Are we really that far off from the top…. (21 Viewers)

[Elvis]

I hear what you're saying, but yes. We really are that far off. We aren't on the upside right now, we are declining. Our best players are old and near retirement. Over the last 5 years we have drafted the fewest players in the NFL, dead last. We've routinely traded away draft picks to move up and then not hit on the pick. That has limited the chances of getting quality starters and depth behind them. On top of that, we've mismanaged the cap horribly. We can't be a serious players in free agency because we spend the period leading up to free agency moving money around just to get under. The most recent free agents that we have signed had contracts that compound the problem by needing near immediate restructures and they haven't been worth it.

The simple fact is that we need to acquire a lot of draft picks for several consecutive years and we need to get good football players. Never mind the RAS scores and measurables, or high ceiling guys from small schools. We need football players that love the game, looked like NFL players in college against good competition and can play at this level. And we need to clear the cap to be able to sign free agents to sound contracts and sign our own players to new contracts should they deserve them.

 

[BreesusSaves]

The Head Coach is the most important position. If Moore really has the straw to stir the drink, I'd expect 3-5 wins in 2025, 8-9 wins in 2026, and 10+ wins in 2027.

 

[SuperSaint]

Neither this team when it was good, nor any other good team really, was built on free agency. Free agency is there to fill holes created by bad drafting, to find a guy that you think puts you over the top from contender to Champion, or to poach guys that are backups on other teams on good deals because you think they can be stars for you. Cap space is there to sign the good players you drafted to second contracts or to occasionally get that one player that you think pushes you from contender to champion.

The first step for this team is to draft more guys that are worth giving 2nd contracts to and just generally building through the draft. And we need to add better coaching and talent evaluation to that so we don't let guys like Hendrickson and Baun go because of bad talent evaluation and/or not developing them into starters here.

I do think that we have an average roster that with good coaching and health could be a playoff team in the terrible NFC South at around 9-7. But, I think some of that talent is aging so we need to start drafting better now or that average roster won't last more than a year or two. Still we have a solid based to build on but we need to start building on that base with elite talent from the draft.

Agree with everything you said, I'm just not sure I have faith that the current FO and player management people could find their butt with a sharp stick.

 

[St. Widge]

Agree with everything you said, I'm just not sure I have faith that the current FO and player management people could find their butt with a sharp stick.

I don't really have faith they can do that either. But they have done it at times in the past so there is some hope. And a new HC who can evaluate and develop talent can change everything.

 

[Covington Saint]

i can envision 2026 super bowl. Chiefs vs Saints.

Saints score a touchdown with 3 seconds left. Refs throw a pre snap flag on last play of game and award Chiefs an 80 yard touchdown cause Muh Saints mickey cap management. Chiefs get crowned on live tv.

 

[WhoDat?DrewDat]

I know, you are what your record says you are…..but when you really look, it’s not as far a gap as people like to say.

Yes it actually is that far of a gap. You can't just look at close games and use that to say we are close to them.

Both the Falcons (with a horrible Kirk) and the Bucs beat the Eagles. Does that mean they are better?

The Browns, Panthers, and Giants only lost to the Eagles by one score. Are you saying they're close as well?

 

[kcirdor]

Don't see it happening next season, we have no money to spend in FA, and the same people who let Hendrickson and Baun leave because they didn't have the vision to utilize them properly are still running the show.

Dennis Allen is no longer running the show though.

 

[Taker597]

We can go up and down the depth chart. We are completely devoid of talent in a lot of areas.

Just because we can scrape towards close games doesn't paint the whole picture

Especially, when we'll be older and lose talent from last year to this year.

 

[Elvis]

Agree with everything you said, I'm just not sure I have faith that the current FO and player management people could find their butt with a sharp stick.

The only thing we can really talk about are realistic hypotheticals. Loomis isn't going anywhere and his guys are his guys. There are people in the building that have drafted good players, it's just been a while and I believe they were drafting for fit for a coach that couldn't coach to a players strengths. Which left us reaching and without a lot of picks. With a new coach and a fresh start, we have to believe that Loomis and his team will change with it to some degree.

