scoring the drafts

After 1997. Of course, Polian's reaches on things like three straight ill-fitting LBs for the 3-4 (Kinnon Tatum, Tarek Saleh, Matt Finkes) and drafting of druggies like Shawn King didn't help. He was very good at going to go get the guys that the coaches were familiar with (Steelers and Saints for Capers, for instance, Carrier for Williamson) but failed on his own guys (Beebe, Metzelaars, Reich), guys who didn't fit what we wanted to do. He also abandoned the team when he knew things weren't going to get any easier - the franchise QB he'd drafted was damaged goods and about to become a FA due to a clause he'd put in, the veterans were aging so quickly they were stepping down around the time he did, the guys he'd signed in 1997 had largely failed.

We had an OK draft in 1999 (three starters, one Pro Bowler with 5 picks, and Tony Booth working up to nickel until getting hurt), 2000 would've been fine if we had hit on the first pick or the much-needed linemen, and did very well in 01, 02, 03. I think, had we foregone the want to draft an early second day QB and FB there for a while, we would've done better, getting the scrappy, grunty defenders and blockers we needed. Other than the total abortion of the 1998 draft, where the little bit of good left over was nullified by the change in scheme, we've drafted better overall without Polian than with him.