Should Gene Smith be the Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager?

[Elwood]

David Carr? Seriously? One of the biggest quarterback draft busts ever. Lost his job in Houston after seasons of 4-12, 5-11, 7-9, 2-14, and 6-10. Went to Carolina and lost that job to Matt Moore. Moved on to the Giants where he threw a total of 36 passes in two seasons. Moved on to the 49ers for a season where he was 5 of 13 passing for 67 yards. And now back with the Giants. That's who you want to replace Gabbert, Henne, and Palmer with? Wow.

[Wacca Pilatka]

David Carr? Seriously? One of the biggest quarterback draft busts ever. Lost his job in Houston after seasons of 4-12, 5-11, 7-9, 2-14, and 6-10. Went to Carolina and lost that job to Matt Moore. Moved on to the Giants where he threw a total of 36 passes in two seasons. Moved on to the 49ers for a season where he was 5 of 13 passing for 67 yards. And now back with the Giants. That's who you want to replace Gabbert, Henne, and Palmer with? Wow.

British Shoe is upset that we didn't draft or trade for Tebow, which is about all you need to know about the David Carr analysis above.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

David Carr? Seriously? One of the biggest quarterback draft busts ever. Lost his job in Houston after seasons of 4-12, 5-11, 7-9, 2-14, and 6-10. Went to Carolina and lost that job to Matt Moore. Moved on to the Giants where he threw a total of 36 passes in two seasons. Moved on to the 49ers for a season where he was 5 of 13 passing for 67 yards. And now back with the Giants. That's who you want to replace Gabbert, Henne, and Palmer with? Wow.

British Shoe is upset that we didn't draft or trade for Tebow, which is about all you need to know about the David Carr analysis above.

C'mon don't stop.  This is one of those times when I have no issue with digging up the dead horse, hanging him by the nearest tree, shooting him a few more times and beating him unmercifully with a large, blunt object.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the only method for dealing with the blind, Tebow Faithful.

[Tacachale]

Oh, is it time for our periodic British Shoe Company visit again? Seems like only yesterday he was here claiming FEMA would be taking over after Beryl.

[British Shoe Company]

Gene Mike Tannenbaum should go get the NYG backup QB Carr.  He is better than all 3 of our QB's and our punt protector.

No Palmer Tebow talk please.  He played against players who will not make the NYG Bengals' opening day roster.  And they still won.

We are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and our best player is holding outhas 10 kids, is so-so on defense and has delusions that he's a wide receiver.   

Jaguars will have a winning season Jets going to the Super Bowl is a  "Bunch of Mularkey"the same tired shit we say every year only to go 8-8 and not have a win against a single team with a winning record all year.

I should be a freaking moderator. 

Jolly good spin!

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Gene Mike Tannenbaum should go get the NYG backup QB Carr.  He is better than all 3 of our QB's and our punt protector.

No Palmer Tebow talk please.  He played against players who will not make the NYG Bengals' opening day roster.  And they still won.

We are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and our best player is holding outhas 10 kids, is so-so on defense and has delusions that he's a wide receiver.   

Jaguars will have a winning season Jets going to the Super Bowl is a  "Bunch of Mularkey"the same tired shit we say every year only to go 8-8 and not have a win against a single team with a winning record all year.

I should be a freaking moderator. 

Jolly good spin!

You earned a  for no other reason than using the word, 'Jolly'.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Just for BSC.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/ground-emerges-as-tim-tebows-favorite-target,29210/

[Gators312]

Tebow stuff aside....are the Gene lovers in the house satisfied with out offensive line depth??

[Wacca Pilatka]

Tebow stuff aside....are the Gene lovers in the house satisfied with out offensive line depth??

Thinking Gene is not a buffoon doesn't equate to "loving" him.

They came into the season with

Monroe (starter), Britton (starter), Meester (starter), Rackley (starter), Nwaneri (starter), Spitz (former starter and reasonably competent backup), Whimper (irritating, but a longtime NFL backup), Bradfield (promising project with some game experience), and Estes (backup being groomed to be a starter).

Additionally, there were projects Nowak and Baldridge and promising undrafted rookie Brewster.

Do you really think most teams carry more capable offensive linemen than that on their rosters?  Do you think the Jaguars should have predicted having a very unusual spate of 1-to-4 week injuries happen to one position at once?

