Thats an interesting approach to the discussion Ray, since you are telling me what reasons you feel BB had. So you can read his mind, but I get a snarky reply when I try to?
Don't understand your point here.
No, but we would not cut a guy who will play major snaps (which is what Kelly was last year) to keep a lesser player because he is younger.
Surely at the end of the roster that is a consideration, but not involving 'starters' or major contributors.
Strawman. We do not have to never do something for it to apply to the current discussion.
Just because we would keep a player who is young and at this point a step behind because he is improving does not mean it is happening in this case.
The other scrubs we cut.
Probably. Smith, just like Kelly, wasn't cut because of a youth movement, they were cut because they wouldn't be playing.
That is certainly a dynamic that happen. But it simply does not apply to every roster move.
Kelly was projected to be a starter. If he was anywhere near the level that was expected he would not have been cut. Do you really think BB lost sleep wondering how he could live without Joe Vellano on his team?
1 I am basing it on BB's action over a decade, since he's had to turn over the roster, not based on reading his mind.
2 My point is that we have some battle tested backups now, plus vellano who is at least a dependable journeyman until he's cut. If our top backup were Forston and a green Vellano, like in 2013 I don't think the 2014 Kelly would have been cut.
3 No one said Kelly would play major snaps. No one said He was the Kelly of last year.
4
Just because we would keep a player who is young and at this point a step behind because he is improving does not mean it is happening in this case.
That's right. We need to look at where our proven players are in age, and what our prospects are to find a top starter with out draft position or free agency. In my opinion, that will be difficult, costly and risky, so trying to develop young lower picks and UDFAs is a good strategy now.
Probably. Smith, just like Kelly, wasn't cut because of a youth movement, they were cut because they wouldn't be playing.
Speculation on your part. you don't know why he was cut, the quality of other veteran free agents etc. I would hazard a guess that there is a better veteran free agent than Moore right now available and that we don't want him, because we have one solid, and one outstanding young starter and would rather not waste snaps on someone on the down slope of their career when we can develop Buchanan and Moore. We didn't go from one of the oldest to one of the younger rosters without some tough decisions that involved experience versus upside.
Kelly was projected to be a starter. If he was anywhere near the level that was expected he would not have been cut. Do you really think BB lost sleep wondering how he could live without Joe Vellano on his team?
Who projected Kelly to be a starter? You had expectations of him, I only had expectations that BB had a team building plan which included not being weak on the DL this year. Beyond that, i think he planned for the future. I expect Vellano to be cut if all the injured players are healthy. If not, he's a pure backup with a year's worth of playing under pressure, which is a lot better than early last year. I think BB's sleep was more dependent on the health of Salig/Jones/Easley, but having a Vellano with a year's experience available rather than Forston will at least ward off the nightmares for a bit.
