2021 NFL Season

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Something about Tua and his throwing motion has always bugged me. I don't think he has a good arm.

Plus he's left handed. How many successful lefties have there been? Steve Young. Can't think of anyone else.

Oh Threadgill when he played for the Stamps.. haha

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

Didn't Tua miss an entire year due to injury in his draft year? I didn't follow it too closely but I seem to recall a lot of doubts around him as well as if he'd recover fully.

He suffered a pretty severe Hip Injury near the end of his draft year. The rally cry going into that season was Tank for Tua. It was similar to the injury that wrecked Bo Jackson's career, but with Tua it was immediately evident and they treated it immediately. With Bo Jackson, I read that he didn't flinch, and it wasn't until it was too late that they realized it happened.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Judging any Alabama QB is hard (see: Mac Jones), they essentially play on an all-star team. Elite WRs, elite OLine, plus the SEC kinda sucks outside the top teams so the competition level isn't as high either. I've said I thought Herbert would bust, but that was driven by anti-Oregon QB bias. I never liked Tua either, I thought he was a system QB thru and thru. But if Allen and Mahomes and Herbert have shown us anything, it's that unless you have a truly top talent like a Trevor, it's better to risk it on arm talent then "safe bets". Safe bets just mean it won't be JaMarcus. But if you're stuck with an Alex Smith level QB, isn't swinging for the fences on a potential Mahomes, with the risk it turns into JaMarcus, a better play?

[Erick Estrada]

A lot of the time it comes down to the fit. Mahomes was an intriguing prospect because of the arm talent and bloodlines. A lot of scouts felt that Texas Tech didn't run an NFL style offense and Mahomes would need work to adjust. I feel he went to the absolute best place any QB could land and I'm not sure he would be the same QB had say the Bears drafted him. I think in a generic west coast offense with less weapons that he may have been a turnover prone QB. He still would have been a legit starter but I'm not sure he's the same guy in a lesser offense as Andy Reid makes things really easy for the QB.

[Sylvanfan]

Dak Prescott also was drafted into a pretty good situation, and when he's been healthy he's always produced because he's been part of a good offence with good players.

Maybe Tua has a better year if he doesn't get his ribs cruched in week one, and if he at least had Will Fuller and Davante Parker more frequently to supplement Waddle as weapons.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Dak Prescott also was drafted into a pretty good situation, and when he's been healthy he's always produced because he's been part of a good offence with good players.

Maybe Tua has a better year if he doesn't get his ribs cruched in week one, and if he at least had Will Fuller and Davante Parker more frequently to supplement Waddle as weapons.

Yeah Dak came into a situation where he really only had to hand off the ball to prime Elliott and make throws off play action behind the best offensive line in football. That enabled him to develop into a better QB over time. I don't think Tua is terrible but to me he's a system QB (like Mack Jones) that can't make every throw but can be successful if everything around him is in place and that's not a bad thing as few teams hit the jackpot on QB's in the draft.

[Senator Clay Davis]

QB desperation + the advantages of the rookie deal have essentially wiped out the QB middle class. Someone like Cousins on $20 million per would be pretty reasonable. But if he gets to market right now for instance, a desperate team will throw $35 million+ per at him and that's that. We really need that middle class where good but not great QBs who can win with great situations can be paid reasonably and not at a true franchise QB level. But if you have to pay middling QBs franchise money it just makes it more difficult to build the necessary team.

[GirlySports]

Yeah, who would that be? Even Garopollo and Tannehill are making nearly $30 mill.

Are we talking about $12 million Teddy Bridgewater?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

But if you're stuck with an Alex Smith level QB, isn't swinging for the fences on a potential Mahomes, with the risk it turns into JaMarcus, a better play?

Poor Alex Smith.

He wasn't Aaron Rodgers, but he's probably better than people are giving him credit for here.

Had a great career record at least, especially the second half of his career.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I don't even mean to pick on Alex Smith, but he's the prototype for the QB who is "Good enough to make you a playoff team, but not good enough to win a Super Bowl". It keeps you in a perpetual rut of mediocrity, hoping absolutely everything breaks your way to win a Super Bowl because your quarterback can't win in less than ideal circumstances. The Chiefs Super Bowl run is a perfect example, they fell behind by 10+ in every game. Does Alex Smith make all of those comebacks? No shot. Mahomes did and they have a SB because they dared to upgrade. If Mahomes had flopped I'm sure we would have had a bunch of revisionist takes that the Chiefs should have stuck with Alex Smith, but I seriously doubt they would have won a Super Bowl sticking with Alex Smith.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I don't even mean to pick on Alex Smith, but he's the prototype for the QB who is "Good enough to make you a playoff team, but not good enough to win a Super Bowl". It keeps you in a perpetual rut of mediocrity, hoping absolutely everything breaks your way to win a Super Bowl because your quarterback can't win in less than ideal circumstances. The Chiefs Super Bowl run is a perfect example, they fell behind by 10+ in every game. Does Alex Smith make all of those comebacks? No shot. Mahomes did and they have a SB because they dared to upgrade. If Mahomes had flopped I'm sure we would have had a bunch of revisionist takes that the Chiefs should have stuck with Alex Smith, but I seriously doubt they would have won a Super Bowl sticking with Alex Smith.

