A quick look back at the S&F 1st round picks...

[jrry32]

What was it? Was the plan in 2012 and 2013 to build more of a spread offense? Cook and Austin aren't really the first guys you would want on a ground and pound squad. I just wish from day one they would have said we are going to be a ground a pound squad, built the line over playmakers, then moved on from there. The 2012 second round is the one area where they failed building offensive talent. On the whole Fisher and Snead are as good at drafting players as almost anybody in the league. Definitely a top 10 drafting team since 2012.

The blueprint was to build up the defense and build around Bradford. They planned to do that by drafting WR talent, using veterans to plug holes in the OL until they could be addressed later, and using mid to late round picks at HB (after letting SJ go) until they had time to address other more important positions.

There were a clear plan. It just didn't work. Bradford got injured. The veteran OLs we brought in got injured and didn't play up to potential. And our WRs took time to develop.

 

[jrry32]

A GM should hit on most of his first rounders.

What a GM "should" do and what a GM actually does in reality are two different things. About 40% of 1st round picks in a given year will be busts. Which means that there will be some quality teams and GMs each year drafting a bust.

Missing on first rounders on a consistent basis will set a franchise back for years.

While I appreciate all that Martz did on the positive side, I firmly believe he started the downward spiral with those picks he wasted.

So, while I am very happy about the first rounders Snead and Fisher have drafted, the difference between the really good GMs and the rest are the later rounds.

Looking past the 1st round...
2012
Quick - I just dunno anymore
Jenkins - coming on strong
Pead - bust
Johnson - solid and improving
Givens - gone, but never really amount to much
Watkins - bust
Zuerline - solid (even if threads are being created busting him)
Brown - bust
Richardson - gone, but never really amounted to much
So, out of 9 picks, we have 3 solid to very good players in this year (Jenkins, Johnson and Zuerline). I'm not sold on Quick anymore. And 3 busts.

2013
McDonald - solid
Bailey - I dunno anymore
Jones - bust
McGee - bust
Stacy - gone
So, out of 5 picks, we have 1 solid one (McDonald) and Bailey (??). And 2 busts

2014
(hate trying to assess one year players, but what the heck)
Joyner - depth
Mason - depth
Alexander - jury's out
Gaines - depth
Gilbert - bust
Van Dyk - bust
Bryant - bust
Sam - bust
Rhaney - meh
So, out of 9 non-first round pick, we have 3 players who provide good depth. We also have 4 busts... that's a tough one.

Summary (rounds 2 thru 7)
23 picks
4 solid starters (Jenkins, Johnson, Zuerline and McDonald)
3 solid depth players (Joyner, Alexander and Mason)
3 gone
4 works in progress (still deciding)
9 busts

12 players are either busts or gone. That's 52%.

Did you seriously just call Jenkins and McDonald "solid" and Joyner "depth"?

 

[OldSchool]

Lets look at the 1st rounders of a couple GM's that are usually considered among the best. Ted Thompson, Ozzie Newsome and Bill Belicheck. Those guys are generally in the list of top 5 GM's.

Thompsons last 6 first round picks:

2010 23 Bryan Bulaga Offensive tackle Iowa - If healthy a top 5 RT
2011 32 Derek Sherrod Offensive tackle Mississippi State - Bust partially due to injury his rookie season.
2012 28 Nick Perry Defensive end Southern California - Was off to a good start this year but his previous 3 were lackluster and injury plagued
2013 26 Datone Jones Defensive end UCLA - Three sacks in his first 2 years 6 games, lackluster start.
2014 21 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Safety Alabama - Slow start to rookie year, didn't start till 7th game. Up and down production mediocre rookie campaign.
2015 30 Damarious Randall Safety Arizona State - Off to a good start, getting snaps as slot corner.

Six picks for the Packers 1 good player (Bulaga), Dix and Randall off to good early starts. Jones not gonna call him a bust but he hasn't validated a 1st round pick yet. Perry had 3 bad years and was decent this year before getting hurt again. Sherrod a bust. So 1 good, 2 promising 1 injury prone and 2 bad/bust. Looks like 50% have worked out.

2009 23 Michael Oher Offensive tackle Ole Miss - Is on his 3rd or 4th team in the last 2 years. Bust
2010 — No pick — The Ravens traded their 2010 first-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the Broncos' 2010 second-round (43rd overall), third-round (70th overall), and fourth-round (114th overall) selections.
2011 27 Jimmy Smith Cornerback Colorado - Watching the last gameday thread for the Ravens on FF every Ravens fan was screaming that he sucked and sucked bad. Bust
2012 — No pick — The Ravens traded their 2012 first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' 2012 second-round (35th overall), and fourth-round (98th overall) selections.
2013 32 Matt Elam Safety Florida - First two years were lackluster and disappointing. This year IR'd early missed whole season. Bust?
2014 17 C. J. Mosley Linebacker Alabama 1-time Pro-Bowler, first Ravens rookie to reach the Pro Bowl. Stud
2015 26 Breshad Perriman Wide receiver UCF - Hasn't played this year due to injury on a team desperate for WR help.

So last 5 Picks 1 All Pro, 1 undecided and 3 busts. Looks like 40% and could go down with Perriman.

