Ruston Webster

Our coach thinks its taboo to run the football, Sankey was drafted for his duel threat abilities. And the fact we're using him very little as a receiver tells me Whiz is tanking. Sankey wins vs LB's in space every time, why not throw to him some more..?

 

That may be but you're argiung he's a hit now based off speculation.

 

He's got a unique running style, i see value in that where others dont apparently

 

Only value if it produces. Same with Hunter.

 

true

 

Let's grade Webster as GM...grades are based on performance vs contract/expectations and for draft picks...performance/expectations versus currency used to get them. Draft grades are based on current performance/situation and can change over time but this is where we are now.

Roster and FA moves
2012
OG Steve Hutchinson D
DE Kamerion Wembley F
Signed CB McCourty C+
Signed TE Stevens C
Signed FS Griffin F

Draft
1 WR Wright C
2 LB Brown C-
3 DT Martin C-
4 CB Sensabaugh C+
5 TE Thompson C+
6 S Martin F
7 DL Solomon F

Evaluation - D+
Hutchinson was part to fill a need but really used to lure Manning here and how'd that work out? We got a below avg OG with a big contract and had to play him to justify the signing. I think we will see a theme here.

Wembley was signed to boost our waning pass rush and in 3 years, has not done that. The fact that he was overpaid and has stayed that way for 3 years shows how bad the contract was/is.

McCourty was a solid signing though others will claim we should have let him walk to sign Vern the following season even though we wouldn't have known Vern would put up a Pro Bowl season. McCourty was a solid signing and is a solid #1 CB. He's good not great in coverage but is an excellent tackler.

Stevens was a solid signing but expensive for a backup blocking TE.

Griffin was a bad signing. Griff has been inconsistent to say the least and a sub par tackler. He has had 1 season of 100+ tackles (2010) and 2 season of 10+ passes defensed (2008, 2010). Coming of a season of 75 tackles, 0 sacks, 7 pd's, 2 INTs in 2011, he had 79 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pd's, and 4 INT's. For that we gave him a long term deal which pays him like a perennial Pro Bowl S. I will give him credit that he has tried a lot harder this season and played hurt for the team which was very impressive, but he has been overpaid for 3 seasons. Griffin was also originally designated as a Franchise player in 2012. That's how wrong they were with his evaluation and what he was worth!

Wright is so far what I expect out of a mid-late first rd wr. He's good, a starter, and has the potential to be great if we had a solid OL to give a solid QB the ability to throw him the ball.

Brown was a little bit of a reach. He has first rnd athleticism but 4th rnd instincts. His tackling has gotten a lot better since college and he's shown flashes that if all the lights come on and he plays within the system, he could be a pro bowl LB. On the other hand, he didn't follow coaches instructions last year, didn't play within the system hurting the D, and got benched. Perhaps attitude was another reason some people had him as a lower rnd pick.

Martin is a quality backup backup but it's not clear if he will ever become a starter. 3rd rnd is too early for simply a backup DL who isn't a pass rusher or difference maker in the run game.

Sensabaugh is a solid but not great Nickel. While he plays as much as a starter as a starter, like Martin, it's unclear if he will ever develop into a starting CB. But as a 4th rnd pick, he has a little extra value for how much he plays. He also might look a lot better with a pass rush in front of him.

Thompson might become the steal of the draft...if he can stay healthy. He has 2nd rnd tools but needed time to develop. He has contributed as a backup while showing flashes of starting potential or at least significant playing time as a 2nd TE. But his potential breakout season was cut short by injury.

Martin and Solomon never did much and have not contributed.

 

My gripe is that Webster has done nothing to suggest he is capable of successfully re-building this team. If he guides another FA season/draft, it will be 2-3 years before we can say he got this re-build wrong or right.

As far as last year's draft being "good"- what criteria are we using? Did it produce any pro-bowlers? Any league leading statistics? Any increase in wins due to game changing plays made? No. We are gauging based on who looks like they have potential and who has started. Which is flawed because they are starting because the rest of the team is SO bad or has been "injured".

There just isn't anything about what Webster's performance record that tells me to give him 3 more years of my ticket money.

