Should We Carry A 3rd QB?

[Kasmir]

Don't be a jackass and throw personal insults at people who disagree with you.

I didn't dismiss your idea as ridiculous because it is new. I dismissed it as ridiculous because it is ridiculous.

If he is good enough to play as a WR, then give him a roster spot straight up. This could happen.

If he is good enough to contribute when the QB1 is healthy, then give him a roster spot straight up. This could happen.

If he is better than Zappe, then give him a roster spot and make Zappe the emergency QB. This could happen.

But it is ridiculous to make the 2nd best QB on your team the emergency QB and hope nothing happens to the starter.

You're not thinking this through.

Let me make it simpler for you.

Let's say Zappe is a little better than Malik, even accounting for Malik's unique dual threat skills. So with Mac out of the picture, Zappe should be your starter.

But in a game scenario, Mac + Malik >> Mac + Zappe because Zappe only helps if Mac is injured, while Malik dressed as QB2 with his unique dual-threat skills (let alone WR etc) adds value to all the games where Mac is healthy. Zappe can only add his small incremental value over Malik in the one game Mac is hurt in.

In that scenario, you get much more value dressing Malik than Zappe.

It may turn out that Malik's value add to Mac is too small to justify sitting Zappe, but it's hardly ridiculous to contemplate.

 

[50-yard-line]

I still think IR him .... good way not to lose him.

IR isn't a "stash," it destroys chances of development, particularly for a QB. And if you IR someone who's not hurt, you're likely getting an argument, publicly, that can go very bad against a team.

 

[XLIX]

You're not thinking this through.

Just because I have repeatedly called your idea ridiculous does not mean I do not understand it or I am not "thinking it through". You can rewrite it and rephrase it as many times as you would like and that ain't going to make it any less ridiculous.

Now like I said, if Malik is good enough to play as a WR or if he is good enough to otherwise contribute or if he is straight up better than Zappe, then absolutely give him a roster spot. I think one those scenarios is quite likely and we will indeed see Malik this year. Not to mention you never know what injuries may strike a team.

But it is ridiculous to make the 2nd best QB on your team the emergency QB and hope nothing happens to the starter.

 

[50-yard-line]

Just two. IMO people are overreacting with how a preseason game went.

Respectfully disagree. Cunningham is worth keeping, imo.

It's not just about one preseason game for me - he wasn't chopped liver over at Louisville. I was surprised he wasn't drafted.

In 56 games, he threw for almost 10,000 yards, with 70 TDs to 29 Ints. He also ran or caught the ball for another 3200 yards and 50 tds.
120 TDs in 56 games?

That doesn't suck.
I also loved his attitude AFTER the preseason game. He said he told the guys, "We haven't scored a touchdown, so let's go get one." And he (they) did. Yes, 3rd stringers, I get it, but it's not like there was blown coverage all over the field (the throw to Nixon was perfect) or long RB runs.

Cunningham will break a lot of ankles on defenders, whatever "string" they might be.
The coaches seem to like him a lot, and a guy like O'Brien is probably thinking of ways to get into the EZ with him.
McSorley brings little to the table. There are no "vet" QBs I'd feel better with than Zappe as a back-up (Zappe's already proven that he can fill in and WIN - he's a valuable asset to the team, even though the idea that he was displacing Mac Jones this year was silly).

Keep Cunningham - either on the 53 as a gadget player (but keep developing him as a QB until you think he can't make it for sure), or as the 3rd QB. See what you got. His rollout and throw was big league, and again, it's not like he sucked in college - at all. And Louisville plays some pretty good teams - Clemson, Virginia, NC State, Kentucky, Florida State, Syracuse, BC. Some good players come out of that conference and Cunningham was more than up to the task.

And eye test...well, he passed it, and apparently not just to me, since the Pats started using him a lot more at QB.

 

[Kasmir]

Just because I have repeatedly called your idea ridiculous does not mean I do not understand it or I am not "thinking it through". You can rewrite it and rephrase it as many times as you would like and that ain't going to make it any less ridiculous.

Now like I said, if Malik is good enough to play as a WR or if he is good enough to otherwise contribute or if he is straight up better than Zappe, then absolutely give him a roster spot. I think one those scenarios is quite likely and we will indeed see Malik this year. Not to mention you never know what injuries may strike a team.

But it is ridiculous to make the 2nd best QB on your team the emergency QB and hope nothing happens to the starter.

You think I'm being ridiculous. I think you're being a blockhead. Impasse.

 

[Toofy]

Are we really debating Cunningham now. He has a skillset which nobody on the team has. A decent reserve backup QB, a wildcat option QB, A receiver , An optional running back who can be used on screens or handoffs. He just elevates the entire offense to an altogether different level. Teams will not know whether to stack the box or blitz when he is there because for all you know we can have a handoff to Cunningham replicate the Edelman amendola play or have Cunningham escape the pocket like Lamar for a 8 yard gain .

With him and Marcus teams might be forced to keep two decoys which will limit pass rush and give more time to OL.

Cunningham is the best antidote for our weak offensive line. I think it's a given that he will be QB2/ WR6 .

 

[BTTA]

Ok I take it back

Still not good enough.

 

[BTTA]

I still think IR him .... good way not to lose him.

He needs to play (and practice) pro football, not sit in his apartment all day.

 

[BTTA]

Cunningham is sub'd in and Mac stays. What does a defensive coordinator do in that moment? The Pats break the huddle with CUnningham at WR and Mac at QB. They wait for the defense to get set, then switch. Just this possibility will create a need for defensive coordinators to prepare for it, every week.

 

[XLIX]

You think I'm being ridiculous. I think you're being a blockhead. Impasse.

