View topic - Typical Colbert -- Davenport signed

[StillMill Profile]

This is a bit late in commenting.....

but I can't pass up commenting on the signing of Dookie Davenport.

WHY was this guy signed?? Colbert cut this guy early in the summer, and 31 other teams had plenty of time to at least bring this guy to camp to compete for a spot. None did.

This is yet another example of Colbert doing what is CONVENIENT, not what it optimal. Making decisions out of lazy convenience, rather than out of what is the best option available, is a sure-fire way to destroy a business or a team.

The alternative? How about Rueben Droughns, who is buried on the depth chart of the Gi'nts. A 5th or 6th rounder would have probably pried him loose. This would be a small price to pay for a quality backup -- one that is much, much better than Davenport -- especially since Colbert will piss away his day 2 picks on a pile of shit anyway next April.

Parker might be hampered for a couple weeks longer than expected, or he may quickly re-injure himself. Moore is obviously more of a pass-catching back. Davis is hobbled. The situation screamed for much more than a 2-bit, half-assed, short-term fix.

[Steel_Buckeye Profile]

Mill,
First of all, you are absolutly right. We already know what we get with Davenport, and it is not good, and Ruben was a good thought. But how do we know they didn't try this and got no takers? We don't know all the facts, but with that said, they probably didn't try!

[logjammin Profile]

Well, they need somebody who can play for the Stillers this weekend, and Davenport has played for them before. He was cut right before training camp this year, so he is pretty familiar with their system, he's worked with this coaching staff, probably knows most of the plays in their book, etc. Bringing in somebody who has never been with this team before and trying to get him playing in a game this weekend doesn't seem practical. It's not likely he'd know what the qb was talking about in the huddle.

And it's just a temporary need. Mendenhall is out for the season, but the others are expected to be back relatively soon. It doesn't make sense to give up a draft pick just to have somebody filling in for a month or less.

[StillMill Profile]

Well, they need somebody who can play for the Stillers this weekend, and Davenport has played for them before. He was cut right before training camp this year, so he is pretty familiar with their system, he's worked with this coaching staff, probably knows most of the plays in their book, etc. Bringing in somebody who has never been with this team before and trying to get him playing in a game this weekend doesn't seem practical. It's not likely he'd know what the qb was talking about in the huddle.

And it's just a temporary need. Mendenhall is out for the season, but the others are expected to be back relatively soon. It doesn't make sense to give up a draft pick just to have somebody filling in for a month or less.

First off, Davenport was cut, in "football time", eons ago. I highly doubt The Dumper sat around all day these past 3-1/2 months studying the Stiller playbook.

Like I already said, Parker might be hampered for a couple weeks longer than expected, or he may quickly re-injure himself. Moore is obviously more of a pass-catching back. Davis is hobbled. The situation screamed for much more than a 2-bit, half-assed, short-term fix.

[Suwanee88 Profile]

The alternative? How about Rueben Droughns

Hey Mill - how are you doing? I have been reading your articles all season - as usual - great work!

Had to comment on this idea - this is an excellent idea and a guy that I had forgot about to be honest with you. I loved this guy with the Yoncos and the Brownies. I always thought that he was very underrated - a really strong back that would be perfect for short yard situations or to spell Willie late in the game when we need to pound the ball - great call and good to be back Mill!

[McLovin Profile]

McLovin agrees...not so much that Droughns is anything special, but that Colbert is getting lazy and burns his late round picks anyway so why not at least TRY to do better than Dookie!

[Homer J Profile]

Mill,

This was no ordinary running back pickup. Usually, at this stage of the season, you pick up a guy and he can play on special teams and he learns half a dozen plays - maybe a dozen - which he can practice in the four days before the game. You can't bring in someone new and expect them to play half a game.

But with the Steelers top three running backs injured and only Mewelde Moore at 100%, the options were EXTREMELY limited. You don't want to see the quarterback and his running back banging into each other half a dozen times on handoffs, do you? You don't want to see Ben turning right and the running back going left? YOU MUST HAVE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS MOST OF THE PLAYBOOK AND IS LEAST LIKELY TO FUCK UP IN THE SHORT RUN.

