I think they accidentally drafted three transformative players in as many years - Chancellor in 10, Sherman in 11, Russ in 12 - and, more or less, realized the potential of those hits.

Any one of those three players could have altered the course of a franchise, and they somehow landed all three. They should have two Super Bowls to show for it, but they at least have one. I have a hard time saying they blew it. NFL windows are fleeting - you strike while the iron is hot or it cools off faster than it heated up.