ESPN's Analysis of Our Pick, And Why I Feel It Was The Wrong Pick

[mcdougal]

Our offense isn't "explosive" because of lack of appropriate players (though that doesn't help).

Our offense isn't "explosive" for two PRIMARY reasons:

1. That's the way Ron likes it.

2. MIKE SHULA.

Trade for Megatron and A.J. Green, give'em to Cam, and you know what you're gonna get?

A *Mike Shula*-led offense with Scaredy Boat Ron Rivera sitting on top of it keeping it firmly in its "box" lest it break out and scare him.

The End.

 

 

I will continue to maintain that Mike Shula would not be hired for the same position at any top 25 college football program except possibly LSU (and that is only because Miles is crazy), and he is not even in my top 15 choices of OC (even taking into account his relationship with Newton),

 

However, Shula is Shula. He cannot turn water into wine. We understand that.

 

He also isn't so awful/stubborn that if given explosive pieces he would not use such talent. In fact, Shula calls a number of what I would consider aggressive type plays throughout the regular season...and when he doesn't have his head up his butt allows Newton to run a no-huddle throughout a game.

 

Is Shula great? No. Not really. But he is also trying to work with a shortage of explosive players at the skill positions. 

 

 

And of course, my criticism is more directed at the Huddle, than the FO. There is more than one way to win in the NFL. Would I choose the particular path they are choosing? Nope. But at the same time they are entitled to do what they think will lead to wins in the NFL.

 

The Huddle on the other hand, often cheers the front office on for taking this approach, and then come September blames the players when our offense doesn't score for two straight quarters against the Seahawks. 

[KJ89]

And I'd love to believe that. There's just no proof to support the idea they will draft a wr or OT in the 2nd or 3rd. And I'm more on drafting a wr bc I believe it's easier to draft wr then it is OT. So if DG and Ron don't like an OTs and wanna wait till next year fine, just draft some wrs. And I'm sure they will draft some wrs bc we always do, just in the later rounds

I think they want WRs over OTs too. I think the OTs will come later, not WRs. We'll pick a WR in the second and/or third. Especially if Justin Hardy is there in the third, I don't think they'll pass on him (I hope they don't)

[CoastalCat]

http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/draft?year=2015&grouping=rounds&round=1&src=desktop

LOL at that last bolded part.

 

 

TD was 6'1" 230 on his draft profile. Safety/LB prospect. It worked out.

[Byrdman4real]

Sorry, ain't gonna shut up, Mr. Internet Tough Guy.

We've made ONE pick. Out of NINE.

Your whining at this point is special-needs worthy.

I'm not even whining but I will take up for the people that have a opinion.

With eight more picks it's no need to panic but one can speak freely.

[heel31ok]

Honest question: How many seasons is it going to take for you to trust that we have a general manager that knows what he's doing?

 

just want a winning season for now, then we can go from there.

[TheMaulClaw]

http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/draft?year=2015&grouping=rounds&round=1&src=desktop

LOL at that last bolded part.

I said at the end of last season, when the Seahawks eliminated us, that the same problems that went unaddressed prior to the season were what ended our season - lack of weapons and protection for Cam.

We destroyed our receiving corps last offseason, made one, possibly two, viable additions to it and called it a success.

In the end, not addressing it cost us our season.

Sure, our defense came around and became dominant once the right guys were given the PT and put in the right spots... But the issue was, our offense was so stagnant, it couldn't put up enough of a threat to keep our defense off of the field and it finally broke them against the seahawks.

Why couldn't the offense score? There was no one that could take the top off of the defense, ALL of our WRs outside of maybe Philly struggle to get separation consistently and probably give Cam the smallest windows to fit passes into. You put that up against a team with championship-level defense and an offense with a wide array of weapons (power runner, shifty receivers, tall/fast receivers, accurate QB with scrambling ability), and it becomes obvious who would win.

Point is, defense wasn't the problem and that is where we've made the most moves, AGAIN. WR has been the biggest problem for two years and has seen the least attention, AGAIN. Offense is what lost us games and ended our season, and this despite having the most dynamic player in the entire NFL at QB. It's a shame.

I have never really outright poo poo'd a pick we have made the same night. I didn't like the KB pick last season initially, but I still said I hoped to eat crow and felt there was a strong possibility I would. And for the most part, I did (although he needs to shore up that drop issue). But I would've been lying to myself if I didn't see him contributing immediately and ignoring his potential.

I am going out on a limb here, but I don't have that feeling about shaq. It's the first time, possibly ever, that I just don't like anything about the pick. I predicted both Cam and Luke months before they happened and said both of them would be among the best in the NFL before we ever took them... So, I feel like for a fan, I have a good eye for talent and fit... I just don't like this pick... Again, considering what lost us our season, it just doesn't make sense to me and was an obvious reach for a front office that swears they won't do just that.

Flame away.

Defense was the reason we had the record we had last year. They were horrible the first half of the season. The inability to shut down tight ends without causing personnel problems in the run game is why Seattle beat us in the playoffs. Good pick the more I think about it.

[L-TownCat]

I love this place! Lol

Constant entertainment.

[Proudiddy]

Defense was the reason we had the record we had last year. They were horrible the first half of the season. The inability to shut down tight ends without causing personnel problems in the run game is why Seattle beat us in the playoffs. Good pick the more I think about it.

Yeah, I remember,that same defense that gettleman and Rivera rolled out there in place of the one that eventually won games... Harper, Decoud, Godfrey, Melvin White, Blackburn, etc. All lost jobs and the guys that should've been playing in the first place, like Norman came in and got the job done. Defense wasn't the problem.

[EMSMedic79]

Plenty of WR's in the draft.  There was only 3 great wr's the rest of the top 20 wrs are all in the same category.  Glad we didn't reach for one of them.  Shaq is special and once he settles into LB he will thrive.

 

 

Now OT we need to address in the 2nd round

 

This.

[Kuhndog94]

Why didn't we trade out of the first and pick him up in the 2nd?

[VerticalThreat]

Shaq was a huge reach and luxury pick. Wasn't even bpa

 

Who was the BPA on your board at the time?

[TheMaulClaw]

Yeah, I remember,that same defense that gettleman and Rivera rolled out there in place of the one that eventually won games... Harper, Decoud, Godfrey, Melvin White, Blackburn, etc. All lost jobs and the guys that should've been playing in the first place, like Norman came in and got the job done. Defense wasn't the problem.

Really not on DG that we had no cap space.  I think a lot of us on here are underestimating the Oher signing as well.  Even if Humphries was available, I don't think he's better then Oher right now. 

 

Blackburn almost didn't play at all last year.  Godfrey was a pinch hitter and also got released by DG.  

 

We've been bitching on here for years about not being able to cover tight ends.  We addressed it.  Also it seems like we play Seattle every year.  Shaq could be the perfect QB spy.  

[SmokinwithWilly]

I thought we would have gone WR or with Randall at FS. This pick left me with a bleh feeling. It's not that I don't believe this guy can contribute, because I think he can. I just think the NFL is moving to a high scoring game and defense isn't going to be able to keep up no matter what they do. I see the rules changing for offense and not defense. It's been a growing trend the past few years and it's going to keep going that way.

I feel like we're behind the curve and aren't going to get ahead of it with Rivera or Shula. Just my .02.

[Mr. Scot]

How about you shut up, and let people express their feelings freely.

 

You mean like he just did?

 

 

Lawdy, 8 more picks to go but for some of you the world has come crashing to an end.

Some people just never learn.

 

Probably some of the same folks who scream "game over" if we're down in the first quarter.