You guys act like Rick Smith is the one making the picks, he's not. It's always been Kubiak. Which explains why the defensive picks have for the most part been abysmal.
No; personnel-wise, they had 3 new starters on opening day (Watt; Joseph, Manning). Everyone else was already on the roster. I don't know who does what - but they're loaded with talent on defense. As the GM, Smith deserves to share in that success.
The biggest trick is sorting out exactly how much influence each individual has. The power a GM holds can vary in a big way from franchise to franchise. They can be yes men who negotiate out the deals their coaches want (and be subject to the owner's demands as well)....or they can be true architects that assemble the team they want. Usually they're bouncing somewhere in between. It's been my understanding that Smith originally came here to make the moves Kubiak wanted...but last year wrestled some power away while McNair was deciding how to go forward. Frank Bush stunk as a DC....but he was a very good LB coach, and I'm inclined to give him some credit for Cushing and Ryans, both in their selection and development. The secondary choices were wretched, and we never had a decent DB coach until this year (of course, the 3 DBs taken last April weren't sensational either). I want to say Wade Phillips had quite a hand in targeting Watt, Reed, Joseph, and Manning. It's my belief he gave Rick Smith a shopping list. We'll see how things progress. I think Kubiak still has fatal flaws as a talent evaluator and holds on to poor performers because of the team's "investment in them" (Okoye, Jones, Jackson) or because he loves a secondary trait they bring to the table despite lacking in their primary role (Walter's blocking vs his ability to get open). Smith/Kubiak are approaching a crossroads - they receiving corps they built is showing signs that it's in critical need of fresh blood, but they've generally been slow to proactively get upgrades. The Hall of Fail Defense forced their hands last year. Strange but true - they have not selected a WR in the draft since Jacoby Jones in 2007 (Trindon Holliday being a return specialist). Jones just doesn't cut it. Walter is 80% blocking. OD isn't the same. Injuries may start taking a toll on Johnson. Is Smith going to look forward....or is Kubiak's loyalty going to hold him back?
