The Value of Losing

Russ Smith

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People make fun of it on this board because Whiz abused it but if I were a coach the one thing I'd REALLY stress, football or basketball it's the same, is trust the system trust your teammates. So often big plays are the result of one guy blowing the assignment he had outside contain but gave it up trying to get a big play. When I watch the Pats, or yesterday SF one of the things you see week after week is how disciplined they are in their assignments. If you miss a block and get Brady hit, you have guys in your face in the huddle(including Brady). I recall reading how after last week there were people lecturing Bosa about getting faked out on the Murray TD run, if you just hold your ground there he doesn't score, don't be a hero. Here's the defensive ROY and a guy in the hunt for DPOY and he makes a mistake and his teammates get all over him because it's a mistake of trying to be a hero.

So common in basketball too where bad shot hero ball turns a 3 point game into an 11 point loss in the last minute.


I need to stop posting these things. My UCLA Bruins basketball did exactly what I said last night turning a 3 point deficit into a 20 point deficit in about 4 minutes in the 2nd half last night by abandoning the system and trying to be the man.

See it in football often too, Simeon Rice for example brilliant pass rusher who spent his entire NFL career losing contain on the outside on runs because he was so insistent on trying to make the big play.
 

Russ Smith

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The problem isn't trusting the system...it's trusting a coach who won't allow his system to change or evolve, when needed.

It was Whiz's downfall...and BA's downfall, to an extent.

Everyone mentions the Patriots and the Patriot Way...well BB has changed his system many, many times over Brady's career...they have gone from woeful offense with a dynamic defense, to a pass happy - can't run offense with an average defense, to a run heavy offense and woeful defense, etc....and they have won championships with each of those incarnations. The only constant in all of that is the QB and HC...everything else on both sides of the ball has evolved and changed with the personnel and coaches.


Yes but my thing is they have a system and if you don't play it, they get rid of you. Even Chandler Jones who's a marvelous player, they let him go because he freelanced too much and they didn't want to pay him huge money to be a pass rusher. They had 1-2 other guys I'm blanking on the names but same thing really good pass rushers but they wouldn't do what the system requires on other downs and they didn't stay Patriots.

11 guys on the same page is effective. We're not there yet.
 

Russ Smith

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I think I am finally good with "The system works", since the bigger scar to itch these days is "gap integrity".

Again, another thing that is valid, but hearing it over and over again from a failing coach gets to be nails on a chalk board.

Wonder if the Cardinals built an out house with all those bricks from last year.

Also, Steve Wilks sucks. ............really sucks

Sent from my mystical communication warp drive device thingy


wilks didn't have a clue yes but gap integrity is a real thing. If people don't do what they're supposed to do it screws up the whole defense.
 

Dr. Jones

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I still think Tua, Burrow, & Herbert all go top 5 or 6. Call me crazy but I think it happens. Herbert is so physically gifted and imposing in a workout setting that someone will fall in love with him.

My bet: The Broncos.

That leaves my top 5 non-qb's as:
Chase Young. HOF level gifts
Jerry Jeudy. Also HOF level gifts.
Andrew Thomas. Solid Pro-bowl top-10 OL talent.
Isiah Simmons. This dude can be our cover LB'er
Tristan Wirfs. Can be a solid RT.

I'm not high on:
Okudah
Epanessa
Delpit
Gross-Matos

After Thomas and Wirfs..... I think this OL class sucks. For that reason, if Young and Jeudy are gone...... I think we have to take either Thomas or Wirfs just to secure ONE good OL addition.
 

DVontel

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I still think Tua, Burrow, & Herbert all go top 5 or 6. Call me crazy but I think it happens. Herbert is so physically gifted and imposing in a workout setting that someone will fall in love with him.

My bet: The Broncos.

That leaves my top 5 non-qb's as:
Chase Young. HOF level gifts
Jerry Jeudy. Also HOF level gifts.
Andrew Thomas. Solid Pro-bowl top-10 OL talent.
Isiah Simmons. This dude can be our cover LB'er
Tristan Wirfs. Can be a solid RT.

I'm not high on:
Okudah
Epanessa
Delpit
Gross-Matos

After Thomas and Wirfs..... I think this OL class sucks. For that reason, if Young and Jeudy are gone...... I think we have to take either Thomas or Wirfs just to secure ONE good OL addition.
Why not on Okudah?
 

football karma

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Herbert is so physically gifted and imposing in a workout setting that someone will fall in love with him.

My bet: The Broncos.

that's a good call

After Thomas and Wirfs..... I think this OL class sucks.

at the top, but it seems like there are a bunch of guys who could be very solid RTs. Im thinking like Calvin Throckmorten of Oregon, or, Mehki Becton of Louisville. There are like three or four others in the 20-40 range

I also think that if Tua is up and around with a good prognosis in March, he goes top 15

I will also add this -- and it will be my mantra until the day of the draft:

If the Cards do this right, this should be their last top 10 pick for a while -- so the goal is to come out of that draft with the best impact player rather than a position.

If that player just happens to nail a position of need, great.
 

Dr. Jones

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Why not on Okudah?
Just started getting INT's this year. I'm not sure he's the type of ball hawk a top 5 pick needs to be.

Also..... and this is just conjecture...... I don't think he is fast enough.
 

Dr. Jones

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at the top, but it seems like there are a bunch of guys who could be very solid RTs. Im thinking like Calvin Throckmorten of Oregon, or, Mehki Becton of Louisville. There are like three or four others in the 20-40 range

I also think that if Tua is up and around with a good prognosis in March, he goes top 15

I will also add this -- and it will be my mantra until the day of the draft:

If the Cards do this right, this should be their last top 10 pick for a while -- so the goal is to come out of that draft with the best impact player rather than a position.

If that player just happens to nail a position of need, great.
How many development OL man can one team have before it starts to legitimately hurt your depth? Only one or two at most is my guess. And if we keep Shipley, it's probably one.

If Tua can go top 15..... he will go top 5 IMO. It will all depend on his recovery. If the medical is cleared....... He goes top 5.

Agree with the impact player comment. And it is very hard for a WR to do that unless he is as gifted as Julio or AJ was when they came out.

Only WR like that is Jeudy. CeeDee has some of it but he'd be top 5 if he had all of it. Hence the Simmons or Tackle picks.
 

football karma

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Agree with the impact player comment. And it is very hard for a WR to do that unless he is as gifted as Julio or AJ was when they came out.

let me define impact: top 10 at his position in the NFL during prime of career. While 2020 season impact would be great, im more interested in adding a top tier player to the roster, regardless of position-- even if it means its a rookie season of development.
 

pinetopred

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The only good thing I ve ever seen with losing, is maybe you can figure out the guys that hate it and build around them. Teams do need to learn to walk before they can run, loses are expected, but make sure you are really figuring who the guys are that have that commitment to winning, and get rid of the guys who are just there for a paycheck.
 

Skipper1111

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The value in losing this season is that we need a high draft pick to trade down and get more quality picks/players.

We have many needs, were gonna want/need to replace Suggs, OLine, Dline, PP and Larry Fitz..

We need linebackers that have the speed to cover the best tight ends..

lots of changes hopefully for next season and we can win, we have good coaching and strategy, just need the talent and energy.
 
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