Malik Cunningham = QB1

[Ring 6]

Yep, he sure did. Usually if that happens though you should realize you're turning someone's head around, unless you're interested in hurting someone. I can't read minds though so I guess we'll never know.

There was no indication it was malicious. Bad things happen on a football field. Punishing someone excessively doesn’t make it unhappen.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Cunningham was clearly the star against the Texans. I'd like to see more of him in a lead role for the next preseason game so we have a better idea of what we have. Mac is already entrenched at QB1 but we need a solid plan B option if it turns out he can't operate behind the woeful offensive line we've seen in preseason so far.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Overreaction Monday isn’t till next month.

If you're talking Mondays we have them every week. So let's go!

 

[stinkypete]

Cunningham was our #4 QB battling for a PS position.

I think that Cunningham solidified a PS position, and is making an argument for carrying him on the 53 as a 3rd QB.

I think that QB1 and Q2 are set.

Cunningham might be worth the roster spot, but I see his future somewhere

I THINK the answer to that could be yes or at least becoming yes. As a pure "football player" he looks like the real deal. Very twitchy the kind almost exactly the kind of guy Edelman was. He made the team as a punt returner/WR in training guy. And low and behold 3 years later he was an overnight success story.

Cunningham LOOKS like that kind of guy. He's not going to help you now, but he WILL down the road and can do a JUST enough things now that can justify keeping him on the roster (WR depth, 3rd string emergency QB, valuable scout team player)

I jknow roster spots are going to be at a premium for this team and Cunningham looks like is too much of a luxury choice to keep. And what I DON'T know is what the market is going to be on cut down day vs who might need a guy like him AND has the extra roster spot to steal him, especailly if he continues to show flashes of being the kind of guy you WANT on your team.

And as an aside, having a guy who can simulate a Jackson-like QB on a weekly basis IS a valuable tool to have and VERY helpful to the defense. In an ideal world he develops his WR chops and scout team duties while on the PS. The question is, are we likely to lose him?

I agree with this assessment of his value to the scout team. We finally have the athleticism on all three levels of the defense to keep up with mobile QBs, having a practice QB who can simulate Hurts, Allen, Richardson, Jones and Wilson could go a long way to the development and maturation of the defense as a whole.

If he puts up another strong preseason performance be might generate enough buzz that some team takes a waiver flier on him. I wouldn't risk it. I think he is worth a roster spot.

 

[captain stone]

That should have been an ejection.
What's the point of having that rule if they don't use it?
They need to be a little quicker with the hook.

I was half-expecting the ref to start making the Ejection sign, but Patriots...

By ruling as they d-i-d, those over-officious jerks just placed equivalency upon our guy having his protective helmet forcibly removed close to his eyes and their guy being given a tap on the side of his own helmet, with barely a molecule of consequence...

What a horrible ****ing message that sends.

 

[Toofy]

I THINK the answer to that could be yes or at least becoming yes. As a pure "football player" he looks like the real deal. Very twitchy the kind almost exactly the kind of guy Edelman was. He made the team as a punt returner/WR in training guy. And low and behold 3 years later he was an overnight success story.

Cunningham LOOKS like that kind of guy. He's not going to help you now, but he WILL down the road and can do a JUST enough things now that can justify keeping him on the roster (WR depth, 3rd string emergency QB, valuable scout team player)

I jknow roster spots are going to be at a premium for this team and Cunningham looks like is too much of a luxury choice to keep. And what I DON'T know is what the market is going to be on cut down day vs who might need a guy like him AND has the extra roster spot to steal him, especailly if he continues to show flashes of being the kind of guy you WANT on your team.

And as an aside, having a guy who can simulate a Jackson-like QB on a weekly basis IS a valuable tool to have and VERY helpful to the defense. In an ideal world he develops his WR chops and scout team duties while on the PS. The question is, are we likely to lose him?

Better to keep Cunningham as opposed to a ST only player . I reckon slater will retire next year and we will not have a replacement for that spot and the gunner position will be taken by one of the existing guyz. The league has changed . One among the 53 on offense or defense needs to be gunner and that will be their secondary role.

We had freaking harry for 3 years on roster. Cunningham in 1 quarter has shown more than what garry showed in 3 preseasons and 3 regular seasons.

 

[Salsalife]

Jules made the 53 man roster on a punt return for a td in the preseason. This kid can do it also.

 

[Dedhampatsfan]

Just my opinion but when they signed him to $200,000 in guaranteed money with a $30,000 signing bonus, a record amount for a Patriots undrafted free agent, I figured they were probably eyeing a roster spot for him and there is no way would he ever clear waivers.

 

[Nunchucks]

Am I the only one who thinks people are way overrating this guy's performance last night. People online are raving about a 20 yard incomplete rollout pass. Sure Nixon should have caught it, but was a little bit off. And I don't know if he would have gotten into the end zone on that rushing TD against the Texans' starters.

I don't want to go the other way and downplay his night. He did a good job with the time he was given. But I guess I wasn't wowed. And most of the competition he faced will not be in the league in two weeks.

That pass was on the money and its degree of difficulty is 90 on a 100 point scale. It's impressive to make that throw on the run. He looked good throwing the ball.

That is all I will say

 

[Real fan 02]

It means a lot in colllege, not so much in the NFL

Players are drafted based on what they did in college and the potential they'll have to do it at the highest level..

 

[Ring 6]

Players are drafted based on what they did in college and the potential they'll have to do it at the highest level..

So you understand statistics and records in college mean nothing in the NFL. Glad we could clear that up.

