Narrative Check: The Roster is "Close"

[SmokinwithWilly]

52 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

The roster is closer than the organization IMO.

Tepper said when he took over that you need a head coach, a QB, and a GM. Everything else is basically a want. Those are the three needs.

So...

Head coach? Nope. We just fired the clown Tepper went all in on.

QB? Yeah... no.

GM? Tepper spent quite a bit of time talking today about how poorly we've managed our resources. So... yeah, probably not.

By Tepper's own standards we definitely don't have two of the three needs and very possibly have none.

You forgot competent owner. Looks like we don't have one of those right now either. 

[JawnyBlaze]

We need a coaching staff and QB. We could use a TE. Our OL is good now. RB is good (CMC ain’t going anywhere, and even if he does a solid RB can be found in the 3rd round or so. The run game is schemable to be sufficient moreso than other positions), WRs are good even if Robbie goes (good, not GREAT).  DL is very good, LBs are solid but we could use one more as an upgrade to Wilson or replacement for Shaq if he’s a cap casualty, secondary is great. We really are close.

[jb2288]

Your list doesn’t really make sense you listed positions where we have average NFL talent as needs. No team ever has a roster full of pro bowl caliber players. Any SB winning team you can go back at and research had holes somewhere. The roster is close. It needs a QB/HC combo to get us 75% of the way to competing. 

[JawnyBlaze]

12 minutes ago, davos said:

I'd re-read, you're not quite picking up what I'm putting down (Although it seems many aren't so maybe it's me with the huddle fatigue haha)  

In a nutshell: I'm just not buying the "we're close" talk.  We don't have a HC, QB, true leader on D (closest thing is Woods & Luvu), have a huge hole in O-playmaker, our depth is subpar, & have holes on both lines.  If we're missing the biggest things that make a team "close" then we're not close.  We're close to being close. 

The bolded parts are simply wrong. CMC and DJ are both playmakers. Teams just don’t have four playmakers at skill positions very often. Even the Chiefs just had Hill and Kelce. The Bucs are pretty much just Evans and that other WR who’s always hurt. Fournette is ok, but replaceable in that offense.  Our skill positions are above league average. We just need competent coaching and QB play. 
 

And our lines are both good. We have better OL play than I’ve seen in 13 or 14 years on this team, and our DL is great. No DL has four all pros, but Burns and Brown are great with Ionnidis being quite good and YGM is fine at his job and still young. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by JawnyBlaze
Forgot the second paragraph

[davos]

2 minutes ago, JawnyBlaze said:

We need a coaching staff and QB. We could use a TE. Our OL is good now. RB is good (CMC ain’t going anywhere, and even if he does a solid RB can be found in the 3rd round or so. The run game is schemable to be sufficient moreso than other positions), WRs are good even if Robbie goes (good, not GREAT).  DL is very good, LBs are solid but we could use one more as an upgrade to Wilson or replacement for Shaq if he’s a cap casualty, secondary is great. We really are close.

Highly disagree on the two bolded parts.  Factor in the LB situation, maneuvering needed for the 2023 cap, given needs as noted in the OP, we are in fact not actually close.  We are not far, we are "mehhh" Larry David motion level.

 

[Manna]

I'd like to see what a good head coach can do to our roster. I mean, look at what's going on with the Giants. I'd say our roster is at least comparable to theirs but they're doing well (for now at least). 

[davos]

Just now, JawnyBlaze said:

The bolded parts are simply wrong. CMC and DJ are both playmakers. Teams just don’t have four playmakers at skill positions very often. Even the Chiefs just had Hill and Kelce. The Bucs are pretty much just Evans and that other WR who’s always hurt. Fournette is ok, but replaceable in that offense.  Our skill positions are above league average. We just need competent coaching and QB play. 

