BearFan PHX

and I believe due to need he may well play outside this year, but Poles still hasnt really drafted DEs and I think its a problem, and so much of a problem that I think we agree that its a likely spot for our #1 pick next year? or a veteran yet to be added this year?

Pix, youre right there were injuries too. But another way that can be interpreted is that Johnson was OK taking rookies that wouldnt be ready to start too, so theyd have time to adjust. I do know he has said that players start once he trusts them, so i do think that there is some period of time where some rookies need to get up to speed? Maybe this is true on Offense and not Defense as well, because i expect Thienemen to start opening day. We will also see whether Logan Jones takes the job away right off the bat, or if it takes half the season? He will have Thuney next to him to help with the calls if necessary. I can remember some teams starting rookie Centers who let an OG make the protection calls at first. Didnt we do that one year? That would get Jones out there more quickly I think? Also Jones is an older player and has already played in 51 games in college. But in any case, I dont see Roush having a full role opening day, or Zavion Walker at WR either, for example? And yes, I hope we stay healthy too!

Turner was drafted as a DT tho. In the 5 years Poles has been GM, we have drafted only TWO DEs; Booker and Dominique Robinson - both in the FIFTH round. In that same time he has drafted two punters, one in the fourth round. Crazy!

i think Ben Johnson generally doesnt start rookies at first, and then phases them in over the season, like he did last year for Monangai, Loveland and Burden?

well I cant even imagine how they can escape addressing the DE position next year, and they will have the cap flexibility to do it, so you HAVE to be right! But at the same time, Its crazy we havent acquired one (or several) in the draft in such a LONG time. I think the window for Caleb is NOW and strategically putting off a pass rush until next year is a poor decision. I have hope there is still a free agent signing coming, but I dunno. It's crazy to put DE last, but they HAVE been building an excellent roster everywhere else, and I m sure youre right, in time we will have a pass rush, but if we had one this year, we'd be Superbowl bound. Maybe we still are, but we'd be heavily in the mix this year if we had one.

no doubt the roster they are building is full of actual football players. its kind of incredible how bad weve been at this for so long, now that we see what doing it right looks like.

yeah and he has the 8th highest RAS score for any TE drafted since the 1990s or something like that. Pretty good for an inline guy. I do think the writing is on the wall for Kmet, maybe not this year, but when we identified Kmet, DJ Moore and Swift as trade or cut bait at this time last year, it i slowly coming true. The bar has been lifted. ALl of those players are GOOD players, but not as good as they need to be, and over the years Johnson is going to build a hell of a roster - that much is clear now. We still need a LT and a DE tho LOL

I agree. They may be waiting to make a move for someone like Tyler Decker, or they may feel ok about Benedet - those are my guesses. In either case, I suppose they are hoping to have Trapilo later down the line for next season? It's hard to imagine that they could be confident with Braxton or Wills. I mean, either could surprise, but I cant imagine betting on them right now. Maybe they have their eye on Decker and some of the FA DEs, and they want to see what theyve got in camp before they choose which position gets the $? These are all just guesses of course, Im not predicting any of this. It's a head scratcher for sure. Maybe it's as simple as Benedet is the floor?

The rumors are some kind of mental issue. I have no idea what is specifically claimed tho. Maybe suicidal, maybe trans, maybe all kinds of things, so no real info or point to speculate, but I do hear it was a mental issue. Maybe just anxiety didnt feel like he belonged? Whatever it is, it didnt resolve itself, and we drafted Malik.

I am very cynical that Braxton Jones will ever be able to handle the bull rush and provide pass protection --BUT-- like any player if they show us something we havent seen before of course Ill be glad to see it. I will be thrilled is Jones or Wills kills it and takes the position with excellence. Im just not betting on it. But I will be very happy to be wrong about that.

ugh! youre right

maybe. I think our floor is Benedet. Its hard to have faith in Wills until he shows something, and i think we already know Braxton's ceiling.

I mean that I thought that Trapilo was looking pretty good once he got comfortable. Certainly we are not worse than we were opening day last year, I agree.

I agree with all this, except there is still a hole at LT where we've certainly gotten worse, and we may not have gotten worse at DE, but we were pretty bad and i dunno if we got better? Assuming the LT isnt a sieve, we have a Superbowl ready offense this year I believe. And while the pass rush is still questionable, the defense should be better than it was last year. And an answer at LT and/or DE may still be coming.

yes to all of that. I dunno if Jones will be ready to start the season, but all those stars certainly do seem to align. And if a player isnt going to be there when you draft again, and you want him, then it isnt a reach to take him when you can.

I think that's spot on.

yeah and it just makes your point that much stronger

hahahaha thats likely LOL

ASHKUM, you did the calculation wrong, we would gain $13M. And that just makes your point all the stronger anyway.

Amagadje might go to OG too. From what I've read he is a tremendous specimen and just couldnt stay healthy. Of course thats all talk until we see it on the field, and i wouldnt be surprised if he went to OG -OR- didnt make the team - either is possible. But hes a sleeper.

he always wants to keep every player "why would we give away someone good?" and of course that kind of thinking leads to having an older than average team that has cap issues. hes a fan, but not much of a GM I think.

Actually his cap number next year is like $23M, with $10M dead cap thats a savings of over $13M on the cap! So that makes your point all the more. And Newman is waiting in the wings too.

VG scored a perfect 10 RAS which is amazing, and Ive never seen anyone do that before? Both his parents were pro athletes. He is the definition of a project right now, which fits the roster, Roushar will get a toy to play with, and who knows what he might become? But youre right ASHKUM, the idea here is who might he be next year or the year after?

there is no reputable source that he ran a 4.28 - he would have been drafted if that were true. Just because a media narrative catches fire does not mean it is true. We've seen that over and over. 4.6 is fast enough for a WR if they run good routes. Keenan Allen was around a 4.6 - but you cant call him a speed receiver, it's just not true.