You’re Fired

[calia]

I am not ready to say that AP has failed -- draft picks take time.

2024:
1 (2): QB Jayden Daniels [OROY, injury concerns year 2]
2 (36): DI Jer’Zhan Newton [disappointment so far; just flashes]
2 (50): CB Mike Sainristil [good rookie season undone by scheme (I would argue)]
2 (53): TE Ben Sinnott [no real opportunities yet -- will seen the rest of this season; TBD]
3 (67): OT Brandon Coleman [will at least be a rotational piece if not swing tackle]
3 (100): WR Luke McCaffrey [was playing well on special teams in particular before his injury]
5 (139): LB Jordan Magee [I think he will start in year 3; shown potential]
5 (161): S Dominique Hampton [gone; no ROI]
7 (222): EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame [had been showing potential from the edge before injury]

2025:
Round 1, Pick 29: Josh Conerly [good pick and trending up]
Round 2, Pick 61: Trey Amos, CB, [unlucky with the injury, but our best CB this year]
Round 4, Pick 128: Jaylin Lane, WR/PR, [too early to tell, but not much impact yet]
Round 6, Pick 205: Kain Medrano, LB, [hasn't seen the field yet, but still early]
Round 7, Pick 245: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, definite potential here -- already good value for a 7th rounder]

His free agents have been a mixed bag for sure, with the most obvious and impactful failure being Lattimore. But he also signed Tunsil (stud), Armstrong (having strong year before injury), Luvu and Wagner (great year 1, not so much year 2, but at least Luvu can bounce back), Deebo (I think he's played well for us), Wise (was playing well before injury), and Will Harris (got hurt pretty early so hard to tell). He also signed a bunch of other guys to fill gaps left by injury -- Miller, Smith, a bunch of WRs -- none of whom look likely to stick around with the possible exception of Burks, but it's hard to fault him too much here.

One could say that not giving the DE position enough attention was a flaw, and that's not unfair. But we did lost our top 3 DEs -- Armstrong, Wise, and Jean-Baptiste -- early in the season, and it's really hard to know how that would have gone had they stayed healthy. These DEs played reasonably well in the weeks they played, and Armstrong was leading or tied for the lead in sacks in the early going.

I am not ready to write off AP at this point. And I certainly don't agree that he's been atrocious.