XClown1986

Maybe this is the "CJ is not in the 70s and 80s, that's all I'm saying" that Smitty was referring to in the podcast. I wasn't sure what the number reference he was making was. This might be it.

Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, or Trevor Lawrence.

Your reading comprehension is impeccable as always.

CJ has always struck me as a fraud. Something about his interviews feels disingenuous and put me off of him. He's polite but it feels conscious, not ingrained. He is confident, but he responds with almost more of an arrogance. He seems like an odd guy trying to act like he isn't. And he isn't a good actor. I think he is another in a long line of super successful college quarterbacks that SHOULD be successful in the NFL, but he lacks the mental and emotional structure to endure the path ahead. I'm telling you, whoever drafts him is going to have a time dealing with his frustrations and he is going to likely see plenty of those early on. I'm not Nostradamus, but I feel pretty confident in my ability to judge a person. I could be wrong. But he is going to need a strong support group behind the scenes and he is going to have to be willing to work at the mental aspects of being a professional athlete. (For the record I wasn't one of the guys that felt that way about Cam pre-draft. I was worried about his play style translating, but he seemed like a fun, genuine, and ambitious guy from the jump.)

You draft players to win Super Bowls. Eli led the Giants to two championships. The Chargers never even got to a Super Bowl. The Giants clearly won the trade. How is this even a debate?

Lol. Ok, I now have all of the information I need.

If you knew you were getting Drew Brees as a player, why wouldn't you try to go get him? Dude is a Super Bowl winner and had a hall of fame career. And Brees seems to be the most common comp for Young.

It seems like every year we start really hearing about who the Panthers want a couple of weeks or maybe a month beforehand, and it turns out to be the guy we take or the guy we wanted but was picked before us. I remember this happening in regards to Jon Beason, Jonathan Stewart, Cam Newton, Kelvin Benjamin, Shaq Thompson, Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, Jaycee Horn, CJ Henderson (got overruled, but the interest was real enough to trade for him later), Ickey was the gem for them last year and they were so stunned to see him available. It just doesn't seem like there has been a lot of real "smokescreens." Usually the intel that leaks is pretty reliable. This usually leads to the fan base interpreting the leak as fact or fiction, usually based on whether or not the fan likes the guy that gains steam. If they do: "it's happening!" if they don't: "smokescreen to trick other teams. Totally." I remember being baffled by Jonathan Stewart after drafting Deangelo and dismissed it as absurd, but it was legit. I remember thinking the Cam Newton steam seemed inflated and really remember being pissed it was real (I was wrong guys, I admit it. Cam was a great pick). But history shows, the name that seems to become associated with the team more and more, ends up being the guy. Draft pundits have pretty much nailed our picks in recent years.

Drew Sanders reminds me of Clay Matthews. I think edge rusher is his future. Jack Campbell reminds me of Leighton Van Der Esch

I completely agree with this. Houston may have screwed up by not securing the trade to one. There have been some media outlets (I'd have to go search for them) that aren't convinced that Stroud will be the pick if the Panthers take Young. There is speculation that they could go defense or trade down. It's interesting. I'm not fully convinced it has to do with who Strouds agent is, but clearly the Texans are not on board with the "1a and 1b" consensus.

Yeah since leaving HBO, it has been garbage.

O'Sullivan was referring to when Bryce and CJ returned to the Elite 11 last summer to run drills. Not coming out of high school.

Or... where there is smoke there is fire, and they really do want Bryce Young. I don't think they want to risk moving down anymore. They want their guy.

I'll take Jack Campbell or Daiyan Henley at 39. I'd be on board for that.

This is great to hear. I remember one of the things that sold our coaches on Cam was the passionate halftime speech he gave to his team when they were getting their ass kicked by Alabama, then they came out afterwards, rallied, and won. It is such an important aspect of a QB. Pivotal, in fact.

Gravitating to him is fine. But he has to communicate. With his coaches and with his teammates especially. He can't leave the coaches to talk to his guys and he just "plays the game." So I would want to know more about how effective he is as a communicator and how he has managed those relationships. This is why Bryce Young is being regarded as the top guy, because there is so much evidence to support his strengths as a leader and communicator. You see it all the time and you hear it from everyone he talks to. When it is barely mentioned about Stroud, that scares me. He can't be a QB in a vacuum. He has to be a leader of men. Period. It can seem forced, disingenuous, half-assed, or a requirement. He has to WANT to lead these guys. If his team goes 3 and out, down by 14 in the waning minutes of the 3rd quarter, I want to know that he is going to pull his receivers to the side and address the issue. Schematics, problem solving, or just an ass chewing, he will have to do what is required and necessary for those moments. Same goes for him talking to his O-line and backs. He better talk to them. Every time he sees/feels something, his guys should know. And as a coach, I want to know I won't have to constantly tell him to do that, that he will do so when necessary. I am not coaching a guy to be a leader. I am coaching a guy to be a better player. You either have it or you don't. It comes down to personality.

Leadership shows itself in various forms. But BEING a leader shouldn't be in question, despite the method.

For me it will come down to personality and mentality. Will he mesh with the coaches, the team, and the community? Does he have the drive to do whatever is necessary to be great? Will he take the coaching and respond to adversity positively? Can he lead the guys in the huddle and get the best out of them? Those are important questions that need real answers, not theoretical ones. The answers should reflect the player based on the track record, interviews, research, and evidence. I trust that the team is diving deep into these guys to find that out. Hopefully they come to a conclusion that bears fruit.

I agree it is between Richardson and Young. But why do you think that Stroud, specifically, wouldn't be Frank's choice?

The team needs a franchise QB. If the guy that they see as a franchise QB is Young, they can't pass on him because he isn't taller. They will have to get him with a nutritionist and an NFL trainer to build more mass, but that can be done.

Yeah I agree with that. If the coaching staff does a full evaluation and comes back with Richardson as the top prospect to draft, then ok. But to draft him because you were only left with him as an option would be more alarming.

Yeah, I see your point. And actually Daboll may be more responsible for Allen's development anyway. Norv at least pushed Cam to play differently, and he responded. That should have happened much earlier in his career.

I thought that was more true for Mike Shula, not Dorsey. But either way, Newton not having respect for his coaches should have triggered the staff to make changes. This would be a contributor to why we didn't sustain success, I'd say.

Trey Lance seems to be lacking the mental aspects. This should have been evaluated more by the 49ers.