Oh I've looking forward to this.
If there is someone who nailed Mac's eval better than me. Please let me know so I know. Finally found a few post. Honestly it's not easy being this good.
Some thoughts from pre-draft and draft night ...
Might as well put this here. Thoughts on my QB (TO voice) ...
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. Or at least we should be, Cam or Mac. I'm not putting crazy expectations on Mac but he's the 15th overall pick on a team that on paper is pretty good. He shouldn't be sitting game 1 imo. If he can't beat out Cam we're in trouble. Cam will come in hot. This is his last round in the fight but if Mac can't KO shaky-legs Cam why would you take him at 15? I think Cam is going to be better but this has to be Mac's team. I said a few days ago whoever the guy is has to win the job clean bc Bill isn't handing the job to anyone and isn't making a move to make a move. If Cam comes out on fire, looks the part he has a decent chance. We heard it last night 2 minutes after we picked Jones, "Cam is our starter."
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.
As for Mac the player. His arm gets called into question a lot but truthfully it's his biggest asset to date. Obviously not his velocity or strength but he has very good placement, touch - accuracy. He can layer it in there, in between defenders. It's not great (Burrow is great, just so we're in reality) but really good is more than enough and strength can easily improve.
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.
I love his anticipation. He had his hand held but he knew what was going on. Everyone talks about his comp % which doesn't matter to me tbh. You have to understand what each guy is doing or trying to do to really appreciate those stats. 60% of the time he passed behind the los, screens or it was an RPO. Beyond that, between design, OL, WR's he had a clean pocket, ton of time and a lot or stuff was predetermined. Was late coming off first read, opened up late in general at times. Like just bc a QB looks a certain side or w/e doesn't mean that's a "read." So again it helps to know what each team/QB was trying to do. Still Jones passes with really good anticipation. He doesn't panic or advertise throws, he knows exactly what's up and hits his target with great timing. Ball is moving before his target is looking for the ball. He really displays knowledge for the system, you can tell he was studying while waiting. It sticks out in this area. His behavior, movements and actions on the field speak to someone in control. 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.
Played big in big games. College was a mess last year and SEC was no different. That said he played great in the biggest games which matter a lot more than what conference you're in.
Release is good not great (again like the Burrow comp, look to Jimmy coming out. Much quicker release and quicker feet tbh) Good enough though
His upside or peak isn't a secret. He could absolutely improve on a few things as I mentioned above but it's his mental game that will take him to the next level imo. Don't ignore the obvious. He's not going to get much for accurate. Strength and velocity could improve but he'll probably never have a top tier arm in that sense. You never stop learning though. The nuances and little things that most will try to power through. Studying individual tendencies and tells. Which DC likes this call against this alignment or formation. He could be a little quicker overall. From getting the ball out, release, handing it off, the way he handles himself and others. Certainly not bad but again if we're talking about maximizing here he needs to be on fire doing those things, nothing is slow or robotic.
I'm happy bc I'm a Pats fan first and I root for everyone. Not this player or coach. Whether I love the player doesn't matter, he's a Pat. We absolutely need a QB and even though I might not have picked him I can recognize his talent and abilities. I think he's starting day one although I absolutely believe Cam will be ready.
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Not perfect. I'm a ****ty writer but cue Denny Green. Mac is exactly who I thought he was.
