David Blough and the Offensive Staffing Thread

[philibusters]

The move may or may not work out. But I don't like the process. We had a top 10ish OC. We replaced him with a young up and comer. Now it could be within a couple years Blough is like a top 5ish OC. It could be he doesn't have what it takes which leads to Quinn and the entire staff getting fired. A realistic optimistic scenario is Blough is talent and he is not as good as Kliff in year 1 but by year 3 he is around the same level as Kliff.

When Atanta traded pick 46 and their 1st rounder this year to draft James Pearce it was bad process. Doesn't mean it won't work out, but 80% of the time when you have bad process you lose. When Houston traded pick picks 12, 34, and a future 1st for pick 3 (Will Anderson) it was bad process. In that case that future first rounder ended up being pick 27 because the Texas made the division round in Stroud's first year and it ended up being a fairly even trade, but it was bad process. Bad process doesn't mean you will always lose. But it means you will lose more than you will win. When you have a proven top 10 OC and you let him go to hire a talented but unproven young guy, you could win, tie, or lose, but the odds are more likely you lose than win.

 

[Canadian Hog]

I can’t add much beyond what has already been stated in the 34 pages of content on this thread. What I will point out is this…

If there ever was a time to roll the dice on a very inexperienced coach in David Blough, it is right now. As we all know, Quinn initially took over a depleted roster and we turned it over by more than 60 percent in his first year. The magic of ‘24 was just that - magic. The reality is (and as 2025 showed) there is still enormous work to be done to get this roster to true championship levels and to allow it to attain sustainable success year in and year out.

Had we built on ‘24 last season and been knocking on the door of a Super Bowl appearance again, sure, timing wise I would also be saying the Blough hire is ridiculous. Sitting at 5-12 though with holes everywhere on this roster, what’s there to lose seeing if Blough has chops to handle the gig?

 

[skinsinparadise]

I’m okay with this though. I would prefer season 3 be boom or bust. Either impress me or be gone.

That to me is the wild aspect of this. It feels like Harris or Peters warned Quinn or maybe Harris warned both Quinn and Peters we will swallow this last season, but next season better be good or you are out.

That's the vibe i am getting so far. IMO I still think if they were healthy they would have gone like 9-8 last season. But In retrospect, there is some upside for the whole season falling apart, you got a higher draft pick and a sense of urgency that was missing last off season.

IMO Peters had as much if not more reponsibility for it but maybe he had an out for it if Harris had more of a leash on his spending. the 2025 FA class and draft IMO was actually mostly good. The problem with it IMO was it wasn't enough -- it was half baked.

I don't get the sense that anything will be half baked this off season.

In that last press conference, Peters explained to Standig (Standig like me has been incredilous about how little they did at WR and left that spot vulnerable to a collapse) that at WR they had some things cooking but some ending up out of their price range. And he said in retrospect it was a lesson. I hope so. And get the vibe never again.

 

[KDawg]

That to me is the wild aspect of this. It feels like Harris or Peters warned Quinn or maybe Harris warned both Quinn and Peters we will swallow this last season, but next season better be good or you are out.

That's the vibe i am getting so far. IMO I still think if they were healthy they would have gone like 9-8 last season. But In retrospect, there is some upside for the whole season falling apart, you got a higher draft pick and a sense of urgency that was missing last off season.

IMO Peters had as much if not more reponsibility for it but maybe he had an out for it if Harris had more of a leash on his spending. the 2025 FA class and draft IMO was actually mostly good. The problem with it IMO was it wasn't enough -- it was half baked.

I don't get the sense that anything will be half baked this off season.

I think this has merit - but if this is the thought process (you need a good season or you’re out) and you are DQ…

Do you hinge your future on a 30 year old with no experience?

I sure don’t.

 

[Solitary Man]

Vote you lazy bastards!

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think this has merit - but if this is the thought process (you need a good season or you’re out) and you are DQ…

Do you hinge your future on a 30 year old with no experience?

I sure don’t.

I wouldn't either.

But combining Peters and Quinn who in seperate press conferences at times came off beaten about the season. Quinn finally firing his close pal, Whitt. Firing Kliff. Hiring Blough it seems partly because he was afraid he would be taken by another team and he'd be left holding the bag and stopping from letting in his mind LaFleur-McDaniel bolting round 2 happen to him like it did in Atlanta. Arguably his demise in Atlanta was instigated partly by all of that.

lol, all has a bit of a crazy as a I mentioned a coach version of a late mid life crisis -- it doesn't feel to me like a dude who feels comfortable with the status quo.

