Five-year NFL draft analysis: Ravens stay on top as Jets make elite leap, Giants tumble

[slats]

2 minutes ago, OtherwiseHappyinLife said:

I personally am much angrier at JD's decision to keep Zach as the primary back-up last year after publicly announcing the guy needed to sit for a full year.  Completely irrational decision making that cost the Jets a legit chance at a Wild Card, something a lot of fans would have enjoyed after years of sitting out the playoffs.  That decision to me was almost unforgivable and easily could have led to his ouster.

Prior to last season, Aaron Rodgers hadn’t missed a start in five years. I’m sure the plan was to have Zach as the backup so that he’d be involved in the game planning every week as opposed to running the scout team. And see the field close to never. 
 
But yeah, once Rodgers went down, they should’ve been looking to bring in a legitimate starting option. I don’t know who was driving that decision, but whoever it was was wrong. I don’t know if AR8 chaffed at the idea of a Wentz coming in, or if Woody didn’t want to pay money for a stopgap or is beholden to JetBlue (or some other conspiracy minded BS), or if they actually thought Zach would be okay. Whatever it was, it didn’t work, and they did something about it this year. Which is want I want from my chief executive, I want a guy who’s able to learn as he goes. 

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

18 minutes ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

Derek Carr would have been the logical middle of the road option and cost nothing but salary. The rest are turds.

Fair ... the next 2 years will tell us who was the better option.

Carr has limitations and his annual contract value isn't that different from Rodgers.

Rodgers has a ton of upside but cost us draft picks.  Unfair to say JD should have predicted he would have torn his Achilles on the 4th offensive play.  If injuries continue, it will be fair to say that maybe the thumb and rib injuries his last year in GB should have been weighted more in the evaluation of whether AR was beginning to break down nearing 40

 

 

[Adoni Beast]

It's really about time this team just wins.

Douglas hasn't been perfect but I think he has set us up pretty well. Let's see if he gets more time what he'll do over the next couple of offseason as Tyron, Moses, Rodgers, Williams all leave/retire. 

I think Douglas has a 50/50 shot returning regardless of what happens with wins + losses this year, while Saleh needs to win and probably go deep in the playoffs to come back.

 

[dbatesman]

35 minutes ago, OtherwiseHappyinLife said:

To play contrarian for a moment, what phenomenal options has he had?  Context here is important.

Staying w/ Sam Darnold

Trey Lance

Justin Fields

Mac Jones

Waiting a year for Kenny Pickett

Signing Derek Carr

Rewinding and trading for Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson

 

What would you have done?  

 

Tanked properly and drafted Lawrence.

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

9 minutes ago, slats said:

Prior to last season, Aaron Rodgers hadn’t missed a start in five years. I’m sure the plan was to have Zach as the backup so that he’d be involved in the game planning every week as opposed to running the scout team. And see the field close to never. 
 
But yeah, once Rodgers went down, they should’ve been looking to bring in a legitimate starting option. I don’t know who was driving that decision, but whoever it was was wrong. I don’t know if AR8 chaffed at the idea of a Wentz coming in, or if Woody didn’t want to pay money for a stopgap or is beholden to JetBlue (or some other conspiracy minded BS), or if they actually thought Zach would be okay. Whatever it was, it didn’t work, and they did something about it this year. Which is want I want from my chief executive, I want a guy who’s able to learn as he goes. 

Agreed and that is my impression of JD as well.  A guy who is actually learning from his mistakes.  This year has a lot less of Rodger's fingerprints on it and seems to be the most comprehensive AND cohesive offensive planning I have seen out of JD.  

I'm much less convinced on Saleh doing the same.  Just seems like an overly rigid system guy who is often late with key decisions.  

