Kenneth, it must be hard to write an column every day but to regularly produce a product of this depth is amazing. You must have to stick your ceberal cortex in the freezer when you're done. I sincerely hope my comment floods you with dopamine.
I was just curious in this pass happy league what type of rushing yards the Rams and Bengals put up last year. Mixon over 1200 16 TDs. Rams 1533 combined for 2 backs 10 TD's. Remember when one of the elements of a winning team was to have a 1000 yard rusher. Not much has changed. Running the ball is still important. Belichick knows it, the McVay (tree coaches) know it and PC still thinks it's important. Good running backs are hard to find especially in this years draft. Seattle got one of them and accomplished what most of the draft prognosticators said Seattle had to do. Draft some immediate impact players. The last two years Seattle's RB injuries have been immense. I think Seattle will bring in another vet RB before all is said and done. People can suffer from the paralysis of analysis and become a chronic malcontent over what's trending in media draft white noise or you can see how people are winning championships and follow suit. Being able to run the ball and having a top notch defense still is important to a winning formula in the NFL. It has been for years. This draft and Seattle's free agency adds has given the Seahawks (some power rank at 28th) a chance to be relevant in 22 and give them a running start for 23 and another opportunity at greatness. Of course at this point it's all merely speculation but one thing is for certain. Teams make winning franchises and I believe Seattle has taken a major step toward that goal with personnel and coaching changes. QB is important, but then Rodgers only has one SB ring, Brady for many of his SB wins had a great supporting cast, so did Wilson in 13 and Dilfer helped Baltimore win a SB. I'm okay with RB at 41, a line commitment and rebuilding a strong defense. Nothin fancy...just facts.
Response to Computer Cowboy: “There is literally no great move that this regime could make that some segment of the Twitterverse wouldn’t bitch and moan about afterwards.”
The hard-core quants believe that analytics is a strategic tool for roster-building, just like with baseball. By those lights, no team is ever justified drafting any RB before the 3rd or 4th round in any draft. There’s no debating the point because it is a truism. At root, their argument is to get a coach and GM who see football as they do.
But others see footballl as *much* different than baseball (take me, for example). We point to football’s relatively short schedule and the of greater impact of conditions* and situations.** To us, while analytics has tactical value, we’d never use it as a basis for roster construction. Taking who many see as the best RB in the draft at 41 is a no-brainer for a team that can’t win without an elite running game. And we’re not in any hurry to move from Pete Carroll, either—replacing him is easier said than done.
In 2020, the Colts sent picks 44 and 160 to Cleveland in order to pick a running back at 41. The move is generally liked, applauded, and graded highly. The Colts were good, not great that year, making the playoffs at 11-5 but ultimately losing to the Ravens in the AFC Wild Card.
In 2022, the Seahawks stay put to take a running back at 41. The move is widely ridiculed and criticized, despite running back being a position of need to a "retooling" team, in a league where the odds of a running back landing on IR at any moment during the 17-game season is somewhere between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4.
That pick by the Colts seems to be working out pretty well by the way.
Preparing for the draft I saw RB's that would improve our team further down the board, and just assumed PC/JS would have higher priorities than RB in the second, but Walker was significantly better than those lower choices, and I wasn't thinking enough about 2023. So I am pleased with the choice now.
Your explanation of the twitterverse is amusing and interesting, and I read it all the way through for comprehension, but I still don't care. I especially don't care what the opinions are about our draft. If anything I am worried so many people approve of this draft. They hated our best draft until they didn't.
One point not mentioned much is how synergistic it is drafting two OT's and a RB.
Doesn’t anyone remember that Seattle’s running backs spend more time being injured then actually playing on the field? What makes you think that that is suddenly going to change? The Kenneth Walker pick was another A pick, and we were damn lucky he fell to us. There are so many dumb-asses out there I wonder how we all survive. . .
I have already written my support about K3, right here. We have 2 runninbacks who have been hurt a lot. Part of that is the style of running. We don't have an RB under contract next year but K3. He plays a special premium position, that so many under value because they are lazy. I thought K3 was stronger and faster than Hall We shall see. He probably won't get 1000 yards if Penny plays 14 games, but he will score 5 times. Victoria Chris
These guys are just posting F grades on pick 41 to get attention. Seattle picked the #1 (in my opinion, #2 at worst) RB in the draft instead of the 8th (since 7 were off the board) best WR. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the #8 wr contributing more on his rookie deal, but perhaps my view is too simplistic.