The thing is that for a team to win with an Alex Smith, you need the game to stay completely on script and be entirely in control the whole way. The minute things go off script and you have to adjust, those types can't seem to go outside their limits to make that extra play. Even in that Superbowl after Mahomes got the Chiefs in front, Jimmy G had a wide open Emanuel Sanders and overthrew him to come back and take the lead. When he had to make a play to save his team...he couldn't.

It's very hard to play 3 games where things stay completely on script in the NFL against other good teams.

Compare what Kirk Cousins did to Mahomes or Rogers...does it look like he should be paid 60% of what they are based on stats. Probably not. But come the key moment, nobody is taking Kirk over those guys.

I guess you draft a QB hope he founds a wildly successful clothing brand, marries a Supermodel worth 9 figures, and keeps playing the game as a 20 million dollar a year hobby for an extra 10 years?

[transplant99]

Safety Eric Weddle has come out of retirement and signed with the Los Angeles Rams for the playoffs after the season-ending injury to Jordan Fuller.

Weddle's return to the Rams was announced by his agent, David Canter, on Wednesday. The Rams later announced that they had signed Weddle to their practice squad.

Fuller, the Rams' defensive signal-caller, suffered an ankle injury that will require season-ending surgery in Los Angeles' overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Fuller was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-rams-playoffs

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

The thing is that for a team to win with an Alex Smith, you need the game to stay completely on script and be entirely in control the whole way. The minute things go off script and you have to adjust, those types can't seem to go outside their limits to make that extra play. Even in that Superbowl after Mahomes got the Chiefs in front, Jimmy G had a wide open Emanuel Sanders and overthrew him to come back and take the lead. When he had to make a play to save his team...he couldn't.

It's very hard to play 3 games where things stay completely on script in the NFL against other good teams.

Compare what Kirk Cousins did to Mahomes or Rogers...does it look like he should be paid 60% of what they are based on stats. Probably not. But come the key moment, nobody is taking Kirk over those guys.

I guess you draft a QB hope he founds a wildly successful clothing brand, marries a Supermodel worth 9 figures, and keeps playing the game as a 20 million dollar a year hobby for an extra 10 years?

Still crazy that Brady was picked in the 6th round when he showed his character at Michigan. He barely lost a game, Hensen did. Should have been like a 3rd rounder.

That said, history would have been interesting if he had lost the tuck rule game.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That said, history would have been interesting if he had lost the tuck rule game.

I believe the Raiders may have won the Super Bowl that season had the officials not pulled that one out of their rear ends.

[KelVarnsen]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1481676213714407429

https://twitter.com/user/status/1481680190992441347

Ouch

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The more interesting question is would Herbert actually usurp Burrow as the #1 overall pick in a redraft? I think it'd be very, very close but I'd probably take Herbert myself.

I'd personally go Burrow, I think he oozes leadership on top of everything else. But you really can't go wrong either way.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

https://twitter.com/user/status/1481676213714407429

https://twitter.com/user/status/1481680190992441347

Ouch

It's amazing how desperate teams are willing to ignore video and stats when it comes to QB's. The Colts are like the only people in North America that didn't realize that Wentz just isn't the guy and the Panthers are the only people in the world that felt that Sam Darnold has starting potential in the NFL. The fact that both of these teams actually gave up 1st or 2nd round draft capital to take on these contracts is just inexcusable. I don't get paid millions of dollars to make football decisions but I knew right away both of those moves would blow up in the face of these teams.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's amazing how desperate teams are willing to ignore video and stats when it comes to QB's. The Colts are like the only people in North America that didn't realize that Wentz just isn't the guy and the Panthers are the only people in the world that felt that Sam Darnold has starting potential in the NFL. The fact that both of these teams actually gave up 1st or 2nd round draft capital to take on these contracts is just inexcusable. I don't get paid millions of dollars to make football decisions but I knew right away both of those moves would blow up in the face of these teams.

The good news for the Colts is they have a lot of cap space, so they can draft a QB in the first or second round, grab a couple of decent FAs, and roll into 2022 with Wentz still as the starter. If he goes tits up as usual, then you plug your rookie in and see what you have there.

That said, if they flame out next year, it's likely the end of the line for Reich and Ballard.

[rubecube]

David Culley fired. Cal McNair is definitely in the conversation for worst owner in the NFL.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by rubecube

David Culley fired. Cal McNair is definitely in the conversation for worst owner in the NFL.

There were whispers for weeks his job was in jeopardy. It never made a lot of sense as 4 wins really isn't terrible given the talent on the roster and the fact they won 4 games the season before with Watson. Unless he wasn't getting along with people behind the scenes (as with Flores) this one really doesn't make a lot of sense. Not a great look for Caserio to fire his first hire after a year.