Can Sam Darnold play himself into becoming the 2023 starter?

[kungfoodude]

7 minutes ago, mav1234 said:

I agree with all this - as long as he's relatively cheap.  However, I think a new coach is likely to want to go in their own direction.  We'll see.

There is almost no chance that any new coach is going to be interested in re-signing Sam Darnold. 

The only one that might is basically Wilks.

[mav1234]

Just now, kungfoodude said:

There is almost no chance that any new coach is going to be interested in re-signing Sam Darnold. 

The only one that might is basically Wilks.

I'm honestly not so sure. It depends on the cost and what the plan is for him.

Wilks might be willing to bet his future on him, lol.  Hard to assess what he thinks of QBs tbh.

A new coach, esp. one that believes they can work with any QB, might be as fine with him as any other mid-tier backup. If it's clear we are going with young blood in the QB room for the future, a low-cost 2 year contract would probably fit a lot of coach's interests.  Sam isn't the kind of figure where a coach needs to clean house to leave his imprint either.

[*FreeFua*]

Just now, mav1234 said:

Yeah. This is why fumbles aren't always on a QB's exact stat sheet. Its true some INTs aren't on the QB, but that blindside sack-fumble was completely out of Sam's hands given how quick it was.  Sam's INT was definitely on him.

I am with you on going for a QB this offseason, but Sam has played quite well the last month+.  Certainly good enough to be our bridge or backup depending on what he wants, compensation wise.

Yeah I’m looking forward to watching him Sunday. 

The first 4 games they didn’t ask him to do much so it was tough to see if he made any progress at all. However on Sunday I thought he played really well. He went through multiple reads/progressions on numerous occasions. Used his eyes to manipulate defenders on others. The Moore TD and the ball to Ricci immediately come to mind

Hes played 5 games now without Gase or Rhule as his HC and they brought him along slowly the first 4. So yeah, I’m curious to see how he looks Sunday in New Orleans 

[kungfoodude]

2 minutes ago, mav1234 said:

I'm honestly not so sure. It depends on the cost and what the plan is for him.

Wilks might be willing to bet his future on him, lol.  Hard to assess what he thinks of QBs tbh.

A new coach, esp. one that believes they can work with any QB, might be as fine with him as any other mid-tier backup. If it's clear we are going with young blood in the QB room for the future, a low-cost 2 year contract would probably fit a lot of coach's interests.  Sam isn't the kind of figure where a coach needs to clean house to leave his imprint either.

The difference is that most coaches have guys that they are familiar with they can get from the free agent pool. Sam isn't going to be a hot commodity on the free agent backup QB market.

We will see but I would be very surprised if he goes quickly or for very much money.

[mav1234]

1 minute ago, *FreeFua* said:

Yeah I’m looking forward to watching him Sunday. 

The first 4 games they didn’t ask him to do much so it was tough to see if he made any progress at all. However on Sunday I thought he played really well. He went through multiple reads/progressions on numerous occasions. Used his eyes to manipulate defenders on others. The Moore TD and the ball to Ricci immediately come to mind

Hes played 5 games now without Gase or Rhule as his HC and they brought him along slowly the first 4. So yeah, I’m curious to see how he looks Sunday in New Orleans 

I think even in his limited action, he was showing signs of what we saw in his last 2 games (Although he had no pressure on him really vs DET, he still was playing well).  I was looking into some of his stats, ball placement, etc, and he has been SO MUCH different from last year. His decision making is through the roof, he's stretching the field on routes all over, processing reads at speeds we only saw during 2 minute drills, and while he still has to work on his deep ball timing to deliver it to the right place, he looks like a whole new QB. 

[glenwo2]

15 minutes ago, mav1234 said:

I agree with all this - as long as he's relatively cheap.  However, I think a new coach is likely to want to go in their own direction.  We'll see.

And this, right there, may be endgame for Sam as a Panther.

Of course if he accepts a backup role that won't affect the new head coach's desire to draft his guy, then he'll stick around, I imagine.

[mav1234]

1 minute ago, kungfoodude said:

The difference is that most coaches have guys that they are familiar with they can get from the free agent pool. Sam isn't going to be a hot commodity on the free agent backup QB market.

We will see but I would be very surprised if he goes quickly or for very much money.

Very very true. I think that Harbaugh coming in makes a Sam bridge the most likely, tbqh.  But I really think Sam is just a bridge for a new coach at most.

I'm not so sure RE: Sam being a hot commodity. If he plays at a high level on Sunday, he will have completed 6 games where he is at or near the top of the NFL over that course of play.  For us, that might not mean much since at best he's just fuged our draft position, but it's a big change for him. Still, given Sam's history, a high level of play Sunday is a question mark, lol.

[glenwo2]

2 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

The difference is that most coaches have guys that they are familiar with they can get from the free agent pool. Sam isn't going to be a hot commodity on the free agent backup QB market.

We will see but I would be very surprised if he goes quickly or for very much money.

well the Free Agent QB market isn't exactly all that stellar to begin with so I'm sure there could be a few takers.

Although if I'm Sam, would I want to go to another team and start running for my life again after finally being behind an effective O-Line for the first time in forever?

[Brooklyn 3.0]

I doubt Sam wants to be a backup. He may not have that option though. I seriously doubt he re-signs here to be the backup.

[kungfoodude]

Just now, mav1234 said:

Very very true. I think that Harbaugh coming in makes a Sam bridge the most likely, tbqh.  But I really think Sam is just a bridge for a new coach at most.

I'm not so sure RE: Sam being a hot commodity. If he plays at a high level on Sunday, he will have completed 6 games where he is at or near the top of the NFL over that course of play.  For us, that might not mean much since at best he's just fuged our draft position, but it's a big change for him. Still, given Sam's history, a high level of play Sunday is a question mark, lol.

I am pretty sure Harbaugh would mean he's on the street. The closest thing he had to Darnold was Blaine Gabbert as a backup in 2014. 

We will see what the market is for Sam. I suspect he isn't going to be quickly scooped up as a backup option. 

[kungfoodude]

3 minutes ago, glenwo2 said:

well the Free Agent QB market isn't exactly all that stellar to begin with so I'm sure there could be a few takers.

Although if I'm Sam, would I want to go to another team and start running for my life again after finally being behind an effective O-Line for the first time in forever?

That doesn't matter much as a backup. You come in only if the starter gets injured anyway.

[*FreeFua*]

[glenwo2]

2 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

That doesn't matter much as a backup. You come in only if the starter gets injured anyway.

I'm referring to the few DESPERATE teams willing to sign him as a STARTER. 

And if Sam desires to be a starter. 

 

[glenwo2]

5 minutes ago, Brooklyn 3.0 said:

I doubt Sam wants to be a backup. He may not have that option though. I seriously doubt he re-signs here to be the backup.

Then I wish him luck in his future endeavors.