 

[Covington Saint]

We can go up and down the depth chart. We are completely devoid of talent in a lot of areas.

Just because we can scrape towards close games doesn't paint the whole picture

Especially, when we'll be older and lose talent from last year to this year.

if we don't have better injury luck, we'll have zero shot to be overly competitive. if we can stay healthier with good coaching and better team comradery then we have the possibility to be competitive every weekend and see where the cards fall. But we do have some recovery years to continue through because we sacrificed so much and also got burned on bums that fell off the earth.

 

[St. Widge]

Yes it actually is that far of a gap. You can't just look at close games and use that to say we are close to them.

Both the Falcons (with a horrible Kirk) and the Bucs beat the Eagles. Does that mean they are better?

The Browns, Panthers, and Giants only lost to the Eagles by one score. Are you saying they're close as well?

I would say that every NFL team is close to being competitive and/or a playoff team. But most are very far from the elite teams like KC, Buffalo, and the Eagles. And I wouldn't have even put the Eagles in that category until this year and San Francisco would have been in the list last year so things can change quickly in the NFL.

 

[St. Widge]

The only thing we can really talk about are realistic hypotheticals. Loomis isn't going anywhere and his guys are his guys. There are people in the building that have drafted good players, it's just been a while and I believe they were drafting for fit for a coach that couldn't coach to a players strengths. Which left us reaching and without a lot of picks. With a new coach and a fresh start, we have to believe that Loomis and his team will change with it to some degree.

I do honestly wonder how much it has been bad to mediocre drafting and how much it has been a coaching staff, including the HC, that could not develop talent, and a HC that didn't know how to spot talent. I mean, Penning looked like a complete bust until we finally hired a good OL coach who made him serviceable in only a few months.

But, I also think a lot of it is a lack of draft picks, particularly a lack of draft picks in the top 100.

 

[Outbackjack]

Six straight years of terrible drafts and questionable personnel moves.

If they can fix that, and age-out of these veteran contracts, they can be competitive in 2 years.

Don't see it happening next season, we have no money to spend in FA, and the same people who let Hendrickson and Baun leave because they didn't have the vision to utilize them properly are still running the show.

But…..”6 straight years of terrible drafts and questionable personnel moves”….as you say…..

And we were one play from beating the Eagles, Redskins…..and hung toe to toe with KC.

So why can’t that “one play” go our way next season?

And it’s insane not to see the difference in this team once Taysom, Olave, Shaheed, McCoy and Ruiz went down.

 

[Elvis]

I do honestly wonder how much it has been bad to mediocre drafting and how much it has been a coaching staff, including the HC, that could not develop talent. I mean, Penning looked like a complete bust until we finally hired a good OL coach who made him serviceable in only a few months.

But, I also think a lot of it is a lack of draft picks, particularly a lack of draft picks in the top 100.

I think it could be both. Penning did look better, but he wasn't great either. I also think the fact that our left guard position was so weak gave defenses another place to target. That's why the middle of the line was getting blown up all season.

 

[Outbackjack]

I hear what you're saying, but yes. We really are that far off. We aren't on the upside right now, we are declining. Our best players are old and near retirement. Over the last 5 years we have drafted the fewest players in the NFL, dead last. We've routinely traded away draft picks to move up and then not hit on the pick. That has limited the chances of getting quality starters and depth behind them. On top of that, we've mismanaged the cap horribly. We can't be a serious players in free agency because we spend the period leading up to free agency moving money around just to get under. The most recent free agents that we have signed had contracts that compound the problem by needing near immediate restructures and they haven't been worth it.

The simple fact is that we need to acquire a lot of draft picks for several consecutive years and we need to get good football players. Never mind the RAS scores and measurables, or high ceiling guys from small schools. We need football players that love the game, looked like NFL players in college against good competition and can play at this level. And we need to clear the cap to be able to sign free agents to sound contracts and sign our own players to new contracts should they deserve them.

I get all the stuff everyone says.

But when we lined up to play the Eagles and Redskins……the fact is…..they were both 60 minute games that came down to one play.

That’s a fact.