Should Gene Smith be the Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager?

[Wacca Pilatka]

Please name me someone that the Jaguars drafted that was a "home run" under Gene?  How about Free Agents?

I'm not sure what your definition of home run is, but Knighton, Monroe, Cox, and Alualu are quality starters, and Britton has been when healthy.  Posluszny, Landry, Coleman, Session were all quality FA acquisitions, and Lowery was stolen for a 7th round pick in a trade.  That's 9 good starters and a good nickel back, who is almost like a starter in today's NFL.

I also think Rackley will become a good starter.  No complaints about picking up Robinson and Ross this year in FA either.

Thomas had a bad 2011 but was more productive than 90% of fourth round picks in 2009-10. 

Jennings is a quality backup, and was a 7th rounder; maybe 20% of 7th rounders even make an NFL regular season roster for a year.

Austen Lane and Jarret Dillard are performing at a more than adequate level for 5th round picks.

D'Anthony Smith was injured for the past two years, and it's probably too early to judge Prosinski. 

The only real stinker picks of the past three years have been Hart and McGee.  And probably Issac, because with all the corners the Jags have accumulated, I doubt he makes the roster this year. 

Obviously, much of the ultimate verdict on the Gene record hinges on how Gabbert does.

[Gators312]

I say keep him, atleast until the rest of his contract. Remember, this is the guy who revamped the D. Many Gator fans will continue to hold 'Not drafting the Messiah' against Gene no matter what; He could have drafted a couple of Pro Bowl type players, and not draft Tebow, and the legions of the sheep will still have the negative vibe towards Gene. SMH.

You're right he could have drafted Earl Thomas, Jason-Pierre Paul, Maurkice Pouncey or Devin McCourty who went to the Pro Bowl instead of drafting Tebow......left off Jermaine Greshem, but he's TE and that was probably last place we were drafting.

Count me as one Gator who didn't want the Jags to draft Tim or Percy for that matter.   Too much pressure would be put on them to succeed immediately.  They would have broken Percy immediately, because Percy is fragile and and the Jaguars were offensively challenged.   The Tim circus would have gotten Jacksonville on the map, as Khan wants to do, but circuses are smelly and that's how it would have gotten.  Some people will never acknowledge the good he does and there are others who think he has no faults.  Those attitudes would never change due to his dynamic no matter how many Super Bowls he won or didn't.  Too much animosity for me.

[Gators312]

Please name me someone that the Jaguars drafted that was a "home run" under Gene?  How about Free Agents?

I'm not sure what your definition of home run is, but Knighton, Monroe, Cox, and Alualu are quality starters, and Britton has been when healthy.  Posluszny, Landry, Coleman, Session were all quality FA acquisitions, and Lowery was stolen for a 7th round pick in a trade.  That's 9 good starters and a good nickel back, who is almost like a starter in today's NFL.

I also think Rackley will become a good starter.  No complaints about picking up Robinson and Ross this year in FA either.

Thomas had a bad 2011 but was more productive than 90% of fourth round picks in 2009-10. 

Jennings is a quality backup, and was a 7th rounder; maybe 20% of 7th rounders even make an NFL regular season roster for a year.

Austen Lane and Jarret Dillard are performing at a more than adequate level for 5th round picks.

D'Anthony Smith was injured for the past two years, and it's probably too early to judge Prosinski. 

The only real stinker picks of the past three years have been Hart and McGee.  And probably Issac, because with all the corners the Jags have accumulated, I doubt he makes the roster this year. 

Obviously, much of the ultimate verdict on the Gene record hinges on how Gabbert does.

Obviously your standards and mine differ....Not one Pro Bowl appearance?   Sure he hasn't completely struck out, but on this level, especially in the Jaguars position, they needed more production. 

If Gene has been hired to just be ok, then I guess I shouldn't be complaining. 

I-10 what? FSU, Miami, UGA?  or are you one of those Jag fans who hate the Gators because they sell 90k every week?

I explained my reasons in which Tebow plays no part of my opinion of the Jags, so if you want to elaborate with facts on why you think Gene needs a gold star please share.

[I-10east]

^^^So basically you're saying that the jury is already out concerning the Jags free agents, and draft picks. Poz had a Pro Bowl type season last year, but of course the big name fan favorites are gonna get the picks, so it's misleading to solely judge a team to have Pro Bowl players in a rebuilding phase.

The Gators selling out 90K doesn't have anything to do concerning my dislike for them. I don't dislike Gator fans, one of my best friends is a Gator. There's a laundry list of other things though concerning my detest for that university.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Pro Bowl appearances aren't a good way to judge, I don't think, because of the inherent biases toward big-name teams and players who get grandfathered in on reputation.  It's also fairly unusual for a player to make the Pro Bowl in his first two or three years unless there is a huge spotlight on him either due to pre-draft hype or his team's performance.  Several of the players we've acquired since 2009 have played at or near a Pro Bowl level.  Posluszny as I-10 mentioned, Knighton in 2010, Monroe last year.  Cox was terrific last year until he got hurt.  Ask the Jets how they feel about giving away Lowery and replacing him with Eric Smith.

McCourty, who you mentioned, did indeed make a Pro Bowl but that was mostly on interception total (not the best way to judge a corner's cover skills; some bad corners have racked up big-time INT totals simply from the volume of times they're targeted) and on playing for a marquee team.  Ask Patriot fans if they were happy with his performance in 2011.  McCourty certainly isn't a bad player, but I'd rather have Cox.

I see your point about JPP and Earl Thomas, but it's not like we took a stiff in lieu of those guys, JPP was considered a high-risk player with major bust potential due to his limited experience, and Landry and Lowery more than acceptably remedied the holes at safety a year after Thomas would have filled one of them. 