[bitonti]

3 minutes ago, OtherwiseHappyinLife said:

 

Rodgers has a ton of upside but cost us draft picks.  Unfair to say JD should have predicted he would have torn his Achilles on the 4th offensive play.  If injuries continue, it will be fair to say that maybe the thumb and rib injuries his last year in GB should have been weighted more in the evaluation of whether AR was beginning to break down nearing 40

 

 

Old players get hurt 

It's not rocket science 

 

[bitonti]

3 minutes ago, Adoni Beast said:

think Douglas has a 50/50 shot returning regardless of what happens with wins + losses this year, while Saleh needs to win and probably go deep in the playoffs to come back.

They both are on their last year of their contracts 

It's hard to imagine a scenario where jd gets extended and a raise and they move on from Saleh 

They pretty much have to make the playoffs or they are both gone 

[Tranquilo]

We’ve won free agency, training camp and now the draft. We going for the preseason next year 

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

4 minutes ago, bitonti said:

Old players get hurt 

It's not rocket science 

 

So do young players.  Like Burrows.

So do running QBs.  Like Jackson.

The key question is by what percentage more and is that worth the upside a guy like Rodgers brings. 

The other key question is how do you minimize the risk?  For one, putting in a grass field.  Then, investing heavily in the offense around him (OL, WR).  How about having a real credible back-up QB?  Jets have failed at these ..

[slats]

2 minutes ago, OtherwiseHappyinLife said:

Agreed and that is my impression of JD as well.  A guy who is actually learning from his mistakes.  This year has a lot less of Rodger's fingerprints on it and seems to be the most comprehensive AND cohesive offensive planning I have seen out of JD.  

I'm much less convinced on Saleh doing the same.  Just seems like an overly rigid system guy who is often late with key decisions.  

I will neither be surprised nor terribly upset if Joe Douglas is retained after this year and he’s hiring a new head coach. 

[bitonti]

Just now, slats said:

I will neither be surprised nor terribly upset if Joe Douglas is retained after this year and he’s hiring a new head coach. 

How would that even happen? 

Like the jets win 9 games and it's clear that hc is holding them back? 

Honest question 

These two are tied together for better or worse 

 

[bitonti]

2 minutes ago, OtherwiseHappyinLife said:

So do young players.  Like Burrows.

The key question is by what percentage more and is that worth the upside a guy like Rodgers brings. 

The guys in his 20th nfl season and he uses a helmet from the Tom tupa era 

Lets be real the Jets screwed up. Arod was a bad choice. So was Zach. And that's why Joe Douglas doesn't get another contract 

[Adoni Beast]

9 minutes ago, bitonti said:

They both are on their last year of their contracts 

It's hard to imagine a scenario where jd gets extended and a raise and they move on from Saleh 

They pretty much have to make the playoffs or they are both gone 

I think making the playoffs gets Douglas an extension. I think getting bounced early costs Saleh his job.

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

5 minutes ago, bitonti said:

The guys in his 20th nfl season and he uses a helmet from the Tom tupa era 

Lets be real the Jets screwed up. Arod was a bad choice. So was Zach. And that's why Joe Douglas doesn't get another contract 

LOL at Tupa!  "No further objectives from counsel your honor"  

[Barry McCockinner]

shocked to see the douglas doomsters all over this. shocked.

[slats]

6 minutes ago, bitonti said:

How would that even happen? 

Like the jets win 9 games and it's clear that hc is holding them back? 

Honest question 

These two are tied together for better or worse 

 

That’s one. They could make the playoffs and get bounced by some obvious coaching blunder, too. Douglas is good at his job, but he’s not perfect. Saleh might be one of his imperfections. I’d let him hire another coach. 

[Xtina]

14 hours ago, chirorob said:

JD spent 2 first rounders and 2 third rounders on his franchise left tackle and left guard.

The tackle is unemployed and the guard is coming off his 2nd major surgery.

Yes, he needs a 100% hit rate 

[y2k8]

39 minutes ago, OtherwiseHappyinLife said:

In retrospect it certainly looks like it but it's tough not to swing for a franchise QB when you have an opportunity.

Most of this board has previously agreed that you need a franchise QB to consistently win and win big in this league.

