Chris Mortensen: Bryce Young is the pick, they all love Bryce Young

[Ivory Panther]

2 minutes ago, backINblack28 said:

I feel like this timeline doesn't detract from the point I made about us making a lot of these decisions after the combine.  This article talks about how Fitterer pulled an offer before the combine and then after, he decided to not only put it back on the table but add a superstar WR to it.  That he pulled it before the combine and was okay with adding to it and going thru with it after to me isn't nothing esp that it's juxtaposed with Bryce Young not throwing there.  Doesn't mean we're going to do something or not but it lines up with what Vegas and the consensus of mock drafts think.

If that's how you read into it, I feel you.

for me, it's pretty clear that it had nothing to do with any combine performance. Pulling the offer was part of the negotiation tactics.

if the combine performance was the trigger, the talks wouldn't have started before the performance IMO.

[MHS831]

13 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

This is where somebody cites the old statement about the best ability being  availability.

(in this case it's me, I'm the one who said it)

I think that statement is essentially the nexus of everyone's concerns.

It is--and we did not seem to have that concern when Cam was plowing over LBs on third and 8 for a first down-(I did, but I was called a racist and Cam Hater).  I worry too--dang if they put his brain in AR15's body--I would know which QB I want.

[MechaZain]

2 hours ago, frankw said:

Yes it cuts whichever way whoever wants to make it fit their agenda.

All I hope for is we pick the best of the 3. And it might not end up being Young with all his talk of football IQ it could end up AR reaches his ceiling with all his physical intangibles we don't know. But if two or three years from now the consensus is we ended up with the worst or second best of the three it's going to be a major source of talk and folks who were entrenched in one camp or another will end up with egg on their face. Somebody will. Like I said I just hope it isn't us. We deserve good things for all we've been through.

My money's on no consensus in three years

[backINblack28]

6 minutes ago, Ivory Panther said:

If that's how you read into it, I feel you.

for me, it's pretty clear that it had nothing to do with any combine performance. Pulling the offer was part of the negotiation tactics.

if the combine performance was the trigger, the talks wouldn't have started before the performance IMO.

I mean--the combine going well could have also just made it more obvious that if they liked Young and then they saw good things out of Stroud it could still mean that they preferred / might still prefer Young but that the depth of QB at 1 was something they then felt stronger about.

I barely lean Stroud and would be happy either way. I trust that whoever they pick showed our staff enough to separate themselves from whoever they don't pick--for me personally, right now that separator is the injury/height questions coupled with the fact that it does seem like sometimes it seems laborious for Young to make some throws--but I trust that if we draft him there's something they are seeing there that eases those concerns.  When we beat the Bucs at home, I loved that we beat Tom Brady but I just remembered thinking well, this probably cost us Bryce Young.  Maybe not... But then after UGA/OSU game/watching all three of AR/BY/CJ I started to slightly lean Stroud. Mostly just excited going forward for whoever it is.

[glenwo2]

If Bryce is the pick, so be it.

Hopefully he can stay healthy.

[Ivory Panther]

8 minutes ago, backINblack28 said:

I mean--the combine going well could have also just made it more obvious that if they liked Young and then they saw good things out of Stroud it could still mean that they preferred / might still prefer Young but that the depth of QB at 1 was something they then felt stronger about.

I barely lean Stroud and would be happy either way. I trust that whoever they pick showed our staff enough to separate themselves from whoever they don't pick--for me personally, right now that separator is the injury/height questions coupled with the fact that it does seem like sometimes it seems laborious for Young to make some throws--but I trust that if we draft him there's something they are seeing there that eases those concerns.  When we beat the Bucs at home, I loved that we beat Tom Brady but I just remembered thinking well, this probably cost us Bryce Young.  Maybe not... But then after UGA/OSU game/watching all three of AR/BY/CJ I started to slightly lean Stroud. Mostly just excited going forward for whoever it is.

Yea, as fans, we don't get to talk to these players, so we have no idea what's behind the ears or work ethic etc...

So we have to trust the staff to make the right choice.

I think it's interesting that many ppl like yourself had Bryce as QB1 the entire year until the UGA.

watching that game, I was enamored with CJ as well. He played the game of his life and answered every questions. If you get that CJ for the rest of his career, obviously that is a homerun pick.

Can he do it again? I'm sure he can!

