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PaulButcher59
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dzrams
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PaulButcher59
…poor eye for offensive talent… far too conservative on the offensive side of the ball... hired a conservative OC… Fisher never evolved…
…terrible feel for offensive personnel…too many poor offensive free agent signings and offensive draft picks…Stayed married to Bradford way too long…
The seven reasons you list above are why Fisher failed on offense. It wasn’t because he didn’t prioritize the OL. He focused plenty on offensive personnel especially the OL. His moves just sucked for the reasons you stated above.
In 2012, he signed the top center available in free agency to a contract. In 2013, he signed the top LT. Two high profile moves in two years show a priority to improve the OL. The 2017 Whitworth signing is no different than the Fisher strategy.
It wasn’t a lack of prioritizing the OL that did them in; it was simply that the strategy failed.
He did not prioritize the OL early enough through the most important way IMO of building a team for the future and that's through the draft. Rok Watkins (5th round) was the only OL he drafted his first year in 2012. At the time Fisher was even quoted as saying he believed he could get OL in the mid-late rounds and coach them up as quality starters. When he finally invested heavily in a LT #2 overall, he listened to and believed that same coach who was banging the table for Robinson. Boudreau failed Fisher and Fisher failed everyone.
I agree that the Whitworth signing isn't much different than the Long signing except for one difference. I think the Rams are more desperate for a stop gap LT now with Jared Goff and their rookie head coach. Going into his first season as head coach, Fisher didn't see a need for a left tackle until he realized Saffold wasn't his guy and went after Long in the 2013 offseason. I guess the Long signing was hindsight and it could have worked out but it was clear he was past his prime at a fairly early age and then couldn't hold up. Those are the risks you take signing FA`s and Fisher did a pretty poor job of it.
Ah, got ya. I think it’s that Snisher just had a different philosophy on building an OL. Maybe this is potentially bad news but I believe that some of that philosophy that you can get OL in later rounds comes from Snead. He has talked about that many times.
It also doesn’t seem accurate to say that Fisher didn’t see a need for a LT until 2013. He had only been there one year. Can’t fix everything immediately. And since signing established vets was their preferred method of building the OL, it depends on who is available in free agency. They got the top guy the first moment someone good was available. Unfortunately, he was past his prime as you and others said. Personally, I thought it was a good move at the time. Turns out you guys were right.
I really hope Whitworth gives them two good years. The Rams desperately need this move to work.
