I think the thing folks are missing is the fact that the enture philospohy that Pete started with was building around aggression, attitude, personality... getting 'dogs'. He brought in Chancellor, Beastmode, saw the competitiveness of Sherm and the rest. And i know this is gonna get flamed for bringing up #3, but the team dynamic and that killer attitude was significantky muted when Pete decided to get rid of the 'dog' attituded and personalities on the team that made it what it was specifically because of Russ' psyche.
How many talented AND 'dog' type players have we drafted since 2015? Brooks might qualify but the one thing thats known about him is that hes quiet. Reserved. The alternative that year... Queen - fiery, volatile... a dog. Pete cleaned the cubbards of the of exactly the type of players we need, and then set about making sure he didnt add any back. He kept Bobby and KJ. And added mild mannered defenders who at times were talented, but lacked fire. Theres no way the 'tooth' of the defense just by chance disappeared under a coach that lauded those qualities in the LOB. Its been a deliberate approach of developing a draft profile for players on that side of the ball that WONT rock the boat and create the same kind of positive, but volatile and critical energy that was counterproductive to maintaining his qbs emotional stability.
Getting back to the old ways isnt just about building young. Its about building with fire and attitude.
Im not all surprised by his tone. How many times has he said Geno is 'one of the guys'. Thats not just about his personality and likeability. Its also an indeication that hes the type of guy that Pete no longer has to 'build around'. No more sacrificing players who will call a spade a spade if need be, regardless of whether it's the QB or not.
It's just another indication of just how much the decision to ride with Russ was going into his first contract and certainly his second impacted the trajectory of this team. It affected play calling, philosophy and the very core principles that led to success in the beginning.
Now that that piece is gone, of course he's going to sound like captain obvious. He's known the issue and believed he could coach / inspire / curate a culture 'around' it. Now he can look at the errors with clear eyes and address shortcomings more directly. He's getting back to Pete.
Schneider is thrilled for sure not having his selections vetoed because they won't play well with Pete's prized QB.
