Drew Bledsoe: "Give Cam Newton a Full Year"

[TheRainMaker]

I understood that approach under the assumption asking Jones to have command of the offense by week 1 was asking a lot. But I saw one exhibition game and he has better command of the offense (and cohesion in passing game concepts) than newton had at any point last year.

Call a random pass okay with either qb out there and I am 100% confident Jones executes the play to its design better.

Newton’s biggest plus used to be what he did after the play broke down but last year he wasn’t any good at that either.

I’d rather have Jones start week 1.

 

[Ring 6]

I’d rather have Jones start week 1.

I can’t see a reason not to. Better chance to win. Faster learning curve.
I don’t understand the argument of let him sit so he doesn’t feel pressure. If he’s a ****y who can’t handle pressure he’s the wrong guy and we better figure it out fast.
The point is to win Sbs. If your QB of the future is afraid to play week 1 you better knock that out of him.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I have no doubt, it removes their responsibility.

Fair enough on that point.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I can’t see a reason not to. Better chance to win. Faster learning curve.
I don’t understand the argument of let him sit so he doesn’t feel pressure. If he’s a ****y who can’t handle pressure he’s the wrong guy and we better figure it out fast.
The point is to win Sbs. If your QB of the future is afraid to play week 1 you better knock that out of him.

Team is also in good enough shape for him to play now. Good O-line, RB’s, WR/TE’s and D.

I’d rather him go through the growing pains now than later.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Nope I disagree with you. The time to give the offense to Mac is based on what Mac does, not what Cam does.

And Mac looked plenty ready his first time out. Aside from that I’m calling bullish.t on your premise as it’s not Mac’s timeline you are going by, it’s yours. Belichick has been around him throughout the off-season, you haven’t, yet you are saying that your timeline is what actually matters. Manning and Elway worked out just fine, and they had terrible rookie seasons, Belichick should play the best player, not sink the season so Mac can be gently cared for,

 

[tom444]

Look at the hit that wrecked his shoulder in 2015:



And then another devastating blow here…



Luck was reckless running outside the pocket. His injuries were sustained on classic “don’t be a hero, protect yourself” plays. The NFL has for years given QBs more protections like sliding to avoid these collisions.

There was an article (can’t locate it now) quoting several in the organization that they’ve pleaded with him to change his style to protect himself.

I tend to think this has a lot to do with Luck's shortened career:

During the entirety of the four years of Luck’s rookie contract, Grigson drafted a total of three offensive linemen before the seventh round:

• Hugh Thornton (cut before his rookie deal expired and never played again in the NFL)
• Khaled Holmes (cut before his rookie deal expired and never played again in the NFL)
• Jack Mewhort (never played again in the NFL after his rookie deal expired)

You can argue that the style in which Andrew Luck plays makes him more likely to be injured, and that is true.

You can argue that a player can be injured at any point in time, whether he has a good or bad offensive line, and that is true.

But what you can’t argue is that Ryan Grigson’s spending of cap dollars came to a head in 2015, producing subpar talent along the offensive line (one of the cheapest in the NFL).

And Grigson’s decisions produced measurable results in terms of volume of hits and sacks on Andrew Luck in that 2015 season (via Pro Football Focus):

2012: 38.1% pressure rate, 8% sack + hit rate, 41 sacks

2013: 37.5% pressure rate, 6% sack + hit rate, 32 sacks

2014: 36.2% pressure rate, 5% sack + hit rate, 27 sacks

2015: 40.2% pressure rate, 14% sack + hit rate, 34 sacks (extrapolated to a 16-game season)*

*Played only 7 games due to injury

Luck played in 2016, but was once again a man running for his life, as the stats clearly show:

2016: 44.3% pressure rate, 9% sack + hit rate, 44 sacks (extrapolated to a 16-game season)

Luck was pressured even more frequently than he was in 2015, and was sacked the most often of his career. A hit early in the season to his throwing shoulder resulted in a torn labrum, which he played through all season long. He also sustained injuries to his right elbow and thumb, as well as his left ankle and a concussion.

Ryan Grigson was fired after that 2016 season.

All told, under Grigson’s watch, Andrew Luck was pressured on 1,111 drop backs during 70 games, for an average of 16 pressured drop backs per game.

Under Grigson’s watch (2012-2016), Luck was the most pressured and most hit quarterback in the NFL.

Laying Blame for the Injuries that Derailed Andrew Luck’s Career | Sharp Football

 

[Huckleberry1]

Bill Belichick is so cut throat, objective, and puts the team winning above all else. He kept a young nobody in Brady as a 4th QB which used up an extra roster spot for a year, and made the unknown guy the starting QB despite the incumbent QB being a star Pro Bowl QB on a massive contract who also the owner loved and had a great relationship with this star QB Bledsoe.

So if BB goes with Cam, would you be willing to admit Cam is the best for the team and support it ?

