He was signed off of the practice squad for craps sake! Who is thinking that this guy was the key to success for the team?
Give me a break, guys are signed all of the time from other team's practice squad - was this guys the next all-pro or just looking for ANYTHING to berate the decision makers?
Stupid thread...
There are a couple of things that I'll say about this.
1) Do you think that a franchise can continue to lose draft choices or abandon them and be successful? The secret to success for NFL franchises is to hold onto their top draft choices who have developed and let the mid-round guys become the "belly" of the team. Instead of a third-year minimum salary in Herman Johnson, the Cards are going to have to spend money on a veteran free agent to fill what will likely be a starter's vacancy on the offensive line.
2) Brandon Keith was our starter at right tackle in his third season. Herman Johnson would have been entering his third season of development. It wouldn't be premature to say that he would/should at least be competing for a starting job next offseason.
3) Of the 2008 draft class, we have Beanie Wells, who can't get off the bench, Cody Brown, who is off the team, Rashard Johnson, who is a sub-package player and special teamer, Toler, Johnson (now gone), Will Davis (IR, but a good sub), LSH, and Trevor Canfield (gone). People wonder why this team has been bad.
Where did I say that the guy was an All-pro? Good teams aren't built around All-pros and a bunch of scrubs, they're built around developing your drafted players into solid starters or above-average depth and not having to dip into the second-tier free agency for the Paris Lenons of the NFL.
It seems like we're going to have to re-build the offensive line AGAIN this offseason. We've just lost another player who already knows the system and has been developing for over a year and a half.