Especially when you're concerned about passing production in a potential QB-by-committee rebuild year, which is what this is even though Pete would never admit it because he tries to be a leader to his players.
I find the amount of time given to talking about what people are thinking/saying about our draft choices is tiresome. Prefer analysis of how those draft choices fit in the greater scheme of things; i.e. strategy for this year & next year as a whole! Intelligent, sustainable, team building.
Also read a blog that complained about drafting a RB was not a cost effective use of resources! HEY I know that football is a $/cents business at the macro level but at the micro/team level your P/L is calculated in wins vs losses! Given that you work within $ constraints!
As I understand the argument (not that I buy it), a team is better off drafting a QB even there is an 8% chance of success because of the impact and necessity of the position. If you don’t hit on this draft, keep going to the well until you do. What I’ve not figured out is where opportunity cost fits in: Is it always worth paying even if it takes ten drafts to find a QB or do they not understand the concept?
In my mind, the big problem with this argument is that finding a QB comes down to luck. A franchise’s best bet is to hope for luck (which comes in many forms other than the 2nd round of a weak draft ) and build a team that is not dependent on great QB play. Which isn’t to say that just any QB can get you to the SB, just that no one is going to confuse Matt Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, a decrepit Peyton Manning, Nick Foles/Carson Wentz, Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, or even the Russell Wilson of 2013-2014 with Aaron Rodgers any time soon.
I'm just not really sure what your hope is with these "flier" picks. We need to just pretend that Tom Brady does not exist. The Patriots only even made that pick knowing that Bledsoe was in line for a huge contract extension, which he got in 2001. There's just no good reason to be drafting any QB on day three unless your expectation is a backup..I can't say it any other way: this is not the QB draft class to pin your hopes on.
Kenneth, it must be hard to write an column every day but to regularly produce a product of this depth is amazing. You must have to stick your ceberal cortex in the freezer when you're done. I sincerely hope my comment floods you with dopamine.
I was just curious in this pass happy league what type of rushing yards the Rams and Bengals put up last year. Mixon over 1200 16 TDs. Rams 1533 combined for 2 backs 10 TD's. Remember when one of the elements of a winning team was to have a 1000 yard rusher. Not much has changed. Running the ball is still important. Belichick knows it, the McVay (tree coaches) know it and PC still thinks it's important. Good running backs are hard to find especially in this years draft. Seattle got one of them and accomplished what most of the draft prognosticators said Seattle had to do. Draft some immediate impact players. The last two years Seattle's RB injuries have been immense. I think Seattle will bring in another vet RB before all is said and done. People can suffer from the paralysis of analysis and become a chronic malcontent over what's trending in media draft white noise or you can see how people are winning championships and follow suit. Being able to run the ball and having a top notch defense still is important to a winning formula in the NFL. It has been for years. This draft and Seattle's free agency adds has given the Seahawks (some power rank at 28th) a chance to be relevant in 22 and give them a running start for 23 and another opportunity at greatness. Of course at this point it's all merely speculation but one thing is for certain. Teams make winning franchises and I believe Seattle has taken a major step toward that goal with personnel and coaching changes. QB is important, but then Rodgers only has one SB ring, Brady for many of his SB wins had a great supporting cast, so did Wilson in 13 and Dilfer helped Baltimore win a SB. I'm okay with RB at 41, a line commitment and rebuilding a strong defense. Nothin fancy...just facts.
Response to Computer Cowboy: “There is literally no great move that this regime could make that some segment of the Twitterverse wouldn’t bitch and moan about afterwards.”
The hard-core quants believe that analytics is a strategic tool for roster-building, just like with baseball. By those lights, no team is ever justified drafting any RB before the 3rd or 4th round in any draft. There’s no debating the point because it is a truism. At root, their argument is to get a coach and GM who see football as they do.
But others see footballl as *much* different than baseball (take me, for example). We point to football’s relatively short schedule and the of greater impact of conditions* and situations.** To us, while analytics has tactical value, we’d never use it as a basis for roster construction. Taking who many see as the best RB in the draft at 41 is a no-brainer for a team that can’t win without an elite running game. And we’re not in any hurry to move from Pete Carroll, either—replacing him is easier said than done.
