In defense of Lou's 21 and 22

[SunsetBengal]

(12-06-2024, 05:28 PM)samhain Wrote: There's a strange narrative I see developing that I'm having a tough time digesting.  It's not quite prevalent, but it's a thing.  It involves the idea that Lou's defense has suffered due to the FO not giving adequate personnel.  

While I agree that losing certain guys like Bates and Reader was devastating, I kind of have a problem pinning it all on the FO and players.  

IMO the organization has given Lou a shitload of resources.  In fact, I'd say more than almost any coordinator that's ever been in their employ.  Like since I've been watching this team ever.  He didn't get week 2-4 free agents and lost cause criminals like Marvin.  When they sucked last year, he didn't get a washed AJ Hawk or Karlos Dansby.  There was no miscast James Harrison playing a position that they barely used.  He got a highly regarded safety, a DT that cost as much as the one they let walk, AND one of the guys that they lost last year to help pull it together.

Before that, he got an absolute embarrassment of riches to serve as his foundation.  Reader, Hendrickson, Bell, Ogunjobi, Waynes (oops), Chido, Alexander, and Hilton are names we saw.  More than half those guys were top end in their FA class.  

He also got draft capital out the ass to serve as a contingency for defections.  Most of these picks were in the secondary, his specialty.  First and second round talents like Hill, Turner and CTB all to be molded as Lou saw fit.  The best of the bunch actually managed to get worse on Lou's watch.  He also got a first round pass rusher who he's confoundingly reluctant to use.

I'm not disagreeing when people say our FO is garbage, but the effort they put into supporting Anarumo's success here was downright Herculean compared to past teams.

You are correct, and part of the problem lies in that while he's been afforded mostly good free agent acquisitions to work with, he and his position coaches have failed to develop any drafted players to be ready to step up into solid starting roles when those free agent deals ran out. Being a coordinator is a multi faceted position with multiple roles. Part of it is overseeing the execution of the scheme in practices and games, but another part of his role is to oversee the development of young talent. He can pin some of that on the position coaches, but ultimately those position coaches are accountable to the coordinator.