Hurney report card

[House]

Who is this Ravis and why are we trading our starting center and MLB for him?

[Miaoww]

I think the 08 and 09 trades were more about the "win now" philosophy that JR had pressed on them.

With a new coach we should go back to the good ol days of less risky and smarter trades. Like trading Ravis for Kalil/Beason:drool5:

I still think spending two first round picks on Running Backs, however talented, was dumb.

I don't like first round picks on that position, considering the pounding players take AND how reliant it is on good offensive line play. Two take TWO was a little moronic. We were definitely in 'Win Now' mode there though.

[Miaoww]

Defensive draft picks, I would give him a b+ or an A-. For offensive draft picks, a C- or D+ and its only that high because of Williams and Stewart. Our two highest receiver picks have been Colbert and Jarrett, and both of those have failed miserably. Jury is still out on Lafell and Gettis, but so far those look good. The failure to get a solid QB either by draft or free agency is a major failure.

Oh that's right, after six starts Clausen is assigned to the scrap heap. Rookie QBs have to hit the ground running in this league, regardless of the situation they find themselves in.

[Catalyst]

Hurney's a pretty average GM. There are MUCH worse GM's out there (Jerry Angelo in Chicago is awful) and there are better ones. Hurney has never missed on a 1st round pick, which puts him in a a category with only 2-3 other GM's in the league.

We've had some busts in the 2nd & 3rd (Jarrett, Irvin, Shelton, Butler) but also some hits (Kalil, Marshall, Godfrey, Witherspoon) and have gotten solid players in the later rounds (King, Rosario, Captain, Hardy, Gettis).

His only real obvious mistakes so far is trading a 1st for Everette Brown and the Delhomme extension. I know the Edwards trade has gotten a lot of heat, but you have to give him some time. He was always intended to be a developmental player; truth is it could be another season before we start to get an idea of what he can do.

Hurney's great in the 1st round, spotty in the 2nd & 3rd rounds, and solid in the later rounds. That's not too bad for an NFL GM. In free agency he's made some mistakes, but I think he's also learned from them. And we haven't had any real big name FA busts outside of Justin Hartwig; Wahle, Lucas, & Kemo were solid for us and Jake & Stephen Davis took us to the Super Bowl.

I don't think the guy gets enough credit for how steady he's been. Is he great? No, but he is good and if you look around the league at some of the other GM's Hurney is probably top-10 in the league. We also have to consider the impact Fox's inability to develop offensive talent has had on many of Hurney's players. The WR position has been a wasteland outside of Moose & Smitty who were here already. That's a coaching problem because there's no way you can take THAT many receivers and not have a single one of them work out without there being some sort of coaching issue.

[House]

I still think spending two first round picks on Running Backs, however talented, was dumb.

I don't like first round picks on that position, considering the pounding players take AND how reliant it is on good offensive line play. Two take TWO was a little moronic. We were definitely in 'Win Now' mode there though.

Also, remember that Williams had not really had a "breakout" season at that point. The general consensus was that he had the talent but he had never really capatilized on his opportunities.

So, while I agree that it was a bit of a "luxury" we didn't need, there was a precedent for the move.

[Miaoww]

Also, remember that Williams had not really had a "breakout" season at that point. The general consensus was that he had the talent but he had never really capatilized on his opportunities.

So, while I agree that it was a bit of a "luxury" we didn't need, there was a precedent for the move.

I didn't like it at the time. Obviously we've had a lot of production with those two in the backfield, so it's hard to quibble, but still - it's something I'd point out in Hurney's drafting history as something that irritates me.

[Davidson Deac II]

Oh that's right, after six starts Clausen is assigned to the scrap heap. Rookie QBs have to hit the ground running in this league, regardless of the situation they find themselves in.

Actually, I wasn't talking about Clausen, because along with Gettis and Lafell, the jury is still out on him. But, we should have spent a top draft pick on a QB before 2010. Sorry, I should have made that clear.

[MHS831]

Certainly it is, but just do so with a modicum of intelligence.

Defend him then. Don't forget the most significant moves (or failures to move) over the past 2-3 years:

1. Jake Delhomme contract

2. Julus Peppers, the entire saga

3. Drafting an injured RB that is still fighting potentially career-threatening problems relating to that injury. (I agree that he had a good year and Hurney had medical advice, so I give him this one. However, I think he was drafted with the 13th pick and he was going under the knife--risky.)

