Well, they released three OL starters his first offseason, when they pretty much immediately started the process. Then they drafted Tyron in 2011, which was the first time in years that they'd gone OL in round one. Then did it again two of the next three years. I don't see how anybody can fairly say their actions didn't match their words. It was just that they also had huge holes in the secondary during that same time. And they went the route early of drafting OTs where you have to draft them and trying to develop OGs from the middle rounds (before Costa, they also had Nagy who they thought could potentially play OC for them). They also brought in Parnell and Montrae Holland that season. But people forget that was the year after they jettisoned, not just Gurode, but Brewster, and Alex Barron, and Leonard Davis and Pat McQuistan. There were a lot of bad players on that line they inherited from that 2010 season. That was an OL in need of some help.
That's one of the things that I really like about Garrett's tenure: they don't mess around with acquiring players. When they have resources--picks or FA dollars--they spend them. And then when they don't, they churn the heck out of the position group until they find pieces that fit. If they don't get a fit, they then use next year's resources to address it. That's what I think you saw with the interior OL. They tried to get lucky with late/mid-round picks (Nagy, Kowolski, Costa, Leary). When that was derailed by multiple injuries, they went the value FA route (that offseason was the CBA offseason where we were strapped) with Livings and Bernadeau. Throw Waters in that group from last season, because he's basically the same deal. Doing that, they filled one spot and basically another with Bernadeau before they decided to use the Martin pick again on the interior. I'd say that's a significant commitment.
They're doing the same thing at DL as we speak, by the way. Finding Selvie from that group of 20 last season. Melton and McClain and Okoye and Spencer as VFAs this year. Drafting and trying to develop a mid-rounder in Crawford. Coleman and Bishop and Gardener are in the Nagy-Costa late-round flyer mode. And Lawrence is the first of what I think will be two or three high DL picks in the coming years. And they're still churning the bottom of that position group as we speak.
However you look at it, they've been successful with what they did offensively here. It doesn't really matter if it took a year or two longer to get there, you have to credit them for executing a plan there. The defense is still a work in progress, but it's maybe a lot further along than any of us dared to hope when the season started out. That doesn't just happen by luck. And I don't care how lucky you are, you don't luck your way to 5-1 in this league. We're seeing a plan here. It might not end up working out, but it's a big stretch to suggest that it's not part of a plan.
Loving it in any case.
