Organizational arrogance

What exactly will you consider like "panning out" or whatever for Archer? I think if we can find out a way to use him in the passing game or maybe he learns to return pro kicks will be the best we can hope for. I don't expect him to pass protect or be good coming out of the backfield. I don't think we drafted him for that either though. I don't see us EVER relying to heavily on him coming out of the backfield because Bell is such an every down type of guy. I mean remember that stat in the Cincy game where Bell hadn't had a rest in a TON of carries? That was when Harris came in and got his first carry. I think it's gonna be hard to label Archer a "bust" though since it wasn't like he was projected to a be a world beater or anything. My main problem with that pick has always been that I felt it was too early to take a guy like that when we had so many needs on defense. I'm not a draft guru or any of that though so mine is literally just an opinion. I wouldn't even consider it an "educated guess" because I don't keep up with college at all.

 

Exactly right. What if our projections are more accurate than a scout or talking head's board? Then who is right?

 

Well, if he became a good KR that would be a start. If he remains terrible at that, then I would consider him to pan out if he gets 5-10 touches a game and makes some plays. If he could add 50 yards of offense a game, then I'd be OK with it.

 

As bad as I thought the Archer pick was I don't even think it so much as holds a candle to the Landry pick. For me, personally, I think the Landry pick is maybe not the "worst" but definitely the biggest "waste" of a pick in a loooong time.

 

It's a round latter. In the 4th, it's a coin flip, but the more I look into what was know about Jones at the time, the more I think it was just a terrible pick. He can't throw the ball with any accuracy....that's kind of like a huge part of being a QB. The Sweed, Sepulveda, Hood and Bruce Davis bother me more. Actually, the Mendenhall pick was much worse than most note. He was never a first round talent back.

 

And 6 QBs were rated higher than Tom Brady in 2000. Not a single one is even in the NFL, and only one even had any significant playing time in the league (Chad Pennington).

 

I understand it's a combination of not using too high a pick if you know you don't need to, and balancing that out with not risking losing a player you really like.

 

Nobody was drafting Archer in the 3rd he was rated as a 5th rd prospect, so they reached for him too.

 

The pass defense sucks yes. We played one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last year and couldn't defend the pass well all season

 

We made rookies and journeymen look like Dan Marino circa 1984.

 

The game has changed and we knew it was changing . We have been saying we wanted some press CB'S yet we never made a true effort to get them . If you can't play press in at least 1 spot any D you play will get exposed.

The Team will need to change the way they value the position and change the back bone of the Defense . In a passing league with all rules to favor the passing game that needs to be the approach . A D that can play tough coverage and stop the run as well .Not a D that stops the run at all cost then tries to defend the pass . Those days are all ,but gone.

 

Yes, I will agree with this. We need a CB and I think we need to draft it early but I wouldn't say that its arrogance that is preventing us from doing that.

 

And the above truths are why I was glad Dick would not be back at DC. He was resistant to changing. And, how come - in the few games we tried - our DBs playing press worked, but then they would go back to 7 yards off the receiver? NO ONE can tell me why you play 7 yard off the WR when they are inside the 5 yard line. Even Phil Simms was LAUGHING at that strategy. No one can explain that one.

 

IIRC, the other Gaines in the draft last year was Phillip Gaines out of Rice and he was drafted sometime after Archer but before Martavis Bryant. He was a higher rated prospect than EJ on most sites. I think he went to the Chiefs.