Khyber53

Give Wilks a two year prove it coaching contract with the right to assemble his own staff and input on drafting, team building. We handed him a sunken ship in week six and somehow he was able to bring it home and keep it in contention until the end of week 17. AFTER trading CMC and releasing Baker Mayfield. And he was man enough to send Sideshow Bob Anderson packing after he showed out on the sidelines. And somehow, he made Sam Darnold at least intriguing if not relevant again. The man should get the opportunity. If we don't do it, someone else is going to and he's going to beat the snot out of us every time he gets the chance. And if you want to entertain dreams of Luke coming back to coach, it's not going to happen without Wilks in charge.

I'm sorry, but I'd rather see Wilks as coach rather than another tin pot dictator from an overly monied college program.

It's interesting to read the stats, but there's a big vacuum around them. That vacuum can be summed up with the caveat that the overall win percentage of those coaches at their next stop (0.456) is as good or better than the average for all HCs put together for the NFL in any given career span. It's tough to win in the NFL, for any coach whether they were an interim coach (who is always taking over a sinking or sunk ship) or whether they have inherited a successful program as we've seen in Tampa and New Orleans this year. Consistent winners like Belichick, Carrol, Harbaugh and Tomlin are very rare creatures indeed. Wilks being an interim here isn't a slight against his capabilities as a HC at all, contrary to what that chart says.

Poor kid, he has no reason for guilt in this, but it would still weigh heavy on a good man's soul. May both men find healing and better days ahead for them.

Each team has a sportswriter who speaks on behalf of their candidates as the field is winnowed down to the finalists. Steve's record is among the best ever. I can only think that this year our team's representative didn't make as strong of a case or some internal politicking squeezed him out. Doesn't seem quite cricket that he was there last year and not this year. And next year, won't Julius Peppers be eligible? Which one gets the better speech on his behalf?

Then don't move up. Build the rest of the team. Some folks are far too in love with college QBs.

Yeah, he's the next Ryan Fitzpatrick. We shouldn't have let him go.

That was a class act move by Heinicke there.

Yeah, those two guys were standouts and about the only thing we had going in the pre-Wilks portion of the season. Both were great finds in times of dire need.

You and I have disagreed mightily over the years, but I agree with you 100 percent on this. Well said and well explained.

Right now my take is that Tepper is being used as salary/contract length leverage against other teams more than he is an attractive landing spot for most of the top end prospects like Harbaugh. We're a small market team with a poorish scouting department and what appears to be a QB situation. Tepper, who has proven to not be terribly savvy about the business of football, is going to offer someone a big, expensive package to coach this team, and he'll probably base it more on name notoriety than actual capabilities. Think like the Raiders taking Jon Gruden a few years back. He won't try and go the no name route again. And before you start with the "Fitterer will guide him" routine, you know that isn't going to happen. That's not Tepper' style and his employee will be tasked with getting Tepper who he wants, not who the team really needs. My bet is he'll try hard for Harbaugh, who will leverage that into big money and guarantees in Denver, then he will snag Kingsbury when he gets ditched in Arizona. Somehow, he will miss the best bet that is sitting in his own coaching complex right now and we will see Steve Wilks head off to Indianapolis to take over a team that needs backbone and needs to make a hire that would net them some good karma. I think we should roll with Wilks on a two year prove it contract, let him set his own coaching team in place and shore up the areas we know are weak. But I know nothing...

Exactly. We aren't just a QB away. We are just a few players away, though, and Sam has played well enough to be an intriguing avenue into going after those players. If he continues to progress into next season as he has so far in this one, then you may have gotten a young steady QB past that two year learning curve and can see some dividends. I think he has proven that he has been dutifully doing his homework while sitting on the bench. The kid effin' grew up and he's playing well -- better than the other rookie candidates out there have turned out this season. Maybe he's just the bridge QB, maybe he is just a Derek Anderson top notch back up, maybe he is the starter coming into his own. It's worth it to hold on to him and find out.

Considering how the Raiders have drafted over the years, as well as the Falcons, it might behoove us to let them pick first and clear out some of the yard trash.

Gilmore would have been good to have had, but is he even fast enough? (And believe me, there's a reason 35 year old Josh Norman was never put out there to cover him.)

I think if we'd have had a guy fast enough to cover Mike Evans, everyone would be singing Steve Wilks' praises this morning.

And possibly double cover Mike Evans in every game. Don't stick a slow third string DB on him. Just saying. We lost that game, in the end, because of Jaycee Horn's injury.

This, exactly. If you look at Sam as a second year player, which he really is to us with a horrible coach his first year, then look at what he is doing now, then you should be able to see how much progress he has made. And the guy is just 25 years old. He's got the arm, he's settled down and he is better at taking what the game is giving than ever before. And the chemistry he has been developing with DJ Moore and the other receivers is actually visible. Another off season in this program with coaches that can coach and a team that believes in him and we could very well have a good QB, all for the price of what was it a second round draft pick? Me, I'd offer Sam a prove it contract for next year. Say $8 million guaranteed with a buttload of incentives for great game play and even a massive one for a Super Bowl appearance for us. Add in a option for the team for years two and three at starting QB rate salary in case he does really take off. That dumbass investment we made in Darnold a while back is finally starting to pay off. It would be foolish to ditch him now. Roll into the 2023 season with Darnold and Corral, perhaps pick up a late round QB in the draft for training camp competition. Spend this year's top picks on TE, DE, CB and other needs.

Let's get the win and start 2023 right!

Let's get the win and start 2023 right!

I've come to the point where I'm not trading picks for a college player who may or may not ever develop. I might trade some picks for a proven NFL player during the season when I can see how they are doing. But man, trading picks away for the chance to get a Vince Young or an aging Russell Wilson... I think wiser teams stick to what they have in the draft and then spend most of their resources looking to pick up the right free agents in the offseason who can fill needs. Fitterer, seems to be getting better at that, especially if you look at our offensive line. How about we take some time to build a strong foundation without trading away tomorrow. Too many people are willing to trade for those magic beans...

I'm so sick of bubble screens. Every fifth play let's wing it out to a poorly protected receiver who might gain two yards. We don't have Jake behind center and Smitty on the wing anymore. Just pass it down the damn field. A DB is going to snag one of those and take it to the house eventually on us.

Just going to have to trust in the new coach and who he wants. Could be something old or something new, something bartered or something already in blue.

Been saying it for years.

Neat little place but that was one scary dude hiding out in there. As a person born and raised in the NC mountains, I would like to point out that the guy moved here from up north... just sayin'.

New episode is out. Serial killer who worked the NC/SC border... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsjUiFLuIv8