Proudiddy

Idc what anyone says, PJ is legit. He might not look great in practice, but he's a gamer and he's an NFL QB with NFL skills. Will Grier? Not so much.

Well, he obviously had a say in it. My point with the reference to Ron being, he also had a say in drafting guys and then not playing them because he had vet guys he trusted more. I definitely don't think that's what Rhule was doing, but just posing the question.

Yeah, gonna watch it on the DVR when I get home bc I'm out running errands, but just from listening to it, I felt like Trent Scott may have just played himself out of a job.

Said the locker room was "fiery" and Rhule ripped into the team over the penalties. He said it was zero tolerance on penalties for the second half. Interesting.

Which makes me wonder if his lack of reps with the 1s is Rhule keeping that gem close to the vest before the reg season, tough love, or some old Ron Rivera "my guys first" stuff going on?

Nope, that's effed up too. I'm in Raleigh and the stream from our team app/site says game not available in my market.

Also, tried to stream through the app/panthers.com and its absolute garbage. I'm in NC and it keeps saying the game is not available in my area. I'm in fuging Raleigh. Panthers media strikes again. Make your own app and its absolute garbage.

Is it an additional fee? I have Hulu with ads and I can't find it anywhere.

Despite the bummer about our starters not playing, I'm super stoked to see TMJ. I've seen a lot of apt comps to Moose, Michael Irvin, and some other greats, and I agree, except he has a little more speed... Also, interested to see how Brown and Christensen play on the right side. Tremble as well. Chubba. And I've been intrigued and hopeful for STO since we took him late in the draft last season as a developmental prospect because of his size and athleticism. Interested in Taylor for the same reason.

Yeah, I thought he had been playing well in the few blurbs I read about him in TC, so it's a bit surprising.

I'm disappointed. I'm out running errands with the wife, and last year, the NFL app let you stream all of their network and NFLN games. Wtf is this gamepass poo?

Mine only has a link to "listen live." I don't see a stream.

Also, now looking the entire lineup, I'm curious where they see Troy Pride? Haven't heard much about Melvin or STO all TC, so idk if this is the second string, or the CBs after the first 4 or 5?

He's gotta be injured. Previous starting experience in which he played well, versatile, and I thought I had read before the trip to Indy that he had gotten some 1st team reps recently.

I like the right side, interested to see Brown and Christensen. I also like Scott. Don't give a single F about LG and C.

Not a fan of Dad Bod Mac at all, but I give credit where credit is due... he did have all-world talent at Alabama, but he, as they say, is a "quick processor," just like I've heard about Lance. Him setting the college football completion pct record is nothing to sneeze at... but, he is very much a system QB. That being said, it does appear NE is trying to tailor a specific gameplan around Mac, and he looked really good overall in game one... better than I expected. And he threw a couple passes that would affirm your statement of his arm being better than Teddy's. They all still had quite a bit of air under them, but he showed great anticipation and placement, so it worked. That being said, I still wouldn't have taken him with a first round pick. Nowhere near. For him to work, you have to have everything around him perfect. It's why I have felt uncomfortable with both Teddy and Sam versus a Cam, or if we're talking rookies, Lance or Fields. I want a guy who can carry my team even if the moving parts around them aren't working well. If you have that one dynamic piece at QB, it's a lot easier to build around it than it is to find 10+ other pieces strong enough to carry a QB. JMO...

Indeed

Yup, agree completely. I was just thinking the same thing after seeing all these rookies playing significant time and after seeing the best coach in football play his starters and his rookie QB in game one, yet Rhule said Sam isn't playing three days before our first preseason game? Again, you can only put so much weight in preseason and TC stuff, but I do think there is something there. New guy, in a new offense that you're trying to sell to the fanbase, and, as you pointed out, you're trying to sell us his youth and how he is basically a rookie too, and you aren't gonna give him ANY snaps in the first preseason game? Like you said, they're asking us to erase everything we've seen from our minds, like his years in NY never happened... But, they did. And the only way to forget all of that is by him playing well and removing all doubt. So, why wouldn't you play him unless you felt he wasn't ready to do that? And forget the fans... as a coach, I want to see how my new QB looks under the lights against another team when the pressure is on. So, I just don't understand that decision. It's not encouraging at all. Even if you aren't trying to glean too much from this stuff, it's still telling.

