I mean roster construction is an issue. We're just going to find out how much influence Harbaugh had over the roster.
I think you could make an easy argument that this franchise, regardless of who's direction it is, values rushing offense and rushing defense more than it values passing offense and passing defense. We make huge investments in off-ball LBs that don't pressure the QB. We pay aging TEs. We make huge investments in RBs and Olineman that can run block but aren't great in pass protection.
Meanwhile until recently we never cared at all about receivers, we haven't used any FA capital on pass rushers, we value run-stopping DTs instead of pass rushers, and we still struggle in pass protection. On top of designing an offense that's clearly run-heavy in a league that's pass-heavy.
If that's an EDC/organizational plan that continues, you will not see significant changes in W/L record regardless of who the HC is. Because the philosophy won't change.
The only actual question is what impact John had on personnel decisions, and the overall philosophy of how to build a winning team. If EDC was effectively building a team in John's image, we'll see differences. If EDC actually believes what he's done the last like 5 years is the best way to build a winning football team, nothing will change.
i think that's a very simplistic way of viewing the makeup of the team
3 1st round picks in the last 7 years at WR
The OL they've been drafting and playing have been primarily better as pass blockers than run blockers
Yes they've paid Mark Andrews, but he's not a receiving TE, not a blocker
and worth noting the entire NFL has become more invested in running the ball the last 2 years
they've been cheating gaps on the DL schematically since mike macdonald was the DC, the reason teams and players like NTs is that it allows you to play the run and cheat gap assignments while keeping an extra DB on the field - the Rams are an extreme version of this philosophy - also their highest paid DL is a pass rushing 3tech - hard to say that they overvalue run defending NTs
they have invested a ton in the DB room
you can argue they've not been good enough at drafting pass rushers but evaluating edge rusher talent and not investing is not equivalent - you're using results and working backwards to claim a philosophy.. Oweh, Ojabo and Mike Green have all been drafted in the top 2 rounds - that's nearly a 3rd of their 1st/2nd round picks since 2021 used on edge rushers...
and the idea that LBs that are off-ball inherently aren't a pass-defence investment again is weird - PQ was a premier blitzer and Roquan was paid upper echelon money because he's supposed to be that Fred Warner 3 down pass coverage LB
it just doesnt track for me what you think of EDC and the front office's team-building philosophy
judge the quality of the results, sure, but hard to argue the way they've invested says they overvalue rushing and run defence
the only major investments specifically in rushing/run defence the last several years have been Derrick Henry and the retention of Pat Ricard
