I don't think Zack will bust, but we have to maintain some common sense as well. If 49ers are willing to offer x for #3, they will offer at least the same x for #2. Maybe even more, but even if not, whatever they offered Miami, we could have gotten for Zach. There should be no debate about that. So, yes, that #2 pick was worth at least 3 first rounders+ whatever else 49ers gave Miami. Ultimately I think JD will be proven right to keep the pick, but there is no denying the value it had.
I'm of the belief that if you have 2 top 3 picks being shopped, their value is watered down as it's not an exclusive opportunity.
#2 pick would not be watered down. Zach Wilson was consensus #2, while #3 was up for grabs and was decided last minute. If anything we could have gotten more.
It's definitely unclear who SF was trading up for. They clearly didn't make the trade for the guy they took. He likely just seemed like the least damaging QB pick to them when they got to the draft. The Jets trade up for Darnold was bad but the 49ers trade up for Lance has a real chance to look like the worst trade this side of the Herschel Walker deal.
What's interesting is that there was a strong rumor backed by Vegas odds that they are going with Mac Jones. That seems to have changed after Mac shit the bed on his Pro Day, but at least originally it looked like Mac. If 49ers stuck with that pick, all of the sudden that trade might look pretty darn good for them (and perhaps us as Mac would be out of NE).
Mac Jones is an illusion at this point. The downside of Belichik's free agent splurge this year is that the window to do anything is fairly short, maybe 2 years counting this one. Jones will see drop outs all over the place starting in 2023 and into 2024. He's likely to face the same problems Mark Sanchez did, albeit from a different perspective since Sanchez had a good arm but was inaccurate. Jones is the polar opposite.
I hope you are right, but I feel Mac is legit. The situation is very similar to Sanchez with Rex, yes, but Sanchez while was able to win games because of others, put up terrible numbers himself. 12TD, 20INT, 54% completion, 63 passer rating. Mac Jones is putting up 18TD, 10INT, 69% completion, 95 rating. That's in a different stratosphere from Sanchez on a similar team. Mac I am afraid is here to stay.
I don't think he's going to the hall of fame or anything, but I'm definitely comfortable giving him another draft. - The 2020 draft wasn't great, but if he can walk away with a potential CB1 and a franchise LT, I can give him a pass on some misses. Who knows, maybe Cam Clark shows something. Not to mention, Huff and Guidry contribute a little. - The 2021 draft is looking solid as hell. Vera-Tucker, Moore, Carter I and II are all looking like good players. Echols has shown a little bit as well. Ultimately, its too early to judge these guys, but who's to say Sherwood/Hamsah/Pinnock don't turn it around and at least become contributors.
No GM hits on every draft. But Jet GM's are expected to because the fans think themselves geniuses. That's just the state of things in Jet Land. Next time Woody needs a GM he should just come here and ask for resumes. We got at least a dozen top GM candidates and even better talent evaluators.
What any prior GM has done is immaterial when it comes to evaluating the current GM. Douglas has had two drafts and while it's still early, not sure you can say that it "hasn't been close to respectable."
I believe the blueprint for Bill at this point is to have Mac develop slowly with a strong team around him and at the end of the 2-3 year window Mac Jones will not need the team around him to pick him up, he should be in a position where he is making the difference as his foundation should be established and he just builds on it.
I think you missed a vital step in that process. They need McCorkle to marry a ridiculously rich woman so that he'll never care about getting plugged in every contract.
I think you and Brad are both right. Jones is a good game manager QB but the Pats also stacked the team around him by paying everyone in FA and the team is going to be in cap hell and devoid of talent within a few years because of it.
Tom Brady was a skinny guy with an arm. He was bombs away in crunch time with Michigan. Mac Jones is not that guy and never will be.
And would you also agree that what any prior LT, WR, CB, TE, DE or QB (to name a few) has done is immaterial when it comes to evaluating the current guys at any position? Douglas has been steering the ship of state for 30 months now - when does he become responsible?