NEW ARTICLE: Wednesday Patriots Notebook 3/20: News and Notes

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Wednesday Patriots Notebook 3/20: News and Notes
Ian Logue
Following up on the mention here yesterday about the difficulties young quarterbacks are dealing with, Rich Eisen also talked about it at length and made some strong points on Tuesday.

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[mike_usagisan]

It's weird that Eisen talks about the problems with how young QBs are developed in one breath and can't wait to get rid of Wilson from the Jets in the next.

It'll be interesting to see if the Steelers get anything out of Fields. Or if any of these failed QBs end up pulling a Geno in Seattle later in their careers.

It's been talked about a lot, but these guys really need to go down to a minor league to hone their skills.

 

[jmt57]

I'm going to disagree with Eisen in regards to a team having to make a decision after four years. First of all that should be plenty of time to decide if you want to retain a player or not. Secondly it would not be fair to a player that has performed well to be rewarded with a nice free agency contract. Other positions - specifically RB, but also to a lesser extent WR and CB - have short NFL careers. You can't deny those guys their payday, and keep them on their rookie contracts forever. Granted he never said those words, but that's the implication I took from what he wants to have happen.

As for the CBA and new players not having access to the film room, or being able to study the playbook - that's a tough one. Yes, players should be able to get that work in right away if they want to. But OTAs are only a month away. Past history has shown that "voluntary" workouts were anything but voluntary. However, I don't see the harm in players being allowed in to view film, whenever they want to.

 

[Ian]

I'm going to disagree with Eisen in regards to a team having to make a decision after four years. First of all that should be plenty of time to decide if you want to retain a player or not. Secondly it would not be fair to a player that has performed well to be rewarded with a nice free agency contract.

Yeah, but I think the point he was trying to make - and he didn't really say it the way he should have - is that it's not really after four years - it's after only three seasons and the option has to be picked up ahead of the fourth year.

But you're right - if a player had four years, you would definitely know. But after three? Especially with some drama, etc. mixed in? That does make things a little tough.

 

[Ian]

To your point, @jmt57 , it's sort of odd that they wouldn't move the deadline until the beginning of March after the fourth year, which gives the club a chance to either exercise/decline the 5th year option while still giving the player the chance in free agency. Wonder if they'll explore that change in the next CBA.

 

[patfanken]

I think Eisen makes a good point. Even when you know that history tells us that not every highly picked QB is not going to make a mark on the league, here we have FOUR out of 5 top 15 picks all bomb out after just 3 seasons. AND the one sure fire bet, the #1 pick certainly hasn't set the world on fire.

Listen, I believe STRONGLY that being a successful QB is by far the most difficult job in team sports. Not only do they have to be physically gifted, the mental aspect (the pre and post snap reads, the ability to correctly feel the rush, the mental toughness to absorb the scrutiny and physical aspects of the game). Plus the fact that the ultimate success of a QB (winning) is SO closely affected by the success of so many others. His OL. His weapons, the Defense, the kicking game, being in the right system with the right coaching, etc, etc.

Regardless of which QB we eventually bring on, great QB's are DEVELOPED, they do NOT come fully defined even after 3 years. As the 2021 season progressed we all knew for a 100% certitude that Mac Jones was the best QB of that 2021 class. There weren't many if ANY doubters that we at worst had a quality NFL starting QB who passed for almost 4000 yds and was going to get better and better.

So clearly (and for many reason already discussed ad nauseum) THAT didn't work out. Now we are in the situation we are in. We have the opportunity to draft a quality PROSPECT, who may or may not turn out to be the guy we all hope for. BUT in this particular draft there are 3 guys worth of that #3 pick. That IS unusual the the QB market spawns 3 top prospects. Not that it guarantees any of them will be successful, but it does increase the odds and a pick you cannot pass up.

Now we all know that there will be a PLETHORA of posters here who will instantly declare pro or con after first game played. It is the sorry nature of being fans, but it ISN'T reality. Rookie QB's HAVE to crawl before they walk. They need to be put in the simplest situations, with the least amount of thinking involved, just like we saw Mac go through under McDaniels.

We are likely to see something like the Bills saw when they first drafted Allen. There were TONS of questions being asked after his first year and many into the 2nd. PMannings first year was HORRIBLE, both statistically and many losses. 3 years IS too early to pronounce a QB's ultimate fate. There are so many things that are beyond their control that have to be factored in as we have seen with Mac.

BTW- I agree that Mac's situation had become untenable here and he had to go. BUT he wasn't blameless either. It was what it was. Now as fans we should work to actually UNDERSTAND what goes into creating a great QB and be perhaps a bit more tolerant of the process.