I'll make one final observation on this and then move on ... accepting that Rex is our coach:
The 4-6 1985 Bears would probably not win a Super Bowl these days. The rules are sooo skewed to benefit the offensive side of the ball that a defense with 11 probowlers and the best defensive mind in the league coaching them is useless without a big time QB and some game changers at WR and RB.
Lets look at the playoff picture. Manning, Brady, Dalton, Luck, Alex Smith and Rivers. The NFC: Wilson, Newton, Brees, Rodgers, Kapernick and Foles. That's who made the playoffs, I'm not mentioning their team names, it's these 12 men who made it happen, surrounded by offensive weapons and coaches.
Look at KC alone. 2-14 last year and 11 wins this year. They got a offensive minded coach and traded for a franchise QB. Essentially the same squad. 2 changes and they may win the SB this year. They have an excellent defense... but they had that last year as well. Smith and Reid are all the difference. Even guys like Rivera in Carolina and Fox in Denver who are defensive guys, have focused on their offenses and accepted that times have changed in the NFL. Defense is now a luxury in pro football. Rex doesn't think that way.
Chip Kelly is a good example of the new breed of guys who will win championships in years to come. He developed and master minded a wide open fast paced offensive system that took the college football world by storm. He took over the Eagles and wouldn't name a starting QB until the end of the pre-season. He choose Vick, but he was injured, and Foles has flourished.
I think that losing the QB competition during camp has contributed to his success this season. When he got a chance to start he never looked back. Rex is all about crowning a guy ASAP because he thinks it creates stability. Geno Smith has done nothing to earn the right to be our starting QB going into camp. But I suspect he will be. I also suspect there will be little to no competition for him. That's a losing plan. Offense is an afterthought for any Ryan, especially Rex.
What I would have done is rolled the dice on Johnny Manziel in this years draft. Taking Geno last year was an OK decision. He will cost us less than 1 million against the cap each of the next 3 years and he has some nice upside. He can sit on the bench behind a guy like Manziel or a higher priced veteran in a way that a top 5 draft pick at QB couldn't. But I do understand that Manziel to the Jets won't happen. =(
I love the idea of hiring the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks Darrell Bevell, giving him Smith, Manziel and the best veteran available to battle it out in camp. I'd also spend 80% of that 49 million in cap money that we will have this offseason and at least 6 or our 9 draft picks on overhauling the offense. That would have been my plan. I guess it's time for plan B.
Plan B:
Fat boy stays. I have always liked the guy, but to win the big one you need the smartest guy in the room, a CEO style, culture establishing, well rounded X's and O's guy and a born leader. I don't think rex fits the bill, but he's our guy. Mr Ryan has been indulged by 2 GM's in the draft landing a bunch of 1st round blue chip defensive players. Wilson, Wilkerson, Couples, Milliner, Richardson. It's time to focus on offense.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Before free agents or the draft I would start with who stays and who goes.
I'd dump Sanchez, Holmes, Wilson, Reed, Winslow, Pace, Landry, and Goodson. I would like to dump Stephen Hill and Cromartie as well, but Hill is still cheap and Cromartie will restructure his contract and there is hope that this was just an off season for him. So dumping either would be premature in 2014.
I keep:
... Powell and Ivory together. Love this duo. You have the grinder and the pass catching play maker. I'd search for a more well rounded RB in the draft. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd rounder. A guy who needs some development is fine. We can ride Ivory and Powell in 2014. But landing a solid future #1 back is important this offseason.
Kerly and Nelson should also hang around. They both could be huge for us if we had a solid #1 wide receiver and a top TE. They are the types of guys who win you games, but their not #1 WR's and they need single coverage. Cumberland and Sudfeld are ok for depth but we need a game changing TE. A guy like Witten or Gates is what we need to find. There are some great prospects in the draft and we also need to look at FA's. Guys like Julius Thomas from Denver are out there. We need a go to player at this position.
Mike Oher from Baltimore will be available and we need to throw $$$ at him. Teams like the Ravens who have a huge portion of their cap money tied up in a QB provide a bounty of outstanding players who they can't afford. With our cap space we need to plunder these key players. I am OK with giving Winters the starting job in 2014, and D'Brick, Mangold and Colon are solid. Adding Oher at RT would easily give us a top 5 O-line again. The O-line is the foundation.
I like Demario Davis at ILB and think he may push Harris for the #1 spot next year. He was a an outstanding draft pick 2 years ago. Couples was OK at OLB, but he is lazy. He had some game changing plays, but I question his hunger. There will be free agents out there who can help impact our pass rush. I wouldn't draft any defensive player with our 1st 4 picks.
Milliner finally showed some flashes at the end of the season. I am not the type of guy who makes excuses for top 10 draft picks, but he was injured in OTA's and camp and Rex's defense does ask a lot of a corner. It takes time to learn the pro game. Feeling good about him in 2014. I already mentioned Cromartie. I really like Antonio Allen and I hate the fact that Reed took his job. let's get this guy back on the field as a starter next year. That leaves us some serious holes in our secondary. If I would consider a defensive player in the first 4 rounds this year it would be a game changing safety to play alongside Allen.
Love that Nick Folk has developed into a top kicker and that is something we have needed for years. I have hated Folk from the day he came here, but he has turned a corner.
That leaves the best squad on this team. The Son's of Anarchy: Richardson, Wilkerson and Harrison (Big Snacks). Wilkerson is a rare player. He's rock solid on and off the field. He changes games and sets the standard for the defense. He's our new Revis, and I would take him over that scumb bag any day of the week. Players like Couples who need a push from time to time will follow him. Idzik needs to wrap him up for life and pay him. We have depth on our line and I hope to see all of them back in 2014.
I'm thrilled to start looking at the free agents who will be available considering the money we have to spend as well as the 9 draft picks. This offseason is the center piece to the next 3 years for us as a franchise. With money being spent properly and the right draft picks even a guy like Rex might be able to win us the big one.