What's not fully appreciated is that JD made a horrible decision selecting from a menu of horrible QB options during this period of time, a time he was looking to draft and build around a guy.

I personally am much angrier at JD's decision to keep Zach as the primary back-up last year after publicly announcing the guy needed to sit for a full year.  Completely irrational decision making that cost the Jets a legit chance at a Wild Card, something a lot of fans would have enjoyed after years of sitting out the playoffs.  That decision to me was almost unforgivable and easily could have led to his ouster.

 

In retrospect the pick is worse than we could have possibly imagined.

In the moment, a large portion of JetsNation (myself included) were against drafting a QB since Lawrence was off the table. 

This isn't a matter of second guessing for a lot of us.  

[OtherwiseHappyinLife]

1 hour ago, y2k8 said:

In retrospect the pick is worse than we could have possibly imagined.

In the moment, a large portion of JetsNation (myself included) were against drafting a QB since Lawrence was off the table. 

This isn't a matter of second guessing for a lot of us.  

Who would be your QB if we did that?  I listed our realistic options over a couple of years.

A GM doesn't come into a job and wait 3 years to grab his QB.  It's just not realistic to say we should have waited until last year when there were good draft options.  

It's easy to say we shouldn't draft Zach.  It's harder to come up with a better plan than taking a shot at a guy who was the #2 consensus QB in that draft.  Keyword is consensus.  

Another way at looking at your options is:

1. Round 2 or later round QB?  Who are the guys JD passed on that are lighting up the League?  Before you say Purdy, EVERY GM passed on Purdy until the last pick in the draft.  BTW, the same 'idiot' GM who traded 3 1st rounders for Lance is the guy who picked Purdy.

2. Trade for a franchise QB like Watson or R Wilson?  OMG, can you imagine the board if you made those trades?  There would be riots outside your house

3. Pick up one of the many franchise QBs that make it to free agency?  LOL

4. CFL?  Home Depot?  Estonian Pickle Ball League?

 

If you are of the position that teams can win a Super Bowl without a franchise QB, then ok.  Maybe that is your position but that is not the position of most smart executives in the NFL.  It's not the position of most posters on this site (unless that position has changed in the last year or so).  It's not what the Super Bowl stats are showing either.  The simple fact is that JD took a swing on a boom or bust franchise QB because there were not strong options elsewhere.  As in many of these cases, probabilities won out ... in our case in spectacular fashion

[Claymation]

1 hour ago, bitonti said:

Old players get hurt 

It's not rocket science 

 

So do young players.

[Larz]

[Larz]

[Larz]

[Larz]

[Larz]

[Larz]

[Tony The Wiz]

18 hours ago, Claymation said:

 

5. New York Jets (22)

Pro Bowlers: 3

Best Pick: Sauce Gardner (2022, first round)

Worst Pick: Zach Wilson (2021, first round)

The Jets had one of the best draft classes of the last five years in 2022, landing Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall. That class elevates this ranking to the top 5 after years of the Jets being in the 20s. Quinnen Williams, the top pick in 2019, is also a top-tier player that helps cover up mistakes like Zach Wilson and Mekhi Becton in the first round.

 

https://nypost.com/2024/04/21/sports/five-year-nfl-draft-analysis-ravens-on-top-jets-jump-giants-tumble/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost_sitebuttons

I have to say I loved every one of those picks. Now I did not watch the draft when Wilson was picked number 2, due to the Covid outbreak, which landed me in the hospital. But when my son told me who the Jets picked, my reaction was who?!! Now my son knows I watched a lot of college games. except the year when fans couldn't come to the games because of Covid. But I did not know who he was, and who he played for. So he was a 1 year wonder. I still don't know. But Douglas failed on the most important position. And without a QB in this NFL you don't win. This is not the NFL of the past, where you could of won the super bowl with Jeff Hoestler. So Mr. Douglas you better get a QB. Rodgers is 40 years old. And that is not going to be good enough in the future. Hopefully we get one great year from him.  

[Larz]

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