How often can he do it moving forward, I don't know...

So I just can't change my mind over one heck of a performance, knowing that athletes have great performances from time to time.

[backINblack28]

20 minutes ago, Ivory Panther said:

Yea, as fans, we don't get to talk to these players, so we have no idea what's behind the ears or work ethic etc...

So we have to trust the staff to make the right choice.

I think it's interesting that many ppl like yourself had Bryce as QB1 the entire year until the UGA.

watching that game, I was enamored with CJ as well. He played the game of his life and answered every questions. If you get that CJ for the rest of his career, obviously that is a homerun pick.

Can he do it again? I'm sure he can!

How often can he do it moving forward, I don't know...

So I just can't change my mind over one heck of a performance, knowing that athletes have great performances from time to time.

well in my eyes, the biggest Stroud questions were that he had a supporting cast that at least last year from a WR perspective, Young did not have anything close to. For me, the Iowa and Michigan games from Stroud offered moments where I wowed at the TV--several times in each game, and sat there thinking "even though his receivers run the routes, catch the balls he throws, get open, and extend plays with their talent, he is still making eye popping throws, processing insanely quick," and for me his process/timing from looking off/making decision to throw to the moment when the ball hits the WR hands is one of the fastest processes I've seen in college. 

We can make tons of comparisons to what Stroud could be in the league based on his strengths but all of the guys that come up (Dak, Carr, Goff, Burrow, etc) I did not see that specific strength from in college (didn't watch Carr at Fresno St tbh but saw plenty of the others and Burrow is mostly an exception because his one year was just that--exceptional). 

So--after the Iowa/Michigan tapes, THEN that made the UGA performance in the playoffs with the stakes against the best defense available to face provide the final test/answer to my question of 'is CJ elevating talent around him or are they elevating him" to which I think the answer can be both but that CJ is also doing insanely impressive things regardless of the talent surrounding him. 

I think Young does the same--I've never questioned that about him in high school or college.  I do have questions about it translating as well to pro, but I think it's going to be exciting AF to find out, and I think the prospect of having a non-traditional QB is normally the more exciting prospect of rooting for and being right about---but that's the inherent risk too is that when/if it doesn't, we're sitting here staring a lot of "told you so" in the face. 

I'll add this too--in some respects with that it almost seems like Houston has the easier path here. They just take whoever is left between the two and if THEY are wrong--they don't have to answer to "why didn't you take the other guy?" At the same time--i've said it before. I like that we put our nuts on the table and did the thing and that I don't have to ask 'which retread QBs are available/can they play at league average for 8 games' anymore. I get a dude whose jersey I can wear while he runs out the tunnel for half a decade or a full one. I'm excited AF for that.

Edited April 5, 2023 by backINblack28

[stratocatter]

Pretty sure, when interviewing coaching candidates, Tepper subtly or not, framed the trade up as an offer you can’t refuse.

Probably asked questions about retread QBs in such a way that there was one obviously one answer that might get you the job and one that might get you “we’ll be in touch….”.

Honestly I don’t really value anyone at the price we are paying but if they put that into Young I will think they have lost their minds. 

People here, y’all are not pros so I don’t expect you to not be emotional fans, but Fitterer, Reich, and the rest of them are pros. I keep telling myself that ha ha. But I would be pretty well shocked if they take Young, so am not stressing over it when I hear someone say they will. I just don’t believe it  

Personally I am looking forward to seeing which guy falls out of the top 5 and how far. And which of the non top four qb prospects gets picked the highest. Just to see where reality puts things.  

[CPcavedweller]

Better not be. 

[Ivory Panther]

15 minutes ago, backINblack28 said:

well in my eyes, the biggest Stroud questions were that he had a supporting cast that at least last year from a WR perspective, Young did not have anything close to. For me, the Iowa and Michigan games from Stroud offered moments where I wowed at the TV--several times in each game, and sat there thinking "even though his receivers run the routes, catch the balls he throws, get open, and extend plays with their talent, he is still making eye popping throws, processing insanely quick," and for me his process/timing from looking off/making decision to throw to the moment when the ball hits the WR hands is one of the fastest processes I've seen in college. 

We can make tons of comparisons to what Stroud could be in the league based on his strengths but all of the guys that come up (Dak, Carr, Goff, Burrow, etc) I did not see that specific strength from in college (didn't watch Carr at Fresno St tbh but saw plenty of the others and Burrow is mostly an exception because his one year was just that--exceptional). 