I realize this is intended to be a comment on taking Anger instead of a potential backup lineman in the third, but it's not like the Jaguars came into the year with only 5 or 6 linemen capable of contributing and crossing their fingers for the best.  They just had a weird run of bad injury luck. 

No team that had three starting linemen and its two top backups hurt at once could compensate much better.  Look at how Dallas couldn't do anything offensively with just its C and RG out.

[duvaldude08]

I agree Wacca. But this guy only comments on Jags topic when he has something negative to say. I responded early but forgot to post it, and it was not as nice as your response  Gene is not perfect, but you cant blame him for injuries. When your starters AND back ups get injuried all at once, that a bad situation for any team. Luckily, the injuries are minor and they all will be ready to start the regular season. (waiting to hear back on monroe though)

[Gators312]

I guess my desire to be negative is in direct response to the love fest you guys seem to have with Smith.

He's no buffoon, he just isn't very good at his job.  And all I hear from you guys is excuses for him.

I hesitate to post more of my assessments on the team here, because of the really thick Teal & Black glasses you guys wear, and any honest criticism is seen as 'Hating on the Jaguars' or "Tebow Envy".   

Just because BSC likes to troll you doesn't mean that you should just dismiss anyone who thinks Gene Smith isn't the smartest guy in the room.

Your list of OL is not one that makes NFL people go ooh and ahhh....It's a bunch of guys who we have been hoping will perform, Meester (long in tooth) & Nwaneri are probably the only guys who have performed well and consistently in their careers.   

Just because you know all their names and list them so eloquently doesn't make them the New England Patriots OL.   

I'm not asking them to carry more OL than they should, but the OL for the Jags has been bitten by the injury bug repeatedly the past 2 years.  If they did draft more OL whether or not the it being the Anger pick there would be a better quality backup getting reps right now.   Balancing the roster and being prepared for contingencies is part of his job.   Anger has punted well, but how many plays does he participate in per season?

Are you really satisfied with the OL Wacca?  Really?

With the poor performances of past years Smith has been given plenty of opportunities to stock this team through the draft, and I just don't see the results.   

I know, I know wait until next year. 

[Wacca Pilatka]

I guess my desire to be negative is in direct response to the love fest you guys seem to have with Smith.

He's no buffoon, he just isn't very good at his job.  And all I hear from you guys is excuses for him.

I hesitate to post more of my assessments on the team here, because of the really thick Teal & Black glasses you guys wear, and any honest criticism is seen as 'Hating on the Jaguars' or "Tebow Envy".   

Just because BSC likes to troll you doesn't mean that you should just dismiss anyone who thinks Gene Smith isn't the smartest guy in the room.

Your list of OL is not one that makes NFL people go ooh and ahhh....It's a bunch of guys who we have been hoping will perform, Meester (long in tooth) & Nwaneri are probably the only guys who have performed well and consistently in their careers.   

Just because you know all their names and list them so eloquently doesn't make them the New England Patriots OL.   

I'm not asking them to carry more OL than they should, but the OL for the Jags has been bitten by the injury bug repeatedly the past 2 years.  If they did draft more OL whether or not the it being the Anger pick there would be a better quality backup getting reps right now.   Balancing the roster and being prepared for contingencies is part of his job.   Anger has punted well, but how many plays does he participate in per season?

Are you really satisfied with the OL Wacca?  Really?

With the poor performances of past years Smith has been given plenty of opportunities to stock this team through the draft, and I just don't see the results.   

I know, I know wait until next year.

Several months ago you and I had a rational, informed discussion about Gene Smith's performance.  You expressed that you thought the players he had drafted/brought in as free agents were merely average to decent players (for the most part) and therefore he had failed in bringing in front line talent.  I thought you were underrating a few of the players and that the quantity of adequate-to-good starters was, while not a great yield, a reasonably good one.  It was a fair, balanced, adult conversation.  I enjoyed it.  I was more optimistic about the franchise's present and future than you were, I suppose, but I sure didn't dismiss your point of view as irrational and uninformed, because it certainly was not.

Now you've devolved into accusations of wearing really thick teal and black glasses and having love fests.  Also, apparently I was showing off or something by listing people's names.

I don't think the OL is great or will be great this season, but I think four of the starters are still ascending players and that the Jaguars came into the season with at least eight linemen who belonged on an NFL roster.  For that reason, I think the line, when healthy, will be at least adequate.  Thankfully none of the injuries seem to be anything major.

