Rumors are just that. I remember rumors of the Covid virus was a hoax. Saying them doesn't make them true.
Rumors aside, I've been thinking a LOT about the QB situation and AT THIS POINT, I've come to this conclusion. It would be best for the TEAM if Cam performed well enough to start the season. Starting rookie QB's rarely work out, even for QB's who later turn out to be great. Wanna remember Payton's first year, or Brees' (and the list can go on and on.)
As "mature" as we want to pontificate when describing Jones, he IS going to make ALL the rookie mistakes that rookies make. Here's Bill's dilema. He has a playoff ready roster that surrounds this team. IMHO this TC isn;t about winning starting jobs. Its about building the depth that will be necessary to last a 17 game season and win the 11+ games it will take to get into the tourney. All across the field EXCEPT at QB. At the most important position on the offense we really don't know what we have.
But the fact remains that like will be a LOT easier for Bill and Josh IF Cam can perform well enough to keep Mac on the Bench. Remember Josh's offense is predicated on precision, MISTAKE free football. In some sense it's not so much how many plays the QB "makes" it might be more important to count the MISTAKES he makes. Maybe to put it better, the guy who wins the job won't be the guy who makes "more plays", but the guy who makes the fewest mistakes.
When Bill anointed Cam as the starter this spring, I think this is what he had in mind. The long time vet who has had a LOT of success and seen a lot of things will have his experience in the league offset whatever physical limitations injuries have set on him and allow the QB of the future to marinate a bit and EASE into the league just like Brady did, or Mahomes did, etc. Of course guys like Payton were thrown into the hot water, but then you get seasons like he had his rookie year. Flashes of greatness was shown, but there were TWENTY-EIGHT picks to go with his 25 TD's.
That was a bad rebuilding team the Colts had in 98. No one cared when Manning made mistake after mistake. This isn't that kind of team. This is team with a 3 year window, and Bill doesn't want to give up 33% of that window while a rookie goes through his growing pains.
Who knows. The issues Cam had at the end of last season, could very well still be there and the issue becomes moot. I'm one who is still hoping that we will get an improved version of what we saw pre Covid.Cam, when there were multiple threads on this board calling for the Pats to get this guy under a long term contract......including many who are now calling for his head. Now THAT QB didn't suck.
Hopefully they are still going to allow fans at the practices so I can see for myself.
nesn.com