Nope, that's not what I'm saying at all. I want him to play out of his mind. But from everything we've seen, heard, and know from his previous playing experience, I just don't believe it's possible. I will believe if he can make me believe in him as a player. Think of Jake... when we signed him, did anyone think he would become the QB and leader he became? No. He proved those things over time... difference is, he didn't have all of the bad tape on him that Darnold has coming in, which is where the doubt of him originates from. So, yes, he COULD play like an all-pro for us and change people's minds, but it will be quite the road he has ahead of him if he does so.

Just posted the same thing in my reply to Scot regarding the report that we felt he didn't fit our system. It's garbage. And again, I just go back to their decision to jettison Cam on the last year of his deal to bring in a game manager on a more lucrative contract. That right there crystallized a lot in regards to how Rhule views and evaluates the QB position. I get the concerns about Cam's shoulder and health, but the only games he ended up missing were due to covid. He still produced a ton, mostly in the run game, and he still has tremendous velocity on his throws even post-shoulder injury (he just can't throw as far). Funny thing is, that velocity and running ability and the lack thereof in Bridgewater is exactly what caused us to lose those 8 games on the last drive with him at the helm. So the exact things they gave up by getting rid of Cam were the exact things that ended up costing us games. And then they don't even show interest in a guy who by all accounts is a quick processor, super smart, and in terms of size and athleticism is off the charts? Yeah, I have my doubts about their ability to properly evaluate the position.

Good points, Scot, but I don't trust their word on that. Rhule has shown on multiple occasions to say things that weren't exactly true... It's possible they didn't commit because they were waiting to see how the draft shook out first and then the reason they gave for fishing for offers after the fact wouldn't have undercut Sam's confidence early. They were still able to sell it as "he's our guy." But, I acknowledge it also could be exactly what they said... As far as Lance, I just hate when I hear that stuff as an excuse. If you have a talent you believe in, you cater and tailor your system around them. It happens all the time. But, it is clear thus far, that Rhule (and/or Brady) prefers QBs who manage the game and wants rely more on the entirety of his team and "program" over guys with ability to take over an entire game on their own. I say this as well because from pre-draft reports, they said Lance was incredible on the whiteboard, demonstrated fast processing, and killed it in pre-draft interviews... which pretty much translates well to any system. Not saying he was in our reach bc he went #3, but as you said, we didn't even show interest. Again, I just hope they're right about Darnold, but nothing I've seen or heard so far has changed my mind much about him. He has some really nice throws and moments, but he also has some really bad ones, and our OL is in shambles. But again, I hope I am wrong.

But the issue with Darnold has been he has also had almost just as many bad games/moments as good ones. I want to eat crow, because it will mean success for our team, but I just feel like Sam is who he is. I hope I'm wrong.

I don't think that's what it was at all. We didn't even exercise his option until after the draft... so they weren't confident in him. What it is starting to appear like, is that Rhule - depending on how Darnold pans out - either doesn't know how to evaluate the QB position, or he doesn't value it. Many here stated over and over again that letting Cam finish out his last year of his contract was preferred over releasing him and signing a mediocre game manager to a 60M contract, and yet, he chose Bridgewater. Depending on that Washington game (after Bridgewater singlehandedly lost enough games on the last drive to knock us out of playoff contention), we likely could've had our pick of Lance or Fields... Again, hoping for the best, but I have never believed in Darnold. He has had some good throws in camp, but again, at best, the reviews have been mixed and indicate inconsistency just as he demonstrated in NY. And if we go through a second season of mediocre QB play, it will be pretty evident that Rhule feels like you can take shortcuts with QB if the rest of the team is well put together - and that just isn't true. Again, I hope Darnold plays well, but I don't believe in him at all.

Or if we hadn't beat Ron's limpdick team in a game where winning only hurt us. Again, I liked Jaycee, but QBs with size, huge arms, who can run 4.4 40s and are intelligent don't come around every year... we haven't seen Darnold yet, but judging from his first three years, despite the obvious dysfunction in NY, and his early mixed reviews in camp so far tell me he likely is what he is and what we thought he was. I hope for the best, but I think it is likely we screwed the pooch, by again messing up at the most important position in football for the second consecutive year. But, we'll see...

I really don't want to regret passing him up bc I liked Jaycee, too... but, QBs who can throw 70 yards and run 4.4 40s don't grow on trees and are rarely available to middling teams even if they did. I also hate making it Darnold vs Fields, but Darnold has a hard road ahead of him.