I don't have much problem seeing picks that didn't work, or decisions that weren't great or a couple entire drafts that amounted to squat for us over the years. it happens. I can see it, easily. I'd say if we didn't have to go 5 deep at probably the 2nd most important position on the defense and Rollins and Randall continued where they left off their rookie seasons and we don't lose Sam Shields for good, nobody is saying this defense lacked talent. I'd say Daniels and Clark are as good of draft picks recently as anybody could expect from their GM. If they don't qualify as Elite, your choice, but if you told me I had to field a defense , and I had to build it around 1 or both of those guys, I'd be so happy I'd probably **** my pants. But they don't qualify as elite? ok, I'd still never deny them a roster spot on my team.
I do have a problem with saying Thompson didn't give him anything to work with. It's ********. There were plenty of guys to have a much better performing defense than we had. It's not Thompson's fault, nor is it Caper's fault a lot of them under performed, or weren't able to perform or be on the field. 1 guy gets removed from the defensive secondary in MN last year and they look like dog ****. We lose 4 and people think it doesn't have an impact on overall defense.
I understand a guy like Datone was a bad pick. I can understand why he was picked. That thinking is what brought in Sam Shields, that is what brought Nick Collins. Oh I still remember the *****ing after Collins in various forums and all the "who the **** is this guy Thompson is reaching for" comments that were absolutely everywhere. Did he end up qualifying as elite? Datone turned out to be a talented guy with b league motivation. It is also what brought us Randall, who has a bad attitude, but to deny he's talented is silly. Watch some of the plays he made, he's athletic enough to be everything a top DB in this league needs to be. I get that he was headcase here, but to say he didn't pick a talented player? ********. Talented enough that 2 guys many were clamoring as a possible replacement GM here were more than happy to trade for and add to their team. Can they not judge talent either?
Yes there were picks that turned into busts and there were a couple entire drafts that barely yielded a player, but overall, plenty of talented players have been on this roster on both sides of the ball. They all weren't available to be on the field though. Neither of which is Capers or Thompson's fault. Unlike you, and a few others. I don't have this unrelenting need to assign blame. Capers is/was a good defensive mind. I think he needed to change things to fit available players a bit more than he did at times, but at the same time, he was dealt some crappy hands because of available players week to week, not players on the roster. Thompson is a very good evaluator of talent and he's certainly had his share of misses. But They don't need to be perfect for me to recognize how good they were. Take another shot at Thompson for not finding talent. I might let you get away with 450 of them this week because I'm not that motivated. But sometimes I feel like calling BS.