I like Carter better than Anderson. He will demand double teams and is a run stopper. We had the worst run defense in the league. I like Anderson too, just think Carter brings more to the table in absolutely our weakest area.
The point is hopefully to plug as many holes as possible before breaking the bank for the QB. Unless one of the guys this year offers a Mahomes type trajectory what is the point in wasting years of a skilled QBs rookie contract filling out around him while he develops. Its a catch 22. There really is no scientific method to it and really its a roll of the dice. You can mitigate the risk somewhat by not reaching and hoping the scouts with the most accurate history of player evals are right about the big board and you can rest easy going BPA that way any player selected at the top should help this team. Most painful thing would be to bust with a QB at the top - that would hamstring you for years. The window for this team is this draft and the next. They have the ammunition to swing a trade or move up next year - the hard part is filling out a devoid roster and taking advantage of a rookie scale QB contract before its time to pony up. Or you break the bank for an MVP caliber QB now and hope that type of skill can elevate those around him - story remains the same for me how do you improve the worst phase of the team that way?
Definitely a gamble. Just in terms of team building though, assuming they take a QB at #2 or move up to #1 and they turn out to be who they thought he is, the team should at least be a lot more competitive than last year assuming the rest of the draft goes decent and we bring in more FA's. Then you have two first-round picks next year, and we still have so much cap space to work with. I don't see this as a long multi-year rebuild as some other posters do; there is no major handicap to our roster construction. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities we're a 6-8 win team next year and legitimately competitive the year after.
Next year will be a feeling out year with the new systems and coaches in place. 8 wins is honestly out of the realm of possibility for me if you are factoring in a rookie QB into that equation. If these guys go out and lock down a couple of great DL prior to the draft then I would feel much more comfortable going with a QB at the top.
I'm probably being over-optimistic but we have an incredibly easy schedule next year (combined record of .431), lots of resources to improve the roster, and what we're all hoping is a much-improved coaching staff. I should temper expectations a bit but I'm excited. Really hoping we can lock someone down like Daron Payne in FA.
Zach Allen played for the new DC in Arizona. He's very good and learned under Watt. Sign him draft Anderson and draft Mazi Smith in rd 2. The DL will be much better. Sign Al Shaair from the 49ers and teams wont be setting records running the ball.
Agree with most of what you said except for the bit about being hamstrung for years taking a QB at the top . Reason being we have an extra first this year and next. Now is the perfect time to take a swing at a guy - after all due diligence of course.
So would that mean that we could recognize within one year if a young QB is not going to be "the guy" and then take another QB at the top of the next draft? Just seems like poor asset management to me.
Still a terrible way to apply risk assessment to this situation IMO. Then what if the next guy busts? Just keep throwing 1st rounders at the problem and hope the law of averages catches up while the rest of the team continues to struggle because it lacks frontline talent?
If we draft Young/Stroud and we see they’re a clear bust, hell yeah I’m drafting Caleb/Maye. If they were bust and Arch was there, guess who’s being drafted?! You aren’t hanging on to a bust for pride. That’s how you set your franchise back. Free agency and the remaining draft picks are going to be needed to improve the remaining roster. Unless Demeco has the 2000 Ravens, you aren’t winning it all without a QB.
