see, you guys are going round and round, all the while saying "it's not chicken and egg" while you argue either for the chicken or the egg. *cluck* :grin:
Oh, I absolutely agree. I've maintained all along that Kubiak's greatest failings have happened off the field. It really rests with McNair. He handed the keys of his franchise over to two unproven buddies, which is fine, but you can't sit idle on the sidelines and watch them make the same mistakes over and over again. I'll give Kubiak a muligan on Richard Smith. But when he tried to repeat his mistake with Bush, McNair (or a strong GM) should have stepped in and said, "No. You don't have enough leash to break in another inexperienced DC." I still fume whenever I remind myself that Mike Nolan - a Denver pipeline guy, no less! - was available and the team didn't even kick his tires. Argh!
This is inevitably what happens in fractured debates of this sort. Both sides dig in, there's no compromise and hyperbole rules the discussion. He's a very gifted offensive mind and anyone complaining about that side of the ball (unless it's just to switch things up because you're sick and tired of talking about how bad the defense is) is wasting everyone's time. Look, I agree he outsmarted himself for no reason in the second Colt game. He should have run more. And we know this because... oh yeah, that's right: He devised an absolutely flawless game plan seven weeks earlier that kicked the Colts to the dirt. I don’t believe anyone would argue Kubiak is unassailable. He absolutely has his deficiencies. But most coaches do. There is no perfect NFL head coach. They all make mistakes, they all get outcoached from time to time… His greatest mistakes have been off the field. I think he has a hapless owner and a lackey GM and they've failed to properly slap him when he deserved it. It looks like that might have changed with the Phillips hiring. I hope.
bwak bawk bwak buhCOOOCCK (sorry, couldn't resist) Actually, this: ...is a good post. Since he's still here, and by most accounts a fantastic guy, I really hope this works out. I hope Wade coaches the best defense since Buddy Ryan's (and more successful in the postseason) and I hope Kubiak ends up looking like an offensive version of Bellichick, minus the cheating. I'm not holding my breath, though.
If trading up for Miller/Peterson or drafting Quinn at 11 are out of the picture, I like the idea of trading down for a early/mid-20s selection and a sweetener in the late 2nd-rd (possibly very early 3rd). Target Da'Quan Bowers (McShay's predicting him to slip in to the 20s due to the red flags surrounding his knee, but he's clearly a top-5 talent and would be the BPA) and Ryan Kerrigan, followed by Akeem Ayers, Justin Houston, and Brooks Reed. With the two 2nd-rounders, I'd consider Marvin Austin (most underrated player in the Draft, IMO), Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown, and Rahim Moore, among others. 1st RD -- Ryan Kerrigan 2nd RD -- Marvin Austin 2nd RD -- Curtis Brown 3rd RD -- Quinton Carter
Do you guys like Noel Devine (RB) and DeAndre Brown (6'6" WR) as potential late round steals??? DeAndre Brown was better then Julio Jones and AJ Green his freshman year but injuries derailed him.
To me the #1 need is a starting OLB. I would trade up for Miller even if it took a next year's #1. If that didn't work I would be fine with Quinn at #11. If that didn't play out, I would try to trade down with one of the teams that wants a QB to a position to take Kerrigan or Ayers. If I couldn't get a trade with extra value picks (3's & 4's) then I would just draft Amukamara or Julio Jones. If I drafted Jones I would still look for a trade him down to net an OLB and picks. My phones would be busy.
At this point, it looks like the Bills will draft Von Miller at number 3. I don't see how a team can move from #11 to #2 to get someone like Miller. I think Robert Quinn will also be gone by the Texans pick. I can't see a team like the Redskins not drafting Julio Jones with the wide receivers they have. I think the Texans end up drafting Aldon Smith over Prince Amukamara if both of them are the board. The draft is weak with 3-4 OLBs after the top guys Miller, Quinn, and Smith. The more I read about Smith the more I like him. Warren Sapp said he will be the next DeMarcus Ware. He had had 17 sacks in just 23 games at Missouri which is impressive. I think in the 2nd round they will draft a cornerback like a Brandon Harris or Aaron Williams if they are the board but they are project late 1st/early 2nd players so they could be gone.
The chicken/egg argument, championed by Ric, has been: Most of the issues on offense were a result of the defense (field position, playing from behind, etc). No one here is arguing the offense caused the issues on defense. You generally have good arguments...until you drop stuff like this. He stumbled into the formula week 1, that wasn't scripted. What he DID script? Open the game with 3 straight passes Start the game with 9 passes and 3 runs. (Schaub 4/9 and a sack, all short passes) Schaub was uneven, Foster erupted, and Kubiak rode the hot hand in the second half.