 

[Real fan 02]

So you understand statistics and records in college mean nothing in the NFL. Glad we could clear that up.

They do and they dont..

 

[Nunchucks]

I THINK the answer to that could be yes or at least becoming yes. As a pure "football player" he looks like the real deal. Very twitchy the kind almost exactly the kind of guy Edelman was. He made the team as a punt returner/WR in training guy. And low and behold 3 years later he was an overnight success story.

Cunningham LOOKS like that kind of guy. He's not going to help you now, but he WILL down the road and can do a JUST enough things now that can justify keeping him on the roster (WR depth, 3rd string emergency QB, valuable scout team player)

I jknow roster spots are going to be at a premium for this team and Cunningham looks like is too much of a luxury choice to keep. And what I DON'T know is what the market is going to be on cut down day vs who might need a guy like him AND has the extra roster spot to steal him, especailly if he continues to show flashes of being the kind of guy you WANT on your team.

And as an aside, having a guy who can simulate a Jackson-like QB on a weekly basis IS a valuable tool to have and VERY helpful to the defense. In an ideal world he develops his WR chops and scout team duties while on the PS. The question is, are we likely to lose him?

He might be worth keeping around as a wildcat qb. Mac ain't Brady, take him off the field for a few plays a game

 

[stcjones]

Cunningham is going to have to start doing the Brady-style QB slide or else he will get killed out there.....that being said he is cat quick with great running instincts and a decent arm. And yes, he would be electric with Marcus Jones (or Douglas) on the field with him. Just the possibility of the Wildcat would complicate defensive preparations by opposing teams...I just hope they do the Wildcat the first time against the Dolphins. Surprise...and payback

Were all these cat references to get Sammy fired up!!?? Reminds me of Welker! In all seriousness good points!

 

[sb1]

Am I the only one who thinks people are way overrating this guy's performance last night. People online are raving about a 20 yard incomplete rollout pass. Sure Nixon should have caught it, but was a little bit off. And I don't know if he would have gotten into the end zone on that rushing TD against the Texans' starters.

Probably would have with an NFL caliber OL to block for him which we didn’t have.

I don't want to go the other way and downplay his night. He did a good job with the time he was given. But I guess I wasn't wowed. And most of the competition he faced will not be in the league in two weeks.

Yeah the QB1 talk is way too premature. So is the QB2 talk.

 

[stcjones]

He was a former RB, just because you can run doesn’t mean you should. Nothing can defend the perfect throw and catch.

Running is nice and all… passing is the job. Lamar Jackson can’t get past the first round, and he has been on one of the best teams in the AFC.

Steve Young also had Jerry Rice….arguably greatest WR of all time

 

[stcjones]

Again it’s not a Zappe thing. Every pocket QB would have looked terrible last night with our 3rd string OL including Brady.

Well said OL on Thursday PM was a disaster

 

[stcjones]

I think he showed some amazing athleticism out there but it was against the scrubs at the bottom of the roster….His best chance in NFL still may be at WR. Here’s a breakdown on him from draft scouting…..we shall see….Like the kid and wish him well!!!

Malik Cunningham Draft and Combine Prospect Profile | NFL.com

All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Malik Cunningham

www.nfl.com

 

[Wozzy]

Steve Young also had Jerry Rice….arguably greatest WR of all time

Andrew Walters and Aaron Brooks had Randy Moss… both QB’s were out of the league a year or two later. Just silly…

 

[Thelonious]

I would:

1) Move on from McSorley once he is no longer needed to toss balls around in practice, which may be like tomorrow. If you feel bad about it, ring him up about an umbrella policy.

2) See if anybody'll give you something for Zappe. He's a perfectly serviceable backup with little to no discernible upside and thus no prospect ever of starting, so you might get a minimal something-or-other for him. In all likelihood, though, you won't be offered much, in which case you waive him and, if he passes through, put him on your practice quad as a backup to the backup. If somebody does take him off the wire, find some serviceable old utility qb and put him on the practice squad as your backup's backup. They're out there. I'd rather have Zappe, who is familiar with the system, than the crusty old vet, but there is tight limit on what resources I'd be willing to sacrifice to accomplish that.

3) Make Cunningham the backup for two reasons: First, he really does have some very intriguing upside. He's athletic, he's tough, he seems like a worker, his teammates seem to respect him, and he's not as dismal a passer as the pontificating gossip would have it (though no one would say, as Bill often does of all sorts of qb's, "He can make all the throws." He can't, yet.) It's reasonable to think he can develop in an acceptable time frame into a passable backup for this season. In the meantime, his versatility (which FAR surpasses Zappe's, certainly) further enhances his value. The second point is that particularly given that we are far earlier in the rebuild than we sometimes like to think, we need any number of players on the roster with upside, players who it seems might really develop. We seem to have adopted this approach to an extent in our draft philosophy, but that doesn't mean a thing if you do not have the Moxie to keep those players so that they can develop. If we were putting the finishing touches on a really competitive team to ensure it's success, that would be one thing: the reliably mediocre Zappe would then be the choice, and you would just take a flyer at trying to get Cunningham onto your practice squad. But that's not where we are, we are a mediocre team with serious shortcomings in a number of areas, shortcomings very unlikely to get addressed this year, frankly. We are likely the weakest team in our division. Such teams cannot afford to set aside players - at whatever position - with the sort of upside anyone with eyes can see in Malik Cunningham, certainly not so that we can hold on to a fine but limited fella like Zappe. The fever has broken and the bell has tolled on Zappe Hour. So it goes.