...and I suspect he will. I personally kind of like him and Bortles growing up together. Linder? Next year pro bowl. We need a right tackle. What most fail to recognize is that this group have been effectively without a coach. Butkus is ok, but Yarno is the man...and he is out. This is the one coaching decision I see coming. We need an OL coach...who isn't named Butkus. Tough call, but it has to be done. 

 

So...this offseson? How about a good receiving TE, an experienced RT and draft D...DE first round, I think. A later RB makes some sense. Gonna be harder for rookies to break in.

 

Coaching staff? Keep 'em. Well, OL coach as above. Keep the rest for continuity. It makes no sense to blow things up at year two in a three year rebuild...

 

And for those who get suicidal when we lose? Miss ya, wouldn't want to be ya. This is a professional football team. Entertainment. To invest so much anger and angst is just silly.

 

Jim

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Just a broke-down old college OT...

They won't even see .500 next season. 

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They won't even see .500 next season. 

This is what I'm afraid of.  We disassembled this team last year, and they won more games.  This was a year to step up and get 6-7 wins.  Then next year was a playoff caliber team.  It looks like it's going to stay this way for another 2 or 3 years. 3-13 was no ones expectation of this season.  When we started losing this year, everyone started making excuses.  Fisch needs to go tonight.  Gus has another year in my book, and then when it turns out the same, he needs to go. Caldwell is safe, and I think the FA spending is going to look good this year, ONLY if the player is willing to come here.  I think it's a hard sell.

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I don't care what anyone else on here thinks, but we got worse this year.  I don't care about competitiveness, moral victories, locker room celebrations and ice cream.  Just win a game.  The only thing that matters is the final score and the record.  Don't give me schedule, stuck in the division with Watt and Luck.  Who cares?  Deal with it.  Coaches should game plan for this and come up with a solution.  The second year of a rebuild and you should see progress.  Win a game for crying out loud.  We are perennial losers for a reason.  What we go 2-14 next year?  Well I guess we improved.  We scored more points, got more sacks, moved the ball better between the 20s.  Nobody cares about that when you lose.  Teach these guys how to win Gus!  If you don't then Khan needs to find someone who can.

 

Sorry for the rant, but I'm tired of this bovine excrement year in and year out!

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I don't care what anyone else on here thinks, but we got worse this year.  I don't care about competitiveness, moral victories, locker room celebrations and ice cream.  Just win a game.  The only thing that matters is the final score and the record.  Don't give me schedule, stuck in the division with Watt and Luck.  Who cares?  Deal with it.  Coaches should game plan for this and come up with a solution.  The second year of a rebuild and you should see progress.  Win a game for crying out loud.  We are perennial losers for a reason.  What we go 2-14 next year?  Well I guess we improved.  We scored more points, got more sacks, moved the ball better between the 20s.  Nobody cares about that when you lose.  Teach these guys how to win Gus!  If you don't then Khan needs to find someone who can.

 

Sorry for the rant, but I'm tired of this bovine excrement year in and year out!

 

We actually were more competitive this season, so in that regard there was improvement. It was just very very veeeerry small. Can't happen again next season or heads should roll...

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We actually were more competitive this season, so in that regard there was improvement. It was just very very veeeerry small. Can't happen again next season or heads should roll...

Blake kept us in games this year.  If Henne was out there, it would look ALOT worse than what we saw.  Blake looked really mad today when they wouldn't block, catch, or run the right routes.  I could feel his pain, and I'm sure he was thinking there is nothing else he could do to move the ball.  Shorts ran the wrong way, and Bortles let him have it.

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Blake kept us in games this year.  If Henne was out there, it would look ALOT worse than what we saw.  Blake looked really mad today when they wouldn't block, catch, or run the right routes.  I could feel his pain, and I'm sure he was thinking there is nothing else he could do to move the ball.  Shorts ran the wrong way, and Bortles let him have it.

Yeah I saw that.  I hope Bortles was saying good bye and offering to pack his bag for him.

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Yeah I saw that.  I hope Bortles was saying good bye and offering to pack his bag for him.

lol

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Blake kept us in games this year.  If Henne was out there, it would look ALOT worse than what we saw.  Blake looked really mad today when they wouldn't block, catch, or run the right routes.  I could feel his pain, and I'm sure he was thinking there is nothing else he could do to move the ball.  Shorts ran the wrong way, and Bortles let him have it.

 

Blake also lost us games this year. A more seasoned veteran not named Henne combined with this defense (which was good enough in spurts) would have probably been enough to win us 6-7 wins this season. Instead, Chad was Chad and we were forced to play Blake. Granted, Bortles was more than game and was an improvement from Chad...but he was far from being good enough especially with what he's got surrounding him.

