t96

I remember it vividly. It was a check down to Tolbert and not a bad pass at all. Tolbert completely whiffed trying to catch it and popped it up in the air himself for the DB to easily grab. Completely absurd and fitting for the way that season was going and Ron is an idiot for benching Cam for 1 play over a fuging tie, but DA was definitely a solid backup for most of his time here. By the time that season rolled around he was pretty old and not as good but he was as good of a backup as you can get from like 2011-2015. We just fortunately didn't need him that much since Cam was such an iron man initially. DA's only 2 starts in that stretch were in 2014, a fluke preseason injury to Cam that held him out week 1 and then his car crash later in the season. DA played well and got us both wins. Yes we had a losing record that year but he ultimately helped us make the playoffs and we won a playoff game...

No, zero chance. NFL is trying to make the suspension longer. Watson wasn't fighting 6 games. NFL may not get their wish of more than 6 games but it's not going to backfire so far as him playing week 1.

2-3+ straight winning seasons/playoffs AND/OR Super Bowl win. I don't want more of the same from the JR era, having some really great seasons surrounded by mediocrity (or trash like 2010 and 2001) with no consistency from season to season but still not winning it all in our great seasons.

100% and it's just so obvious too. Sam plays timid and scared and when mistakes happen they pile on because he can't get them out of his mind and move on to the next play. He's a talented player when everything is going well as we saw the first month or so last season but QB is a position where you just can't have a guy who doesn't have full confidence in himself and the ability to pick himself up after mistakes. Baker is not lacking in confidence whatsoever and it will carry over to the field AND the locker room and other guys on the field. Maybe I'm drinking the Camp kool aid right now and should know better with this team but I have a feeling we'll really surprise people this year and be a solid playoff team.

Starting to think we're keeping Darnold in camp and giving him reps solely to push Baker to be even better and to compete rather than being handed the starting job. Trade/cut Darnold during preseason. If this is the plan then I like it.

Agree he needs more TDs, but to be fair this team has been dead last in passing TDs the last several years so it's not just his problem.

I've always been a big Wilks fan. He was in a little bit over his head as a D coordinator in his 1 year there, but as we'd find out a year later he was wayyyy better than Washington. I think our perception of Wilks had a bit to do with McD being so good here for so long. Still think it's complete bullshit the Cardinals hired him for 1 year and never gave him a real chance. I didn't think he was nearly ready to be a HC but to hire him and then give him the boot after 1 season, which wasn't even that terrible given the roster, is absolute bullshit. Was a hugely valuable member of the staff as secondary coach and assistant HC in our "Rivera/Gettleman glory days." Very glad we brought him back and I could easily see him being in line to take over at DC after Snow is gone.

Completely agree. We've pretty much had a strong and tough front 7 through our team's entire history (with a few outliers) up until Rhule became coach. It's disgusting to me not having a strong front 7 but I also recognize that in this current environment in this sport, the secondary is more important than the front 7. We will need a respectable front 7 which I'm not sure we have right now, but the secondary is looking elite and I'd rather have that and a weaker front 7 in this passing league than a strong front 7 and a weak secondary.

If we keep most of his cap hit I can see getting a late day 3 2024 pick or something. That's the best case ideal scenario, we get a tiny bit of cap space and a future pick for a guy who has no place on our roster. For a team like the Rams, Sam at like $3m for a 2024 7th round pick isn't terrible for a better backup than what they currently have.

Why is a mod perpetuating a silly back and forth?

I think anything can happen in camp but there’s a reason Smitty and TD rolled their eyes and laughed about it being a “competition.” It does seem Rhule is going to go with Baker to try to compete now and keep his job. If we were comfortable with Sam/Corral at all we wouldn’t have traded for Baker and kept being linked to Jimmy before that trade. We’ll see how it plays out but as of now I think it’s clear Baker is the favorite to start the season. I’m not sure of Baker at all personally, but I’m also not the one making the decision… I think there’s a chance Corral could outplay Baker in the next month and still be behind him. Also as much as Rhule will say otherwise I don’t think Sam has any chance to start the season, everyone saw enough from him last year.

I think with expectations like that you just set yourself up for disappointment. The guys getting paid lots of money to evaluate QBs passed over him 2+ times. I get you’re high on him, I like him too. Just think it’s unreasonable to expect him to start day 1. To think he’s capable of it, ok. But I will be happy if he just looks good in preseason and is able to beat out Darnold for the backup job.

Benjamin was a fat lazy fug, but also screw the refs for not calling it down immediately as it obviously was.

Pretty sure Wilson started behind Matt Flynn and Tavaris Jackson. He was so good in camp that he made the decision easy to move him up the lineup, then they traded Jackson just before the season and made Flynn the backup. I absolutely hope Corral can do the same thing, that would be incredible. But for every Wilson there are hundreds of guys who never pan out, so to expect Corral to show that much this early is unreasonable. Wilson is a likely hall of famer... There’s a reason he was able to win the job and he’s proven it over the course of his career.

Of course it won’t lol there were like 6 teams back then. Russell was a tremendously important figure for sports, civil rights, etc. Wilt was wayyyy better than him though. RIP big guy

For those who are new to the game or just like finding things to complain about, it’s completely normal for Corral to be starting out as 3rd string and getting the equivalent reps. The Steelers, a model franchise, have a top 20 pick starting with 3rd string reps, behind QBs pretty similar to ours. Baker is probably better than Mitch and Rudolph a bit better than Sam but overall a very similar situation. Baker/Mitch fine stopgaps but those other guys obviously have nothing to offer. Yet the Steelers seem poised to keep Pickett 3rd string throughout camp. I get it, there’s plenty of things to not like about Rhule, I’m not a fan either. But a late day 2 rookie walking into significant reps in training camp just doesn’t happen. Even a top 20 pick for one of the best run franchises in the league isn’t gifted those reps. The NFL has guys pay their dues, it’s just the way it is. In time his reps will increase and he will be able to develop. Just like Pickett will for the Steelers.

Something about Corral already feels way different (better) than most QBs we’ve had come through here. I kinda see him having at the very least a Minshew-esque career eventually. Hopefully better than that and soon, but not ideal having his reps limited behind Sam...

Has Corral gotten any run in the team drills?

Moore is underrated but most of those guys above him are quite a bit better so far. McLauren at 2 years older and not as good with a higher contract though… oof skins, bad contract

That was a beauty of a throw across his body while running. No denying Baker has upside and can make plays, just needs the consistency. Either way though he’s 100% a big upgrade on Darnold, and any other QB we’ve had since Cam’s shoulder fell apart.

Hard to evaluate points against when our offense gave other teams the ball several times per game, couldn’t sustain drives at all, and our ST play was terrible. I think our defense was great last year overall. Yes we gave away some leads but I think that was in large part because the D would get tired late in games having been on the field so much. We lost some players on D too though so we’ll see how they do this year. I’m optimistic about that side of the ball in general. Rhule and overall coaching along with QB play are my main concerns this year. OL should at the very least be average, likely above average and possibly elite. McCaffrey’s health is another key X factor. Him behind this line should make Baker’s job much easier.

nah I get it’s not ideal that he’s not 100% by now and that he missed a bunch of his rookie year but there’s just no reason to worry that he’s injury prone right now. CMC obviously yes he’s injury prone. Gronkowski? Luke with the concussions? Yeah. But until Horn has any other injuries he’s no different than a guy like Brady or Manning who each have had 1 serious injury in their entire careers and no other issues.

Ok and if he gets more different injuries then you can call him injury prone. Until then it’s pointless and stupid to do so.

What day do pads go on?

He’s had 1 fluke injury…