2024 Build Through the Draft Weeks 1-4 Summary/Status

[Chopper0080]

This is why I laugh at the "build through the draft" strategy. Every team is trying to do this. The reason they all aren't successful is because it is really challenging to do. The best teams are the ones you utilize every avenue to talent acquisition to fill out their roster. They don't use the same ones every year, and are flexible to what their roster needs at that point in time. Some years you have to trade for talent. Other years you add draft picks. Some FA classes you sign the top guys. Others the mid guys.

 

[ajcardfan]

It has to work that way tho if you are choosing not to add quality/veteran talent to start until those players are ready. Monti is making that choice.

Monti chose for his starting CBs to be SMB and ST5 if his 2nd and 3rd round CBs didn't work out right away. They are both giving up over a 70% completion rate and over a 95% QB rating. Monti doesn't get a pass just like Keim didn't.

Yes, his drafting of CBs has so far been my biggest disappointment. You would hope at least one out of FIVE would be making a major impact. Of course it is too early to write off any as busts. Williams might work but you wonder if he is one of those guys who just has the injury bug.

Hopefully by the end of this season Melton is starting and playing well. Too bad that we have to think about player development during a regular season.

 

[Chopper0080]

Yes, his drafting of CBs has so far been my biggest disappointment. You would hope at least one out of FIVE would be making a major impact. Of course it is too early to write off any as busts. Williams might work but you wonder if he is one of those guys who just has the injury bug.

Hopefully by the end of this season Melton is starting and playing well. Too bad that we have to think about player development during a regular season.

And it is the roster overall. Monti chose to head into the season with Evan Brown and Isaiah Adams as his LGs. He chose for Wilson to be his WR2. He chose for Collins, Gardeck and Ojulari to be his EDGE group. He hand picked Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols and Darius Robinson to be his DT core. He chose Lopez and Tonga to be his NTs. The CB room was his decision.

Every GM understands the risks of the draft, and that injuries are a part of the game. It is Monti's job to build a quality roster with both of those things in mind. It's on him.

 

[MadCardDisease]

It has to work that way tho if you are choosing not to add quality/veteran talent to start until those players are ready. Monti is making that choice.

Monti chose for his starting CBs to be SMB and ST5 if his 2nd and 3rd round CBs didn't work out right away. They are both giving up over a 70% completion rate and over a 95% QB rating. Monti doesn't get a pass just like Keim didn't.

Why does it have to work that way? Which veteran should give way to a rookie that is on the bench right now?

Maybe CB as there is a bunch of youth at the CB position? It does appear that Milton is getting more time as he grows in the system though. Not sure why Jones isn't getting any time and he has been a disappointment so far.

Other than CB which rookie should be starting at this point that isn't?

Does Benson need to be starting over Conner?

Does Adams need to be starting over Brown?

Does DTD need to be starting over Budda and JT?

Do the rest of the late round draft picks need to be starting right away over who is currently starting? These guys need time to adjust to the NFL. It's not going to happen instantly for most players and especially players drafted outside of the first two rounds. The best thing for most of these late round rookies right now is to learn the system as a backup and be ready when they are called upon.

 

[MadCardDisease]

This is why I laugh at the "build through the draft" strategy. Every team is trying to do this. The reason they all aren't successful is because it is really challenging to do. The best teams are the ones you utilize every avenue to talent acquisition to fill out their roster. They don't use the same ones every year, and are flexible to what their roster needs at that point in time. Some years you have to trade for talent. Other years you add draft picks. Some FA classes you sign the top guys. Others the mid guys.

Sure there are multiple ways to build a team. Building through the draft is one of them and has worked for several teams recently.

 

[Chopper0080]

Why does it have to work that way? Which veteran should give way to a rookie that is on the bench right now?

Maybe CB as there is a bunch of youth at the CB position? It does appear that Milton is getting more time as he grows in the system though. Not sure why Jones isn't getting any time and he has been a disappointment so far.

Other than CB which rookie should be starting at this point that isn't?