I'd like to have taken Pouncey but it's very rare for a guard to go at #10, where we were picking, and I understand we tried and failed to trade back.  That happens.  I doubt Gene Smith was ignorant of Pouncey's talent level.  Pouncey would've been around at 18 or 19 or wherever he was taken.  Alualu would have gone to Miami at 12 if we didn't take him.  I don't think Pouncey is much better of a guard than Alualu is of a defensive tackle.

Would you have taken someone else in lieu of Monroe in the first in 2009?  A lot of people are still ticked off that we didn't take Crabtree, a moderately productive WR, instead of a good left tackle.

On an unrelated note, why is this discussion in the "St. John's County" section of the forum?

[I-10east]

On an unrelated note, why is this discussion in the "St. John's County" section of the forum?

Good question, I didn't even notice it. My only guess is that BSC was confused, and that he lives in St John's County. Both of his 'Gene threads' in the the SJC forum. *Que a moderator to move the threads*

[Tacachale]

I think it's senseless to call for Gene's head after only three years, which have been spent almost entirely rebuilding the team. I think Smith is underrated. Most picks have been pretty damn solid, with few complete bombs. Last year he managed to turn our defense completely around, and they should easily be as good this year.

The jury's clearly still out on Gabbert, but it'd be pretty stupid to write him off entirely based only on last season, for the various reasons already highlighed. Let's see what happens this season. I fully expect major improvement across the board. If that doesn't happen, I'll reevaluate my thoughts on Gene, but until the evidence says otherwise, I'm optimistic.

[Gators312]

Would you have taken someone else in lieu of Monroe in the first in 2009?  A lot of people are still ticked off that we didn't take Crabtree, a moderately productive WR, instead of a good left tackle.

On an unrelated note, why is this discussion in the "St. John's County" section of the forum?

Really only B.J. Raji other than Monroe.  And sometimes need dictates strategy. 

Can we really credit Smith for Poz?  Yes he signed him, but he was a proven commodity at that point and if you or I were the GM we have targeted him in FA.

 





I disagree regarding

[Wacca Pilatka]

On an unrelated note, why is this discussion in the "St. John's County" section of the forum?

Good question, I didn't even notice it. My only guess is that BSC was confused, and that he lives in St John's County. Both of his 'Gene threads' in the the SJC forum. *Que a moderator to move the threads*

Move those threads!  Move those threads!  Move those threads!  Move!

[Wacca Pilatka]

Really only B.J. Raji other than Monroe.  And sometimes need dictates strategy. 

Can we really credit Smith for Poz?  Yes he signed him, but he was a proven commodity at that point and if you or I were the GM we have targeted him in FA.

Considering that other teams that wanted a MLB in FA had to settle for lesser players, yes, credit to Gene for making that one happen.  If we were lining up Stephen Tulloch in the middle, I doubt anyone would be saying "oh well, I wouldn't have credited Gene for getting Poz anyway."  They'd be mad at him for having missed the superior player.  Sure, it was a no-brainer to pursue him, but we're the ones who landed him.  Anyway, I-10 and I only brought up Poz after it was mentioned that Gene had brought in no Pro Bowl-caliber free agents.

I liked Raji going into that draft too, because I didn't expect Monroe to fall to us.  I think we got Raji's equal in Knighton in the third.

[buckethead]

I think any GM that didn't get Tebow should be fired.

[mtraininjax]

Gators312 - Right on Man!

This is Smith's make it or be shown the door year. Yes, new owner, higher expectations. Forget the BS about "well, we're rebuilding", Smith could make a career rebuilding and never get anywhere, oh, wait, that is what he has done here with the Jags, so far. This is his breakout year or its not. So Gabbert better lead them to the playoffs, and 9-7 can be done, yes, the Bengals did it with a new QB, so Gabbert can do it, question is will he?

Smith drafted Alualu who is a good player, but how many people come to Everbank Field to see Alualu? That's the impact that Tebow would have made on the team and its finances. Smith did not see that 2 years ago and he did not want him here either. If the Jags really wanted Tebow, they could have got him, but its over for now, at least.

The only good thing I have EVER heard Smith say was that he would be willing to trade down to a lower pick for more draft picks. He has yet to pull it off in his tenure, but that would be nice to see if we could pickup a few more draft picks for players.

Everyone keeps saying we need a DE, well, maybe we do, Roth probably won't be back and lord knows Mincey plays well against the Colts and only the Colts, but we still lack a go to WR, and Smith has not been busy bringing in a go to receiver. Sure he has been bolstering the D, but no new OL or WR to help. Is Britton going to be able to play a full season?

[I-10east]

Those that want Gene out have taken the lead in the poll; Keep in mind, many of that same demographic wanted Tebow here in town; In all of the earlier 'Should Tebow come to Jax' polls in this city, there were substantial numbers that favored of him being here. so take that for what it's worth.  On a side note, is it just me, or does Gene Smith have the whole Bruce Banner thing goin' with the hair and all; The Gene haters better watch out, he's gonna turn into the Hulk on yall asses!!! LOL

[tufsu1]

^ not that I'm a comic book expert, but isn't it Bruce Banner?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Smith drafted Alualu who is a good player, but how many people come to Everbank Field to see Alualu? That's the impact that Tebow would have made on the team and its finances. Smith did not see that 2 years ago and he did not want him here either. If the Jags really wanted Tebow, they could have got him, but its over for now, at least.

I'm too tired.  I'm too tipsy.  So I'm going to make a mockery of this one statement. 

How many people are lining up in Denver to see Tebow play this year?  Case Closed.