 

Webster's record for 2013

Signed S George Wilson B
Signed RB Shonne Greene C-
Signed FB Quin Johnson D
Signed OG Andy Levitre F
Signed DT Sammie Hill C
Signed SS Pollard B
Signed DE Pitoitua B+
Signed WR Kevin Walter D
Signed OL Chris Spencer C-
Signed OL Rob Turner C
Signed RB Jackie Battle C-
Signed KR/RB Leon Washington B-

2013 Draft
1 OG Warmack C-
2 WR Hunter D
3 CB BWW C
3 LB Gooden D
4 OC Schwenke B
5 DL Edwards C
6 CB Wooten D
7 S Stafford B

Evaluation - D One more thing to consider is that while there are some B's, the biggest money (cap hit) and highest picks have not been good overall. And one thing that has been talked about extensively in NY as a justification of the Giants GM not doing his job effectively is the fact that they had to sign so many free agents to fill starting roles (meaning they aren't being filled by draft picks). Take a look at how many Titans starters and major role players are free agents.

Wilson was a solid signing but simply was not given enough playing time to make much of an impact last year. He is being used more effectively this year and is playing well for a role player.

Greene has been hurt too much to have been worth the contract but you can't blame injuries on the GM. However, even when healthy he has not made quite the expected impact.

Johnson was not an impact player and is not starting.

Levitre got a huge contract to be an impact player. He isn't and has been below avg and eating up a huge chunk of cap space. Terrible signing.

Hill has been solid but not spectacular. He is a solid player signed to a solid contract.

Pollard has been a solid player for us and a team leader on defense. While he is getting up there in age and has limitations in coverage, he is a tempo setter and the second best tackler in the secondary and a big asset vs the run game.

Pitoitua was another good solid signing. Again, he is more of a good run defending DL with limited pass rush. But for his cost, he is more than worth it!

Walter never really got a chance due to injury but I felt he was a wasted signing.

Spencer was a solid signing for a backup but he didn't really give us much as a starter.

Turner never really got a chance.

Battle looked good as a backup runner but hasn't done much as a FB.

Leon Wash came right in and made an impact as a returner. Unfortunately he has no blocking this year so has been ineffective. Not used this year in the backfield except in 3rd and a mile.

Warmack was a solid pick that hasn't developed and you might argue has regressed. Then again, he does not have stability on either side of him. Might be better with a solid RT and a solid OC bookending him. I would also question the coaching staff who have gotten even less out of the OL than last year!

Hunter was a reach. It's not that he wasn't going to go in round 2, but that we gave up a 2nd and 3rd rnd pick to get a raw WR. While he has shown flashes of his size/speed being a mismatch for DB's even in the NFL, he has taken 1 step forward and 2 steps back with his play this year. Still very inconsistent and arguably not a starter yet.

BWW was solid as a backup and has been up and down as a starter. If he is a productive role player at Nickel, he is a solid pick. If he develops into a solid starter, this will be an even better pick. Like Warmack and Hunter, jury is still out.

Gooden was also a bit of a reach and has not shown much as a backup. Given some playing time due to injuries, he quickly lost his opportunity due to poor play. Until/unless he is a big time contributor on special teams or as a backup, this was a poor pick.

Schwenke has upside and has been starting which is good for a 4th rnd pick. However, like the others, his play has been up and down. The fact that 2 free agents and 2 young OL players have all regressed points a finger at the OL coaching and throw in the many protections problems across all 3 QB's and it's hard to think coaching is not a part of the problem. Still Schwenke's final grade will be determined whether or not he develops as a solid starter at OC, but even as a solid backup this is a good pick.

Edwards was a solid backup for a 5th rnd pick though he hasn't done much for us.

Wooten hasn't done much yet, but there may be some potential for a backup role or more if he gets a chance. Until/unless that happens, this is a wasted pick.

Stafford has gotten more opportunities and done well with the ones he's gotten. Even if he remains as a solid backup or perhaps takes over Wilson's role next year, this is a good pick.

 

How can Kevin Walter be anything but an F? The guy played zero snaps and ended up on IR. How he passed his physical is mind boggling.

 

Signed for vet min right?

I thought he was going to be okay depth at WR4 or so, but depending on what you thought of the guy, it could have been a bad signing. People actually thought he was going to be a WR2 LOL.