Gaither placed on IR

[dumsux]

Originally Posted by Packhorse

Here are some converse facts for you. Under AJ's reign he's let Drew Brees, Michael Turner, and Vincent Jackson all leave as free agents. He can also be credited for persuading ownership to fire a 14-2 coach, the best regulars season in franchise history.

Darren Sproles, $14M for 2 years, really?

Plus, least we forget extending Clary? Extending Kaeding knowing his PO mentality, Jyles Tucker, etc. Ignoring Oline while reaching for Larry English? Spanos hasn't exactly been cheap - AJ has merely squandered a ton of salary on non-productive positions. Meachem/Royal anyone?

[Packhorse]

Originally Posted by Strife9878

Isn't that the job of a GM? Look at all options to find the best ways to improve the team? We can't discount Johnson, or any other FA who has contributed.

Bigby has been a better SS then we have had in a long time. McMichael isn't a superstar but he has played admirably when called on... and isn't a bad blocker. Rosario hasn't been bad. True it isn't the top end guys a GM can hang his hat on... I think Tomlinson, Weddle, Gates, and some others would take that one. Butler could be that soon enough. Hardly rocket science, and those guys are solid but no GM's going to hang their hat on them

We tried to keep him... offered Osgood more money then the Jags did but he wanted to play WR. We had better WRs here thanks to AJ. There is no way we were going to get anything in return for Osgood... There is an argument for other players but special teams gunners don't draw anything in trades.

Cooper? Trade bait? That wasn't going to happen.

It is to early to condemn Harris's entire career. He is a well below starting quality LT at this point... but we have said stuff like that about guys like Weddle in the past.

Pick another team, preferably one that has won a Super Bowl in AJ's tenure and look up who they let go over time.
Brees: There was quite a high chance that he would never play football again... I think it was around 50%.
Turner: The only way we kept him would have been to pay him starter money and start him. Regardless of $ I doubt he stays unless he is a starter... and that would have met trading an in prime LT... a move that... well the reaction would make the reactions due to the loss of Sproles and Jackson look like nothing.
Jackson: One mistake away from jail time...

Marty wasn't winning us any Super Bowls... and Norv is worse IMO. Still... winning 14 games isn't something that happens very often.

The facts I see (and I know I did a horrible job when I tried to get a project going in this area) are incomplete without looking at other GMs over a long period of time. Both the GMs that lead there team into the ground and those that are contenders year in and year out.

Thanks for a thorough response, I really do appreciate your opinions. But I think the product on the field speaks louder than any of us at this point.

Yes we finally signed a couple of useful free agents in Johnson, and Bigby. Most successful GM's do this each off season. It's too bad it took nearly losing his job for AJ to do this, or maybe he's just the patsy for the fact Dean doesn't want to spend any money. Either way it's a losing strategy and needs to be changed. (if it can be)

Also I think it's a bit shortsighted to say Marty wasn't winning any SB's for us. His lack of playoff success is well documented, but no one knows what would of happened if he was retained. Give me the option right now and I would say keep Marty and fire AJ in 2006. But that's easy to say at this point.

End of the day, we're 4-7, and nearly assured too miss the post season for the 3rd consecutive time. AJ and Norv are paid Millions to keep us competitive and working towards a SB. It's not happening, we are going the opposite direction and have been for several years.

No amount of "but this guy is good and we got him for a bargain" logic can override a losing record. They don't hand out trophys for being good at signing UDFA.

[AFboltfan]

The plaque for the alternates is in the ladies room...

[El Tee]

Originally Posted by Packhorse

Thanks for a thorough response, I really do appreciate your opinions. But I think the product on the field speaks louder than any of us at this point.

Yes we finally signed a couple of useful free agents in Johnson, and Bigby. Most successful GM's do this each off season. It's too bad it took nearly losing his job for AJ to do this, or maybe he's just the patsy for the fact Dean doesn't want to spend any money. Either way it's a losing strategy and needs to be changed. (if it can be)

Also I think it's a bit shortsighted to say Marty wasn't winning any SB's for us. His lack of playoff success is well documented, but no one knows what would of happened if he was retained. Give me the option right now and I would say keep Marty and fire AJ in 2006. But that's easy to say at this point.

End of the day, we're 4-7, and nearly assured too miss the post season for the 3rd consecutive time. AJ and Norv are paid Millions to keep us competitive and working towards a SB. It's not happening, we are going the opposite direction and have been for several years.

No amount of "but this guy is good and we got him for a bargain" logic can override a losing record. They don't hand out trophys for being good at signing UDFA.

Great post.

Agreed that it took AJ till his back was against the wall to go after free agents- and let's see what he got us.

Johnson- Huge upgrade. In a division with two top-5 RBs in Charles and DMC, a run-stuffer of his caliber was a must. Great move.

Bigby- Upgrade over Gregory. Not a game-changer but an upgrade so let's give them that.

McClain- Don't see a big improvement. Hester seems just as good for less money. FAIL

Royal- Brought nothing to the table. FAIL

Meachem- Brought nothing to the table. FAIL

Now, Smith did go out and get us 2 of the top 5 free agent WRs. How they got hurt, didn't gel with Rivers, etc is not totally on Smith.

But then let's look at recent drafts. Mathews was the best natural RB in the draft. We moved up to get him. Considering the OL line I would say, he's done fine minus the fumbles which recently has gotten better.

Leeegit is turning into a real bright spot this season for us after a marginal rookie campaign. Ingram hasn't excelled like I would have hoped, but then again I would have liked to see him as the replacement for Phillips next year as an every-down pass rusher.

But for all of his decent draft picks, we can't deny that he loves injured reaches and projects.

Mouton as a second-rounder? He's seeing the field this Sunday only because we have nobody else.

English? He's healthy this year, what is the excuse?

I could go on and on. But if we look at drafts from 2006-2009, we can see TWO guys that are starters in 2012- Weddle and Cason. And Cason isn't the bee's knees.

So, yeah sorry about the rant but good post.


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