kungfoodude

No panic trades, please. Value picks at reasonable prices are fine. There is no silver bullet out there that fixes all the pass rush problems and certainly not at a reasonable price. Preserve future draft capital and just get another rotational guy, IF necessary.

I don't think it can be underestimated how much that both Bryce and AT relied on that connection. They elevated each others play. Frankly, we haven't had anyone AS capable of filling that void. Not to say in the end we won't be better off because all these potentially future core players like TMac, Coker, Horn, etc are getting more reps and accelerating those learning curves.

Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield were very successful in their first few seasons in the NFL. Geno Smith and Sam Darnold were busted prospects that took many stops to "figure it out." Even then, their career arcs aren't set. Lawrence has been a unquestioned bust versus the hype he came into the league with. He still hasn't figured it out nor does it seem he will be able to live up to that massive contract. It remains to be seen if he is a cautionary tale from that era of mega-contracts or he eventually figures it out and becomes an above average NFL starting QB.

I have seen little inclination that they are laying down on him, that I can agree with. I don't think we are going to ever see much in the way of unfiltered opinions in the public realm from his teammates because that's extremely rare and extremely toxic behavior. It's certainly a positive thing that they support him but, again, that doesn't make a successful NFL starting QB. Playing well on Sunday's does. That is what has been lacking to date. He is not playing well consistently enough to be considered an NFL starting QB. He has to improve there. Be more consistent. Be more decisive. Make correct decisions more frequently.

That's fine but for every Kurt Warner there are 10 Tony Banks that don't find their spot because....it never really existed. Jake Browning was on and off practice squad teams for years until he stuck in Cincy. In his limited action over the past two seasons, he has played well enough that the Bengals panic traded for 41 year old Joe Flacco. It's easy to point to outliers like Warner or Purdy or Tom Brady as players who fell through the cracks because....well, they are outliers. The statistics over the long term have never really borne out the argument that every QB is just waiting for their perfect spot and situation. Most of these guys bounce around the league and it just never really clicks anywhere or they become marginal backup QB's. I don't think that exactly an accident. It's tough to be a starting NFL QB and it's why the hunt every offseason is so frantic. There are just so few that do it at a high level. My guess is that a theoretical market for Bryce Young(today) is going to look a lot like that post Chicago Justin Fields market. Not a lot of interest and a late round pick value at the highest. And a lot of that IS going to be his average to below average physical traits. It's extremely tough to be in that range and excel in the NFL. And it's precisely because you DO have to be closer to perfection to make up for the fact that you can't do a lot of the things that the elite to above average starters in this league do.

Fair enough. I don't think many would argue that situations can certainly make players(much like you are suggesting). However, when players keep changing situations and not being successful, what then? This has always sort of been my point with the historical evaluation problem we have experienced as a franchise. Not saying it is 100% accurate but it's really, REALLY high. That's generally what my perception of Bryce is. He isn't a guy that is likely to be successful almost any place in the NFL.

I mean, I understand his teammates publicly support him. He genuinely seems like a good person, for sure. That is not what makes a successful NFL QB, unfortunately.

Sucks for him but ride the young guys.

Or even someone like Trevor Lawrence who isn't a game manager. Paying a mid to low end QB top 10 money is cap suicide.

Yes but this is the Kyle Allen argument. The eye test for Allen was rough even during the "Baby GOAT" streak. To an extent Bryce is similar. The eye test isn't the best even in these wins. TO's, missed throws, missed reads, etc. However, he has definitely made some good to great throws too. They are just too few and far between

I absolutely dunk all over Sam Darnold and will continue(unless he proves me wrong) to but Bryce has never at his best been as good as Darnold at his best. Bryce at his worst looks an awful lot like Darnold at his worst.

Well, Mahomes has won 3 Super Bowls and only one of those was in his rookie contract. Plus he has been to two more outside of that contract. Possibly he is an outlier in the guys you mention.

I just don't see this turning into a franchise QB situation with his wild inconsistency. The offense has gotten better but it's been more not as a result of him than as a result of him.

Always be wary of a QB in Shanahan's system. Not that they might not be good but that they will definitely look a lot better than they likely are.

Spencer Rattler??

Jones also had played well enough in his career to have been considered a starting caliber NFL QB without too mucb argument from most. His decline was significant but I personally attributed a lot of that to the "QB genuis" Brian Daboll and his neverending stream of underperforming QB's. I don't think Jones ends up having an MVP caliber type season but he could easily have a Sam Darnold 2024-esque season on that offense.

Corbett was a very good OG. I would not mind seeing him back there again. It's literally where he belongs. I mean until his next injury, obviously.

He seems to have the ego to match said actions. Not sure I would buy that source given that it didn't get much national attention. That's the sort of thing ESPN would spew for days on end if it had any shred of credibility.

AJ Brown is a proven commodity. That's the difference. TMac is getting near eclipsing XL's entire career production less than halfway through his rookie season. That's a prime example of why people bitch about XL.

Small sample size still. I am not getting too high on this class for that reason. But, the early returns are waaaay above my expectations overall. I just don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

The one thing you can say about him is that he genuinely does have like 4-5 years before he is a bust. XL was 24. The NFL window is SOOOOOOO small. If he clicked on all cyclinders from day one, he might be around and still productive at 32. Might.

It's about attributes, production, etc. Evaluation is tough. But there are things that should stick out like a sore thumb. Not loving football is first and foremost. You can be the best athlete on the planet but if you just happen to be GOOD at football but don't really have passion for it....it is NOT going to work out in the NFL. Same with being an insane athlete but being at an elementary level of your progression. DJ Johnson, great example. We don't have until you are 32 for you to progress to being a quality rotational player.

That's fine however we seem to like a project that is SOOOOO clearly a project(XL being the most recent example). That's what BAD franchises do.

I am okay with that to an extent. What I am not gonna be okay with is some big contract extension.

I desperately wish Matt Rhule on a college AND fanbase that empathically stated that they care more about football than they do little kids being sexually abused.