Sydla
Well-Known Member
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Let's start at the top and work down:
Front Office
- They failed the team this offseason. Now some will argue this is all hindsight BS but that's sports. You judge the personnel guys by the results on the field in terms of the personnel decisions they made. And the front office bombed this offseason. They were a 13-3 team that needed some tweaks to make another push for the NFC Title game. But the offseason was almost like they thought the team was a 7 win team that still needed to build for success 3 years from now.
- The idea to strip apart the secondary, on it's face, was not a bad idea. But they went too far IMO. They went heavy on the rookies (again, not a bad idea) but compounded the problem by not bringing in any QUALITY veteran depth. Nolan Carroll is a bum. He was a bum when they went after him two offseasons ago and he got worse. I don't know who made that decision - McClay or Marinelli - but it was a terrible one.
- To hand the reins to Heath without any real competition in camp was another boob move. It's costing us now.
- They have a plan that timing wise isn't working out. They have an offense that is ready to win now but they are building a defense that probably won't be really good until 2-3 years from now (and that's assuming they make a change at DC). They have a lot of youth at CB and likely will end up with a very young LB corps before all is said and done. More on that below.
- In the context of the secondary, if you knew you were going with a totally revamped secondary, then they probably shouldn't have weakened their strength - their OL. Letting Leary walk is looking questionable now. Moving Collins simply because you made a promise to him is looking questionable now. Not bringing in a quality vet OG or OT to compete is looking questionable. Banking on Green suddenly being healthy for an entire season was definitely questionable. The FO botched the OL and now we are paying for it.
- They are blind to the realities of Garrett. He's been a part of this org since the 90s and a link to the SB teams. The nostalgia and loyalty feelings have overridden common sense and sound judgment. I don't expect that to change any time soon. Barring a total collapse, the Jones family will stupidly continue to believe in Garrett and waste some of Elliott's/Prescott's/the OL's prime years. They wasted Romo's last few productive years and I suspect they haven't learned a ********* thing.
Coaching
- That last drive has been beaten to death but I'll beat it some more. In a microcosm, it defines this average staff. They too often out think themselves and get cute and it bites them in the butt. They spent the ENTIRE LAST DRIVE milking the clock. They pounded Elliott. They basically just ran short routes and didn't even attempt to threaten down the field. They milked the play clock as long as they could. It was actually a picture perfect drive until............. the two knuckleheads in charge, Linehan and Garrett, do what they do best and over think a situation. The result is a high risk, low reward fade pattern on 2nd and 2 from like the 11 yard line with over a minute left in the game. You spent the ENTIRE ******* drive wanting that clock to run as fast as possible to keep Rodgers off the field but then you decide with over a minute left to basically run a play that has a high chance of giving the Packers a free time out. Idiotic thinking but expected from this joke of a staff.
- I've seen way more than enough from Marinelli. The game has passed him by. He's not an awful coordinator but he's certainly not a guy that I trust to build a Top 10ish defense that can help make a run to the SB. His entire system at this point seems passive and conservative and it's not working and frankly hasn't worked all that much since he's been here. Enough. If they won't dump the entire staff, then they have to dump Marinelli. I have slightly more optimism that might happen because I suspect if the season goes sideways and ends up 8-8 or worse, the Jones family, again stupidly loyal to Garrett, will look for a fall guy and that could be Marinelli.
Players
- Let's start with Smith. He's been awful. He's completely afraid to take on an OL. Not sure if it's his hesitancy due to the injury or what. He was never a "thumper" in college like a Rueben Foster, but he would take on OL more than he does now. Now he just tries to run around blockers and it often leaves him out of position. Unlike some, I will cut him some slack............ for now. But he has to start showing some signs of improvement. Myles Jack was a total turd last year and now is playing well so maybe that will happen for Smith. Or maybe it won't.
- Staying with the LBs, Hitchens stunk too. Smith makes an easy whipping boy but the guy everyone celebrated coming back was pretty bad himself. We have a LB problem that's for sure. Add LB to the growing list of "needs" this offseason.
- This OL is awful (relatively speaking). Can a new LG and RT have that drastic an effect on the three All Pros on the line? Maybe, but I just am not happy with the play of the guys who are supposed to carry us.
- Bryant showed up but again had a maddening drop on what was a pretty easy catch.
- TWill. Come on dude.
- Not much to complain about with Prescott. Yes, the pass to Williams was a bit high but it's a catch that should be made.
- Anyone seen Malik Collins? Mayowa is a waste of a roster space at this point. Glad Irving is back. Too bad Tapper got hurt. He's probably better than Charlton and Mayowa. He might be better even with a busted foot. Oh, add a legit 1 tech to the list of "needs".
I want to say this has surprised me but none of this has. And I don't expect much to change. I don't think the front office has a clue what they are staring at. When they look at the sidelines, they see a guy in Garrett who has been a loyal, quality soldier for them for over two decades. They hear the growing criticisms but they are dug in thinking they are smarter than everyone else.
I expect more frustration for 3-4 more years when at some point, even the blind Jones family will realize the realities of their organization. But at that point, it might be too late.