I don't think there's much difference in our opinions of the individual linemen.  I would agree with you about which two have been consistently good.  I think Monroe has done better than most have credited him for - he's not Walter Jones, but he was the best tackle of that draft and has been an above-average starting LT - and I'm encouraged at what scouts were seeing in Rackley before he was drafted, as well as his improvement during last season after a terrible start, but I guess that all makes me a blind homer who name-drops, or something.

I didn't say any of them are stars or that the line was a fantastic unit.  I was responding specifically to the depth question you raised because I think the Jaguars have at least an NFL-average number of offensive linemen who can contribute and aren't just warm bodies, even if none of them are great linemen. 

I also assumed you were referring to the Anger pick specifically because I remembered your saying at length that you'd rather the Jags had drafted a backup lineman than a punter.  (And most of us on here, including Duvaldude who you're also attacking, were critical of the Anger pick when it happened.) 

I never said you hated the Jaguars or envied Tebow.  The Tebow business was all directed at BSC and the last of it was an article from the Onion, for heaven's sakes.

Since I'm certain based on past experience that you and I can have a good conversation about this topic without everything turning into "hater," "lover," "kool-aid," "thick glasses," etc., I would be curious to know what specific linemen you were particularly hoping to see the Jags pursue in this draft, and if you have any thoughts on how they're doing so far this preseason. 

Won't be online much for the rest of today or the weekend, but I look forward to the discussion.  Thanks.

[duvaldude08]

Im "all-in" on Bryan Anger. After he caused two muffed punts, that resulted in point on the board, Im not complaining anymore. 

[Wacca Pilatka]

Im "all-in" on Bryan Anger. After he caused two muffed punts, that resulted in point on the board, Im not complaining anymore. 

Me neither, seeing as I have an Anger jersey coming in the mail today.  I hope that doesn't make me a blind Anger/Gene Smith lover or a show-off for mentioning his name.

[Gators312]

You are right Wacca, we have in the past and can continue to discuss this rationally.   

Justin Blackmon - Great Pick.

Jump on the Angerwagon      Were the muffs really because of him, or was it a bad decision to take a step back by the returner at the last minute in the first preseason game of the year?  I didn't see the second one.  If it continues to lead to points during the regular season,  then yes it's a coup for the Jaguars and Gene Smith.  At the maximum it is only 10% of the total plays he is on the field, I don't think is worth a 3rd round pick.  Now if he is an anomaly and directly leads to points in multiple games then the Jags / Smith should get the accolades for the pick, only time will tell.    I want the guy to kick the hell out of the ball, and no one to ever get a return because the hang time causes fair catches every time, or they fumble it.  I hope Anger is that guy.  It doesn't change my opinion that a Pro Bowl punter can be found without using a 3rd round pick, and that the Jaguars team needs were better served picking someone else.  I believe he would have been around in the 4th or later.   

As for drafting differently I would have had more focus on the OL.

I would have taken Cordy Glen rather than Andre Branch.  He is a big body and has played successfully at T/G @Georgia, playing against SEC Defensive lines.   Having played both positions he would be valuable to the Jags.   My opinion before the draft was to get a young talented guy in the OL rotation who could be flexible in case of injury.  Improve the overall talent level of the offensive line to the talent level of our DL.   Getting a DE could have waited until the 3rd with a guy like Tyrone Crawford.

If no OL in the 2nd round then in the 3rd taking a G like Josh LeRibeus or Brandon Brooks and waiting for Anger in the 4th.

Hypothetically there are several other scenarios that involve trading for more picks to get a couple DE and/or OL, but that is debatable as none of us know what the Jaguars could have done. 

In the NFL you can't win if you can't win along the line of scrimmage.  If Blaine isn't upright and given time to throw it doesn't matter how dominant your defense is, you will still lose if you can't score.   

Wacca you said:  "I think the line, when healthy, will be at least adequate."   In your own words, this is a damning statement for the job Gene Smith has done. 

Rarely in the NFL does the OL avoid injuries to someone in the starting lineup.   Adequate in the NFL gets you 5-12.

I want long term success for the Jaguars, multiple playoff appearances, Super Bowl etc.  I just think it will take someone other than Smith in the front office to achieve that.