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I miss like everyone else (less than most but had Mac nailed down from day 1. He was an easy eval. I got killed by certain posters, not just DKF. Over this, his processing and a few other things. He didn't deal with pressure a lot un school, he had an outstanding OL. It was hard for some to grasp that but this is all about projection.I remember Mac, too. Mac had no pressure in college, to speak of, had the best college players in the nation around him. It wasn't until his Pats career began that he started getting pressure, and he has proven countless times that he isn't able to handle it.
Some pre-draft/draft night thoughts on Mac ...
Burrow had exceptional pocket presence under pressure whereas Jones isn't nearly as good there. Mobility like Deus said but also better creating in the pocket, creating a new platform. Jones has very good-great general accuracy but his placement suffers under pressure, behind his first read.
Like many of Bill's picks he wouldn't have been my choice but like you I'm happy we have a QB with some promise/hope. I like Mac a lot tbh just don't like the value here. I've said he's a Kirk Cousins, Jimmy G type/tier QB for months now (which isn't a bad thing, some posters didn't like that but I'm seeing those comps today). Good QB's that can handle/process info, adjust and deliver accurate passes. Guys that look right, things look right-like they should be. Guys that aren't going to hurt you but at the same time they aren't making players better, they're efficient and keep things moving. So again the value wasn't there for me, obviously Bill/Josh & co felt different.
Ultimately landing spot matters and if it's 30% for everyone else it's 40-50% for QB's. Jones landed in a Lamborghini though. Him & Mills were probably the best MOF passers in last year and we're set there as we've been discussing since we made the signings. The biggest advantage he had in college was his OL, we're set there if we stay healthy. OL is more important than his targets. Defense is weird and doesn't really translate so we could be a lot better there as well. Obviously our coaching is top notch. Mac needs all that and some to make it work but we have that. Seemingly we're set up to compete day one.
I genuinely believe Bill & Josh signed off on this considering Josh is going to be hip to hip with him. Maybe Kraft too. Doesn't feel like a Bill pick, who knows. Like we waited, he fell. This wasn't an urgent pick, plenty of opportunities to jump up for Fields or Mac and they did neither. I feel like Bill gave clearance and basically Josh picked the guy he would be most comfortable working with towards success. Bill made the pick but I honestly believe Josh is the one picked the guy after the team spent what they did in FA to get this thing back on track.
Most credit his mechanics, which aren't bad but most aren't Bacon. Let's be honest the draft is a summer hot spot outsiders come to thinking they own the place. Bacon is a dirty townie that calls that ****hole home. Mac's mechanics aren't bad but aren't in their final form or utilized properly. Footwork isn't the problem here but it breaks down when he's moved off his spot and has to reset. Feet will occasionally touch/click when dropping back. Forget about "running", some are stuck on this, this is pocket issue. He base and feet are balanced, decent weight distribution but could be a little better. Footwork is a + overall
Tough to look for bc he was kept clean so often (seriously that OL was crazy, everyone will be drafted and play, Neal might be a lottery pick next year), some plays don't stand out and narratives get set but his throwing motion could be tweaked a bit some as well. Launch/Release point, follow through could be looked at imo. That would go a long way. Both can be fixed to an extent although I'm not an expert. Accuracy and decision making will suffer when moved off his spot.
He doesn't have the greatest poise when things are breaking down though, feet get a little happy but he's in command, in control of the situation, down & distance and what's in front of him. Knows where/who his hot reads are but the closer pressure comes in the harder it is for him to locate. Has a real problem with pressure the closer it gets. At times he'll occasionally see pressure when its not there.