* E.g., weather
** E.g., down and distance
In 2020, the Colts sent picks 44 and 160 to Cleveland in order to pick a running back at 41. The move is generally liked, applauded, and graded highly. The Colts were good, not great that year, making the playoffs at 11-5 but ultimately losing to the Ravens in the AFC Wild Card.
In 2022, the Seahawks stay put to take a running back at 41. The move is widely ridiculed and criticized, despite running back being a position of need to a "retooling" team, in a league where the odds of a running back landing on IR at any moment during the 17-game season is somewhere between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4.
That pick by the Colts seems to be working out pretty well by the way.
USUALLY LT is the BEST blindside PASS PROTECTOR while the RT is more the ROADGRADER .
LUCAS is a very good pass blocking RT . HOW would the LOUISIANA LEFTY change the OFFENSE?
HOW does COUNTER-CLOCKWISE rotation affect LOCKETT and METCALF ?
( sounds new and FUN )
Preparing for the draft I saw RB's that would improve our team further down the board, and just assumed PC/JS would have higher priorities than RB in the second, but Walker was significantly better than those lower choices, and I wasn't thinking enough about 2023. So I am pleased with the choice now.
Your explanation of the twitterverse is amusing and interesting, and I read it all the way through for comprehension, but I still don't care. I especially don't care what the opinions are about our draft. If anything I am worried so many people approve of this draft. They hated our best draft until they didn't.
One point not mentioned much is how synergistic it is drafting two OT's and a RB.
Doesn’t anyone remember that Seattle’s running backs spend more time being injured then actually playing on the field? What makes you think that that is suddenly going to change? The Kenneth Walker pick was another A pick, and we were damn lucky he fell to us. There are so many dumb-asses out there I wonder how we all survive. . .
I have already written my support about K3, right here. We have 2 runninbacks who have been hurt a lot. Part of that is the style of running. We don't have an RB under contract next year but K3. He plays a special premium position, that so many under value because they are lazy. I thought K3 was stronger and faster than Hall We shall see. He probably won't get 1000 yards if Penny plays 14 games, but he will score 5 times. Victoria Chris
I like the pick. Didn't want to, but Walker could be really good in ways Penny is not.
These guys are just posting F grades on pick 41 to get attention. Seattle picked the #1 (in my opinion, #2 at worst) RB in the draft instead of the 8th (since 7 were off the board) best WR. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the #8 wr contributing more on his rookie deal, but perhaps my view is too simplistic.
Especially when you're concerned about passing production in a potential QB-by-committee rebuild year, which is what this is even though Pete would never admit it because he tries to be a leader to his players.
And adding to that, a wr almost always has a much longer learning curve and you can have realistic high hopes for a rookie RB.
I find the amount of time given to talking about what people are thinking/saying about our draft choices is tiresome. Prefer analysis of how those draft choices fit in the greater scheme of things; i.e. strategy for this year & next year as a whole! Intelligent, sustainable, team building.
Also read a blog that complained about drafting a RB was not a cost effective use of resources! HEY I know that football is a $/cents business at the macro level but at the micro/team level your P/L is calculated in wins vs losses! Given that you work within $ constraints!
As I understand the argument (not that I buy it), a team is better off drafting a QB even there is an 8% chance of success because of the impact and necessity of the position. If you don’t hit on this draft, keep going to the well until you do. What I’ve not figured out is where opportunity cost fits in: Is it always worth paying even if it takes ten drafts to find a QB or do they not understand the concept?
In my mind, the big problem with this argument is that finding a QB comes down to luck. A franchise’s best bet is to hope for luck (which comes in many forms other than the 2nd round of a weak draft ) and build a team that is not dependent on great QB play. Which isn’t to say that just any QB can get you to the SB, just that no one is going to confuse Matt Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, a decrepit Peyton Manning, Nick Foles/Carson Wentz, Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, or even the Russell Wilson of 2013-2014 with Aaron Rodgers any time soon.
I'll also bring back this article I wrote about how teams essentially waste picks on QBs later in the draft when they "feel like" they've got the capital and resources to do so. https://seasidejoe.substack.com/p/nfl-draft-most-capital-2022?s=w
I'm just not really sure what your hope is with these "flier" picks. We need to just pretend that Tom Brady does not exist. The Patriots only even made that pick knowing that Bledsoe was in line for a huge contract extension, which he got in 2001. There's just no good reason to be drafting any QB on day three unless your expectation is a backup..I can't say it any other way: this is not the QB draft class to pin your hopes on.