If I'm Colbert, I take Dookie for this week only....and spend the weekend on the phone seeing what I can pry loose for a fifth rounder or lower...REMEMBER: THIS TEAM NEEDS TO DRAFT LINEMEN so we can't give away the store. And since we move into the bye week, that's the time to pull out all the stops and try to trade for someone decent. Giving someone a week and a half to prepare is hugely different from making them a four day wonder. And to bring in someone completely unfamiliar with the playbook so close to the Jaguars game is to court disaster. (Need any more missed blocks?)

Dookie this week, and take advantage of the bye to get someone better and give him time to learn the playbook.

[derfsandmuskie Profile]

Were not some of the idiots on this baord calling for Travis Henry as well. Colbert made a good decision, lets look at his ypc last year. 4.7 if I recall correctly. Plus he was good at kick off returns. He may not be the ultimate choice but at this point we need somebody who knows the system. How about LT Colbert could have picked him up with a few draft picks.(yeah right)

[JimPgh1 Profile]

I think the signing was fine. He knows the offense. He was cut because we got M. Moore & Mendenhall. With the latter gone for the season, it makes sense to bring Davenport back.

He can replace Mendenhall on KO returns as well.

[McLovin Profile]

The system, the system...yeah Arians' little system is just soooo complicated. No NFL rb could possibly figure out the scheme and terminology. Give me a freakin break...Talent wins and at this point all the rb talent is on an NFL roster so doesn't matter who Colbert signed if they were any good they'd be on a team already.

[Homer J Profile]

C'mon, Mac....

First rule here is the same as for the doctors: DO NO HARM.

It's a lot easier and more likely to lose a game with a mistake than it is to win it with heroics.

How many times do you have to see running backs crash into quarterbacks or throw "lookout" blocks before you realize that the running back cannot afford to make a mistake without seeing the play break down...and possibly the game lost???

Any coach will tell you that you can pick up a running on Tuesday and plug him in Sunday for half a dozen plays - maybe a dozen. But any more than that, you risk busted plays, fumbled, and maybe a broken quarterback.

Arians system isn't that awesome. We all know that. But the risk of someone being asked to play a big chunk of the game while not yet familiar with the playbook IS an awesome risk. It's easier to lose a game than it is to win one. Mistakes kill you.

[McLovin Profile]

McLovin agrees with Homer's premise that mistakes by the rb can be costly... that was the big worry putting Mendenhall in there as a rookie. Can he pick up the blitz, will he fumble etc. McLovin's point is that Dookie and Russell aren't going to save the season. Only a healthy Fragile Willie can do that. Dookie a one week band-aid until the bye. Talent wins games and Dookie and Russell don't have it...that's why they weren't on a roster last week. To upgrade the rb position adequately Colbert will need to trade for a rb currently on an NFL roster...Droughns as good of suggestion as any.

[SNW Profile]

The time to trade is after Sunday. That gives the new RB two weeks before having to contribute. I also don't think any real thought to a trade will be made.

I also don't think giving up a draft pick for someone that would be surplus next year anyway would be a great use of resources. Moving up in the draft next year with that pick would serve the Steelers better.

[McLovin Profile]

McLovin agrees Steelers will need all the picks they can get to bolster O and D-lines. But with no clear favorite in the AFC the time to win is now. Mill suggested a late round pick...I can live with that if a quality #2 back can be had.

[Homer J Profile]

It is always good when Homer J. and McLovin agree.

We agree that Dookie is Dookie and he won't save the season. We also agree that it can be a bad thing when running backs make mistakes and blow up plays. We also agree that it's not good to line up on offense with ten players. Sometimes the best you can do isn't really good, or even acceptable, but you have to make do with what you can get. For this week, that's the Crapmeister.

I think we all want Colbert and Company to go shopping after Sunday's game, and - if it's possible - try to snag someone. Maybe there's a team that wants a hard-hitting asshole strong safety. We have one who may be available. If not, maybe we can get something for a 5-6-or-7th round pick. I'm not sure the Giants - with all those young players who made their team last year - are in need of a 5-6-or-7 - and would part with Droughns. They're deep and in a position to bundle choices to trade up.