On the draft trade chart, #3 is worth 2200 and #11 is worth 1250; so our #11 plus our next year's #1 is a fair deal. If I were Kubiak and Smith I would do it. What do they care about next year at this point? Buffalo won't win next year and might consider the boost two #1 would give their future value in Toronto. Found this promising blurb from Michael Lombardi : » The Bills signed outside linebacker Shawne Merriman to an extension before the lockout went into effect. And since general manager Buddy Nix was an assistant in San Diego when the Chargers selected Merriman in 2005, it's hard for me to see the Bills picking Texas A&M's Von Miller at No. 3. With Merriman and Chris Kelsay already signed to long-term deals to play off the edge, where would Miller fit?
It looks like some teams in the 3-6 range are going to try to trade back and get major value off of Peterson,Miller or Gabbert. There has been talk of Dallas trading up for Peterson. I guess it is just normal posturing but I expect movement in that area of the draft.
My tops ;. . . 1. Von Miller - the next Clay Matthews?,...yea, hindsight is 20/20 2. Patrick Peterson - should be awesome 3.1 Robert Quinn - (slight edge over Prince) looks like Peppers, that alone puts him here. 3.2 Prince Amukamara - I don't know why, but I think he will be even better in the pros than college. . . ...that's it hopefully one of the above and I'll be happy... p.s. I don't want Aldon Smith, he hasn't impressed me at all from what I have seen...so obviously your newest Texan is prob. him...sigh. . .
Yes, I'm sure your scouting of Aldon Smith is quite in-depth, as with your "I don't know why" evaluation of Prince, apparently based on his name?
Aldon Smith is showing up for the Texans in a lot of mocks lately. What scares me about him is the Amobi Okoye experience. He is young (20) he is raw, he needs to put on weight and (not like Amobi) he needs to learn a new position. He should be great, but it might not be this year. (I want Paea or Marvin Austin in the second)
I am not a fan of taking Aldon Smith, not because I do not think he has talent but because he is raw (only playing football since the middle of high school) and he seems to be more of a fit in a 4-3. John McClain keeps quoting Warren Sapp saying he will be a DeMarcus Ware type in two years. Robert Quinn seems to be much more of a Ware type than Smith based on measureables and body lean etc. but I am no coach or scout, and I kind of agree with the Jason Pierre Paul comparisons and he was taken by the 4-3 Giants last year. I watched Game Changers on NFL Network and when he was working with Sapp he kept taking a false step out of his stance. He is long and tall and if a lineman gets his hands on him he is out of the play. In all of his game highlights they show on every draft show he is making plays by beating guards on the interior line. He is also 20 and young and while he is a good size now he should get bigger, maybe too big for OLB in the future? I just think Miller (I know top 3 pick) or Quinn are clearly the best fits at pass rushing outside linebacker who can make an immediate impact high in the draft ( I like Sam Acho in round 2 if he is there, shoot even Justin Houston in a round 1 trade down), of course the trouble is they could both go in the first seven picks. I personally would make a play for Peterson should he make it to #6, stay put and take JJ Watt who is not a need but should make some impact this season, take Julio Jones if I cannot trade and Watt is gone, or failing Quinn preferably trade down if possible.
If anything, I think the Merriman pick back in 2005 directly showed Nix what a stud pass-rushing OLB can do for a team. Also, Merriman hasn't been half of the player he was before getting busted (4 sacks in the last 3 seasons) so I don't see them passing on Miller.
That's not how it happened (though Schaub was certainly uneven). They scored on their first three possessions (including a touchdown drive that featured 3 20+-yard receptions, among them a 22-yard touchdown pass), and led 13-0 at the end of 1. Off the top of my head, I believe that was their best first-half output all year; certainly their best 1Q all year. And I'm sorry, emjohn - but 40 yards on 10 carries does not constitute "erupting." Let's the give the guy a *little* credit: He opened - yes: opened - the second half with a 15-play scoring drive in which Foster/Slaton ran 13 times, including runs on the their first 10 plays. And, as mentioned, not because Foster had rolled up some incredibly hard-to-ignore first half #s, either. They obviously saw something and exploited it. Big time. If you want to bury him for Colts #2, have at it. But you have to at least give him credit for Colts #1.
Usually, I agree with you Ric. But in game one, I do remember Kubes saying that the players, during halftime, kept telling him that they could run the ball on the colts and to continue to run it. So..the credit should go to the line and the rbs for that game plan not Kubiak. Geez, I cannot believe I've completely turned on Mr. Kubiak. I hope he does well and finally learns from his mistake. What do they say about teaching old dogs, new tricks! Still crossing my fingers he will lead us from battle fighting to actual glorious victories.
