Martin

It’s the reverse Ted Lasso?

It is perfect to have a new GM without any strings attached handle this. The “we know you could have traded him for 2 firsts…” argument has no bearing anymore. Any decision will be based 100% on performance. Tag and trade would be ideal. There might be a team willing to give a first for him, wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

Bryce should get the chance to compete for the starting role, but it shouldn't be given to him. Let him earn it. That is all I would ask of a new GM and HC.

I don’t mind an analytics driven GM. The GM doesn’t have to be the elite scout. His/her role is to build the best personnel department, put the best processes in place etc. Ensure fundamentally sound decisions are done. In my opinion, life long scouts are much more prone to get “seduced” by perceived strengths and overthinking it. I don’t think an analytics driven GM would have picked Bryce. He would have been too much of an outlier with few measurable strengths. An analytics GM wouldn’t have panicked, traded up and drafted DJ Johnson. Just my take.

Fired

One major difference between Tua and Bryce (outside of 3 inches in height and 30lbs in weight) is that Tua has a good ish deep ball to scare defenses. Bryce has never had a good deep ball, not even in college. Tua also has a stacked offense, not that different from Purdy to be honest. And Miami still only beat one team with a winning record this year. Will Bryce improve next year? Yes I believe so, I mean he can’t get worse. But will he improve enough to be a high end starter for us? I don’t see it.

My take is that the circumstances have been really bad, that aside I don’t think Bryce has shown more flashes that any random backup would have done in the same position, and that is why I’m significantly down in the viability of Bryce as a starter in this league.

Question for those who believe in Bryce (and good for you to stay positive, I just can’t): Is your hope based on anything you saw Bryce do this season or solely based on kind of blind hope that he will be good with the right support?

Mainly because it was 1 out of 17 games. It was also followed by two complete duds.

Agree to disagree, but the sample size is so small so it is hard to say.

I base it in his physical limitations as a passer and that he’s never had a good deep ball, not even in College.

That is somewhat fair. But one major difference is that Stroud hits them in stride and Bryce rarely does.

I think a big part of the o-line issues stem from Frank. The commentators in the last Colts game pointed out how much better their o-line looked this year with the same players. Plenty of personnel issues for the Panthers, but Frank was nothing short of a disaster.

I think there is no doubt the o-line has been brutal. But there has also been many times where Bryce refused to step up in to the pocket, drifting too far back in his drops or didn’t throw the ball away. This has been pointed out over and over by the commentators. So he is far from blameless here. It is a shared statistic in my opinion.

It feels like Bryce needs a Purdy type situation to look like anything like an average starter. All his limitations (lack of deep ball, footwork etc.) have been highlighted this year because of the crap situation he was put in. We need more than an average starter to go back to the playoffs on a regular basis, and I don’t see it in Bryce.

It is only the people who championed Bryce in college and the draft who see “plenty of flashes”. It feels like a case of wanting to see something so bad you see it even if it is not there. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I have to disagree. Bryce was 11/18 for 94 yards. Take out the 1 pass for 46 yards, he was 10/17 for 48 yards. That is nothing short of pathetic. We could have won the game, but that would have been due to our defense and Hubbard, nothing to do with Bryce.

This is very good news. It shows he’s trying a different approach, and that’s all you can ask for at this point. If the additional news of Fitterer being relieved of his duties come Monday, we might actually have something to look forward to this off-season.

So what you intel on Ben J being a yes man? Outside of just making it up?

I’ve been against Harbaugh, but maybe that is the ultimate reset we would need. It would remove Tepper from any football decisions. I can see Harbaugh leaving Michigan if the win the natty, i.e. mission accomplished.

I wouldn’t either, however I found the salary projections very interesting, especially as it comes to Burns.

Here is an early look at 2024 free agency, including projected market value from Spotrac. Our own Brian Burns is the 6th ranked FA with an annual salary projection of $21.7. Far from his $30 or so demand. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-free-agency-kirk-cousins-chris-jones-and-tee-higgins-headline-top-50/

Fitterer has to be gone, if not I’ll have a hard time getting excited.

Could be a foundational piece of the o-line. A lot of the best o-lines has a 1-2 round center, so yes a bit boring, but might be a difference maker for us at 33.