This was the guy alot of Jets fans -- and maybe the Jets -- wanted back in 2013 when he was "The Hot Name." I didn't like him then, and his overdrafting of Blake Bortles @ 3 remains probably the DUMBEST move in the last 30 years of 1st Round Draft Picks (if I'm wrong, let me know). I believe Bortles was expected to go lower-1st Round. He blew #1 overall picks at a rate that exceeded Mike Maccagnan. The need to overdraft a RB in 2017 to enhance Bortles led them to pass on Watson and Mahomes. They were apparently going to go with one or the other but thought a RB would make Bortles good. It did -- for 1 season. Marone is either getting fired at year-end or has worked out a tank plan with Tony Khan (the Owners's son) and will be back. It's ironic...you suck for years...then you suck during the one time when it matters....and suck enough to get the 1 or 2 franchise-defining QB's that come up every few years.....something that will turn around your franchis for years, maybe......and instead, YOU get fired and someone else comes in to reap the rewards.
He was one of the GM candidates I wanted when Tanny got the boot. But yes, he had too many whiffs and non picks to keep his job. Shows what I know.
I don't think Caldwell drafted all too bad to be honest. He whiffed a couple times. But he also drafted some excellent players and made some other moves to put together a good roster. The franchise didn't want to keep any of those players. Was it his choice to let Allen Robinson go and trade Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue? Maybe. Why did Telvin Smith retire suddenly? Not absolving Caldwell from all of those moves. But I think he'll get another job and he's a decent talent guy. It just all imploded after Bortles turned out to be a disaster and they pissed that Patriots playoff lead away.
Well I mean if you're looking for dumb GMs, there was that guy who passed on Mahomes and Watson because he thought he was set at QB with Hackenberg...
Right, he wasn't bad like Idzik and Maccagnan were. But, his whiffs were big ones such as reaching for Bortles. I should've been more specific and said, "too many big whiffs." He might have to take a demotion for a few years before getting another GM job again.
One thing this guy did before getting fired was stock up on draft picks. If we get the #1 the Jags have lots of tasty draft picks just waiting for a TL trade.
"I didn't like him then, and his overdrafting of Blake Bortles @ 3 remains probably the DUMBEST move in the last 30 years of 1st Round Draft Picks (if I'm wrong, let me know)." Ever heard of a guy named JaMarcus Russell?
His 1st and 2nd Round picks were HORRENDOUS....he did uncover some gems in Rounds 3 and later. If he just had an average hit-rate on 1st and 2nd Rounders, he'd be working on a new contract.
Fair point...but warranted or not, Jamarcus was at least pretty expected to go #1 a few days/weeks before the 2007 draft. Nobody had Bortles as Top 10 at all leading up to the 2014 draft.
This is what usually happens for teams picking #1. It happens to the HC at a very high rate and it happens to the GM if they have enough time in the seat that picking #1 is clearly their fault. Note that Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell both got fired in Indy after the tank year. Caldwell was 24-8 going into that season. Polian had built a 9 time in a row playoff team. They both got kicked to the curb after the tank season despite the fact that the tank was in progress from mid-season on. Caldwell got fired because he had to play Curtis Painter at QB. Polian got fired because he wanted to keep Peyton and trade the Luck pick for a windfall.
Only because Raiders had the selection.... I agree about Bortles though. I laughed at my friends who thought he'd be their savior.
Some times this type of gamble on a big raw QB prospect pays off. Look at the Bills with Josh Allen as the prominent example of the move paying off so far.