DJ Moore is not a playmaker.  He's a great piece, extremely high-end WR, but we do NOT have an offensive playmaker that can take the top off a defense. We just don't.  And the Chiefs have been missing that this year and it shows in such a major way.  Particularly in their Colts loss.  We don't have our Hill/Devonta/Wilson/Chase/Diggs/Jefferson.  We have Torry Holt-lite.    

CMC has never produced consistent splash plays, he is a workhorse mutli-use, football specimen that can be a huge focus on offense at the precipice of a consistently gigantic cliff of an RBs shelf life.  

I just want to try and play devils advocate here because I keep seeing such confidence in a roster that has simply not produced this season and isn't some well constructed group.  Bits and pieces are there, a potential core is there, but we are not close IMO.

[JawnyBlaze]

Just now, davos said:

DJ Moore is not a playmaker.  He's a great piece, extremely high-end WR, but we do NOT have an offensive playmaker that can take the top off a defense. We just don't.  And the Chiefs have been missing that this year and it shows in such a major way.  Particularly in their Colts loss.  We don't have our Hill/Devonta/Wilson/Chase/Diggs/Jefferson.  We have Torry Holt-lite.    

CMC has never produced consistent splash plays, he is a workhorse mutli-use, football specimen that can be a huge focus on offense at the precipice of a consistently gigantic cliff of an RBs shelf life.  

I just want to try and play devils advocate here because I keep seeing such confidence in a roster that has simply not produced this season and isn't some well constructed group.  Bits and pieces are there, a potential core is there, but we are not close IMO.

I’m sorry, if you don’t think DJ and especially CMC are playmakers then I don’t know what to tell you. DJ has done nothing but make plays since he got here, it definitely hasn’t been the scheme or his QBs getting him the ball. His YAC is elite. And CMC doesn’t make splash plays??? I just can’t even…

[Waldo]

Great coaching would make the team competitive enough to win some games. Unfortunately we will have to wait and hire that later because the rest of this year should be better but not good from here on out. I don't see how we don't get a top 5 pick moving forward, especially if Frits finally starts a fire sale for draft capital to save his job. 

[CarolinaRideorDie]

With a Franchise QB, this team today could very easily be 5-0. Our defense has played well enough to win these games and the turnover battle. No team is stacked from top to bottom, but you do need difference makers in crucial positions. 

[AlphabetsEnd]

2 minutes ago, CarolinaRideorDie said:

With a Franchise QB, this team today could very easily be 5-0. Our defense has played well enough to win these games and the turnover battle. No team is stacked from top to bottom, but you do need difference makers in crucial positions. 

With the team as it is now, but a different offensive coordinator, it's a 4-1 team. The QB is not the issue (rewatch game film in ALL22). A new defensive coordinator that stops making man players play soft zone maybe puts the SF game into question and get the second half defense to stop blowing leads or giving up the fourth quarter comebacks could push this team to 5-0. 

Next year, draft a QB, but pay a veteran to allow a QB to develop. A later first QB with good development is a better bet than a top 10 going to a team they will have to start in a poo show. 

[davos]

14 minutes ago, JawnyBlaze said:

I’m sorry, if you don’t think DJ and especially CMC are playmakers then I don’t know what to tell you. DJ has done nothing but make plays since he got here, it definitely hasn’t been the scheme or his QBs getting him the ball. His YAC is elite. And CMC doesn’t make splash plays??? I just can’t even…

CMC yes, I went a bit far.  But we've never been a winning team with the guy and he's injured as much as he's played.  We need someone need some life into this offense and it's more than a coach and QB from my view

[OldhamA]

A good (not great) QB would have this team at .500, regardless of the coach, so yes we're close.

That said you're nowhere without a QB, so who knows where we'll be next season.

[Jon Snow]

With a decent coaching staff we are close to not being an embarrassment.  But we do not have a good enough roster to compete for the playoffs yet. We are also extremely thin in depth and on top of that at the most crucial position at qb we don't have even an average starter. Brother this team is no where near close unless you're talking about the bottom of the league.  I think our record tells you everything you need to know.