Listening to the cut down presser today, couple things struck me, and some general musings on the upcoming season.
Ray Agnew was talking about Aiden Hutchinson, and said, " I would just say this, we got the right one."
Take all the hyperbole you want, but I think Ray believes Jacksonville DIDN’T.
Holmes talking about the failure of Boil and Blow. “Those first games that [Boyle] ever played in his entire life we saw some things that encouraged us to want to keep working with him,” Holmes said. “And then, bringing back Blough, and he’s got previous experience. And so, we had the plan in place, we felt good about it and they just didn’t quite make the jump that we expected them to make.”
File this one under the Turds Aren’t Welcome Round Here Anymore Category. It’s clear the organization gave these two every chance to improve. Every chance. It’s equally clear neither of them put in the correct work to make that breakthrough. I’ll actually be surprised if we see either of them resurface again…
Thinking about Levi and how the expectations have absolutely cratered amongst us is making me think about what we’ve seen out of Austin Bryant. He’s another one everyone was ready to write off last year. If the staff isn’t ready to write off Levi, I guess we can be patient too…
I’m not thinking about the draft yet, an improvement over last year. Man, I hope my gut instinct about this team is right for once. I really think we’ve got a shot. I’m actually looking forward to seeing the games.
If Goff is injured in the first couple weeks, you’ll definitely see Blough, again.
It’s going to take the new guy a while to learn the offense.
Actually, I’ll be schocked if he’s not back on the active roster by week 1.
Wha? He was on our practice squad yesterday.
Wtf! I hate this time of year. Can’t even go fishing for an evening without everything changing.
That’s just unforgivable. Chalk the first Vikings game up as a loss.
Watch Green Bay pick Boyle back up.
This is why you don’t wait until after camp to cut your backup QB(s).
Discarding that he’s with the Vikings, just throw that out for now, if you were to resign either Blough or Boyle, it simply sends the wrong message to everyone who earned their place on the roster.
Sudfeld is an unknown quantity, but amongst everyone out there available, the front office identified him to target and bring in. That’s something to consider in a multifaceted way.
For instance, if he flounders, the organization as a whole should seriously consider reworking their scouting as it applies to quarterback. That could be a critical consideration if the Lions ever harbor hopes of drafting a competent one beyond the #1 overall pick, because quite frankly, their record on doing that leaves a lot to be desired.
Seems possible with Boyle, who appears to have more tools to work with. I’m not sure if that’s a fair assessment of Blough. He seemed to be busting his ass, I don’t think effort was the issue. He was always trying to make things happen, just put too many balls on the ground or into defenders’ hands. I put most of his issues down to physical limitations though. Watching Hard Knocks, he just looked tiny. Not a mystery why a lot of his passes seem to get swatted down at the line of scrimmage.
The correct work isn’t always the work you see being done. Brady is a a good example. He saw the notes the QB Coach for the Pats had on his shortcomings during his first training camp and took the initiative to fix himself. There are plenty of shrimp QB’s that have had successful careers. It’s an extensive list. No, as long as an individual is given the non-sugarcoated version of what needs to be fixed, after that, it’s on them.
Now, if they’re not getting that information, that’s an opportunity to examine where the coaching staff can improve. If the player simply lacks the physical and/or mental capacity to execute those improvements, that’s an opportunity to improve the scouting process.
Every single step offers a chance to examine how to get better on multiple levels. There’s a Japanese proverb I’m very fond of. Fix the problem, not the blame, for if you fix the problem, there’s no blame to fix.
I’ve always wondered about that. If I knew a player had given up his former teams playbook to his new team I wouldn’t trust that guy enough to bring him in. I’m sure it happens but it seems like a good way to get black listed.
Well yeah, but I think you’re making assumptions about what the guy did and did not do—and what the guy is even capable of doing. When you repeatedly fumble the snap, there’s a good chance you have smaller hands than the average QB. When your passes keep getting tipped at the line, there’s a good chance that you’re shorter than the average QB!
The more likely scenario is that Blough is just limited, and that’s more on the scouting department and Brad Holmes. Not bashing Holmes, I just think he was asking a guy to do more than he was really capable of doing. I don’t think it’s fair to argue Blough didn’t put in the work when you don’t really have any evidence of that.
