(05-22-2024, 09:00 AM)Cleatwood Wrote:

(05-22-2024, 08:51 AM)Caldrac Wrote: I have no issues with what's being stated here, at all. It's year four for Trevor. We always circle back to his rookie season being a mulligan, then, we look at this 2nd half of 2022 and 1st half of 2023, that's where we started to see the potential scratch the surface, and, at times, breakthrough the surface. 

I had a sense going into that Monday Night Football game last year, he was finally having his "this is it, the moment he turns the corner for good and cements himself" type of performance, and then, that damn ankle injury happened. That's where it all started. That's where the team began to lose itself. 

I disagree with Dan. In regards to this team not yet winning games because of him. I think that's a lie to be honest with you. He turned around a basement dwelling franchise and he had some moments in 2022 and 2023 that were single handedly on him getting us back into the game, maintaining the lead or just figuring it out. 

So, Dan loses me there a little bit. He is right about it being the nature of the business, we're all aware of this. This year's $250M deal is next year's $295M deal. We're getting ahead of it a bit. We're hedging our bets on Lawrence being the 2nd half of 2022 - 1st half of 2023 QB as his baseline, with the hopes that, he becomes more than that this year.

Provided now, and this is the catch, there's always a catch. Provided that the offensive line does it's damn job and the running game is capable of keeping our opponents defense honest and giving him a chance to call his pocket more as a passer from the actual pocket. 

I can stomach the QB rankings. I can. It's fair. Look, it is what it is. Stroud's rookie season was impressive, probably the best QB rookie season that I can recall of since Ben Roethlisberger. Have gone on record that his style reminds me of RGIII though, hopefully his career isn't cut short from running around in the backfield too much to extend plays. 

I can stomach the obvious ones. Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow, etc. I don't mind Herbert being higher. I don't mind Stafford and Goff. Cousins? I am a little iffy on that. He's a great regular season Quarterback. Still ends up like everybody else though. Not in the play-off's or lays stinkers in primetime. 

Is he top five? No.
Is he top ten? Maybe. 
Is he in the better twelve - fifteen range? Yes. 

Does he have the potential to be a top five? No. I think he has the potential to be TOP THREE. And, with that, I'll leave it at that.

I've said this before but I don't think there's a single QB drafted in the last 5-6 years that could do what Trevor has done for this franchise (maybe Burrow). The pressure of being the #1 pick, having Voldemort as your coach in year 1, no offensive help in year 1, starting day 1 for the worst franchise in all of football (by win%) and then handling it like a pro? Taking them to the playoffs in year 2, win a playoff game and push the champs for 4 quarters? Then start the next season 8-3?

Not a single QB the last 6 years could have done that.

Agreed. There's also the factor of having to technically get familiar with a different play caller for the third straight year in a row on offense. I know Doug and Press shared the duties in 2022, however, it was mostly, if not, all of Press in 2023. 

People think it's easy, yet, his entire counterparts to that first round draft class are already moved onto new locations with back-up duties, including the guy backing him up now. 

I have no doubts about him. It's everything in front of him that leaves plenty of room for doubt though, and that's the make or break this year for most of us. Either this front five gets it done or we'll continue to hover around the .500 mark and that's BECAUSE of Lawrence's ability to work magic out of lunch meat out there.

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(05-22-2024, 10:52 AM)Jaguarmeister Wrote:

(05-22-2024, 08:51 AM)Caldrac Wrote: I have no issues with what's being stated here, at all. It's year four for Trevor. We always circle back to his rookie season being a mulligan, then, we look at this 2nd half of 2022 and 1st half of 2023, that's where we started to see the potential scratch the surface, and, at times, breakthrough the surface. 

I had a sense going into that Monday Night Football game last year, he was finally having his "this is it, the moment he turns the corner for good and cements himself" type of performance, and then, that damn ankle injury happened. That's where it all started. That's where the team began to lose itself. 

I disagree with Dan. In regards to this team not yet winning games because of him. I think that's a lie to be honest with you. He turned around a basement dwelling franchise and he had some moments in 2022 and 2023 that were single handedly on him getting us back into the game, maintaining the lead or just figuring it out. 

So, Dan loses me there a little bit. He is right about it being the nature of the business, we're all aware of this. This year's $250M deal is next year's $295M deal. We're getting ahead of it a bit. We're hedging our bets on Lawrence being the 2nd half of 2022 - 1st half of 2023 QB as his baseline, with the hopes that, he becomes more than that this year.

Provided now, and this is the catch, there's always a catch. Provided that the offensive line does it's damn job and the running game is capable of keeping our opponents defense honest and giving him a chance to call his pocket more as a passer from the actual pocket. 

I can stomach the QB rankings. I can. It's fair. Look, it is what it is. Stroud's rookie season was impressive, probably the best QB rookie season that I can recall of since Ben Roethlisberger. Have gone on record that his style reminds me of RGIII though, hopefully his career isn't cut short from running around in the backfield too much to extend plays. 

I can stomach the obvious ones. Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow, etc. I don't mind Herbert being higher. I don't mind Stafford and Goff. Cousins? I am a little iffy on that. He's a great regular season Quarterback. Still ends up like everybody else though. Not in the play-off's or lays stinkers in primetime. 

Is he top five? No.
Is he top ten? Maybe. 
Is he in the better twelve - fifteen range? Yes. 

Does he have the potential to be a top five? No. I think he has the potential to be TOP THREE. And, with that, I'll leave it at that.

Also, Dan used the singular "injury to Trevor" last year.  It was injuries, Dan, including a concussion against the Ravens.  And there was no commentary on Fortner routinely getting immediately pushed into the backfield at the snap which led to many botched plays and no real run game support.

Yeah. Caught that as well. Knee injury, ankle injury, throwing shoulder injury and a concussion or two. He absolutely got clobbered and banged up last year. It's surprising he only managed to miss one game.

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(05-22-2024, 11:15 AM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(05-22-2024, 11:03 AM)Hurricane Wrote: I'm completely behind Trevor and everything he has done, but they aren't completely wrong. Yes he does need to show more, but I feel like thats more on the coaches at this point. With a clean pocket hes good, with a decent pocket hes good, but with our absolute garbage pocket there is going to be some bad. That bad forces more bad, making everything seem like a complete [BLEEP] show. Fingers crossed Baalke and Pederson have this line figured out.

I think this season hinges on the bolded here more than any other one thing. 

If pass protection and run blocking don't climb out of the cellar and into "mid-tier" range, they are doomed to linger watching the post season instead of participating. 

(I'd place the secondary coming together quickly and improving under Nielsen next on the list of critical changes. Multiple busted coverages took us out of contention in 2 or 3 contests last year)

Yep. There has to be some type of trade off this year. If this front five doesn't show improvement we're going to have to hope that Lawrence ends up on the plus side of having to play hero ball more often than not, and, this defense manages to shore up it's lack of secondary play and interior pass rush from 2023 to help keep the score closer.

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