Does Benson need to be starting over Conner?

Does Adams need to be starting over Brown?

Does DTD need to be starting over Budda and JT?

Do the rest of the late round draft picks need to be starting right away over who is currently starting? These guys need time to adjust to the NFL. It's not going to happen instantly for most players and especially players drafted outside of the first two rounds. The best thing for most of these late round rookies right now is to learn the system as a backup and be ready when they are called upon.

Because if it doesn't work that way the Cardinals are 1-3 in the first 4 games of the season. That is what happens when you don't add quality veteran players, try to mostly build through the draft, and those drafted players don't make an immediate impact. You end up with a bad team.

 

[kerouac9]

Building through the draft doesn't mean you draft a player and instantly plug them in as a starter. That is not how it works.

It's more likely when you're 8-26 the past two seasons, haven't kept any of your young starting-caliber talent from the previous regime, and haven't made any major free agency moves to buttress those positions.

The point of this thread is not to only look at who's starting, but who is earning playing time game-to-game. Julian Okwara got nearly 3x the snaps Xavier Thomas did last week. Khrys Barnes got more than 2x the snaps Owen Pappoe did.

This is why I laugh at the "build through the draft" strategy. Every team is trying to do this. The reason they all aren't successful is because it is really challenging to do. The best teams are the ones you utilize every avenue to talent acquisition to fill out their roster. They don't use the same ones every year, and are flexible to what their roster needs at that point in time. Some years you have to trade for talent. Other years you add draft picks. Some FA classes you sign the top guys. Others the mid guys.

One side of it is drafting good players. The next phase of it is retaining the young players on your roster. Then you replace the guys leaving your roster with young, cheap players and strategically invest in the most valuable players you've developed at the most valuable positions.

Unfortunately, Monti wasn't willing to pursue or unable to sell any pending free agents from before Keim and released a significant number of other young players that could be developing right now. Cam Thomas played 8 snaps for a four-win team.

He chose for Wilson to be his WR2.

I don't believe that Michael Wilson is part of the short- or long-term problem for the Cardinals, TBH.

Which veteran should give way to a rookie that is on the bench right now?

SMB, probably Emari Demercado. If we end up 1-5 or 2-6, that list will grow longer and you start wondering if Evan Brown and/or Will Hernandez should start yielding snaps to some of the young prospects.

 

[ajcardfan]

We have all this cap space we didn't spend in free agency. Ok, what if we use it to extend some of the really good young players on this roster so we don't wind up seeing them go somewhere else?

However, who exactly would that be? I can't think of anyone I would give a good extension to this season other than McBride. Who, I hope we do extend and don't wind up seeing him leave after his rookie contract. Like Kirk, Allen, etc.

 

[kerouac9]

We have all this cap space we didn't spend in free agency. Ok, what if we use it to extend some of the really good young players on this roster so we don't wind up seeing them go somewhere else?

However, who exactly would that be? I can't think of anyone I would give a good extension to this season other than McBride.

Most of them aren’t even extension-eligible this season. Including McBride.

K White, Will Hernandez, Budda, and Conner are the pending free agents of note. All would be on at least their fourth contracts.

 

[ajcardfan]

Most of them aren’t even extension-eligible this season. Including McBride.

K White, Will Hernandez, Budda, and Conner are the pending free agents of note. All would be on at least their fourth contracts.

Thank you. I didn't realize you had to wait until the last year of the rookie deal. That is an interesting list there. Old guys I can't see us keeping if we win 4 or 5 games this year.

Personally, I would put Hernandez at the top of the list because of value and most likely to play 3 more years.

 

[Stout]

Because of the pandemic the average age of players in the 2024 draft was 23.2 years old. It was the oldest draft class ever I believe. This was not just a Cardinals thing.

Also a rookie is still a rookie. I don't care how old they are. There will still be an adjustment to the NFL for 99% of kids coming out of college.

This post is a good negative critique on the flaws of Monti's plan.