4. Trading a future first rounder and a second for a first round RIGHT tackle with an injury history. (Otah is awesome when he is in, but if you give criticism to Clausen without considering the other variables, humor me here)

5. Trading a first rounder for an undersized DE from Florida State, a school that has had little luck placing successful DEs in the NFL--in other words, DEs from FSU are busts. Hurney has a history of taking the draft's fallers, something that has not always panned out).

6. Trading picks for Louis Leonard an Tank Tlyer. You might say, "we had no choice." Exactly. Knowing when to release or trade players is just as important as knowing when to pick or who to sign. Lewis and Kemoeatu were done. How was DT addressed? Hayden.

7. Drafting Clausen or any QB was a result of the Delhomme fiasco. Did it occur to anyone that the QB who beat us 2 games ago was being paid by the Panthers more than the Browns?

I am sorry, but I don't see reason to sing Hurney's praises. He may have had it once, but for the past two years, he has done little to make us better. Sure I have the advantage of hindsight, but anyone who thinks Hurney is beyond negative criticism is naive.

[Miaoww]

Actually, I wasn't talking about Clausen, because along with Gettis and Lafell, the jury is still out on him. We should have spent a top draft pick on a QB before 2010. Sorry, I should have made that clear.

I think the contract extension they gave Delhomme suggests they thought they had their franchise QB.

I disagreed with that, but I still like a GM that stands by his convictions. We tried to find a development guy in later rounds (like that guy from Louisville who's name escapes me), and we tried to revive Carr's career. Obviously both failed miserably.

As for Colbert/Jarrett. I just think we got burned on USC receivers. Hopefully we've learned our lesson there. They looked like world beaters in college at a big time programme - it's an easy mistake to make.

[MHS831]

Actually, I wasn't talking about Clausen, because along with Gettis and Lafell, the jury is still out on him. But, we should have spent a top draft pick on a QB before 2010. Sorry, I should have made that clear.

I agree. Jake was aging and we were not thinking of the future. To expect a second round QB selection to give you immediate results, when nearly 50% of first rounders bust, is crazy.

[Baschski]

No, I think that anyone who questions the decision making of the GM and does so in hindsight with only the negatives as a perspective of analysis without taking into account that he relys on a scouting staff to accrue information on players is an idiot.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[Icege]

So you think anyone who questions the decisions of the GM is out of line because other GMs have also made questionable decisions? You think the GM has nothing to do with the depth chart? Are you the supreme power who determines that threads cannot be about finger pointing, all while responding in a finger-pointing fashion? I expect the Huddle has not turned into Faux news because it was never FOR news. It even accomodates hypocritical, sarcastic views from those who cannot ignore posts that do not fall within their self-imposed and created guidelines. You are a mental midget.

Questioning decisions that the GM has made which have not turned out for the best is fine, that's what you're supposed to do. If you are going to acknowledge what he has done poorly, then you must also acknowledge what he has done well. If you're going to start naming draft picks from this last draft as if he had complete and total control over them, then let's take a look at all the draft picks that have turned out in the teams favor. Let's further extend that to previous drafts with Hurney at the GM position, because if it has such an impact now, it has had an impact since he's been here.

The GM most certainly does have a big part in the depth chart, as he's the one getting the contracts done for the DTs in that spot. However, he is not the sole voice in picking those players up, nor is he completely responsible for where they end up on the line up. He also doesn't aid the players in improving since does not coach them.

Let me try and put it this way, because you seem to be very dualistic in your approach: things aren't always black and white, there are shades of gray. This is a thread that you created to insinuate that Hurney has not been a good GM. By the examples that you have listed, you asked if we would take the #33 draft pick.

What you failed to understand in your line of questioning, was that last year we didn't have the 33rd overall pick in the 2011 draft, and we had no idea how Jimmy Clausen and Armanti Edwards would work out this season. Therefore, to ask such a question with the intent to lead people to believe that this was somehow Hurney's fault is... excuse me, f**king stupid.

Now just apply that logic to everything else you've inquired about to fill in the rest of this post.

[Ricky Spanish]

no one, i repeat, no one was happy about trading away our second to take edwards in the 3rd.

that was stupid as poo then, and it was stupid as poo now. If he turns into the greatest receiver of all time, then it was a good trade. anything less than a pro bowl or two is a complete waste of the pick

[AceMan]

A+. This 1-15 season is just a fluke. He's a masterful salary cap GM and should stay on for years to come.

I don't really get this...

Didn't we HAVE to extend Delhomme and let Peppers dictate our FA/Draft moves because of this masterful GM's cap management?

Get Hurney the f*** out of here!!!!