Belichick will have his reasons for whomever he starts, but winning will ultimately dictate his decisions once the season starts, If Newton continues to play the way he has then it’s almost impossible to see how he can defend that decision. Unlike last year, where Belichick could reasonably argue that as bad as Cam was Stidham was worse, and the locker room knew it because they were present for it, this season it’s clear that Jones is showing well and has support in the locker room, which makes a decision to go with Jones much easier, and ultimately dictates what Belichick does, as players want to win, period. They don’t want to lose, and they don’t want to suck, so they will support the change.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I tend to think this has a lot to do with Luck's shortened career:


Laying Blame for the Injuries that Derailed Andrew Luck’s Career | Sharp Football

That’s brutal.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Y

Bias? I see a veteran QB that's having trouble beating out a rookie. Thats not bias, it's troubling, coupled with the disaster last year

Yep, I don’t see bias either, and I don’t see how anyone can defend Newton’s performance as a Patriot. He’s not a bad guy, but he has no business as a starting QB in the NFL anymore.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

No because not like you I think Bill makes wrong decision. I don’t drink the cool aid and say that everything Bill does is the right thing.

for 20 years Bill has been a no excuse guy and yet last year, he was an excuse machine. I never saw him makes so many excuses for a player than for Cam.

That's not what I said. Belichick doesn't always make the right decision every time but he is all about the team and winning, so if he continues to play Cam, then you're going to have to deal with it and realize BB isn't doing that to be sentimental

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Belichick will have his reasons for whomever he starts, but winning will ultimately dictate his decisions once the season starts, If Newton continues to play the way he has then it’s almost impossible to see how he can defend that decision. Unlike last year, where Belichick could reasonably argue that as bad as Cam was Stidham was worse, and the locker room knew it because they were present for it, this season it’s clear that Jones is showing well and has support in the locker room, which makes a decision to go with Jones much easier, and ultimately dictates what Belichick does, as players want to win, period. They don’t want to lose, and they don’t want to suck, so they will support the change.

That's fair. Look at the comments though. A bunch of minds made up and even if the Pats start winning with Cam starting, looks like there's going to be segment crying about it no matter what. I'll tell you what, if the team isn't winning then it makes it a really easy non-controversial decision for a change.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

49ers were a laughing stock and then became good when Joe Montana arrived.
Bills were a laughing stock and then became good when Jim Kelly arrived.
Colts were a laughing stock and then became good when Peyton Manning arrived.
Saints were a laughing stock and then became good when Drew Brees arrived.
Seahawks were a laughing stock and then became good when Russell Wilson arrived.
Bucs were a laughing stock and then became good when Tom Brady arrived.

These teams were all considered to be crappy organizations with dumb GMs, idiot coaches, etc. Every one of them. Few or zero championships, huge stretches of incompetence.

This is a good post. But it's never 1 player, for example the reason that Larry Bird and Bill Russell ended up on the Celtics were because Red Auerbach was the team builder behind it all. Jerry West is the same way, built the Shaq/Kobe Lakers then the Warriors.

Similarly, the Bills and Colts were constructed by Bill Polian. Bill Parcells built contending teams about 4 different times. Bill Walsh built the 49ers and found Rice and Montana. The Saints combined an offensive genius in Sean Payton with a veteran DC in Gregg Williams. The Seahawks, Carroll and his GM definitely had a plan which is how they built the legion of doom so quickly.

The freak exception to all this I would say is Brady in Tampa. I don't think the GM or HC are good, sure the offense was loaded but didn't do much the year prior. So Brady is the exception that breaks the rule, no surprise there. On the other hand Licht hit 2 home runs at RT and FS so maybe Licht is an unheralded great GM...

 

[Joker]

Too bad you forget about Joe Gibbs...but then you forget a lot of things

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Too bad you forget about Joe Gibbs...but then you forget a lot of things

Not sure who you're talking to but Gibbs built the Redskins and the hog OLine, but the example isn't as pertinent because it wasn't driven by a star QB, Rypien was just a game manager so even more a case for a GM as the main reason.

 

[Joker]

Not sure who you're talking to but Gibbs built the Redskins and the hog OLine, but the example isn't as pertinent because it wasn't driven by a star QB, Rypien was just a game manager so even more a case for a GM as the main reason.

I knew you'd deflect and make excuses...jeezus krist, RIGGINS and the Hogs were the centerpiece of that Redskin team and they rode him to Super Bowl wins. Obviously you haven't really watched much NFL football

 

[Joker]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/05/doug-williams-super-bowl/

you need to really take some time off....

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Too bad you forget about Joe Gibbs...but then you forget a lot of things

Yep…Joe Gibbs is admittedly “the exception” in arguments for QB > coach. Three different SB winning QBs, and they didn’t play the same style either.

 

[Joker]

Theismann,Williams then Rypien....Williams stats in that Super Bowl DESTROY anything ever done by the Seahawks QB...but, being never wrong, he just has to go full "outlier!!!!!" and make a jackazz out of himself...again

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Addressed to everyone: I wasn’t arguing QB = 100% and everyone else = 0%.

My point was about how people assign whether an organization was a winning one or losing one using hindsight so often. The organization is really about the players. So it’s funny how people will say something like “Denver‘s coaches and GMs are morons!” and then after they replace Tebow with Manning, they’re geniuses who laid the proper foundation…then when Manning leaves they’re morons again. Jacksonville sucks and is “the worst” according to many but if Lawrence is a stud, they’ll claim Urban Meyer is a great developer, even though they’ve criticized him and laughed at the org. Sure, Jason Licht is a great one, except he’d be an unknown failure if Winston had stayed on.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Theismann,Williams then Rypien....Williams stats in that Super Bowl DESTROY anything ever done by the Seahawks QB...but, being never wrong, he just has to go full "outlier!!!!!" and make a jackazz out of himself...again

Yes great counter example. Plug and play QBs 3 times.