(10-08-2019, 12:29 PM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(10-08-2019, 12:22 PM)irontrooper83 Wrote: Marrone doesn't often talks about individuals but there were 2 players he mentioned more than once over the last year: one is DJ Chark which he was raving about last year in practicem even after the first few games (where he had some drops, beside the KC game with those 2 great catches while being interfered). He was really saying the kid was improving a lot and was ready for more playing time only to end up sidelined for weeks with an injury only to came back later in a derailed season.
Doug again was giving great feedback about him during this offseason and it's really translating to the field now.

The other player Doug was hyping was Gardner Minshew. He was really praising him through offseason and training camp, was praising the way he was practicing and Marrone really wanted him to have good games in the preseason to show it wasn't just a fluke and he could do it in real games too.
He really wanted to give the kid every opportunity to win the backup job and that's why he gave him so many reps in preseason even when people were claiming McGough was better or we should have looked for outside help. He was Minshew biggest supporter.

Seeing them play together so far has a been a joy, I really want to see what this offense can be once we play with a lead early.

Marrone openly questioned whether Minshew was ready to be the #2 after preseason week 4 in a presser. 
Said they had some decisions to make there.

(I'm not saying the other praise didn't happen, I remember some of that, but he didn't actually seem sold on him taking the #2 spot on the 53)

That's also true.
I just remember him saying every week before the preseason game that he was hoping the kid would show in the game what he was showing in practice to validate his evaluation. But yes, unfortunately preseason was really tough (not just on Minshew of course) and it's understandable even he wasn't sure what they got with the kid. Still even after the first game, he was really complimenting the work he was putting him and his growth during the week, hoping it would translate on Sunday to not make him look like a fool for seeing what he saw during practices lol.

But what you said it's true and in fact to strenghten what you said, after the KC game Marrone came out and say that he felt now much better about Minshew than he did after that preseason).

Whatever it was, good that the team stuck with him rather than McGough or outside help. (Lucky or not, we'll take it)

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