Mr. Scot

Even with Brady factored in, The Patriots still built good teams. At least up till Belichick started screwing it up. I'd add though that the "superstar" formula, while it mostly centers around quarterbacks, isn't strictly limited to them. Best nkn-QB example is probably the Barry Sanders Lions. They never had (or never spent) the money It would have taken to build the kind of OL that would have made Sanders even more productive than he already was.

No argument

That may end up being his ceiling. Still unsettled for me...

This is wrecking havoc

Not difficult at all. Newton was eccentric too, but he was a lot better quarterback than Williams.

Learning how much you don't know is a good step. It's kind of similar with coaches, personnel people, executives, etc. We all want the guy who ran a successful team to be part of our organization. He was a winner there, so it's guaranteed he'll also be a winner here... Right? Then we get him, and he stinks. What the heck? That can't be right Bottom Line: a professional football organization is a machine that has about a kajilloon moving parts, and for all of them to work together successfully and harmoniously can sometimes be borderline miraculous. It's real people, the same kind that work at your job. And people complicate everything.

I was not a fan of Cole Spencer, but team brass seemed to believe in him. Hell, they promoted him. And then this year, they parted ways with him Brandt Tilis? Unknown. Regardless, I've been hoping for us to bring in a true leader in that department. Hope it happens soon.

Someone to whom a lot of us owe an apology. He was right about Matt Rhule. PS: Love the "Clausen to Newton" scale

Okay, not that last one I meant the last two paragraphs of actual analysis but I should have been more clear about that.

Still uncertain... Can he play in the NFL? Yes, he can. Can he win games? Yes, he can. Do you have to build the right team around him? Of course you do, same as you do any other quarterback. (the idea that's somehow a weakness is silly) At the very least this qualifies him to be a quality backup. But is he a long term franchise quarterback? I'm not fully confident enough to say that yet, but he's at least trending upward. And I'll take that for now...

It comes off as maybe a joke, but maybe not. Might mean nothing, but it's not easy to say that for certain given all the other chatter.

Disagree. I thought it was good, especially the last two paragraphs.

So what about Bryce? I started off as a major doubter, but came around to believing in him by the end of last season. Then this season started, and oy... Buuuut now things are picking up again, so... I'm waiting to see how the rest of the season plays out at this point, but even the doubter in me has to admit things are looking up. The one firm conclusion I have come to this season isn't so much about Young, but Canales. From what I've seen over the past two years, I think his offseason preparation program sucks. The team comes into the season looking shoddy and unprepared... But then things pick up a few weeks in Maybe what he needs is a more experienced (and successful) past head coach on staff or consulting who can help him build a more effective offseason program combination of camp, OTAs, etc so we can leave the slow starts behind. Here's hoping...

As to the topic, I've complained before about "superstar" mentality, i.e. the notion that you can win championships with one superstar player surrounded by a group of mediocre fill ins. It just doesn't work. The Manning-Brady rivalry was something of a showcase for that. The Colts general approach focused everything on Manning. The Patriots? Oh, they also had a superstar quarterback but they built a complete team, especially on the defensive side. This sort of thing is why I've argued many times that "system quarterback" should be to considered a description, not an insult. I know everybody loves the "MVP" athletic types, and they're fun to watch, but that's not necessarily the true path to consistent winning and championship glory.

It's a good analysis, though

I'm good with that. Not sure that's how it plays out, though

Basically, gunslinger mentality. Most gunslinger types are at least a little more athletically gifted than Young though. They tend to be "big arm" types or strong running QBs. So what we're ultimately talking about here is a gunslinger brain in a system quarterback body.

Kinda odd...

Better than a fragile starter, though

I could see it

I wouldn't call Renfrow "invisible". He's made some plays that we badly needed, like just this past weekend People have suggested he's playing a role similar to what Ricky Proehl gave us way back when.

Dowdle said he called for that. Was an awful idea, but in fairness, it didn't come from Legette.

Recent events notwithstanding, I still haven't come around to being an Evero fan. If a head coach with solid DC credentials gets fired this offseason, I want the team to pounce.

I think the "should have drafted or traded for Justin Fields" discussion is probably over and done with