Gruden Says Start Cousins

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by EARTHQUAKE2689

If I remember correctly, Cofield makes exactly what Bowen makes. I could be wrong but I thought they were in the 5 year 25 million range along with Josh Wilson.

Cofield's contract was a year longer a half million more AAV. Wilson's deal was considerably smaller than either Cofield or Bowen. Something like 3/$13.

[MTK]

More cap room gives you more room for error, just like having more picks. I find it hard to believe we couldn't have improved on the likes of Polumbus or landed a decent safety with that extra room. Maybe another WR too.

[donofriose]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

More cap room gives you more room for error, just like having more picks. I find it hard to believe we couldn't have improved on the likes of Polumbus or landed a decent safety with that extra room. Maybe another WR too.

Problem with that is when you look at last year's free agents, not really anyone that would have improved the team. Plus it isn't guaranteed that they would have transferred over based on scheme and coaching styles.

Remember Polumbus was a free agent once as well.

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Not sure it matters if he does or doesn't. With Hankerson and Reed out, there's no other place to go with the ball. So it doesn't matter if Garcon isn't in the right place, isn't catching the ball, or is getting it stripped with the game on the line: you've still got to keep throwing it to him.

Much worse contracts to WR in the last 10 years. I dont know why you cant compare it to other WRs in other years? Is that a Gtripp rule?

Lee Evans, miles austin, greg jennings, mike wallace, etc

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

More cap room gives you more room for error, just like having more picks. I find it hard to believe we couldn't have improved on the likes of Polumbus or landed a decent safety with that extra room. Maybe another WR too.

Could have done all that with the guys in camp in preseason too. Coaches chose to go with this group.

The safety situation seemed sloppier than the other position groups. I don't know for sure that this was their plan A, but I'm not sure who was available in August that they could have gone to get if only they had more cap dollars.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

Much worse contracts to WR in the last 10 years. I dont know why you cant compare it to other WRs in other years? Is that a Gtripp rule?

Lee Evans, miles austin, greg jennings, mike wallace, etc

I mean, it's not the Laurent Robinson contract, but $8.5 mil/year for a receiver who doesn't make his QB better is generally not a great investment.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Could have done all that with the guys in camp in preseason too. Coaches chose to go with this group.

The safety situation seemed sloppier than the other position groups. I don't know for sure that this was their plan A, but I'm not sure who was available in August that they could have gone to get if only they had more cap dollars.

Point is they could have had a better group to begin with in camp if they had an extra $18M. Same for the year before. The fact they brought in a bunch of warm bodies at RT to "compete" with Polumbus tells us how sad of a story it was.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Point is they could have had a better group to begin with in camp if they had an extra $18M. Same for the year before. The fact they brought in a bunch of warm bodies at RT to "compete" with Polumbus tells us how sad of a story it was.

Pashos in particular obviously outplayed Polumbus in the preseason. I think they really wanted to keep that group of five OL together because they anticipated it would get better (and that they could promote from within). It's gone the other direction.

The OL hasn't struggled from a lack of spending. They're spending $3, $4, and $5 million a year on their IOL starters and every member of the OL except Polumbus has made every start since Week 1 of last year. I don't know if the OL next year will be any better, but I'm pretty certain they'll spend less than this year.

[The Goat]

Apart from P Manning, I can't think of a single team that's gotten to the next level recently (great up to elite for example) based on FA. Brees before that. Hmmmm I see a pattern there with QBs lol. You can make the argument for Seattle here, based on Lynch, Harvin, Rice and several defensive players brought in via FA. But then you remember Rice and Harvin are non-factors, and Lynch never had this kind of success until paired with Wilson. The whole offense revolves around Wilson. And their drafted WRs are balling. Defensively, the best players are drafted guys like Sherman (6th rounder).

The point is it all comes back to the draft, with FA signings complimenting the core you build through the draft. I tried to give Mike lots of credit up to this year for building a core through the draft, but I think it's average at best given what we see. In four years he hasn't drafted a single impact WR and only one olineman (a can't miss prospect IMO). That's pathetic. Really, really pathetic.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Pashos in particular obviously outplayed Polumbus in the preseason. I think they really wanted to keep that group of five OL together because they anticipated it would get better (and that they could promote from within). It's gone the other direction.

The OL hasn't struggled from a lack of spending. They're spending $3, $4, and $5 million a year on their IOL starters and every member of the OL except Polumbus has made every start since Week 1 of last year. I don't know if the OL next year will be any better, but I'm pretty certain they'll spend less than this year.

That's not really saying much is it?

I agree I think they wanted to keep the starting 5 together and build off last year, I don't think they anticipated things going south so quickly with basically 4 of those 5.

[SolidSnake84]

Other than Snyder in 1999, has anyone ever really built a fairly successful team based almost exclusively from free agency?

I know some have pointed to Manning and the few FA's they bought, but i mean has anyone ever did like we did in 1999 and just bring out the check book and buy everyone they wanted?

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

That's not really saying much is it?

I agree I think they wanted to keep the starting 5 together and build off last year, I don't think they anticipated things going south so quickly with basically 4 of those 5.

To be clear, the OL performance going south is not something I hold against the coaching staff. Letting the team regress to the point where the OL performance becomes a weekly topic is something I hold against the coaching staff. I thought the plan to retain all five OL would be at least adequate to win half our games.

They've been exposed as inadequate, but the failure of the team has been complete, and cannot be pinned on a single unit.

[HailGreen28]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Could have done all that with the guys in camp in preseason too. Coaches chose to go with this group.

The safety situation seemed sloppier than the other position groups. I don't know for sure that this was their plan A, but I'm not sure who was available in August that they could have gone to get if only they had more cap dollars.

I thought tanard Jackson was their plan a

[MTK]

They had to have known the chances of Jackson being reinstated right away were slim to none.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by HailGreen28

I thought tanard Jackson was their plan a

I hope not.