LOL!!! "Agree with my ridiculous idea or you're a blockhead!!"

ok, Charlie Brown....

 

[XLIX]

Cunningham is sub'd in and Mac stays. What does a defensive coordinator do in that moment?

If he is a good defensive coordinator then he has already prepared his team for that possibility, and they proceed with the plan as drawn up.

The Pats break the huddle with CUnningham at WR and Mac at QB. They wait for the defense to get set, then switch. Just this possibility will create a need for defensive coordinators to prepare for it, every week.

Having 10 men on offense - because Jones now becomes completely useless - may work for 1 trick play per game, but it is not a long term viable strategy. It will be fun to see the occasional trick play, but this is not something that is going to fundamentally alter the offense.

 

[Kasmir]

LOL!!! "Agree with my ridiculous idea or you're a blockhead!!"

ok, Charlie Brown....

By reacting first with ridicule to an idea new to you, yes you are a blockhead.

 

[State]

If we don’t, Miami will. They’d love Malik C as QB3. Can you imagine his improvising with those two comets at WR? Even with a bad OL, big chunk plays aplenty.

 

[BTTA]

If he is a good defensive coordinator then he has already prepared his team for that possibility, and they proceed with the plan as drawn up.

Having 10 men on offense - because Jones now becomes completely useless - may work for 1 trick play per game, but it is not a long term viable strategy. It will be fun to see the occasional trick play, but this is not something that is going to fundamentally alter the offense.

Yeah, I'm not suggesting that this is a singular reason for keeping him around. I'm having fun with this (the entire point of being a fan).

But Mac wouldn't be completely useless, in that he'd be split out wide and the defense would have to account for him with an assigned defender, which in turn would influence what kind of defensive scheme they could use. They can't leave him uncovered.

More importantly, this would require the opponent to devote practice time and mental space for the coaches and players, to preparing for this, which are highly valuable assets that would otherwise be used for other things.

 

[sb1]

Cunningham is sub'd in and Mac stays. What does a defensive coordinator do in that moment? The Pats break the huddle with CUnningham at WR and Mac at QB. They wait for the defense to get set, then switch. Just this possibility will create a need for defensive coordinators to prepare for it, every week.

I can see Josh designing a scheme like this. Harder to see BOB do it but it would be fun to watch. I guess they could also line up conventional then wildcat.

 

[Zuma]

Respectfully disagree. Cunningham is worth keeping, imo.

It's not just about one preseason game for me - he wasn't chopped liver over at Louisville. I was surprised he wasn't drafted.

In 56 games, he threw for almost 10,000 yards, with 70 TDs to 29 Ints. He also ran or caught the ball for another 3200 yards and 50 tds.
120 TDs in 56 games?

That doesn't suck.
I also loved his attitude AFTER the preseason game. He said he told the guys, "We haven't scored a touchdown, so let's go get one." And he (they) did. Yes, 3rd stringers, I get it, but it's not like there was blown coverage all over the field (the throw to Nixon was perfect) or long RB runs.

Cunningham will break a lot of ankles on defenders, whatever "string" they might be.
The coaches seem to like him a lot, and a guy like O'Brien is probably thinking of ways to get into the EZ with him.
McSorley brings little to the table. There are no "vet" QBs I'd feel better with than Zappe as a back-up (Zappe's already proven that he can fill in and WIN - he's a valuable asset to the team, even though the idea that he was displacing Mac Jones this year was silly).

Keep Cunningham - either on the 53 as a gadget player (but keep developing him as a QB until you think he can't make it for sure), or as the 3rd QB. See what you got. His rollout and throw was big league, and again, it's not like he sucked in college - at all. And Louisville plays some pretty good teams - Clemson, Virginia, NC State, Kentucky, Florida State, Syracuse, BC. Some good players come out of that conference and Cunningham was more than up to the task.

And eye test...well, he passed it, and apparently not just to me, since the Pats started using him a lot more at QB.

Valid points. If he doesnt count against the active roster then sure.

 

[XLIX]

By reacting first with ridicule to an idea new to you, yes you are a blockhead.

Jackass, I told you already: I didn't call your idea ridiculous because it is new. I called it ridiculous because it is ridiculous.

 

[XLIX]

More importantly, this would require the opponent to devote practice time and mental space for the coaches and players, to preparing for this, which are highly valuable assets that would otherwise be used for other things.

Of course, the Patriots would also have to devote practice time and mental space for the coaches and players to prepare for this, which would distract them from practicing their primary formations.

I am not saying they shouldn't do it because I would enjoy seeing trick plays, but it is something that would have to be worked on. It isn't only the opponents who would spend valuable time preparing for it in practice.

 

[Thelonious]

I think we need to hold on to Cunningham so that we can see how he might develop, make use of his different skills as a change of pace in the regular season, take advantage of his value as practice squad qb, and so on. So I'd stow him somewhere on the roster. If it ends up being as a qb, I would favor keeping him over the valuable but predictably mediocre Zappe. Therefore, if we are only going to keep two qb's and there is a determination not to put Cunningham in the wr or somn other room, I would make Cunningham the #2 and take my chances running Zappe through waivers with an eye to getting him on the practice squad. I hope, frankly, that we have enough slots to hold onto players with potential at other positions that we can free up enough space to keep three QB's, which would be the best resolution, but if we cannot see our way to a 3-qb room, I would do as I have described above as vastly preferable to taking our chances runnning Cunningham through the waiver process, which I think is doomed to failure, given his merits.

 

[Toofy]

I think with the injuries teams have , having 3 QBs make all the more sense.

I think Carl Davis and possibly Mac Wilson will pass waivers. And so will Kevin Harris and sokol / firsker . So we need to use that theory to get the folks on PS. I am confident of Harris and Davis making through waivers .