Bill Belicheck..... Screw this guy we all hate these cheaters. On a side note I think their last bad first round pick was Laurence Maroney in 2006 he has a great track record, when they keep their firsts. But looking at Newsome and Thompson, two of the better GM's in the NFL call it 4 of 10 are good or better 1 undecided and 6 busts or injury prone. Forty percent while a random number chosen by somebody sounds about right for first round picks. There was another stat I found when looking at 1st round pick history. In the last 30 years only 4 QB's taken in the top 5 of the draft have won Super Bowls. Peyton, Eli, Elway and Aikman. A couple others were in the 6-10 range. First round picks aren't nearly the lock people seem to think they are.

 

[CGI_Ram]

First round picks aren't nearly the lock people seem to think they are.

This.

 

[Mojo Ram]

The blueprint was to build up the defense and build around Bradford. They planned to do that by drafting WR talent, using veterans to plug holes in the OL until they could be addressed later, and using mid to late round picks at HB (after letting SJ go) until they had time to address other more important positions.

There were a clear plan. It just didn't work. Bradford got injured. The veteran OLs we brought in got injured and didn't play up to potential. And our WRs took time to develop.

This.

 

[FRO]

The blueprint was to build up the defense and build around Bradford. They planned to do that by drafting WR talent, using veterans to plug holes in the OL until they could be addressed later, and using mid to late round picks at HB (after letting SJ go) until they had time to address other more important positions.

There were a clear plan. It just didn't work. Bradford got injured. The veteran OLs we brought in got injured and didn't play up to potential. And our WRs took time to develop.

I was referring more to style of play. Were we a spread team, a power run team? I feel like that would have changed how we went about things.

 

[TexasRam]

Grob has Bust written all over him. Sorry, just being honest. The sand is running out on the hourglass with little progression seen.

I see the exact same player in Jason Smith. Don't care what anyone says. Quick Feet but always off balance. Unable to lock on and sustain blocks. Horrible hand usage. Constantly beat on the speed rush. Able to get big push in the run game showing elite power, but inconsistent. Penalties starting to stack up because of bad mechanics and game moving too fast.

The other Draft pics are looking real good right now.

 

[Memento]

Grob has Bust written all over him. Sorry, just being honest. The sand is running out on the hourglass with little progression seen.

I see the exact same player in Jason Smith. Don't care what anyone says. Quick Feet but always off balance. Unable to lock on and sustain blocks. Horrible hand usage. Constantly beat on the speed rush. Able to get big push in the run game showing elite power, but inconsistent. Penalties starting to stack up because of bad mechanics and game moving too fast.

The other Draft pics are looking real good right now.

After less than sixteen games at left tackle, the sand is running out of the hourglass? Come on now. Let the kid learn; he's only twenty-two and came out of a terrible offense for offensive linemen. Or would Big O have been a bust in his first year and a half?

Also, Jason Smith had no heart and was constantly injured. Robinson has been healthy and plays with heart.

His technique is a problem, yes, but it can be corrected. He came out as a red-shirt sophomore, you know. Red-shirt sophomore offensive linemen aren't known for having great technique.

Give him time. I'm sure he'll change your tune. It's way too early to be calling him a bust or to say that he needs to move back to guard.

 

[DaveFan'51]

The way I look at a recent draft pick (or trade) is this - ask you self would you reverse it right now? If the answer is yes, then it was bad, and if the answer is no, it was good.

In other words, ask yourself would you give up...

• Todd Gurley for this year's #10 overall pick?
• Aaron Donald for this year's #13?
• Greg Robinson for this year's #2?
• Alec Ogletree for this year's #30?
• Tavon Austin for this year's #8?
• Michael Brokers for this year's #14?

Your point is well made!! My answer is "NO" to all of the above!!

 

[drasconis]

After less than sixteen games at left tackle, the sand is running out of the hourglass? Come on now. Let the kid learn; he's only twenty-two and came out of a terrible offense for offensive linemen. Or would Big O have been a bust in his first year and a half?

Also, Jason Smith had no heart and was constantly injured. Robinson has been healthy and plays with heart.

His technique is a problem, yes, but it can be corrected. He came out as a red-shirt sophomore, you know. Red-shirt sophomore offensive linemen aren't known for having great technique.

Give him time. I'm sure he'll change your tune. It's way too early to be calling him a bust or to say that he needs to move back to guard.

Pace was a pro-bowl alternate his second year, it was clear through out his early games he was trending up...and fast. Agree too early to call GRob a bust, but it is concerning that he is not clearly trending up at this point...

 

[Memento]

Pace was a pro-bowl alternate his second year, it was clear through out his early games he was trending up...and fast. Agree too early to call GRob a bust, but it is concerning that he is not clearly trending up at this point...

And Pace played two seasons at left tackle. Robinson has yet to play a single season at left tackle. Robinson is also younger than Pace was coming out of college and did not come out of a pro-style system. With linemen like that, you have to coach them up. You can't afford to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[drasconis]

And Pace played two seasons at left tackle. Robinson has yet to play a single season at left tackle. Robinson is also younger than Pace was coming out of college and did not come out of a pro-style system. With linemen like that, you have to coach them up. You can't afford to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

You brought up pace....lol. Can't say how did you feel about Pace, then get a reply pointing a significant difference and go well you can't compare........

 

[Memento]

You brought up pace....lol. Can't say how did you feel about Pace, then get a reply pointing a significant difference and go well you can't compare........

Yes, I did. Most players take three years to grow into who they really are. I called it on Quick, I called it on Austin, and I will call it on Robinson.