In the end we all believe what we believe. Scott Mc certainly contributed enormously to the success of the team, added to that was a college coach who was plugged in to the recruiting market and knew many up and coming players. That situation made a dynamic team with the legitimate ability of JS.
Thing is Scott essentially drank himself out of his job here, and while clearly talented was released yet again from a job, released from SF, released from a successful situation in Seattle, released from Washington. Now consulting for the Browns it remains to be seen if he still has that magic, but they do have an enormous amount of draft capital. Could you keep a talented drunk on your team, maybe, but should you? Is that a price you want your organization to pay?
Personnel decisions in a cap stressed situation are tough and frequently are not correctly made. It’s made even tougher when you are constantly picking late on the draft. No doubt many of us heartily disagreed with the short-sighted trades for Harvin and Graham who our OC could not have used them any worse than he did. Both those trades cost the team early draft talent for little long term reward. In all, last season Big Balls Pete who is now most disconnected from the college want to go ‘all in’ and our early draft pick after traded down was lost for the year or even worse from youyth stupidity. Still wanting to go ‘all in’ the trade for Richardson was made and he wasn’t all that was hoped for and now will/could be an expensive Harvinesque Graham lite mistake. Trading for Brown was essential when it was clear Cable was in deep water with his various ‘projects’ and Wilson was going to get killed because there was zero ability to run or block for the run. Now here we are having made several 3rd contract commitments that perhaps were ill advised. It is true that the team has gotten slow as Pete observed and in the end Pete runs the show.
I respectfully disagree with your assessment that the only good young players on the roster are Clark, and Lockett. I like them both but I like Reed, have started to like Britt, think Pocic flashed some potential and both Naz Jones and Shaquille Griffin were solid picks. There to me as well is little doubt that Prosise is a talented player with huge potential if he could stay healthy. Carson could also be a special find. Seems to me there is talent that has been drafted waiting for their shot behind aging and injured guys. Some of it we have rarely seen but a few odd plays from unfortunately.
Maybe this will change, maybe a realization the the team was getting slow old and fixed in it’s ways are reasons enough for significant changes to happen.
