I know this is the time that everyone wants to believe that we had a great draft and our FO know what they are doing. However, to me, this was a poor draft (C-). The new FO seems to have exactly the same problem as the old FO - they don't have a clear strategy. One minute they are picking very solid players with a track record in college and who actually fit our team; the next they are going after projects.
My view, which I know will be controversial, is that basically 'swinging for big winners' is pointless in the draft. There is no evidence that it works, and I think NFL scouts just overthink things and frankly feel that unless they can see something in a player that everyone else misses, they are not really doing their job.
I would prefer that we draft to simply put as many draft picks on the field as we can, and if one of them turns out to be a star then that is great, but mostly luck.
The Fins are mediocre and have huge gaps in various areas. This is no time to be showing off with clever picks. Draft someone who can play. We need to stop being obsessed with 'measurebles' and 'potential' and, you know, pick guys who have a history of being good football players at whatever level and hope that this transitions to the NFL.
Looking at this draft:
1. DeVante Parker is a good/great pick. Clear college production, decent work ethic and has some key strengths that we need (catch radius/fights for ball). I don't care about his speed/separation issues - he got open fine in college and people said the same about Landry.
2. Jordan Phillips - the other extreme. Bust written all over him - would not even make a list of the top 250 players in the draft by actual production, but he is a 1/2 rounder because of his 'attributes'. I couldn't care less - lazy, unmotivated, injured and if you cannot sort this out after years in a major college programme you are not going to do it in the NFL. Exactly the type of player to avoid. Did we not remember Dion Jordan?
4. Jamil Douglas - average college production, I also hate players who don't actually play the position you need. Versatility usually means mediocrity. If you want a Guard, pick someone who played Guard for 3-4 years. Basically, he is projected back to Guard because he couldn't perform in college as a tackle. Great.
5. Bobby McCain - actually don't mind this guy, he has decent production, is tough and I don't care about size. But we just don't need him. We already have a bunch of DBs who are marginal and mid-lower round picks waiting for their chance. Is he going to get on the field? Doubt it.
5. Jay Ajayi - my second fav pick behind Parker. He can play and has proved it. Tough, loves the game, fits what we need. Why can't we just repeat this formula?
5. Cedric Thompson - same as McCain - just don't see why is is better than any of the guys we already have.
5. Tony Lippett - another 'project' - hardly ever played the position we actually drafted him for. Do we think we are Superbowl champions and have time to mess around with this sort of thing?
Who out of this group is actually going to play? Parker will some, and I do agree that he is what he need and next year Jennings will be gone, so far enough. Ajayi will play. The rest - can't see it - Douglas is probably depth in a unit where the starters are terrible, so not exactly what we need. I doubt Phillips will get on the field much.
The best draft strategy is followed by teams like the Ravens and Steelers. Don't get cute, don't show off, just draft the guy who can actually play and you actually need, stop looking for superstars, that part is pretty much all luck, and anyway to become a star you actually tend to need to be a starter first.
Miami's FO looked like they were getting it - James and Landry last year were exactly what we needed - good football players, maybe not the best measurables but they actually knew how to play. But having done the obvious thing in round 1 they then ended up 'going wild'. To me , it just shows confusion of strategy. We don't know whether we are rebuilding, plugging holes or trying to compete for the playoffs. We do know that our coaching staff have very limited success in coaching up marginal players, or even playing them, so why draft so many of them? Looks to me like confusion between Tannebaum and Hickey as to what we are trying to do.
One final thought. We play NE twice a year. They have the best coach in the NFL and if you have an obvious weakness he will exploit it ruthlessly. We have terrible depth at LB and did nothing about it. Having a great pass rush is something Belichick can easily plan around - he will just dink and dunk and nobody will have time to get anywhere near Brady. What we need is LBs who can cover short passes. I can just imagine how this is going to work out.
Hope I am wrong but this is the least impressed I have been in a draft for some time.
My view, which I know will be controversial, is that basically 'swinging for big winners' is pointless in the draft. There is no evidence that it works, and I think NFL scouts just overthink things and frankly feel that unless they can see something in a player that everyone else misses, they are not really doing their job.
I would prefer that we draft to simply put as many draft picks on the field as we can, and if one of them turns out to be a star then that is great, but mostly luck.
The Fins are mediocre and have huge gaps in various areas. This is no time to be showing off with clever picks. Draft someone who can play. We need to stop being obsessed with 'measurebles' and 'potential' and, you know, pick guys who have a history of being good football players at whatever level and hope that this transitions to the NFL.
Looking at this draft:
1. DeVante Parker is a good/great pick. Clear college production, decent work ethic and has some key strengths that we need (catch radius/fights for ball). I don't care about his speed/separation issues - he got open fine in college and people said the same about Landry.
2. Jordan Phillips - the other extreme. Bust written all over him - would not even make a list of the top 250 players in the draft by actual production, but he is a 1/2 rounder because of his 'attributes'. I couldn't care less - lazy, unmotivated, injured and if you cannot sort this out after years in a major college programme you are not going to do it in the NFL. Exactly the type of player to avoid. Did we not remember Dion Jordan?
4. Jamil Douglas - average college production, I also hate players who don't actually play the position you need. Versatility usually means mediocrity. If you want a Guard, pick someone who played Guard for 3-4 years. Basically, he is projected back to Guard because he couldn't perform in college as a tackle. Great.
5. Bobby McCain - actually don't mind this guy, he has decent production, is tough and I don't care about size. But we just don't need him. We already have a bunch of DBs who are marginal and mid-lower round picks waiting for their chance. Is he going to get on the field? Doubt it.
5. Jay Ajayi - my second fav pick behind Parker. He can play and has proved it. Tough, loves the game, fits what we need. Why can't we just repeat this formula?
5. Cedric Thompson - same as McCain - just don't see why is is better than any of the guys we already have.
5. Tony Lippett - another 'project' - hardly ever played the position we actually drafted him for. Do we think we are Superbowl champions and have time to mess around with this sort of thing?
Who out of this group is actually going to play? Parker will some, and I do agree that he is what he need and next year Jennings will be gone, so far enough. Ajayi will play. The rest - can't see it - Douglas is probably depth in a unit where the starters are terrible, so not exactly what we need. I doubt Phillips will get on the field much.
The best draft strategy is followed by teams like the Ravens and Steelers. Don't get cute, don't show off, just draft the guy who can actually play and you actually need, stop looking for superstars, that part is pretty much all luck, and anyway to become a star you actually tend to need to be a starter first.
Miami's FO looked like they were getting it - James and Landry last year were exactly what we needed - good football players, maybe not the best measurables but they actually knew how to play. But having done the obvious thing in round 1 they then ended up 'going wild'. To me , it just shows confusion of strategy. We don't know whether we are rebuilding, plugging holes or trying to compete for the playoffs. We do know that our coaching staff have very limited success in coaching up marginal players, or even playing them, so why draft so many of them? Looks to me like confusion between Tannebaum and Hickey as to what we are trying to do.
One final thought. We play NE twice a year. They have the best coach in the NFL and if you have an obvious weakness he will exploit it ruthlessly. We have terrible depth at LB and did nothing about it. Having a great pass rush is something Belichick can easily plan around - he will just dink and dunk and nobody will have time to get anywhere near Brady. What we need is LBs who can cover short passes. I can just imagine how this is going to work out.
Hope I am wrong but this is the least impressed I have been in a draft for some time.
