I have several problems with embracing this philosophy given the current situation, Tannenbaum and this organization. You'll have to excuse me if I don't drink the kool-aid. If we were on a different board gushing over a winning franchise then I would embrace it and rejoice. However we are not.
Regardless of the counterpoints to my concerns, anything is conjecture at this point. And is often the case, the points and counterpoints we raise here will not fit the events that transpire and we will be left to continue debating a non-issue. But here goes anyway:
Swing Tackle, Right Guard and Left Guard
We have not adequately addressed OL. No, I'm not waiting until after the draft. The problem with our OL is inexperience and insufficient talent. You cannot fix this many positions with youth (draft) and value vets. We have a franchise QB that has led the league in sacks his entire career and is pissing blood. We have taken the draft approach and value veteran approach every year. It DOES NOT WORK. Continuing to use this approach in the face of repeated failure is definition of insanity. We need more than warm bodies. We need more than gap stuffers. Neither has worked. We need immediate plug and play talent. Not top tier, but not bottom rung either.
Oakland understands how to protect a QB, after years of not having one. Not only did they go out and sign the top FA OG, they continued to invest in the OL and re-signed Donald Penn. Those 2 moves will make Carr-to-Cooper a household name. And I don't need to hear about we need to spend money elsewhere. QB is PRIORITY #1 in this league. When you have one, he is the focus. You build around him, protect him and develop him. Oakland has done it. And the results will show on the field this year. They are poised to take the next step. Something we've been saying we are going to do for decades.
No veteran presence in HC, GM or VP
People love the fact we hired Gase. Frankly, I wanted Tom Coughlin. But credentials and qualifications didn't matter. The only thing that mattered is Tannenbaum. He cleaned house and positioned himself to have no one left in the building to challenge his authority OR ideas. I hear a lot of "we" and "GM, HC and VP" all on the same page talk coming out of the front office. Sells tickets, quiets fans and leaves those in the building who disagree on a cold, solitary island nowhere near a shipping lane. Tannenbaum has seized control with no experience to justify it in his qualifications. Tom Coughlin speaks his mind and challenges notions. That type of coach would never have worked with Tannenbaum's insecurities.
There is no one in the building to truly challenge Tannenbaum with life experience and common sense. No one he can't over talk or dismiss. Especially in Ross' eyes.
Forget the logic and legitimacy of the plans many of you are offering. The man executing them has no track record of following conventional logic. New and "outside the box" thinking does not imply success. It merely foreshadows results that reflect the agent of change's past.
Belief in Stock Piling Compensatory Picks
This dream that is being sold asks us to believe in the future and disregard the obvious missteps occurring right before our eyes. In fact, the contradictory evidence is already right in front of us. Let's take Lamar Miller for example. We let him walk. We simply don't value him as much as Houston. Our hard limit was $5M/year. That was our valuation. He leaves and immediately we begin hearing how the "front office" believes Ajayi is the better back. Then, days later, we make an offer on Anderson that will "make it very hard for Denver to match". We hear how once again the "front office" believes Anderson is better than Miller. He is an ascending talent with a more complete game. Yet, we only offer $4.5M; less than Miller. Denver schooled us and showed us how to keep talent. You don't value Anderson @ $4.5M when you believe he is better than the $5M Miller. I'm sorry, it's double talk.
Then you strike out offering more money to C Johnson than his previous team. Then you fall back again and begin pursuing trade talks with KC about a RB they don't even want and will probably cut. This stinks of desperation. Then fall back again and sign Isiah Pead and Daniel Friggin' Thomas.
Grade F
Don't defend Isiah Pead and Daniel Thomas as "camp bodies". You only invite people to camp you would be satisfied keeping on the team if they prove worthy. Otherwise, you are wasting the time of your staff and other players presenting them with inferior talent to evaluate and compete against. You do your entire team a disservice.
And let's not forget those precious compensatory picks. Remember, those were the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The reason for letting OV, Miller, Matthews and Shelby walk. A few days ago, your VP was in discussions to TRADE a pick for a RB that will be cut.
Meanwhile, you also traded down 5 spots OUT of the Top 10 in the 1st round to acquire an walking injury MLB and an overpaid CB. The logic does not add up gentlemen. If draft picks are your pot of gold, you don't waste them on marginal talent acquisitions. You collect them and grow them into opportunities at ELITE players. That is the whole reason for stock piling draft resources, to get YOUNGER and BETTER.
Understand, I believe the same way you do about being responsible with draft resources and building to the future. But you are letting your own judgement cloud the facts.
Trades, Draft Day 2016 and Draft Day 2017
The final act and revealing of Tannenbaum's true colors. The test to see if he really has changed his ways.
Tannenbaum cannot keep himself from trading and burning draft picks. He has already traded from 8 to 13. He's been in talks with KC about trading for a RB. And let's not forget the trades we were involved in last year.
For those who really don't want to see how bad Tannenbaum's penchant for trading and draft resource mismanagement can be... you need to read about the 2009 Jet's Draft:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_New_York_Jets_season
The real test for all of this "stockpiling picks" philosophy will be tested soon enough. Once the trades start flying, realize what we gave up to acquire those precious picks and then stand back and truly assess what proven resources were lost to acquire hope and promises that all of the retreads, injury prone, unproven and high risk players we have acquired.
Then realize all of these changes are occuring with a rookie HC and other critical coaches new to their position, a GM puppet, an absentee owner and a 3 year mandate for it to all work (playoffs).
It takes at least half of a season for new players to acclimate and become productive with a new team. But, we are also stock piling picks for 2017. Inferring our "real" team won't be seen until Week 9 of 2017. That leaves Gase only 1 full season in 2018 to make all of this work.
That is NOT sound management. We are pinning all hopes on next year's draft, a complete organization of people in new jobs they've never had and 24 games between Week 9 of 2017 and all of 2018 to make this work. This is NOT a sound plan.
The body of work does not support the notion this plan is sound, well thought out and deserving of praise.
I am willing to reserve final judgement on the results (in the W column). But to anoint Tannenbaum as some reformed genius that just needed some time away to get it all worked out is foolish. I wouldn't align my own wisdom with Tannenbaum's actions just yet. This man has done nothing to receive praise.
You can defend your beliefs, but I would think twice about defending the man in charge of executing your beliefs.
