Evaluating 25 FA signings at midseason mark:

[Real fan 02]

Wilson has not looked great.

He's still starting

Wilson has not looked great.

Wilson has been solid. Not sure what your seeing to believe otherwise. May i remind you of how bad the LG play was last season...

 

[PatsFan2]

Wilson has not looked great.

Maybe not in the run game: but he's been decent in pass protection.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'd put it into three categories and all of them are positive...

"Huge money and getting huge money level play." That's Milton Williams. He's playing like one of those transformational free agent additions where you pay top dollar and actually get what you paid for and it helps jump start your turnaround.

"Solid starter level player that's more expensive than you like for what they are but that's life when you have to sign starters in free agency". I put Landry, Spillane, Davis, Moses, Bradbury in this category. Ideally you don't need to pay FA addition prices for these kind of starters, but we were in the situation that we needed to and they've delivered.

I have Diggs somewhere between #1 and #2. He's playing really well but still only half the snaps. He's a lot of money for someone who's lower tier #1 for what he is so not the first category but better than the 2nd still. Overall, very good signing.

"Low cost signings that you nailed the evaluation on and getting great value." Chaisson and Tonga for this gorup, as they've been awesome in their roles.

"Low cost signings that you're getting solid enough for what you paid for." Dobbs and Hollins here.

They had to overpay across the board given where they were last year - I give them credit for not wasting money in this offseason, even as we watch them make a playoff run. It just wouldn't be good ROI to have spent it all then.

Hollins was worth a gamble and apparently is a great locker room guy - but I still expect a breakout game for him sometime soon, with his 2 catches for 50 yards just a tease. Having a 6'4" WR is like another TE and great goal line option when you need it.

Clearly we're still looking for help on the D with Edge being a rumored trade or offseason upgrade - but I'd still want Chaisson on the team as depth.

I am LOVING Diggs but I didn't really expect him to be a #1 anyway - so yes, overpaid but that's where we were. Maye is spreading the field better than I ever could have hoped so that shouldn't count against anyone, but we'll see what the rest of the season/offseason brings.

 

[Rob0729]

FWIW, Dugger got decent PPF grades this last game, and played 100% of the snaps. And the much maligned Mapu and Elliss did even better. (Yes it's PFF, but at least they grade every snap and don't just go by a few plays that stand out in peoples' minds).

Top five PFF graded players​

1. LB Marte Mapu - 84.5
2. LB Christian Elliss - 83.7
3. OLB K'Lavon Chaisson - 71.4
4. CB Christian Gonzalez - 68.9
5. S Kyle Dugger - 63.5

Bottom five PFF graded players​

1. LB Jack Gibbens - 41.3
2. S Craig Woodson - 44.0
3. OLB Harold Landry III - 44.1
4. CB Carlton Davis III - 47.0
5. LB Jahlani Tavai - 52.0

When are people going to realize that PFF is garbage. Collinsworth improved it from the old days where they did their ratings off the TV broadcast, but it is still a flawed and very subjective grading system.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Maybe not in the run game: but he's been decent in pass protection.

Yeah - two bad plays last week, but it's pretty rare that we are saying his name. We've got two rookies protecting Maye's blind side as well as anyone in the NFL is. I'll cut the kid some slack as long as he doesn't get Maye injured.

 

[Real fan 02]

Maybe not in the run game: but he's been decent in pass protection.

Agreed. This upcoming game is a game where I believe the TEs and Tarzan blocking ia gonna be huge. Myles Garrett is a beast..

 

[Real fan 02]

Yeah - two bad plays last week, but it's pretty rare that we are saying his name. We've got two rookies protecting Maye's blind side as well as anyone in the NFL is. I'll cut the kid some slack as long as he doesn't get Maye injured.

Agreed. Anyone who's had a an issue with Wilson this season I don't know what they are seeing.. or they must have forgotten how bad the LG position was last season..

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

He's still starting

Wilson has been solid. Not sure what your seeing to believe otherwise. May i remind you of how bad the LG play was last season...

Wilson is OK, but not great. Stunts/blitzes on the left side are still confusing the rookies.

Remember two years ago Sidy Sow looked OK. Last year Robinson looked OK.

 

[Real fan 02]

Wilson is OK, but not great. Stunts/blitzes on the left side are still confusing the rookies.

Remember two years ago Sidy Sow looked OK. Last year Robinson looked OK.

Oh yes without a doubt they are still learning as rookies. Sidy Sow was pretty solid there.. Robinson.. left tackle was so bad it overshadowed his solid play.

 

[JoeSixPat]

When are people going to realize that PFF is garbage. Collinsworth improved it from the old days where they did their ratings off the TV broadcast, but it is still a flawed and very subjective grading system.

Right - I'm not even sure we can say it's a flawed yet apples to apples comparison between players.

It's a flawed apples to oranges comparison, which is of dubious value.

I usually look at the rankings and say "really?" because my eyeballs (and the stats) often tell me something different.

I mean, they give everyone on the Jets OL a better ranking than Wilson, who, alongside his rookie LT have done pretty well by most eyeball test

Overall if you add up their rankings they probably have the Jets OL pretty closely ranked to the Patriots, if not higher

Because ultimately allowing 9 sacks in a game and being 0-7 isn't necessarily reflected - i.e. how well do they play as a unit or team.

I guess it's tough to put a number on that - aside from wins.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Great thread. I’d move Spillane to Tier A. It just goes to show you the difference between a football vision and a corporate vision. A really productive signing season orchestrated by Mike Vrabel and his team.

That to me is the key, theyre not only acquiring talent but actually building something here. Most of these guys if not all are either former captains or just great culture fits.

 

[mayoclinic]

Maybe not in the run game: but he's been decent in pass protection.