Maybe there's something decent on the trash heap.

The key here is not to pull a Washington Redskins panic and trade away a second round pick for a Jason Taylor who gets banged up two weeks later. We need linemen next year - OL and DL - and this is no time to panic and mortgage the future for a temporary band-aid. I hope McLovin and Homer agree on that.

[McLovin Profile]

McLovin agrees completely with Homer. Colbert should have at least one extra pick for the FA loss of Faneca so Colbert should have plenty of ammo to move around the draft board looking for O and D-lineman. I guess the bottom line here is that McLovin is frustrated that our first round pick is out of commission without having even a full days work under his belt. I guess McLovin is frustrated that our entire draft class is showing nothing so far. McLovin hopes as Homer does that we do not trade a significant draft pick for a #2 rb...but as Mill says...a late round pick can't hurt. Let's live in the now and win the freaking AFC!

[lloydrules Profile]

I think the truth is some where in the middle. The two points are:

1. Colbert/Steelers lazy and did what was easy.

2. D_port is the right pick b/c he knows the system/plays.

I think both points have validity. They are not mutually exclusive. I believe D-turd does have some advantages since he knows the system. BUT, it also may have been a bit uninspired to just assume he was best solution. A non-lazy, let's-win-now approach team would beat the bushes more than just accepting D as the end solution.

For one thing, a player ON a team right now will be much closer to game shape than the turd cutter. If you are ON a roster, you are working out every day.

To be honest, an aggressive team (Tom Coughlin - hate to say it, but he is more aggressive than Pgh) would probably sign TWO players - turdie, and some one off an active roster.

This is yet another example that the Rooney way is to not work too hard or spend too much. Signing another player would cost money. Not much, but it's still money and the Rooneys choose to not spend if they don't have to, even at the expense of the effort to win a ring.

Will they shell out top money to their best players, on occasion? Sure. Are they at the cap every year? Sure. Does that mean they don't go the route of cheap on many occasions? Not at all. I have seen endless examples of where they could have found cap room and chose not to, all so they can claim they can't spend $ due to no cap space.

Going out and signing another back, who they would likely cut later, would cost them $ they would never get back. And they don't want to spend that couple hundred grand. I believe that is the heart of it.

Coughlin would not only sign a old player back, but he'd wack the bushes for yet another back in this scenario.

He believes in solving units with depth. And never stop trying to improve the quality of the depth.

[Homer J Profile]

Hey, Lloydrules....

I agree the choice of Dookie is the easy/lazy pick.

But I have a question for you about signing two players.

The Steelers' roster is full and so is the practice squad. Who are ya gonna cut to sign that extra guy? There's a limit on the number of people you can have....and if you secretly sign and practice somebody and get caught, you lose a draft pick.

It happened a number of years ago to Chuck Noll when Clayton wrote about someone practicing with the team when - it turned out - that player was not legally under contract and the Steelers were at the player limit.

[lloydrules Profile]

Hey, Lloydrules....

I agree the choice of Dookie is the easy/lazy pick.

But I have a question for you about signing two players.

The Steelers' roster is full and so is the practice squad. Who are ya gonna cut to sign that extra guy? There's a limit on the number of people you can have....and if you secretly sign and practice somebody and get caught, you lose a draft pick.

It happened a number of years ago to Chuck Noll when Clayton wrote about someone practicing with the team when - it turned out - that player was not legally under contract and the Steelers were at the player limit.

First of all, Mendenhall has created a roster spot b/c he is out for the YEAR. So did Simmons. There are two open spots right there. So where is the problem? If we needed 3, they could throw one of the slobs who made the roster to the practice squad (that no one would steal) and add yet a third possible player.

Unless I am high, and they don't allow you to add players to your roster when you lose a player to injury, I don't get what your thought process is.

[DashRipRock Profile]

I think Davenport is a good pickup. A lot of people here will be surprised by his productivity.

There is nothing lazy about the Steelers' organization with respect to personnel. Ask the folks in Cincy about lazy personnel decisions.