Call me crazy, but Cam has regressed as a passer last season. His footwork is atrocious. If he doesn't make changes soon, his game will not mature well as he goes into his 30s.
Not crazy at all. Flacco and Newton both need to step up their footwork or they're going to fall out of the league sooner rather than later. Take note though, that if you have a strong enough arm, you can cover for bad footwork for a while--don't be surprised if Josh Allen is more successful than his peers out of the gate. Likewise, don't be surprised if that early success doesn't last.
If you don't think Jay Cutler having a career year under his coaching isn't the definition of success I don't know what to tell you. You've pointed to Hackenberg and Petty as examples of him not being a good coach, but there is no coach in the world that can fix a player that either doesn't put in the work or simply doesn't have the ability to overcome the obstacles NFL players face. That is more of a reflection of the player than the coach. Concerning Bates not holding jobs long, it is well documented that Bates had a rare temper and was overly aggressive in his coaching style. I would imagine the years he spent away from the game were the result of burnout and that the time spent doing what he was doing allowed him to introspect and grow as a person. The team certainly thinks he has as they know his history and have spent a year with him. If he was going to be destructive they would not have promoted him. By all accounts he is a sharp mind with a great grasp of offense in the NFL. He has great schematical insight, is a proven game time adjuster, and has shown in the past the ability to overcome his own shortcomings. It doesn't mean he will ultimately succeed here, but my sense is there are very good reasons he continues to get opportunities. Hopefully it works out.
He definitely does and it's why I think McCown, barring injury, will start Week 1 and Darnold will be spending some time on the bench. However, I wouldn't say he's too far off from becoming a starter for this organization. Whether or not he sinks or swims will be up to him.
Doesn't everybody need work? You can't expect a qb to come in and be perfect right off the bat. The two exceptions Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. What do they have in common? Their fathers were both NFL qbs. Everyone else that has come in has had to hone their craft and correct issues. I think most qbs after the year do the same. Look at tape have others look at it see what needs to be worked on and correct it. This is expected of a rookie coming in. I think playing a rookie qb is the best way to learn. Let them take their bumps and bruises and learn from it. That being said I'd let him sit the first month or two of the season and have him play the rest of the year and learn on the job.
I don't think any prospect is a sure fire bet, we have seen "bulletproof" prospects bust and underperform in the past...always a risk. With that said, here are the reasons (you can't coach) I believe that make Darnold is a high ceiling and fairly high floor prospect: -Natural athlete, played basketball, baseball, football (ability is there) -Great size for the position, perfect size and body type for the position -Throws a good ball -Toughness and demeanor, the guy lowers his shoulder on tape/former linebacker, took like 20 hits vs. OSU and kept getting up. -Intelligence, got accepted into Ivy league institutions before choosing USC -Very durable -Obviously great off script, probably better on run than pocket (this can't be coached) -His completion percentage and wins in college fit the bill -Level headed and a great leader of men, has the right mindset "earn respect don't demand it" -His offense at USC made him go through progressions Footwork, ball security and "too much hero ball" aka forcing throws can all be cleaned up with solid coaching....all curable issues for the most part. Calling plays in the huddle can be taught. Handling snaps will come with time. That is the majority of his issues right now. Agreed, let him sit behind McCown for a year, with Bates and Bridgewater around as well and mature for the year. Let him make mistakes in practice and preseason. Get him weapons next year, and bam....we set him up to be the best version of himself. I think his floor is probably like an Alex Smith type, maybe a 6-12 ranked QB. I do not think we should worry about this kid busting though....he is better on paper than Leinart, Sanchez, Barkley etc.
You're creating a cause and effect relationship here that may not exist. None of us are in a position to say that Bates was instrumental in Cutler having a good season, or McCown for that matter - every single player in the league has his personal best season once.. I'm also not saying that Bates is responsible for Petty and Hackenberg's lack of improvement but at the same time can't prove he helped them one iota. The "By all accounts" argument is the one I have the most problem with because there is never anything included to support it - no names, no examples. If he can't hold a job because he has poor people skills is there any indication that has changed? And if a guy has a hard time excelling in one job, why have the Jets chosen to give him two?