Jared Wilson in the run game on Sunday against the Titans:



He's had some growing pains, but there is a lot of positive.

 

[PatsFan2]

Wilson is OK, but not great. Stunts/blitzes on the left side are still confusing the rookies.

Remember two years ago Sidy Sow looked OK. Last year Robinson looked OK.

Remember Jared Wilson was originally a Center and graded out Top at that position. We moved him to Guard: Siddy Sow is a bum and Layden Robinson was a Reach by epic proportions. I really love Vrabel's philosophy with Rookies give them some playing experience: whether little or a lot.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

When are people going to realize that PFF is garbage. Collinsworth improved it from the old days where they did their ratings off the TV broadcast, but it is still a flawed and very subjective grading system.

People always point to the ridiculous PFF scores on that Mahomes vs Geno game to show how bad PFF is. Some of that was that Mahomes had three turnover-worthy plays that were not in fact intercepted, and Geno's game had a small sample size. But there is a legitimate criticism when you examine how they grade QB play - they give little credit for a QB throwing to an open guy, when often that happens precisely because the QB did good things pre- and post-snap and then made a good decision. So I think it is fine to mostly ignore their QB ratings.

DL ratings also need to be taken with a grain of salt - often someone gets a sack or pressure precisely because another player (think Barmore of late) did a great job.

But the ratings on the other players are often informative - mostly because they grade every player on every snap, while few people bother to do that, just focusing on the highlight plays. If you look at say Bedard's 3-up, 3-down (or those from other commentators that review every snap) you'll see that there is mostly pretty good concordance. The ratings are never going to be perfect - did the receiver run the wrong route or did the QB make a bad throw? What was the blocking scheme supposed to be?

At some point we will have AI grading - again it won't be perfect, but at least it will be reasonably consistent and objective.

 

[TheRainMaker]

When are people going to realize that PFF is garbage. Collinsworth improved it from the old days where they did their ratings off the TV broadcast, but it is still a flawed and very subjective grading system.

PFF was designed to win internet arguments and for the media to have easy access of information to write articles. It's terrible for the game and needs to go.

 

[mgteich]

I'd say anytime your first round pick is being regarded as on of the best young OTs in the league it was a good draft. Wilson has also been good. They have not looked overmatched.

Let's be clear. This was an excellent draft. The OP said that free agency was better (and many added "much" better"). I agree

But let's be clear. The draft was excellent. We are likely to make the playoffs because we drafted quality STARTERS in
CAMPBELL
WILSON (he'll get much better in his NEW position)
WOODSON (he'll get better, a GREAT 4th round pick)
BORREGALES
ASHBY

plus
FARMER (who has shared reps with Tonga)
==========
IN ADDITION, we are disappointed in not yet getting value out of
HENDERSON
WILLIAMS
=========
and as BONUS
BRYANT (our backup RT)
CHISM (I'm not a great fan, but he is a returner and a WR prospect)
PONDER (a bottom of the roster sub)
============================
Judging this draft at half-time, I would give it an A, not as good as free agency.

 

[rkarp1]

Let's be clear. This was an excellent draft. The OP said that free agency was better (and many added "much" better"). I agree

But let's be clear. The draft was excellent. We are likely to make the playoffs because we drafted quality STARTERS in
CAMPBELL
WILSON (he'll get much better in his NEW position)
WOODSON (he'll get better, a GREAT 4th round pick)
BORREGALES
ASHBY

plus
FARMER (who has shared reps with Tonga)
==========
IN ADDITION, we are disappointed in not yet getting value out of
HENDERSON
WILLIAMS
=========
and as BONUS
BRYANT (our backup RT)
CHISM (I'm not a great fan, but he is a returner and a WR prospect)
PONDER (a bottom of the roster sub)
============================
Judging this draft at half-time, I would give it an A, not as good as free agency.

I agree that the team found their LT, and he is playing very well.

I would also agree that Wilson might be their OC for the next 5 years after this season. but fact is that Wilson is playing at below league average after 7 games, albeit as a rookie with upside.
Facts also is that Woodson falls into a similar grade as Wilson.

Borregales/Ashby have been very good, but did the team us draft capital when they could have got these players as udfa's?

I am very pleased with the draft for the simple fact that the team got their LT. but lots of "remains to be seen" type players as well.

 

[TommyD4207]

People always point to the ridiculous PFF scores on that Mahomes vs Geno game to show how bad PFF is.

Yes, and they should.

300 yards, 3TD, almost 75% completion and a 121+ rating vs. 70 yards and a QB rating in the 60s, and somehow Smith is not only rated higher, but almost 5 points higher.

PFF grades are broken. They'll tell you Onwenu allowed 0 sacks and no pressures, when a video in this very thread shows him getting blown by, by a JAG DT, and him standing around as Dobbs has to miraculously save the play.

The fact that these grades are treated as gospel is bad enough, but the fact that these same ******** grades are used to gaslight people to think they're not seeing what they're seeing is even worse.

 

[maust]

The fact that these grades are treated as gospel is bad enough, but the fact that these same ******** grades are used to gaslight people to think they're not seeing what they're seeing is even worse.

Wait, are you insinuating that PFF's 6th overall rating of the Titans offensive line prior to their game against the Pats may have been flawed?

 

[JoeSixPat]

Agreed. Anyone who's had a an issue with Wilson this season I don't know what they are seeing.. or they must have forgotten how bad the LG position was last season..

He's got an under 50 player grade from PFF - which makes him worse than anyone on the Jets OL that gave up 9 sacks in a game and has their team with 0 wins.

Which illustrates points made elsewhere that some of those ratings seem to miss the forest through the trees.

Of course, that's partially luck as they sure didn't go into the pre-season expecting that two rookies would helm the left side, but he earned the position and continues to do so. None of us are expecting perfection either.