Das Gute - Year 1 in Review

[Gopher Trace]

3 hours ago, incognito_man said:

I think the Haha trade is probably an A-grade at worst. He's not very good for his new team, he wasn't coming back, and I feel comfortable saying it was a good attitude to be rid of.

Him not being very good for his new team does not mean that he'd not have given us much better S play than what we are currently working with. T-Will is not exactly a real physical or willing tackler, himself, or an improvement in coverage.

AG nailed it (excellent outline -- I pretty much agree with every point he made), it was a "tank" move ahead of us actually tanking. 'Could have used him for this late stretch, although I do think it would have been time to move on after the season.

This thing about his attitude/locker-room is pure conjecture, even if you are correct.

[AlexGreen#20]

16 minutes ago, SSG said:

Closer to poor IMO. 

 

I know people love Graham but he's been terrible given the massive contract he got.  It's one thing to ignore the negative effect he has on the running game because of the effort he gives as a blocker when he's putting up elite numbers as a receiver.  It's another thing to ignore it when he's a mediocre receiver who's not helping the offense much.  the Jimmy Graham addition has been a huge bomb in year one.  I truly believe we'd be ditching him this coming off season if we didn't have to take a huge cap hit on thew chin to do so.  

https://twitter.com/jco3215/status/1070373673993945091

 

This dude (the tweeter) straight up doesn't understand how blocking works.

First one: No doubt that's poor. Trying to combo up to the linebacker, that's bad.

Second one: Who cares, he's the misdirection.

Third one: Again, backside who cares.

Fourth one: That's a damn fine block. Jones forgetting his path is outside following his pulling blocking isn't on Graham. You can even see Graham give a little "What the **** bro? First good block of my career and you blow it"

Fifth one: Who cares, misdirection.

Sixth one: Jones' lane is the outside. Graham doesn't know what's going on behind him. His job is to attack the outside shoulder of his name.

7th one: A. Backside of a zone read, who cares? B. Are you expecting him to routinely be reaching guys?

[ThatJerkDave]

5 hours ago, Pugger said:

I suspect Ha Ha was becoming a problem in the locker room not unlike Randall and Sitton were.  Happily for us the 'Skins will end up with a poor record so our pick will be higher than we anticipated.

I don't miss Monty and if he wasn't doing what he was told then you can't have a guy like that around.  I doubt that fumble of his in LA was the first time.  You don't dump somebody for one transgression.

@Puggerfor wife 2019!!!

 

[SSG]

37 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

This dude (the tweeter) straight up doesn't understand how blocking works.

First one: No doubt that's poor. Trying to combo up to the linebacker, that's bad.

Second one: Who cares, he's the misdirection.

Third one: Again, backside who cares.

Fourth one: That's a damn fine block. Jones forgetting his path is outside following his pulling blocking isn't on Graham. You can even see Graham give a little "What the **** bro? First good block of my career and you blow it"

Fifth one: Who cares, misdirection.

Sixth one: Jones' lane is the outside. Graham doesn't know what's going on behind him. His job is to attack the outside shoulder of his name.

7th one: A. Backside of a zone read, who cares? B. Are you expecting him to routinely be reaching guys?

I'm expecting him to give effort and he gives as little as humanly possible.  He's a Richard Rodgers caliber of blocker and as bad as any player in the league at his position.  Given the asinine contract he's signed too, that's unacceptable IMO.  It's clearly a lack of give a ****.  he doesn't care to be even an average blocker thus the disgusting level of effort.  

We'll have to agree to disagree if you think that is quality blocking in that clip.  That it's ok for lineman or TEs to bail on their block because their backside.  It's not like a back side defender is ever involved in a stop 

[AlexGreen#20]

32 minutes ago, SSG said:

I'm expecting him to give effort and he gives as little as humanly possible.  He's a Richard Rodgers caliber of blocker and as bad as any player in the league at his position.  Given the asinine contract he's signed too, that's unacceptable IMO.  It's clearly a lack of give a ****.  he doesn't care to be even an average blocker thus the disgusting level of effort.  

We'll have to agree to disagree if you think that is quality blocking in that clip.  That it's ok for lineman or TEs to bail on their block because their backside.  It's not like a back side defender is ever involved in a stop 

Why run full speed and risk injury into a guy that's not going to be involved in a play? Occupy blocking works.

The plays where his guy can make a play he's giving fine effort. It's not any different than most TEs (and let's be real LTs). 

An off tackle run left on the goal line, there's no reason for the TE on the right side to be killing himself to make the play. Conserve energy.

[Pugger]

2 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

At some point we're going to have to stop labeling people post-trade, as locker room problems.

Didn't Ha Ha publicly criticize the team after last season?   I don't think that went over very well and he wasn't playing all that great anyway.  Thank god we got something for him.

[vegas492]

4 hours ago, coachbuns said:

I think he's referring to at least trying in free agency rather than sitting on his hands like Thompson did the past number of years letting this roster go downhill.

