Originally posted by buck:
First, Baldwin.
As I said, I think he will be activated this week. So, we will see. You think he should have been activated in the first three games.
As I said, I am not so sure. We do not know to what degree learning the play book is an issue. But, I will concede that he could have been put in for a few plays.
You did ignore my point about having Baldwin earning his spot and its importance because of his red flags. Baldwin has had a reputation for being a head case ever since he days in college. Andy Reid quit on Baldwin for a reason.
If the coaching staff feels that Baldwin has to earn his spot as a step in cleaning up his act, so be it. We have not heard anything, but that does not mean there is not anything there. This is an important point, we have not heard anything. We do not know all that much.
As you know, my original reaction was to your assertion that we never utilize our players.
Now, you are saying that Baldwin, Jacobs, and AJ Jenkins are examples that show we never use our players.
For the sake of argument, I will concede that Harbaugh should have played each of those three players sooner or more often.
Again, this concession is only for this argument.
How does not using three players sufficiently = never utilizing our players?
That was your assertion. I do not expect you to acknowledge that this assertion is so exaggerated that it has little or no merit.
Anyway, if we look at those three players. Jacobs has not been doing very well in New York. AJ Jenkins has not been great in KC.
And we have no concrete or specific information about what has been happening with Baldwin.
Again, I hope that Baldwin is active for the Rams game. I hope he plays, and I hope he plays really well.
Your willingness to use exaggerations and unfounded speculations to criticize Harbaugh and Baalke seems both boundless and endless.
I don't think I "ignored" your point about the so-called "red flags", I said I haven't heard anything and that was why I asked you whether you have ? You are saying just because we haven't heard anything that is not to say there hasn't been red flags, well my response to that is not until we know there has been red flags we can't just assume there has been red flags.
As to my point on Harbaugh "not utilizing players", I have put it in different ways previously such as a "knack of" or "never", if you want to jump on me on the word "never" then be it. I was merely trying to point out there seems to be a trend there. And when I looked at what is happening to Baldwin, an alarm went off in my head as I could see the potential of that happening again.
As to your point of Brandon Jacobs, you can't just look at his performance "now". That is simply not a fair assessment, he is older now and hadn't played for pretty much a full year. You need to rewind the clock, when we signed him it was right after the Giants had won the Super Bowl. He was still providing healthy contribution and was a difference maker in certain situations. If you remember right, both him and Bradshaw were basically a 2-headed monster on Giants' run game which we didn't have a whole lot of answer to. Yes, he did injure himself in the preseason, but he had healed by week 4-5 if I am not wrong. And yet how many times did we play him ? We played him in 2 games with 5 carries for 7 yards in short yardage situations. And because of that people thought he was crap ?! Are you serious ? The mistake was we only used him in short yardage situations when he certainly had far more to offer based on what he could do in 2011. His current situation with the Giants is different cos they have David Wilson and he is now 31.
As for Jenkins, well he is getting snaps at least. Whether he is any good or can become any good is another matter. The point is if you don't play him, you will never know. I guess that is precisely why Andy Reid is playing him.
Oh by the way, I think someone posted Baldwin was seen wearing a scout jersey and doesn't look likely he will play in this game. So much for accusations huh ?!
If you think my "willingness to use exaggerations to criticize Harbaugh and Ballke are boundless", then by the same token I believe your assessment of Harbaugh and Baalke has been clouded and even blinded by your profound love for the two men to a point that is beyond reproach and quite frankly may require you to seek help. I, on the other hand, look at things as they are without prejudice. Yes, I do critic, but I also give credit where credit is due. If you can remember, I gave Baalke full credit for admitting to his own mistake by trading AJ Jenkins in a timely fashion. And what were the majority of people here were saying ? They couldn't believe he would trade away a 1st round pick after just one season and yet I defended him, did I not ? Where was the exaggeration in that huh ?