Quote:
Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis
Shanahan's decisions weren't consistent with team rebuilding even if everything turned out rosy. After three years, they all would likely beecome ineffective and we would need to replace them again. That's why I said his strategy was "win soon" the past offseason. He believed those old guys go provide enough to win it all before age hit them about three years from last offseason. You bring in short-term players to finish the puzzle, not start it. If he really wanted to "win in a couple of years and then keep on winning for many years after that", he would have been scouring the planet for as many good long-term players as he could find.
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Not necessarily. You bring in veteran guys that have been mildly successful in the league to challenge any new blood that you bring into the franchise. Those veteran guys push those rookies and second year players, mentor them and shape them into better players. There were A LOT of holes to be filled, more holes than we had draft picks for. It is unrealistic to think that you're going to rebuild each and every position or at least 80% of the roster with rookies and second year guys all within a year, because the team just didn't have the draft picks.
Sure, Shanahan wanted to win as soon as possible. Why would any NFL coach not want to win as soon as possible? I wouldn't respect the coach if he didn't do whatever he thought was necessary to get the team in a position to win right away. It sometimes works, and it sometimes doesn't, but having those veterans at least serve as on field, game action, coaches for the young guys and that is a very valuable tool to have. And, if MS didn't think the veterans were getting the job done, he would cut them.
Again, I think you are missing the fact that this team was 4-12 in 2009, not 12-4. There is/was A LOT for MS to do in order to turn this team around. Look, the team got progressively younger toward the end of the season. We've seen young guys step up and perform rather well. You're just going to have to be patient with this coaching regime or either go be a Baltimore Ravens fan or something.