10-04-2016, 09:53 PM
It really wasn't the FO's fault that the coaches were sniped. There really isn't an awful lot that they could have done to keep those guys other than to promote them, in which case you would have to fire a senior ranked coach and you're still replacing somebody. The Jones and Sanu ordeals were detrimental, but I really don't blame anybody in those situations either. The players were offered really good deals and the FO decided not to tie all of their money into receivers. The moves that do stick out as being kind of iffy to me are:
1. Paying Shawn Williams instead of Reggie Nelson. There really was no need to pay Shawn Williams before he started other than to cover for if he really broke out and was offered big bucks for one season of production, with or without Nelson coming back. RFN and Shawn Williams both wound up with the exact same guaranteed money. Why not bring back your interception leader from the last season for at least one year? Would anyone have offered Williams outrageous money after this year if he was just a rotational safety? This one looks even sketchier in hindsight with the emergence of Shaw and Smith, one of whom may wind up being better in the long run.
2. Letting Andre Smith go. The guy plays like an above average starting RT in contract years. Why not keep offering one year deals until one of the young tackles are actually ready? 3.5 million on a one year deal seems fair for a guy who has turned in some good seasons but has struggled with injuries. They could've given Williams's guaranteed money to Smith and waited one more year before paying him like a starter.
1. Paying Shawn Williams instead of Reggie Nelson. There really was no need to pay Shawn Williams before he started other than to cover for if he really broke out and was offered big bucks for one season of production, with or without Nelson coming back. RFN and Shawn Williams both wound up with the exact same guaranteed money. Why not bring back your interception leader from the last season for at least one year? Would anyone have offered Williams outrageous money after this year if he was just a rotational safety? This one looks even sketchier in hindsight with the emergence of Shaw and Smith, one of whom may wind up being better in the long run.
2. Letting Andre Smith go. The guy plays like an above average starting RT in contract years. Why not keep offering one year deals until one of the young tackles are actually ready? 3.5 million on a one year deal seems fair for a guy who has turned in some good seasons but has struggled with injuries. They could've given Williams's guaranteed money to Smith and waited one more year before paying him like a starter.