 

[Boone]

I can’t add much beyond what has already been stated in the 34 pages of content on this thread. What I will point out is this…

If there ever was a time to roll the dice on a very inexperienced coach in David Blough, it is right now. As we all know, Quinn initially took over a depleted roster and we turned it over by more than 60 percent in his first year. The magic of ‘24 was just that - magic. The reality is (and as 2025 showed) there is still enormous work to be done to get this roster to true championship levels and to allow it to attain sustainable success year in and year out.

Had we built on ‘24 last season and been knocking on the door of a Super Bowl appearance again, sure, timing wise I would also be saying the Blough hire is ridiculous. Sitting at 5-12 though with holes everywhere on this roster, what’s there to lose seeing if Blough has chops to handle the gig?

I think what there is 'to lose' is the same thing we experienced in 2025. They could've (as you said) built for the long haul and stayed disciplined to the long range plan. Instead they said 'Hey, we got to a game away from a Super Bowl - why not go all in now and see if we can shortcut the rebuilding process?'. That got us decisions like Lattimore and giving up draft picks to 'win now'. I am not 'down' on the Blough hire. But if it doesn't work out (and I mean - really work out - because we let a highly competent OC walk) it will mean starting over AGAIN on the most important side of the ball. It will likely get Quinn fired so it will mean starting over everywhere. It will also be a disaster for Jayden Daniels. That's a gigantic roll of the dice to take.

I'm sort of with KDawg on this one. I think Quinn values loyalty and control over most other things. He is big on the collaboration talk, but in reality he fears failing again at HC and wants to control every possible factor to keep that from happening. I think the Blough hire is more about that and appeasing Jayden Daniels than it is his belief Blough is the next Sean McVay, but that's just my gut feeling.

 

[KDawg]

I think what there is 'to lose' is the same thing we experienced in 2025. They could've (as you said' built for the long haul and stayed disciplined to the long range plan. Instead they said 'Hey, we got to a game away from a Super Bowl - why not go all in now and see if we can shortcut the rebuilding process?'. That got us decisions like Lattimore and giving up draft picks to 'win now'. I am not 'down' on the Blough hire. But if it doesn't work out (and I mean - really work out - because we let a highly competent OC walk) it will mean starting over on the most important side of the ball. It will also be a disaster for Jayden Daniels.

I'm sort of with KDawg on this one. I think Quinn values loyalty and control over most other things. He is big on the collaboration talk, but in reality he fears failing again at HC and wants to control every possible factor to keep that from happening. I think the Blough hire is more about that and appeasing Jayden Daniels than it is his belief Blough is the next Sean McVay, but that's just my gut feeling.

He also probably doesn't see Blough as a threat to him at the moment. McDaniel is. Stefanski is.

I'm REALLY interested in the DC hire. If it's Ulbrich, that point kind of fades away. If it's Graham - there isn't an imminent and immediate threat (but Graham is a good hire, imo). If it's someone lesser known there is no threat.

I'd be shocked if we pull a big name coordinator for the defense.

 

[DieselPwr44]

If you fire Quinn after only three seasons,with the roster as big a mess as it ever was, and if Harris is meddling as far as the player budget is concerned(as some here have speculated)...did we really just trade one bad owner for another?

 

[KDawg]

If you fire Quinn after only three seasons,with the roster as big a mess as it ever was, and if Harris is meddling as far as the player budget is concerned(as some here have speculated)...did we really just trade one bad owner for another?

The roster is a mess in part because of DQ and AP. As is the coaching staff.

I don't view an owner deciding on how much to pay out as meddling - I see that as business.

Meddling is mandating who to sign (which is different than having conversations with the personnel guys about players you like.)

 

[DWinzit]

He also probably doesn't see Blough as a threat to him at the moment. McDaniel is. Stefanski is.

I'm REALLY interested in the DC hire. If it's Ulbrich, that point kind of fades away. If it's Graham - there isn't an imminent and immediate threat (but Graham is a good hire, imo). If it's someone lesser known there is no threat.

I'd be shocked if we pull a big name coordinator for the defense.

I also do not see a big name DC. Why would they want to come here? They would have DQ looking over their shoulder, just doesn't feel healthy for a good DC.

That said, I do like Ulrich and from what I have learned on Graham, I like him. I can still see Raheem come here after he realizes it's his only coordinator option this year

 

[HOF44]

If you fire Quinn after only three seasons,with the roster as big a mess as it ever was, and if Harris is meddling as far as the player budget is concerned(as some here have speculated)...did we really just trade one bad owner for another?

No arguing that Blough is a lot cheaper than MM would be.

 

[HOF44]

The roster is a mess in part because of DQ and AP. As is the coaching staff.

I don't view an owner deciding on how much to pay out as meddling - I see that as business.

