Mickey Loomis’ End Of Year Press Conference

I welcome views different from mine. First, if we all agreed, this would be a boring forum. Second, the only way to test our views is to expose them to challenge by others. Third, I am wrong often about football and other matters.

As a matter of historical accuracy, I need to point out that Don Meredith is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has never been a serious candidate for being voted in. And he never won postseason honors until 1966.

Though I try not to use the word "bust," I am one who too quickly for some will label a high draft pick a failed selection. I consider Payton Turner, Trevor Penning and Isaiah Foskey failed picks. Regarding Turner, he was a first-round pick, though picked late in the round; he was picked on potential and metrics; and he has failed to play and contribute at a position of need. He was picked too early--need and test numbers drove his selection.

Regarding Penning, it is simply unacceptable that the 19th player picked in the draft at a position of need sits on the bench in his second season when third-level offensive linemen play. High draft picks need to at least contribute by their second year. That Penning cannot even see the field after so many injuries in the offensive line strongly suggests that he is not a good player.

Regarding Foskey, I understand the merits of the argument that we need to give him a second season before making a judgment. Those making it are probably right. But my sense--yes, this is speculation--is that the coaching staff regrets our having picked him fairly high in the second round. In the training camp, the stories on Foskey were uniformly critical--normally, there is some emphasis on the player's potential even if he struggles at first; in the preseason games, he was a major disappointment; and in the regular season, we saw little, if any, production. I am perhaps inferring too much into training-cap reports, but after decades of following pro football, I get a sense after hearing what is said about a player whether the player truly has potential or was drafted too high. We will see what Foskey does in 2024, and I truly hope that he turns into a productive defensive end.

A team that fails to hit on its top 40 picks--especially one that trades away so many draft picks to move up in the draft to pick targeted players--has major problems.