So--after the Iowa/Michigan tapes, THEN that made the UGA performance in the playoffs with the stakes against the best defense available to face provide the final test/answer to my question of 'is CJ elevating talent around him or are they elevating him" to which I think the answer can be both but that CJ is also doing insanely impressive things regardless of the talent surrounding him. 

I think Young does the same--I've never questioned that about him in high school or college.  I do have questions about it translating as well to pro, but I think it's going to be exciting AF to find out, and I think the prospect of having a non-traditional QB is normally the more exciting prospect of rooting for and being right about---but that's the inherent risk too is that when/if it doesn't, we're sitting here staring a lot of "told you so" in the face. 

I'll add this too--in some respects with that it almost seems like Houston has the easier path here. They just take whoever is left between the two and if THEY are wrong--they don't have to answer to "why didn't you take the other guy?" At the same time--i've said it before. I like that we put our nuts on the table and did the thing and that I don't have to ask 'which retread QBs are available/can they play at league average for 8 games' anymore. I get a dude whose jersey I can wear while he runs out the tunnel for half a decade or a full one. I'm excited AF for that.

Very well said!

To me on Tangibles it's 50/50 (i'll even give Stroud a slight advantage due to bigger arm).

It's the intangible where I'm a bit uncomfortable with CJ but very Comfortable with Young.

for instance he lost twice to Michigan who had somewhat similar talent. Yes, it wasn't his fault in either game, but he didn't push his team to victory either.

The UGA game, he played a hell of a first half. Marvin Harrison gets injured in the 3rd. CJ enters the 4th QTR with a 13points lead and loses the game.

The offense scored 3pts the final QTR. Yes, he did lose his top weapon, but he still had Egbuka, Flemings & the TE with a 13pts cushion. He put them in position to win in the end, but watching that game entering the 4th, it felt like the game was over. UGA was on the rope & somehow came back to win it. 

Ppl compare CJ's situation with to Burrow as far as having a bunch of weapons & the fact that it didn't stop Burrow from succeeding in the NFL. That's a very fair point! 

But Burrow put up record breaking numbers when he had his weapons. He won a championship & a Heisman with his weapons.

Now, I'll concede that Intangibles are very hard to evaluates, especially as a fan who doesn't get the behind the scene of how the sauce is made. So I could be 100% wrong about CJ's intangibles & the guy is actually clutch in big moment more often than not.

So with that, for me, once players have certain tools, a good team situation, which I believe both CJ & Bryce will have in Carolina, Intangibles is what separates their careers.

Intangible is the difference between Burrow & Goff for instance. They have comparable arm talent, accuracy, size etc...But they are on 2 different levels when it comes to playing the position even though they both had good teams with weapons. 

[pantherj]

Yeah I believe that. They're going with intelligence over athleticism and arm strength.

[AggieLean]

5 hours ago, *FreeFua* said:

It’s going to be Bryce.

Wasn’t there rumors how Houston didn’t want to deal with Strouds agent, due to him also representing Watson? I guess that might explain why there’s now rumors Houston would go Will Anderson at 2, and try to grab a qb at 12. 
 

Im with you, though. I think the pick is going to be Bryce. I’ve felt that way a few weeks now, and I’d be cool with it. In fact, I’ve been shifting more towards Bryce anyways after wanting Stroud for so long.

[rmoneyg35]

I saw somewhere say that Bryce should be fine in the NFL because he wouldn’t  be taking as hard of hits in the NFL as he did in college because of how the nfl protects QBs. I just think that’s something to think about if your worried.

[TheMostInterestingMan]

4 minutes ago, rmoneyg35 said:

I saw somewhere say that Bryce should be fine in the NFL because he wouldn’t  be taking as hard of hits in the NFL as he did in college because of how the nfl protects QBs. I just think that’s something to think about if your worried.

Well that just doesn’t really make sense. Everyone in the NFL is bigger and faster. Presumably they might do a better job of protecting him and not let him take as many hits but he will clearly get hit harder in the NFL. 
 

Even rules in place to protect the QB won’t overrule the size and speed of DEs, DTs, LBers and S in the NFL.

Edited April 5, 2023 by TheMostInterestingMan