I've changed my opinion on bates since he has been hired, not because of what some pundits have said but more because of the fact that our OC is experienced primarily with QB's and is fairly young. I don't think having an ancient old fart like Gailey or a WR coach like Morton would have done Sam any good
What 20 year old QB didn't need help? They all do. The NFL is a team sport. Darnold can't do it alone. He needs the players around him to help. The coaches who coach him to help. Veteran leadership like McCown to help. The GM to put the right team around him to help. And, of course, himself to put the work in to get better. I am impressed you watched 8 full USC offensive games though. That is dedication!
I think this pretty well sums it up. I recall, an interview with respected QB guru Greg Cosell, around Combine time, in which he said it takes about 4 years for an NFL QB to develop to a point where they are completely comfortable running a pro offense, but that doesn't mean they can't have success right away.
I think this is exactly the approach they need to take this year. Let him start, but if he struggles too much, sit him and let McCown fill in.
I'm good with this approach if he has his feet on the ground in camp. If he's still not attuned to the pace of the game the Jets should start McCown and bring Darnold in later in the season as he adjusts. I'm not happy at all with the notion of a redshirt year. You don't do that when a rookie is not ready. You do that when you have a starter you can get a year or two out of, like Vinny kept Chad on the bench. The Giants threw Eli into the fire midway despite having Kurt Warner available. He blew chunks for a good part of the second half but he got the experience he needed in the process. The Rams threw Goff into the fire and he had major issues but he got the experience he needed. The reason to keep Darnold on the bench for an extended period of time is that you think the talent around him won't keep him alive. That's the one case where you might only start him a few games next year. If the Jets choose to go that route for that reason they better be sure to get the talent for him in 2019. The way the NFL works right now sitting a 1st round pick for a season is giving away an enormous advantage in years two through four. You have to win with that guy before the rookie deal is up or you wind up paying through the nose for a guy who hasn't gotten over the top yet and praying that he will.
This is where I am right now. Darnold would need to be far ahead of the curve to start game 1. The Oline isn't great and they'll need to get on the same page with the center or centers. Darnold won't be playing in camp exclusively with starting WRs, he will be playing a lot with scrubs, it's a new offense to the entire team and there is just too much flux. I'm good with inserting him mid season, he'd have to be lights out to get the opening day starting nod, and even then I'd think it was a mistake.
Jesus christ man, you're forcing me to post a Mehta article, you win: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...remy-bates-destined-success-article-1.3786063 I don't see how you can attribute Petty and Hackenberg's failure to him and not credit his success with Cutler. He's also had success in the past with Josh McCown. Here's a Cimini article to really make this the worst post I've ever made: http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/j...mile-trail-coach-faces-new-challenge-jets-qbs The year after Bates coached McCown, McCown had one of the best years of his career, albeit on half a season. Honestly don't know if what Bates brings will be beneficial to the Jets. If the Jets offense falls apart under him, it could get the entire staff fired and I think Bowles understands that. Open to his potential and hoping for the best. Now I need to take a bath after that linkage horror.
THM, what do you (or anyone else who talks QBs) mean by footwork in general? What makes for 'good footwork'? What makes for 'bad footwork'? I've heard 'throwing off his back leg'. Is that good or bad?
I'll let experts get into the fine points, but throwing off your back leg is bad. You want to be stepping into your throws, letting your legs and core provide power. If you're throwing off your back leg, your weight is back and you're only using your arm. This is often fine on short quick throws or outlets, but it's a bad habit to get into. I'll add that this habit can form when you're under pressure a lot, afraid of getting hit, and therefore reluctant to take the extra fraction of a second needed to set your feet and transfer your weight forward.
You are right about Goff but on year one his issues were as much the horrible HC game plan as growing pains. Fisher adjusted nothing to make Goff successful. On year two McVay strutted an offensive scheme that was perfect for him. Hope Bates tailors the game plan to Darnold strengths.
You are right Roll, I did watch a lot of him live in pre season and it was sort of a weird way to get him exposed. I must say from my untrained eyes he did not look like he was getting it.
