10-30-2020, 06:51 PM
(10-30-2020, 06:27 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: I would take Andre Smith, Dennard, Kirk and Wilkinson off of that list, like Truck said. Andre played very, very well in his original tenure here and I would love to have a player of that caliber here at RT again. For those who put their weight into PFF ratings, Andre was rated as follows....
2009 (rookie)- 71, 0 sacks
2010 (injured) - 50, 3 sacks (54th most)
2011 - 70.6, 3 sacks (58th most)
2012 - 80.5, 7 sacks (11th most)
2013 - 79.5, 6 sacks (25th most)
2014 - 65.2, 4 sacks (37th most)
2015 - 54.9, 3 sacks
By the time 2014 and 2015 rolled around, he had already suffered a myriad of injuries which is what led to his decrease in effectiveness. Throughout his career, he fractured his left foot in 2009, fractured his foot again in 2010, had an ankle injury in 2011, had a concussion that kept him out of the 2014 pre-season, then was lost for the season in week 11 with a triceps injury. Since then, he has suffered another concussion(s), a knee injury, an elbow injury and another triceps injury.
He was injury prone, but before those injuries started to really add up, he was playing really, really well.
Dennard was always one of our better corners and was very valuable in the run game due to his physicality. I would love to still have him on the team. Kirkpatrick, on the other hand, was the opposite. He wasn't super physical and was a better cover corner than he was a run stopper. If anyone is going to have an argument made for being a bust, I would say that it is Dre. He was spotty in coverage and was never really good against the run, so I could absolutely see an argument for him. Wilkinson racked up 35 sacks and 162 tackles in his 4 years here. That is wonderful production. He didn't live up to #1OA status, but I wouldn't say that is a bust either. That is really good production.
While Smith and Dennard were solid players, when you draft a guy in the first round and top 10 in Smith’s case, you expect more than solid. They make any pro bowls? We’re they ever considered top tier at their position? Either one get a large contract after their rookie one expired? They played like 3rd rounders.
