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I think the difference is Ozzie would fairly routinely get a significant contributor, or even an impact player, out of the late rounds.
Deshon Elliott
Bradley Bozeman
Jermaine Eluemunor
Chuck Clark
Matt Judon
Nick Boyle
Darren Waller
Ricky Wagner
Ryan Jensen
Pernell McPhee
Arthur Jones

All 5th-7th round picks taken by Ozzie over a ten year period. Not all of those guys were impact players for us, but many pretty much all of them were productive here and/or had lengthy, productive careers elsewhere. He would routinely find one of those guys per year, on average.

Not only are we almost entirely whiffing, the guys we're taking are basically out of the league entirely within 3-4 years. Not uncommon league-wide, but the fact that we're using so many of these picks and can't even find one solid contributor is troubling.

With that track record, coupled with the 2nd round picks, you're basically taking 50% of your draft class as dead $. That means in order to have a good draft, you kind of have to nail the 1st, 3rd and 4th rounders. We have in some, but whiffed in others.

I have no idea what the issue with 2nd round is. But if its something where our scouting is just whiffing a lot, I think there's credence to the idea that maybe trading that pick away for proven talent is much more desirable. We've done it several times now, but I think its one of those things where people ask "ok, we were willing to give up a 3rd for Lattimore, why not a late 2nd if we're that bad in the 2nd". Or maybe its a third + a 6th, which has been a throwaway for EDC.

That's just one example and one player. Not saying that's the right deal, but its the logic behind it. There is something to be said for us being too protective of mid and late round draft picks on a "supposedly" SB caliber roster.
One could also we're not taking as many swings in the late rounds - 16 picks in rounds 5-7 over a 6 year period since EDC took over.

I mean, I get it. I'd love to hit more there, but selecting just that range ignores that we've basically nailed rounds 1, 3, and 4 with stars and/or major contributors.

And there are some guys currently on the roster that look like shit now but we know will end up being some sort of contributor down the line.
 
One could also we're not taking as many swings in the late rounds - 16 picks in rounds 5-7 over a 6 year period since EDC took over.

I mean, I get it. I'd love to hit more there, but selecting just that range ignores that we've basically nailed rounds 1, 3, and 4 with stars and/or major contributors.

And there are some guys currently on the roster that look like shit now but we know will end up being some sort of contributor down the line.
we have also traded multiple 5th round picks and in some cases 5th and 2nd round picks for stars at the trade deadline. Peters and Roquan Smith come to mind.
 
Whiffed on some picks but hasnt the talent also gotten worse in college?
Depends on position group. I don't think its ever been easier to find quality WRs or TEs in college. And I generally think there's a lot better DBs as well. I think Corner in particular used to have massive "bust rates" even for high draft picks, and I think that's decreased significantly. Those two are probably correlated.

I think Oline play has diminished greatly. It could just be a string of bad picks/evaluations, but the Ravens at least, and I think other teams, could go find average to great Guard play routinely in days 2 and even day 3s of the draft. Without researching, that seems to have diminished quite a bit at a high level in recent years as well. If nothing else, it seems that development is taking a lot longer, where we may not see great returns on those picks until years 3 and 4.

I'm also probably alone in this, but I think its getting easier to find "competent" QB play. Not like Mahomes/Lamar level, but I think guys like Stroud are becoming more prevalent in the league than they used to be. I thought there was a stretch during the Brady/Manning eras where there was like 6-8 actual good QBs on the planet, and everybody else was just middling dog shit.
 
I blame it on the whole team. I just don’t know how we can do this every time we play the Steelers, no matter who is calling plays, no matter who is taking snaps, we make hideous mistakes over and over and over, across the whole team, every single time we play them.

You said it yourself, shrinking in big games. It happens consistently. Why is our team so mentally weak and unprepared in these games? It’s happened since Flacco era.
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This was one of my last comments on here before dipping out, ya'll got on me about that comment. Glad to see people are finally seeing it. Being mentally weak since the Flacco era is Harbs, he is a weak man who can't handle strong personalities and has gate kept good coaching and players from coming to this team for that reason. As long as he is here, this team will be a bunch of pussies against powerhouse teams.
 
Conspiracy: Harbs threw the Steelers game cause he knows that would work up the team for the following game. Beating little brother is more important than beating Tomlin.
 
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This was one of my last comments on here before dipping out, ya'll got on me about that comment. Glad to see people are finally seeing it. Being mentally weak since the Flacco era is Harbs, he is a weak man who can't handle strong personalities and has gate kept good coaching and players from coming to this team for that reason. As long as he is here, this team will be a bunch of pussies against powerhouse teams.
Incoming Tank laughing emoji. Harbaugh a hoe. We're never winning another Super Bowl with him here.
 
Partially this. Think college also doesn't develop talent like they used to.
Certainly not OL talent. And IDL for that matter. The spread and RPO has been a blight for NFL OLs, blocking has been really trivialized in college, and the results have shown in the league for years now.

I think QBs, WRs, CBs, and edge rushers, have developed significantly more compared to days past
 
I'll start to take a look at the expiring contracts and stuff soon. Based on what you're saying maybe next year is the last year "with things as we've known them" before big changes.

it'll be the last year where we have cost control over the entire 2022 draft class:

travis jones, Faalele, Likely, Stout - as well as Kolar, JAD and Ojabo
 
it is interesting that we have a better hit rate with UDFAs than late round picks. That being said, we have had some nice picks in the later rounds as well. Some drafts like the Tyler Badie and Kyu Kelly (same draft) draft were just poor drafts depth wise. Also the year we picked that corner out of Ohio State where we immediately traded him to the Pats. That draft wasn't a good one either.

most teams have more hits on udfas vs late round picks because you annually have more of them

teams have an average of 5 day 3 picks every year, whereas the number of udfas that get signed is many times that
 
We are also only considering when EDC took over, but we also don't know how much of an impact he had with those successful late round picks in the years prior to taking over.

pretty sure EDC has been running the draft for a while before he took over

he's been running the draft at least since he got the succession plan contract 5 years before ozzie retired - but i think earlier than that too
 
Correct. We've been I think well above average league-wide with UDFAs. So that's a plus. I think the gap between like a 6th rounder and a UDFA is very small league-wide, and so there is some consideration that if you whiff on a 6th or 7th rounder, but land a good UDFA, that washes out. Which is true.
But at the same time, if you could use that pick to get a veteran, or package it with another pick to get a veteran, that would improve the roster AND wouldn't negate your ability to sign a UDFA like Washington.

especially in the 7th round, they've sometimes taken guys lower on their board because they know other teams are interested in them

apparently that was the case with beau brade and sanoussi kane this year for example
 
Hopefully they're just being cautious with Ro, would suck if he can't go Monday.

I mean it’s a hamstring. Not sure many guys pull a hammy and are back out there a week later, no matter the level of strain.

I’d be more than happy to be proven wrong.
 
Ro being out will definitely make this game tougher. Especially having to play Hamilton at deep safety. Maybe rotate Ar’darius to deep safety and try to keep Hamilton low this game?
I have no faith in Harrison out there and Simpson might be had on some of the eye candy in Roman’s run game.
 
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