A Thought on the Special Teams Signing

[Harry]

I, among others, have been touting how deep this draft is. Usually a team takes a couple of marginal players who have special teams as a fall backs. They may not believe that they have identified some late round prospects who are targeted more as being rotational players. The thought being they wanted those players to not be focused on special teams. I realize most folks in that category are usually linemen, but the Cards may be looking at receivers, tight end, running backs and safeties.

 

[Stout]

That would make the plan even more...weird. "Hey Mr. 6th rounder, we don't need you on special teams. You're the new starting wideout!"

 

[Stout]

All kidding aside, Harry's seeing the same thing I'm seeing. Going balls out to sign special team specialists doesn't really make overall sense.

 

[WisconsinCard]

All kidding aside, Harry's seeing the same thing I'm seeing. Going balls out to sign special team specialists doesn't really make overall sense.

Well after final roster cuts and they are all still on the team, I will agree with you. It doesn't have to add up now, lets just hope it all adds up over the next decade. And yes I said hope, because hope is all we got.

 

[Goodyear Card]

All kidding aside, Harry's seeing the same thing I'm seeing. Going balls out to sign special team specialists doesn't really make overall sense.

Count me as totally confused.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Respectfully Harry, this is not a deep draft. Kids drafted in the 4th round this year would have been 6th rounders some years. And the top 3 or 4 tiers are the smallest I can remember. My hope is that all of these backup level talents were signed because we want them off the books next year.

 

[Stout]

Well after final roster cuts and they are all still on the team, I will agree with you. It doesn't have to add up now, lets just hope it all adds up over the next decade. And yes I said hope, because hope is all we got.

Except why waste cap space/bonuses on guys you cut later? Maybe one or two guys like that, okay, but we'll probably have five or six. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[Stout]

Count me as totally confused.

We have signed a ton of special teams only guys. Late-round draft picks are basically special teams only guys, with few rare gems found there. When you clog the roster with guys that can only play special teams, you have a number of scenarios, all bad:

1--You're counting on those special teams specialists to actual play on offense and defense, which leads to poor roster construction
2--You keep them as special teams specialists, but then they block the younger draft picks and you're cutting that youth we're supposed to be drafting.
3--You decide to cut the players you literally just signed a few months ago to make way for the younger draft picks, in which case you just wasted money/cap space. Yippee.

This wouldn't be a problem if we hadn't signed a handful of special teams specialists, like one or two. I think we've signed anywhere between 5-10 of them, but whose counting by now?

Now, the problem would go away if they can all play off ball linebacker...

 

[Dr. Jones]

We have signed a ton of special teams only guys. Late-round draft picks are basically special teams only guys, with few rare gems found there. When you clog the roster with guys that can only play special teams, you have a number of scenarios, all bad:

1--You're counting on those special teams specialists to actual play on offense and defense, which leads to poor roster construction
2--You keep them as special teams specialists, but then they block the younger draft picks and you're cutting that youth we're supposed to be drafting.
3--You decide to cut the players you literally just signed a few months ago to make way for the younger draft picks, in which case you just wasted money/cap space. Yippee.

This wouldn't be a problem if we hadn't signed a handful of special teams specialists, like one or two. I think we've signed anywhere between 5-10 of them, but whose counting by now?

Now, the problem would go away if they can all play off ball linebacker...

The important part is bolded.

 

[WisconsinCard]

Except why waste cap space/bonuses on guys you cut later? Maybe one or two guys like that, okay, but we'll probably have five or six. It just doesn't make sense.

They don't count against the cap if they're not on the roster, or in the top 51 paid players. So no cap space wasted. Bonuses??? I don't care about that it's not my money, nor does it affect the team at all.

 

[PDXChris]

Respectfully Harry, this is not a deep draft. Kids drafted in the 4th round this year would have been 6th rounders some years. And the top 3 or 4 tiers are the smallest I can remember. My hope is that all of these backup level talents were signed because we want them off the books next year.

Yeah, next year should be the deep draft. I think we are setting up for that draft.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

All kidding aside, Harry's seeing the same thing I'm seeing. Going balls out to sign special team specialists doesn't really make overall sense.

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[Harry]

Respectfully Harry, this is not a deep draft. Kids drafted in the 4th round this year would have been 6th rounders some years. And the top 3 or 4 tiers are the smallest I can remember. My hope is that all of these backup level talents were signed because we want them off the books next year.

At least Daniel Jeremiah agrees with me, "I think this is a really good depth draft, especially when you get into the second, third (and) fourth round. There's a lot of quality there, a lot of starters”. Who have you read that says it’s a shallow draft. Just curious.