sdog1981":a7bhircy said:
The team has failed at developing and keeping that talent.
Developing talent well has worked against our likelihood of keeping it. Carpenter got a big payday from the Jets, Okung is one of the best paid tackles in the league, and JR Sweezy is the best developmental OL story in the league right now as a #225 selection DL project who got a $22m contract from the Bucs. Development has been a strength for us but it takes time because we prioritize raw potential (ie. Nowak over Lewis).
Each our decisions to let a player walk has made sense on it's own, due to FA prices, compensatory picks, and injury histories. The issue has been the overall effect of too much inexperience at once and our failure to put enough emphasis on smoothing out the transition.
Bobblehead":a7bhircy said:
would you not rather have a one year aging all pro LT that can keep your offense on the field
Consider how different your tune would be if Fant was healthy and Whitworth had been injured for the year. There's a strong element of 20/20 hindsight present as very few people would have given Whitworth, a 35 year old player who's had a few injuries over the years, a better chance of remaining healthy than Fant, a kid who had been very healthy up until he wasn't.