Andy Reid Gets Screwed by His Own GM! Oh wait...

As much crap as Andy Reid is getting for his gameday imcompetence, not enough attention is being paid to his off-the-field work - specifically the draft. The old NFL adage is teams are built through the draft, which is exactly what Reid's philosophy mirrors. Unfortunately, Super Dad doesn't seem to have the right tools to do so. The first 3 rounds of the draft should provide a team with the foundation they need to be successful for years to come. These should be your core guys. The guys you then surround with some strategic free agent signings, the role-playing late draft picks, and the occasional undrafted free agent. Well, lets take a look at how Reid has done building this team's foundation over the past several years. I'll go back to 2002 to help see why this team has struggled so much since its Super Bowl appearance. 2002: Lito Sheppard (1): was a solid CB for several years, but injuries and a soft streak have him being picked on in nickel situations. Michael Lewis (2a): Big hitting safety couldn't cover anyone. Signed as a free agent w/ San Fran in 2007. 2003: Jerome McDougle (1): Ankle, knee, hip, irregular heartbeat, gunshot wound, and rib fractures. Released. LJ Smith (2): Will always be the TE Reid took instead of Jason Witten. Soft. Fumble prone. Gone in 2009. Billy McMullen (3): Big WR who couldn't catch a cold. Traded to Vikes for Hank Baskett after 22 total catches. 2004: Matt Ware (3): Looked the part at safety, but generally played like crap. Did run a blocked kick back for a TD against Chargers though. 2005: Reggie Brown (2a): Promising possession guy, but never much more than that. Injuries have made him a ghost in 2008. Matt McCoy (2b): Reid's stellar history of drafting LB's in the 2nd round continued (Barry Gardner, Quinton Caver) with the mighty mite who sucked mightily. I think he had more penalties than tackles. Ryan Moats (3): One smallish back wasn't enough for Reid, so he took the bow-legged wonder from LA Tech. Unfortunately, Moats couldn't grasp the offense or stay healthy. But good thing Andy decided not to go for a big back, since Dallas and the Giants got stuck with Marion Barber and Brandon Jacobs respectively in the Round 4. 2006: Winston Justice (2): Two words: Osi Umenyiora. This is the guy who was supposed to replace Tra Thomas? The dude has no heart. Jon Runyan called him a pussy! Looks like Reid wanted company in the Gutless Wonder club. 2007: Kevin Kolb (2a): Traded out of the 1st round (to Dallas) and grabbed a QB who has yet to see any significant time on the field. Solid move Andy. Just what your aging, but still capable, QB needed to compete in the NFC East (Greg Olsen anyone?). Hopefully Reid won't be around to ruin Kolb when he gets his shot in 2009. Victor Abiamiri (2b): Not going to judge Abiamiri yet, but he made no impact in 2007, and little in the games he's played in this season. He's the 4th or 5th end on the team. Not what you want from a 2nd-rounder. Tony Hunt (3b): Can't block pass rushers. Can't block run stoppers. Can't find a spot on the roster anymore. 2008: Lorenzo Booker (traded a 4th round pick): Now taking a shot at Booker (even though he's smaller than Westbrook) was so terrible by itself. It was the fact Reid passed on Felix Jones in the 1st round because of the deal. IDIOT. I'm not about to say Reid has whiffed on every pick, but this is quite a collection of busts and nonproducers he's collected over the years in the early rounds. Maybe his coaching isn't so bad. He's managed to win a lot of games despite being screwed over by his own GM.