UFA love

[leoram]

Austin Davis, Benny Cunningham, Tre Watts, Ethan Westbrooks., Johnny Hekker, Rodney McLeod, Tim Barnes, Cory Harkey, Ray Ray Armstrong, and Cody Davis have to be, as a group, the strongest set of UFAs in the NFL over the last three years. I'm not sure who is finding these hidden gems, but I'd like them in charge of the top of our drafts too, lol.

 

[RaminExile]

Agreed. Some gems here. I also think weve got a few late round steals recently. Zac Stacy in the 5th is the top one off the top of my head. We just need a few more of our 1st and 2nd rounders to step up to the plate. For some reason I've still got high hopes for Pead next year....

 

[theramsruleUK]

Yep our UDFA are very good.
So I can't understand why our early picks in the draft aren't having an impact either. I still find it unbelievable that Robinson, Mason and Alexander have rarely seen the field.

 

[RaminExile]

Yep our UDFA are very good.
So I can't understand why our early picks in the draft aren't having an impact either. I still find it unbelievable that Robinson, Mason and Alexander have rarely seen the field.

Just time hopefully. GRob is a project (much as fans don't like to hear it) just like Quick was. Masons going to be ok - but Stacy, Cunningham and Watts are playing like studs so its difficult for him to get dressed - Alexander....is a bit of a worry beause finding someone to play across from TJ McDonald seems like a priority at the moment.

 

[Alan]

theramsruleUK wondering about our early draft choices:
So I can't understand why our early picks in the draft aren't having an impact either. I still find it unbelievable that Robinson, Mason and Alexander have rarely seen the field.

We weren't drafting starters when we picked Mason and Alexander. Alexander plays SS and Mason had little chance to start when you know he can't pass block and you have Stacy, Cunningham and Pead on the roster. You could almost say the same thing about the Robinson pick. I've not been happy with most of their first round picks so maybe I'm letting my bias against these picks affect my judgement here but I don't think so.

I'm not saying that the Alexander and Mason picks won't turn out well for us in the long term but I knew they weren't going to start as soon as we picked them. Most of us also knew that Robinson wasn't going to be our starter at the position we eventually expect him to fill. The same people (except @BonifayRam ) did think he'd be our starter at RG though.

 

[mr.stlouis]

We weren't drafting starters when we picked Mason and Alexander. Alexander plays SS and Mason had little chance to start when you know he can't pass block and you have Stacy, Cunningham and Pead on the roster. You could almost say the same thing about the Robinson pick. I've not been happy with most of their first round picks so maybe I'm letting my bias against these picks affect my judgement here but I don't think so.

I'm not saying that the Alexander and Mason picks won't turn out well for us in the long term but I knew they weren't going to start as soon as we picked them. Most of us also knew that Robinson wasn't going to be our starter at the position we eventually expect him to fill. The same people (except @BonifayRam ) did think he'd be our starter at RG though.

Those picks aren't why we're losing, though. We can't get out of our own way.

 

[brokeu91]

Yep our UDFA are very good.
So I can't understand why our early picks in the draft aren't having an impact either. I still find it unbelievable that Robinson, Mason and Alexander have rarely seen the field.

The regime has basically been going overall potential over experience with the early picks. That's why it took Quick three years to establish himself.

My big complaint is that the O line has not been that great. I would rather have Robinson out there learning from mistakes than a veteran who keeps making the same mistakes over and over again

 

[Alan]

mr.stlouis finding other reasons:
Those picks aren't why we're losing, though. We can't get out of our own way.

I'd put it slightly differently. The penalties and mistakes are part of the reason but the picks (among several other things) are also part of the reason we're not winning. Picking Robinson instead of Matthews, having McLeod starting at FS. Having Dunbar as one of our OLBs and relying on washed up (Wells and Joseph) O-liners are also part of the equation. Plus many other factors that have each played their part in out failures to win. I don't think you can look at any one aspect and call it the "reason" we're failing.