11 hours ago
(Today, 01:17 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Well, two more poor/dumb picks. If this is Al, I want Lou back.
Knight is (at least) a round early and there were probably gonna be similar guys available even later. Furthermore, G, S, and DT had to be more pressing needs. And for my money, CB as well (and TE). So you reached for a guy at, at best, our 5th most needy position?
With Ratledge, Watts, Winston (still there at #81), Mukuba, Alexander, Morrison, Amos, Thonas, and Porter still on the board. The only way LB is a higher priority is if Pratt is gone. If so , we have managed the neat teick of getting no draft capital for him, nor cutting him and using that $$ on a FA. Though both things could change.
But if Knight is a Pratt replacement, what did we get Burks for? And it really is just plugging a Pratt hole and not improving the team (much). We used a premium pick to tread water and leave spots inore dire need of attention unaddressed.
I give it a D.
And not to mention yesterday's dumb pick again, but Green, Scourton, Burch, Gillotte, and Jackson were all on the board at #49.
As for Fairchild, I am glad we got a guard, finally. But he was the 3rd best IOL in his college team. Not sure he is a plug & play starter. Not sure he allows us to cut Volson & use that $$. Watts & Winston were still there. As was Grant eith OT/G versatility (though more of a project).
C+/B- pick.
Overall, I think we are a solid D. Marginally better than when the draft started, but not by much.
I cannot wait for more dumb moves tomorrow. Myoney is on some combo of RB, OT, WR, PK, and QB.
Burks is the ADG replacement isn’t he?
I like the player I just don’t like the value with Knight but I also don’t think he would have been there at 81. I think it highlights three roster management issues that led us to this place.
1. The failure to move around in the draft. Had they moved back a few spots and gained say a 4th the value would have been much better. Despite needing more picks they failed to trade back in the 1st or the 2nd.
2. The failure to acquire additional picks prior to the draft. They don’t play the Compensatory pick game nearly well enough.Look how many extra picks the Ravens have this year. Some extra compensatory picks would have allowed them to go elsewhere with their second and have the capital to move up in the third to get Knight (he likely wouldn’t have still been there at 81 - see how Martin (supposed to be a 6th) went in the 3rd). They also fail to trade away players no in longer in their long term plans (Pratt, Rankins, Stone, probably Trey) when they rebuild mode or at the trade deadline. Go back to their failure to get anything for Andy Dalton. It’s roster malpractice. They need to be more active at flipping players for picks and more decisive at moving in from players when they still have some value. Their contract structure handicaps them in free agency but should make it easier to move players on in the final year of their deal. Why haven’t they capitalized on that?
3. They painted themselves into a corner by not addressing LB in FA and leaving it to a weak LB class so they have to reach.