Front Office
- They failed the team this offseason. Now some will argue this is all hindsight BS but that's sports. You judge the personnel guys by the results on the field in terms of the personnel decisions they made. And the front office bombed this offseason. They were a 13-3 team that needed some tweaks to make another push for the NFC Title game. But the offseason was almost like they thought the team was a 7 win team that still needed to build for success 3 years from now.
- The idea to strip apart the secondary, on it's face, was not a bad idea. But they went too far IMO. They went heavy on the rookies (again, not a bad idea) but compounded the problem by not bringing in any QUALITY veteran depth. Nolan Carroll is a bum. He was a bum when they went after him two offseasons ago and he got worse. I don't know who made that decision - McClay or Marinelli - but it was a terrible one.
- To hand the reins to Heath without any real competition in camp was another boob move. It's costing us now.
- They have a plan that timing wise isn't working out. They have an offense that is ready to win now but they are building a defense that probably won't be really good until 2-3 years from now (and that's assuming they make a change at DC). They have a lot of youth at CB and likely will end up with a very young LB corps before all is said and done. More on that below.
- In the context of the secondary, if you knew you were going with a totally revamped secondary, then they probably shouldn't have weakened their strength - their OL. Letting Leary walk is looking questionable now. Moving Collins simply because you made a promise to him is looking questionable now. Not bringing in a quality vet OG or OT to compete is looking questionable. Banking on Green suddenly being healthy for an entire season was definitely questionable. The FO botched the OL and now we are paying for it.
- They are blind to the realities of Garrett. He's been a part of this org since the 90s and a link to the SB teams. The nostalgia and loyalty feelings have overridden common sense and sound judgment. I don't expect that to change any time soon. Barring a total collapse, the Jones family will stupidly continue to believe in Garrett and waste some of Elliott's/Prescott's/the OL's prime years. They wasted Romo's last few productive years and I suspect they haven't learned a ********* thing.
Coaching
- That last drive has been beaten to death but I'll beat it some more. In a microcosm, it defines this average staff. They too often out think themselves and get cute and it bites them in the butt. They spent the ENTIRE LAST DRIVE milking the clock. They pounded Elliott. They basically just ran short routes and didn't even attempt to threaten down the field. They milked the play clock as long as they could. It was actually a picture perfect drive until............. the two knuckleheads in charge, Linehan and Garrett, do what they do best and over think a situation. The result is a high risk, low reward fade pattern on 2nd and 2 from like the 11 yard line with over a minute left in the game. You spent the ENTIRE ******* drive wanting that clock to run as fast as possible to keep Rodgers off the field but then you decide with over a minute left to basically run a play that has a high chance of giving the Packers a free time out. Idiotic thinking but expected from this joke of a staff.
- I've seen way more than enough from Marinelli. The game has passed him by. He's not an awful coordinator but he's certainly not a guy that I trust to build a Top 10ish defense that can help make a run to the SB. His entire system at this point seems passive and conservative and it's not working and frankly hasn't worked all that much since he's been here. Enough. If they won't dump the entire staff, then they have to dump Marinelli. I have slightly more optimism that might happen because I suspect if the season goes sideways and ends up 8-8 or worse, the Jones family, again stupidly loyal to Garrett, will look for a fall guy and that could be Marinelli.
Players
- Let's start with Smith. He's been awful. He's completely afraid to take on an OL. Not sure if it's his hesitancy due to the injury or what. He was never a "thumper" in college like a Rueben Foster, but he would take on OL more than he does now. Now he just tries to run around blockers and it often leaves him out of position. Unlike some, I will cut him some slack............ for now. But he has to start showing some signs of improvement. Myles Jack was a total turd last year and now is playing well so maybe that will happen for Smith. Or maybe it won't.
- Staying with the LBs, Hitchens stunk too. Smith makes an easy whipping boy but the guy everyone celebrated coming back was pretty bad himself. We have a LB problem that's for sure. Add LB to the growing list of "needs" this offseason.
- This OL is awful (relatively speaking). Can a new LG and RT have that drastic an effect on the three All Pros on the line? Maybe, but I just am not happy with the play of the guys who are supposed to carry us.
- Bryant showed up but again had a maddening drop on what was a pretty easy catch.
- TWill. Come on dude.
- Not much to complain about with Prescott. Yes, the pass to Williams was a bit high but it's a catch that should be made.
- Anyone seen Malik Collins? Mayowa is a waste of a roster space at this point. Glad Irving is back. Too bad Tapper got hurt. He's probably better than Charlton and Mayowa. He might be better even with a busted foot. Oh, add a legit 1 tech to the list of "needs".
I want to say this has surprised me but none of this has. And I don't expect much to change. I don't think the front office has a clue what they are staring at. When they look at the sidelines, they see a guy in Garrett who has been a loyal, quality soldier for them for over two decades. They hear the growing criticisms but they are dug in thinking they are smarter than everyone else.
I expect more frustration for 3-4 more years when at some point, even the blind Jones family will realize the realities of their organization. But at that point, it might be too late.
