Caserio gets benefit of the doubt until trouble shows up on the field, but there have been a head scratching moves especially in hindsight.
- Trade back with Minnesota got good Jimmy Johnson draft chart point value, but at #23 they couldāve had a starting WR with Worthy, Pearsall, or Mitchel (#3 now, maybe #2 next year if Nico walks). Or got a consensus starting CB in Terion Arnold (or they couldāve moved up a couple spots to get Quinyon Mitchell).
- I know what Caserio said his logic was for reducing Diggsās contract length and extending Mixon, but I donāt agree with either. Diggs was under a team-friendly non-guaranteed contract. If you thought thereās a good chance he becomes a cancer, you shouldnāt trade for him. You traded the 2025 Vikings 2nd (likely somewhere in the #35-45 range) for a one year rental of Diggs, who you already acknowledge could turn into a problem? Joe Money Mixonā¦the Bengals know him the best and felt he wasnāt worth the base money left on his deal. Texans couldāve let it play out with Mixon in a contract year to get the best effort and production from him. Instead, they gave him more money and less motivation, extending him into an age where most RBs start to fall off.
- Sitting at #42, after the run on OTās, they misread the room on Sweatās value, and waited too long while āfirst round talentā DBs Koolaid and DeJean were taken at #40 and 41. They missed an anchor DT (position of need) or better DB and took a slow CB.
- CJ was advocating for Hall Jr. and I guess they may have thought heād be there at #59, but they thought wrong.
- Burning a 4th that was part of their other trade just to move up 8 spots in the late 3rd round to take a skinny safety who struggles against the run and played on a bad defense is questionable. They couldāve taken JT Sanders there, or stayed at #86 and taken him while keeping #123. Oh they didnāt need to draft a TE? They took Stover who seems like a project with their next pick.
Iām not going to criticize later round picks since they are practically scratch off lotto tickets with low hit rates. At least they didnāt take a former aggy 12th man, I guess. If theyād come away with Dejean/Koolaid, OT or S at #59, and JT Sanders it would look a lot better on paper and to fans, and likely better odds at on field production in the short term when weāre trying to win during CJās rookie contract.