Well then, you and Memyslefislamicfundamentalist should make quite a fortune telling tandem...

Eh, I think you're just being really ticky tack. You're using hindsight when considering where this season has gone I think it retrospect it looks actually like a pretty good move. It allows Wilson to be able to take some reps in actual game situations... which for next year I think is more important than making sure a backup RG gets some snaps.

Putting a guy on the roster that's injured for over half the year is bad idea to start with. The guy has talent, but he was unproven. Maybe a guy with superstar talent, but not a rookie.

I said then it was a bad move then, I still feel it was.

I don't think it matters because A) It isn't like we cut someone who would have made a difference in this year and B) He gets a jump start on next year, and we'll need all the help we can get...

This year is over. It would have been over with Wilson on or off IR. Unless he can play LB or CB...

Yeah it is not like Will Shields is almost ready to retire and a young Ryan Lilja might have been able to replace him when he does.

I disagree Brad, we gave up on a DL or a OL position that might up bloosomed in our system with another year. Wilson would have been protected for next year.

Who's to say Ryan, Eric or Eddie might have not flourished with a year/ another year with us ? Pile and Harts spent plenty of time on the practice squad / active squad. Some guys take longer to develope, some never do.

But to take a guy with potential, leave him inactive for 11 weeks, with 9 of those weeks doing nothing is not using your roster to it's fullest .

BTA, IMHO.

Drama anyone? If Lilja was that good, he'd have made the roster anyway. Just because he starts for an NFL team now, that doesn't neccessairly mean he's good...we have an entire defense that's living proof of that.

I kind of like the idea that we'll get him back in time to get him 4-5 games of live action experience. That fact that the season's a bust just makes it easier to take more chances/lumps with him.

DV liked him alot, spoke highly of him until the bad game he had in Dallas, then it was DV idea to cut and sign him to the PS.

Again, some guys take longer to develope than others, some never do.

That's an excellent take.

If Tony Gonzalez is injured and destined to miss the first 10-12 games of the season, keep a roster spot open for the guy. You don't keep a roster spot available for a rookie who has never played a snap in the NFL. Especially not when you put another one of your developmental players at risk. That Lilja loss could potentially haunt us for a long time.

I will say this, now that they have wasted this roster spot for most of the season. I hope he gets a ton of action in the last 4-5 games.

So how many games is too many to wait? It seems like Wilson was originally slated to be back in about 8 weeks.

To be honest, I don't give a sh*t what Vermeil said about Lilja. Vermeil still won't admit that woods sucks. Given the choice between having a second round pick available late in the season, or keeping some PS guy that would likely never see the field, I'm inclined to choose the guy that has more potential to have an impact.

Being as Lilja as I understand it has actually been getting playing time it would seem that DV was right this time. When Shields is near retirement how can you be so cavalier about a potential replacement?

First off, Lilja is getting playing time because Indy's O-line is decimated by injuries. But even so, you're using the hindsight of knowing he's capable of playing to determine we shouldn't have let him go.

And I'm not cavalier at all. I'm just not ignoring the fact that we have other players that the coaches felt are more capable of filling the role should the need arise. It's not like we don't have back-up O-linemen.

If you want to point a finger at the lack of depth on the O-line, look no further than the nine D-linemen we have, many of whom have no business being on an NFL team.

I disagree, it is not hindsight when DV himself said he made a mistake just a couple of days after Lilja was picked up. Saying he made the mistake of believing he could slip him through on waivers. Personally I have not seen any quality backup young guards on this squad. Who are you referring to when you say that?

The bottom line is putting Wilson on IR and keeping Lilja wouldn't have made one bit of a difference. We'd still be 3-8 with Lilja. There isn't anyone on our practice squad or on any other team's practice squad or anyone roaming around out there in free agency right now that would've made us anything other than 3-8.
I'm happy they kept Wilson on the 53 man roster. Maybe he'll get some snaps. I'd rather have Wilson available eventually than have some offensive lineman we don't need sitting there not even dressing because he's buried on the depth chart of the deepest and best unit on the team.