 

[kerouac9]

Thank you. I didn't realize you had to wait until the last year of the rookie deal. That is an interesting list there. Old guys I can't see us keeping if we win 4 or 5 games this year.

Personally, I would put Hernandez at the top of the list because of value and most likely to play 3 more years.

You can't extend someone on a rookie deal until after year 3.

I agree Hernandez is the best option. But if he stays healthy and balls out, he could be in line for a titanic payday next spring. He's made slightly more than $10 million over the past three seasons -- starting 24 games. He's the 17th-highest paid OG in the NFL.

 

[MadCardDisease]

SMB, probably Emari Demercado. If we end up 1-5 or 2-6, that list will grow longer and you start wondering if Evan Brown and/or Will Hernandez should start yielding snaps to some of the young prospects.

I had the Cardinals going 3-5 at the completion of week 8 so that would be pretty much in line with my expectations. I don't think anyone would want to sit Brown or Hernandez in favor of a rookie just to give them snaps at that point of the season. That makes no sense if you are still trying to evaluate Kyler with over half of a season still left to play.

 

[kerouac9]

I had the Cardinals going 3-5 at the completion of week 8 so that would be pretty much in line with my expectations. I don't think anyone would want to sit Brown or Hernandez in favor of a rookie just to give them snaps at that point of the season. That makes no sense if you are still trying to evaluate Kyler with over half of a season still left to play.

Kyler isn’t going anywhere, but Will Hernandez might be.

3-5 is definitely still in the hunt; I think you have to be competing then. Even if it’s just one less win, you’re effectively dead in the water. Really, we’re very unlikely to make a playoff run now. DVOA’s playoff odds are at 7% today. If we lose on Sunday they’ll likely be less than 1 in 20.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Kyler isn’t going anywhere, but Will Hernandez might be.

3-5 is definitely still in the hunt; I think you have to be competing then. Even if it’s just one less win, you’re effectively dead in the water. Really, we’re very unlikely to make a playoff run now. DVOA’s playoff odds are at 7% today. If we lose on Sunday they’ll likely be less than 1 in 20.

At this point the most important thing is to figure out if you move forward with Kyler or not.

 

[kerouac9]

At this point the most important thing is to figure out if you move forward with Kyler or not.

You can't move forward from Kyler after this season; there's no point.

 

[Chopper0080]

At this point the most important thing is to figure out if you move forward with Kyler or not.

Kyler Murray will be the starter in 2025. There isn't anything to "figure out".

EDIT: (I mean Kyler could rip the franchise to the ground but that would be an extreme outlier event)

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Yeah, I'd put "finding actual NFL starting talent" at the very top of the list. Kyler and his contract pretty much ensure the decision on K1 is fait accompli.

 

[Dayman]

The fact that Dennis Gardeck is still far and away the best pass rusher on this team in the year 2024 is absolutely bonkers.

 

[Stout]

The fact that Dennis Gardeck is still far and away the best pass rusher on this team in the year 2024 is absolutely bonkers.

Monti time!

 

[Krangodnzr]

Monti's draft classes looking pretty solid right now.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

It is too early to judge their careers. Not too early to judge their immediate impact. If Monti is choosing to pin his hopes on hitting on draft picks vs free agents, then he better be getting guys who produce at a high level and produce quickly. If he thought he was drafting players who needed time to develop, he should have signed more vet free agents. Again, this is on him and his choices.

All rookies need time. I think his drafts have been pretty solid. And I’m not a huge Monti fan.
Most are playing and developing. Expecting rooks to be your top players is a recipe for disaster.

His free agency does need work.

Overall, I’m not complaining.

 

[Krangodnzr]

All rookies need time. I think his drafts have been pretty solid. And I’m not a huge Monti fan.
Most are playing and developing. Expecting rooks to be your top players is a recipe for disaster.

His free agency does need work.

Overall, I’m not complaining.

I mean from his first draft he found:

An above average LT who could move into the top tier soon.

A really good nickel back.

A solid starting receiver.

A solid rotational DT

Good draft.

This past draft looks really good right now too.