Meddling is mandating who to sign (which is different than having conversations with the personnel guys about players you like.)

Limiting the budget to much can put you at a competitive disadvantage

 

[DieselPwr44]

The roster is a mess in part because of DQ and AP. As is the coaching staff.

I don't view an owner deciding on how much to pay out as meddling - I see that as business.

Meddling is mandating who to sign (which is different than having conversations with the personnel guys about players you like.)

AP: We have $100 million to spend.
Harris: No you have 70 million to spend.

That's meddling and hamstringing your club IMO.

If that is actually going on.*

 

[KDawg]

Limiting the budget to much can put you at a competitive disadvantage

AP: We have $100 million to spend.
Harris: No you have 70 million to spend.

That meddling and hamstringing your club IMO.

If that is actually going on.*

Where is this message even coming from? There is a salary cap and floor.

Are we seriously so desperate for hope that we are trying to put DQ and AP's failures on Harris?

Harris might suck - I don't know. But what we very clearly can SEE with this team has missteps from the HC and GM for the 2025 season.

Did signing Deebo for big money help us? I'd say it hurt us. It made Terry hold out (he was being paid more than Terry) and it tied up a ton of money in the receiver room for an overall very mediocre product (72 rec on 99 targets, 727 yards for Deebo).

Bad decision after bad decision. That doesn't mean I'm out on AP or DQ. I think they misstepped coming off of the NFCCG. I think they can right the ship. But the start of this offseason is uninspiring.

 

[DWinzit]

Did signing Deebo for big money help us? I'd say it hurt us. It made Terry hold out (he was being paid more than Terry) and it tied up a ton of money in the receiver room for an overall very mediocre product (72 rec on 99 targets, 727 yards for Deebo).

That factoid is going to knock a few Deebo fan posters for a loop!

It will be interesting to see if he is back in 26. WIth all the needs, they shouldn't pay him near what they did this season

 

[skinsinparadise]

I

AP: We have $100 million to spend.
Harris: No you have 70 million to spend.

That's meddling and hamstringing your club IMO.

If that is actually going on.*

If that's the case. We don't know. But I get the sense even if that was the case last year, it likely won't be this year. But it could also be something in between where Harris and or Peters didn't think it was necessary considering they were so close the year before. I get the sense that the mistake registers with them now. As I mentioned, when Peters went into how they had some WR targets but were out of price range and then goes they learned a lesson from it - to me that's another telegraphing that they will be all in this off season after half assing last off season.

They had if I recall top 3 in cap space last year. But spent the 14th most. that's wild. As an agent said to Standig he was surpised that they didn't go all in with the rookie QB contract.

The reason why they signed so many older players was they were cheap. Keim seems to hint in his podcasts he doesn't expect round 2 of this. All of it sounds good in the context of this off season. But last off season, they went 30 miles an hour and paid the price for it. Yeah they went 100 miles an hour to fix their O line, they were all in on that but that was it.

I will give Peters-Harris that they were all in during the 2024 season with the Lattimore trade. But in 2025, they were all in on one spot, and that's it. Everything else was IMO half assed. But I think it registers with them and i think its all hands on deck now. It's like studying for finals, acing one final, getting an F on the other 4. I don't think that will happen again.

I think by and large Peters moves in 2025 were mostly good. But either he or Harris or both of them were thinking too small and they paid the price IMO.

 

[HOF44]

Deebo wasn’t big money in today’s free agency. Spending doesn’t guarantee success. But being near the floor would.

They were cheap in FA last year. The Blough hire is gonna be cheap. If they go cheap in FA this year I’d say there is enough evidence to declare a cash flow problem. If they spend this year, then it was just bad judgment last year.

 

[Boone]

I didn't have a problem with the Deebo signing (and still don't) - the problem isn't that they signed him, the problem is that he was expected to be our #2 WR and he is not that guy any longer (if he ever was). As a #3 who you can move all over the field, he is still a dynamic threat and probably will remain one for a couple more years. The point about alienating Terry is an interesting one, but I think the problem with McLaurin was that they waited too long to resolve the situation, not so much that they 'created' the issue by signing Deebo. McLaurin has probably always felt like he was a top tier talent being paid as a 2nd tier talent - Deebo deal aside.

 

[KDawg]

Deebo wasn’t big money in today’s free agency. Spending doesn’t guarantee success. But being near the floor would.

Wait, what?

Deebo was the 17th highest paid receiver in the entire NFL.

Terry is now 10th.

We had two receivers paid in the top 20.

Do you think Deebo belongs in that group of receivers?

There's a couple of other grossly overpaid players in that bucket, too.