Lou’s Future in the Jungle

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-13-2023, 03:57 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: They did? Brandon Thompson, Chris Crocker, Rey Maualuga, Dre Kirkpatrick all started that game and weren't good. Thompson and Crocker never started another game in the NFL afterwards. Domata Peko, Michael Johnson, and George Iloka were just okay.

Atkins tore his knee in 2013. That defense was pretty much just Dunlap, Burfict, Reggie, Pacman, and a bunch of meh, and even Dunlap wasn't as good as Hendrickson. So only 3/11 starters in that 2013 playoff game were more talented than their current counterparts.

Hendrickson > Dunlap
Hubbard > M Johnson
Hill > Thompson
Reader > Peko

Wilson < Burfict
Pratt > Maualuga

Apple = Kirkpatrick
CTB < A Jones
Hilton > Crocker
Bates < Nelson
Bell > Iloka

I think that's a pretty non-controversial rating.

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I 100% also believe that's part of what made him shy away, but he wasn't big on it even prior to then.

I give the FA credit more to Katie. I doubt Zac was the first coach to ever ask Mike for FA $. The timing of it aligned with Mike Brown taking a step back (not gone, but a step back) in running the team and Katie and Troy taking a step forward. They F'd up the Whit situation, but they certainly opened up the FA pocketbook.

We don't have a bunch of super stars now....they play within the scheme, and are fundamentally sound.  Some of those guys were loose cannons....and the staff couldn't reel them in. They weren't mentally tough. So in all his greatness, even Zimmer couldn't rein them in when it mattered most. Now I'm not saying Anarumo is light years better than Zim or anything silly, but I do believe he holds his own. You can't forget the defense he inherited was breaking records under Marvin and cost Teryl Austin his job. Even the FO isn't dumb enough to not realize you have a shot if you flip the roster around a young franchise QB. Hendrickson is the only guy I'd consider to be a star. Awuzie had a revitalization here along with Apple, Pratt and Wilson are homegrown talent. Hubbard is a holdover, Reader has become a star on a good team, but he was legit coming in. Seems like decent coaching anyway. Don't forget, we traded Billy "Oléhi Jr" for BJ Hill.

Still, with the chips on the line, who you taking?