The devs balanced raids by having 2 tanks. If you don't have the tools to be a secondary tank, then you might as well replace them with a DPS. The tools I listed prevent that.

A PLD's core ability is not on a 30s cooldown, or any cooldown for that matter. A PLD's core abilities are Fast Blade, Savage Blade, and Rage of Halone. If you can't fathom how this makes PLDs a decent DPS machine, then you clearly haven't compared the potency on these skills with the skills the DPS have to work with. Sword Oath, Circle of Scorn, and Spirits Within are akin to the buffs and abilities off GCD that DPS have available.

And what do you mean "it takes a crystal ball to read"? Cover is another "oh shit" button. Are you seriously suggesting that "oh shit" buttons are too hard to use?