Downhill is a strong word, but yes, overall that is what I was getting at.

And it could very well be that TT just didn't let his interest in free agents get out, and Gute has.  Either way, I like the way that Gute approached free agency.  Disciplined Aggression!

[vegas492]

3 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Moronic to give an A+ grade simply for the effort, regardless of the effectiveness. 

You said you were giving an A for trying. That's ridiculous. Everybody tries. Snyder tries, you don't give him an A for trying.

We put 21ish million on the table this year for Graham,Tramon, Wilkerson and what basically amounted to another 12 for Clay.

For 33 million you could have pulled Vinny Curry, Honey Badger, Justin Pugh, and Trumaine Johnson.

Tell me I'm not crazy to think this was a very average Free Agency class.

I personally feel like the guys above and that money is moronic.  Honey Badger excluded.

[AlexGreen#20]

2 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

I personally feel like the guys above and that money is moronic.  Honey Badger excluded.

On an individual basis, probably. 

The Milwaukee tools are a lot more expensive than Harbor Freight, but when the "bargains" break down, did you really come out ahead?

[coachbuns]

4 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Moronic to give an A+ grade simply for the effort, regardless of the effectiveness. 

You said you were giving an A for trying. That's ridiculous. Everybody tries. Snyder tries, you don't give him an A for trying.

We put 21ish million on the table this year for Graham,Tramon, Wilkerson and what basically amounted to another 12 for Clay.

For 33 million you could have pulled Vinny Curry, Honey Badger, Justin Pugh, and Trumaine Johnson.

Tell me I'm not crazy to think this was a very average Free Agency class.

always easy to look back and what if.

[vegas492]

1 minute ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

On an individual basis, probably. 

The Milwaukee tools are a lot more expensive than Harbor Freight, but when the "bargains" break down, did you really come out ahead?

Look, I'm not going to look at film, or DVOA.  And I know that Curry offers more pressures than sacks, but he had like 3.5 sacks in a contract year.  Less this year in Tampa.

Pugh started 16 games once...and I think he started like 7 or 8 games in his contract year.

Trumaine Johnson, to me, is kind of an outlier.  I think he's having a down year, but should rebound.  At least he plays.

Honey Badger has yet to replicate his great season in the NFL, but he's quality, that is for sure.

BTW...I love my Milwaukee Electric Fuel drill.  Teams generally don't let Milwaukee Electrics hit free agency.  

[AlexGreen#20]

Just now, coachbuns said:

always easy to look back and what if.

Of course, and I've said as much frequently in this thread.

Alternatively, it's easy to make the popular move at the time.

[coachbuns]

3 hours ago, SSG said:

C- is generous IMO at this point.  Could go up depending on the head coach hire.  

Draft- Adding Jaire and the future first was nice but the draft is lacking quality contributors.  His second and third round picks look terrible right now given what they showed us as rookies and they massive opportunity they had.  

UFA- Some decent low end adds (Bell & Breeland) but there were some misses that had large expectations because of the size of checks they were written (Graham & Williams).  

Roster movement-  Keeping Cobb and his 12 1/2 million dollar cap hit instead of Jordy and a restructure (a likely 5ish million) was a significant mistake.  Trading Randall, who's been a really good play maker in the back end of the Cincy secondary, for Kizer (a Brett Hundley equivalent) hurt this team this last year.  Kizer was an abomination in his only playing time where as Randall is in the league's top 10 in INTs.  He'd have helped a secondary that is awful at safety.

 

I don't think we're any better right now than we were when he took over the team.  I mean, the 2017 team had just as many wins 5 weeks through the season as this one did going into week 14.  

 

It's only the 2018 draft class 1st year.  Way to early to make the assumptions you have.  Not really sure what you expect in a guys 1st year as GM?  Gutey has ran circles around Ted as a whole ... free agency, drafting, trading, players off practice squads and so on.  Things are set up pretty well for next year; RELAX.        

[Cheech]

18 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

HHCD for the 4th rounder: Really didn't like this one. There was nothing stopping you from playing Tramon at Safety with HHCD at the other safety. That's flawed thinking. this was a tank now move in what should have been a win now season.

 

Of ALL of the things you listed, this is the only one that I could disagree about.  

You know how I felt about HaHa, so yes, I'm biased on the matter.  But his positional coach would even guarantee that he would start next week in Washington.  I feel like a 4th round pick was a steal.  If Ibrahiem Campbell would have stayed healthy I think the back end would have actually seen an improvement in play.  

Given your list, though, I'd give Gute a B with the possibility of a B+ if that late first round pick turns out to be a player.  

[Redt]

Defending the trade of HaHa as a poor choice is indefensible, the guy will not get jack as a FA and will be out of the league soon, stole a 4th round pick.  Gute has shown the ability to use all modes of improvement and so far way more good than bad.