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Blake also lost us games this year. A more seasoned veteran not named Henne combined with this defense (which was good enough in spurts) would have probably been enough to win us 6-7 wins this season. Instead, Chad was Chad and we were forced to play Blake. Granted, Bortles was more than game and was an improvement from Chad...but he was far from being good enough especially with what he's got surrounding him.

I'm giving Blake a pass this year due to being a rookie and having the crappiest O line in the league.  Yes, I think he could have played better at times, but the game will slow down for him next year.  Hopefully we get him some protection and maybe another weapon.

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I'm giving Blake a pass this year due to being a rookie and having the crappiest O line in the league.  Yes, I think he could have played better at times, but the game will slow down for him next year.  Hopefully we get him some protection and maybe another weapon.

i'm not really indicting Blake. I'm just merely stating that even though our record doesn't indicate it, this defense played well enough to be competitive if not winning had we had a more experienced Bortles (or even an experienced vet better than Henne like say a Carson Palmer).

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They won't even see .500 next season.

I have to agree as well. The .500 teams this year that made playoff runs are pretty deep, we won't even get that kind personnel if we went all out in FA this offseason

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I have to agree as well. The .500 teams this year that made playoff runs are pretty deep, we won't even get that kind personnel if we went all out in FA this offseason

 

Not without major additions through free-agency. I mean, our defense though its played fairly well this season struggled against Keenum, Blue/Grimes, and 100 year old Andre Johnson. The defensive line was a strength, but you saw a drop off when Roy got hurt and then when Marks was out. The LB group is just meh other than Telvin who needs to get stronger and get more experience.

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Not without major additions through free-agency. I mean, our defense though its played fairly well this season struggled against Keenum, Blue/Grimes, and 100 year old Andre Johnson. The defensive line was a strength, but you saw a drop off when Roy got hurt and then when Marks was out. The LB group is just meh other than Telvin who needs to get stronger and get more experience.

We need to find another Telvin Smith

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hopefully our third first round pick will have a better rookie season than the first two...

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Year 3 is huge for the entire organization. Caldwells 1st draft HAS to show their worth.

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Year 3 is huge for the entire organization. Caldwells 1st draft HAS to show their worth.

I'm really skeptical about Joeckel and Cyprien.  Joke was getting thrashed and thrown to the ground today, very dissapointing for ending his second year.  Cyprien can tackle the runner, but he cannot cover, and he tries to shoulder tackle to damn much.  They showed replays of him today looking like a fool.

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Year 3 is huge for the entire organization. Caldwells 1st draft HAS to show their worth.

 

This off-season is Dave Caldwell's make or break. Luke, Cyp, and Denard (from first draft) needs to take major steps forward, same with Blake, Robinson/Lee/Hurns, Linder, and Telvin. Of the players he's drafted, I consider those players to be players who have the ability to be core players for this franchise. Then, along with those developments, its imperative that Dave hit on his FA signing...

 

More Marks and Bryant...less Beadles and ugh...Gerhart types.

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I'm really skeptical about Joeckel and Cyprien.  Joke was getting thrashed and thrown to the ground today, very dissapointing for ending his second year.  Cyprien can tackle the runner, but he cannot cover, and he tries to shoulder tackle to damn much.  They showed replays of him today looking like a fool.

 

Not going to give up on Cyp just yet. I think its more of him taking the wrong angles, which leads to bad tackling. There were quite a few times this season (a couple from today in fact, one on the flat 1v1 against Foster and another vs a wide receiver I think) where he is squared up due to good positioning/angle and he makes a perfect wrap-up tackle.

 

Also, you think Cyp's coverage is bad? Think back to how Darius' "coverage" skill was. He was as one-dimensional a SS as I've ever seen when he came into this league. He wasn't the best when he was done, but he became good enough that he no longer was a liability on coverage. I'm hoping Cyp can still develop in the same manner.

 

Luke on the other hand....he's farther in my dog house of any of Dave's young guys

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Not going to give up on Cyp just yet. I think its more of him taking the wrong angles, which leads to bad tackling. There were quite a few times this season (a couple from today in fact, one on the flat 1v1 against Foster and another vs a wide receiver I think) where he is squared up due to good positioning/angle and he makes a perfect wrap-up tackle.

 

Also, you think Cyp's coverage is bad? Think back to how Darius' "coverage" skill was. He was as one-dimensional a SS as I've ever seen when he came into this league. He wasn't the best when he was done, but he became good enough that he no longer was a liability on coverage. I'm hoping Cyp can still develop in the same manner.

 

Luke on the other hand....he's farther in my dog house of any of Dave's young guys

Cyprien could only wish he could sniff Double D's jock.  I don't remember, but how long did it take Darius to become a great player?  I don't think it took more than 2 years, which looks like Cyprien is going to have to do, if he ever does.

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