Comments on: Exit Of “Bust” Ward Not To Be Celebrated

By: oar

oar — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:44:35 +0000

JimBuc,
“In 2009, Ward was the RB equivalent of the guys you mention.” Really? Ward was a 7th roundpick, career 2nd string back-up on a team with a great o-line and got tired defenses to run against. Said it back then and still say it…He was, to me, highly overrated. Especially, to be given starter money!

By: oar

oar — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:40:18 +0000

JimBuc, No, I didnt misunderstand! You yourself said “Maybe there is someone else? Not sure really.” So you even don’t know the answer, but you’re giving props to Domink. Cause, Ward might have been? That’s an apologist for the decision at the time! Sure, in hindsight you change your mind/stance on the choice, that’s easy.

By: JimBuc

JimBuc — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:18:09 +0000

rookies are not guaranteed but they have way more upside and less downside. teams might ocassionally have one high pick like adams but the majority are given reasonable contracts that a good player will outperform

By: eric

eric — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:34:09 +0000

JImbuc,

And rookies are a guarantee? They have a big downside.

Gaines Adams, for example.

Wasn’t K-2 an excellent pick up? I mean surely uou have to judge a GM by FA performance and not just draft performance, right?

By: JimBuc

JimBuc — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:50:39 +0000

Eric — a freee agent is “win now” because you have to spend huge money with no guarantee. You are, by deinition, paying for past performance. A high priced FA costs picks and big money. Huge upside, but that also means big downside, as per Ward. In 2009, Ward was the RB equivalent of the guys you mention. They may all work out, but then again they may not. Lot less exposure and more control by drafting

I did not say that Gru/Allen got high priced FA, I said that they had the same “win now” philosophy that burned Dom in 2009

By: JimBuc

JimBuc — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:46:11 +0000

oar — you misundersatnd. I was saying that there was NOT a higher rated RB free agent when Dom took Ward. Can you name one? How about it hindsight, can you name someone that turned out better? If a team need a RB and they decide to go the FA way and they take the best FA available, how can that be a mistake? It can not work out as intended, but hard to classify it as a mistake in judgment.

By the way, why would you call me an “apologist,” even with my diescritpion above I say Ward was a mistake, but the mistake is in taking the “win now” approach. My comment were not as much about Dom and his mistake as about the perils of short-term thinking. If you look at Dom’s brief tenure, 2009 is not consistent with the current strategy. It’s like Dom came into the job with a “win now” outlook, but then got burned

By: oar

oar — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:34:54 +0000

Rob, There you go, so you don’t like the name calling. Good for you. Me, I don’t mind it. Hopefully his drafting will pan out, but like you said it will be a while before we know. Ah Clayton, another one that was allowed to show what he’s got and didn’t show ANYTHING AGAIN!
BTW Sorry about you wanting Lefty over JJ. I guess Domnik noticed his mistake in Lefty, cause he released him and kept JJ. Atleast you aren’t agreeing with and always defending him? Oh wait, or are you? LOL!

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:52:48 +0000

my problem is with the name calling and ripping Dominic because of his perceived lack of experience.

And I don’t think Clayton’s extension was a bad business move– give the guy one chance with the support of mgt to boost his confidence; he was a home-grown guy who would get another chance elsewhere at a time when our WR staff was really thin- neither was Leftwich.. I’d much rather have him as backup than JJ. I saw him at a few camp practices and he looked awful.

Nugent? Bomb. Crowell? Hurt. I think his drafting, though, is going to redeem his reputation but we won’t know for a while.

By: oar

oar — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:39:40 +0000

Rob, Exactly! Then, why do you have a problem with THIS particular post? Makes no sense. FA signing that was allowed to show what they got, but did not pan out.
Now Dom has made some bad ones from Clayton to Leftwich to Ward to Crowell to Mike Nugent. Kellan Win-slow Jr is the only good one so far. Maybe his track record needs to be better?

By: oar

oar — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:26:20 +0000

JimBuc, “try to do the real thing, try to name a free agent RB that Dom should have taken over Ward? Maybe there is someone else? Not sure really.” Wow, you are not even sure if there was another or not, but you’re defending Dom and that signing. Now do you understand why some call you an apologist?

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:24:14 +0000

again, OAR,- yes, you can say Dominic made a mistake with Ward. Nobody’s questioning that. Yes, I know it’s a sports blog. No I don’t expect perfect grammar, behavior, and I do appreciate humor. Sabby the Goat was hysterical- and apt. Dumbnic is something my son would have come up with in first grade.

What I’m saying is that everyone is way too quick to bash Dominic because of his perceived lack of experience. My whole point was Allen was experienced and still made mistakes. Signing FAs is a risk — just ask the NY Jets and Washington fans. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. No way to tell. I remember Alvin Harper, too– just like I remember Hardy Nickerson.

By: eric

eric — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:47:16 +0000

Jimbuc,

In the last three/four years when did Gruden bring in any high priced FA’s?

Are you referring to Jeff Faine? I know they made him the highest paid center. Good pick up I think.

Who are you talking about? If anything, Gruden brought in scrap heap FA’s often at league minimum, but who played pretty well. (like AB, Hilliard, etc.)

My argument has been the reluctance to engage RFA like BM, or Boldin, or Santonio Holmes.

Id like to have AB lining up next Sunday rather than Benn on the bench.

And, he is not “win now” as he is only 26.