A lot of us are saying that because we missed the playoffs last year, and we don't have much cap space now, we need to rebuild. I disagree. From what I saw last year, Bowles looks like might be a very good coach. He had his rookie mistakes, but on the whole he seemed like he might be our best hire since Parcells. And typically, when a team gets a very good coach, they tend to get better with continuity even if on paper, the roster doesn't seem any stronger. IMO if we can bring sign Mo long term, bring back Fitz, Snacks, and Powell (and sign a couple bargain basement guys), and improve on special teams, there's a real chance we can make the playoffs despite the tougher schedule. And as long as Macc keeps the roster competitive, and we don't have a black hole at QB, we can contend every year if Bowles is the next Arians, Rivera, etc. Of course, keeping the band together will be a challenge this offseason because of cap constraints, and there's no guarantee Bowles really is that good. But I'd like to give him that chance, which means keeping the core intact. (Also, as a side note, if we really feel like tanking the season, we should cut Marshall. It would save almost 10 million in cap space that can be carried over into next offseason, and if we're tanking, we don't need him.)
The most important thing is getting guys to replace Revis, Harris, Brick, Mangold, and Marshall. Those are mostly our best players, and they're all a few years away from retiring, or at least falling off too much. I have confidence the team will be competitive next year, but I want to see a successful draft class more than anything.
You are forgetting the guys we need to replace Mo (if traded), Snacks (if not re-signed), Ivory, Powell, Demario Davis, Breno (if cut), Willie Colon, Cromartie, Calvin Pace, and all of our depth at DE and Safety. Once we fill those gaping holes we can worry about those five guys and figure out what to do with Robinson.
Some games I wish I didn't know him, but he must be doing something right. When he demanded the players do better (during the losing streak) I was more impressed.
If we sign Mo long term and keep Snacks, we don't have to worry about them. I'd like to keep Ivory, but it isn't realistic. Powell, a bargain basement back, and a draft pick will have to do. Erin Henderson and Taiwan Jones (and maybe a pick) should keep us afloat at ILB. Brent Qvale and a first or second round pick should keep the line okay even without Giacomini and Colon. Marcus Williams will have to step up at corner, and so will Lorenzo Mauldin (and hopefully a pick) at OLB. We have plenty on the D-line and Pryor and Gilchrist are adequate starters at safety. As long as we keep most of the talent on the defense, frankly I'm not concerned about it. Bowles knows how to coach a D. EDIT: If you mean Richardson, I would let him play out his rookie deal. If he gets his head on straight and we have the cap space, we'll re-sign him. If not, we'll trade him and hopefully get good value. And if he doesn't keep his head on straight, it was a good thing we kept Mo.
Todd Bowles can be the second coming of Vince Lombardi but if he doesn't have talent in the game today you can't win. You can have the best strategy in the world but if you don't have players to execute the plan and a core of elite players to make big plays you can't win consistently.
We have talent. Veteran talent like Fitz, Marshall, Decker, and Mangold on offense and Harris and Revis on defense. And young talent like Powell and Carpenter on offense (yeah, we're thin on O but hopefully Macc can draft better than his predcessors) and Mo, Richadrson, Snacks, Big Cat, Mauldin, Skrine, Williams, and Pryor on defense. IMO it's enough to contend for a deep playoff run if Bowles is going to be a top 10 coach (which seems realistic based on how he handled himself last season). Again, I could be wrong on Bowles and then maybe we should rebuild. But I think trying to contend is a risk worth taking.
Every team has holes to fill in the offseason; we're no different. Each one of those guys you mentioned is very replaceable. A strong draft class and some quality depth FA will go a long way this year. It's the Ferguson, Marshall, Mangold, Harris and Revis core we need to start thinking about. Are their replacement currently on this roster? Will Sheldon become a team leader without Mo? These are all the conversations that MAC and Bowles are having. The good news is that Todd seems to be a leader of men. Excited for the draft and FA to see what direction this team goes
I think you're right about Bowles, but disagree about even making the playoffs this season, much less going on a deep run. We don't have the OL or the pass rush to do that and that's with Fitz back. With the tougher schedule, even figuring on not beating themselves 4 times this season, I think they'll be hard-pressed to make it to 9-7 again. I think 8-8 or 7-9 are much more likely.
When the coaching staff is really good and the GM drafts well, roster problems get minimized as long as the QB isn't bad. From what I saw from Bowles and Macc in Year 1, I'd be willing to bet on them and try to keep the core intact. OTOH if Bowles hadn't impressed me as much, I would advocate for more of a rebuild.
In general, that's true, but a bad OL and lack of a pass rush can undermine even the best HC. Hopefully, the OL will be better at RG and RT. If Brick is still at LT, it won't be any better. Even with Fitz back, we could be one snap from starting Geno.
I'm more concerned about the OL than the pass rush. Our pass rush was below average last year, but it wasn't horrible, and though it isn't ideal, Bowles has the ability to manufacture a pass rush with his blitzes. Also, if we can hit on a rookie, he and Mauldin should be perfectly adequate considering how good our DL can be. The OL scares me more because it leaves Fitz prone to injury. The good news is that Fitz has a quick release, and frankly, he poses more a danger to himself with his stupid inability to slide than anything else. But I hope we can land a good tackle in the draft, considering that with Giacomini gone, our top tackles are Brick (past it) and Qvale (unproven).
I think the key for Mac with this coming draft is to find replacements going forward for 2 or possibly 3 of the core 5 ( Revis, Brick, Mangold, Harris, Marshall - avg age 32 ). For a long term plan that should be priority # 1.......
The OL is definitely more critical and could lead to a disastrous season if Fitz were to sign a huge contract and then go down with a season-ending injury in week 2. The real key to long-term success, however, lies with the pass rush. "Adequate" won't cut it. Depending on Bowles to manufacture a pass rush with scheming won't cut it no matter how great and creative he is. There are limited things any HC/DC can do. There are only so many options for blitzes and other teams know that and figure them out.
