OldhamA

I missed the start of the game, is Mac Jones playing? I know he had an ankle injury and was doubtful.

It's where all the Deadspin staff who resigned went.

He's a demanding Head Coach. He'll quickly weed out who's a professional here to improve as a football player and win games and who's just interested in the pay cheque. If he wins the players will love it. If he loses he'll be fired - it is what it is.

He used to cover the San Francisco Giants I believe.

That's a different kettle of fish. Put me infront of my 60 colleagues and I'll happily hold court. Put me infront of 300 strangers and I'd be shaking like a leaf.

They're going after the money that he's scheduled to get paid, not the money he's already made.

Pretty much every guy we picked in 2020 was a plus athlete for their position.

There's a difference between being intelligent and being able to process a football field. The lowdown on Newman is that he struggles when asked to throw between the numbers because he just doesn't have a great picture of what's happening. He had a bad week at the Senior Bowl.

Burrow has a slightly better arm and he's a little bit more athletic. In the modern NFL an old school pocket QB is a tough sell. We've seen them dominate for the last two decades, but none of the new breed - Watson / Mahomes / Jackson / Allen (potentially Herbert) - fit that mould. It's also a much easier transition to the NFL - Allen is the poster boy for it. He had two so-so years and broke out in year three. He survived those first two years because he had supreme physical gifts - namely that he could run for a first down with alarming regularity and he has a plus arm so could force a throw that wouldn't be on for most QBs. I can certainly understand the trepidation about drafting Jones - and no way I'd do it at #8 - but I just get the sense he's going to surprise a lot of people.

No thank you. He's a guy that people fall in love with physically (albeit his footwork is awful), but he doesn't have it mentally. He doesn't process the field at all.

He's been, by far, the best QB at the Senior Bowl. The guy has done everything he possibly could: backed himself and turned down a scholarship at Kentucky to go to Alabama waited his turn to start - and obviously took on board ridiculously good coaching ably stepped in for Tua when he went down with his hip injury in 2019 surpassed what Tua did in 2020 (holding off a 5 star QB in the process) turned up to the Senior Bowl 2 weeks off winning the National Championship and balled in practices. At the end of the day he's not going to wow you with his physical gifts, but 90% of what makes a good QB is between the ears. I get very, very strong Tom Brady vibes from him. Obviously he's never going to hit those heights, but much like Tom Brady when you look back at his pre-Patriots career you think "man, how did all the scouts miss THOSE traits?" (Brady succeeded in college whenever they let him play - they were in love with Drew Henson at Michigan), I wouldn't not be surprised if the same rings true for Jones.

Sexually assaulting students last I heard.

Good lord those comments are embarrassing.

I think you've posted this picture by mistake. You said something of value.

He had Moore, Samuel, McCaffrey and Olsen.

All three 'stud' WRs had the best years of their careers under Bridgewater. Like I said - the stats don't match up to the hate the guy receives. But it is what it is - it's not a hill I'm going to die on.

He was middle of the pack when it comes to passing yards - he moved the offence, he just didn't finish enough drives. The way people talk about him it's like we paid $60m for Mike Glennon. He's obviously not the guy for the future - or potentially next year with the rumours circulating, but damn people have zero perspective. He was an ok starting NFL QB last year.

Am I looking at the same Bridgewater stats everyone else is?

Did it? I thought it was a sensational hire.

It's a franchise crippling deal for us - with a roster that needs all the help it can get. Watson threw for a billion yards last year and still only won 4 games. He'd be in the same situation here. As you state, the Jets and the Dolphins are perfectly poised to make the trade if they want. I can't imagine many other teams realistically being in with a shot.

Yes and he lit the world on fire with that supporting cast. I'm struggling to see how that is a negative.

Then honestly they fine him his entire salary for next year and try again. They're not going to give him up for peanuts.

The 4 everyone drools over have the arm strength and athleticism that allows a player to get away with things in the NFL - they have obvious flaws, but the potential is there. Allen is obviously the poster boy for this - he's blossomed in year 3 after 2 so-so years where he survived due to his physical gifts. Jones obviously plays by a different set of rules and it's why this week is huge for him. He needs to win with accuracy, poise and command of the offence. Brady / Brees / Manning et al show that this still flies in the NFL, but it's a tough sell in 2021. Our coaching staff getting hands on with him for a week will solidify his position on the Draft board - they already know what he can do from a physical stand point, they're clearly keen to see what he can do from a mental one.

I mean he can move a little bit, but he's not a running threat. If you're comparing them as athletes, Tua might be Brees and Jones might be Brady. Neither one of those guys is ever spied.

I've watched him play quite a lot - I actually like him as a player and really appreciate how he's developed (from backing up D'Eriq King in High School to finishing 4th in the Heisman voting). It's just the lack of velocity on his throws is jarring. It simply won't fly in the NFL. I think he's a career clipboard holder.