Legitimate-Map-5351

Anyone else think Gardner has actually become somewhat underrated? Maybe it’s people not caring about Indy, but he’s having a decent season for a back up.

With how bad QB play is around the league (Fields, Wilson, Pickett, DeVito, Bryce, Mac, etc.) I’d wager a lot of teams would love someone who’s competent, tough, accurate, somewhat mobile and a leader like Minshew. He doesn’t have a big arm, he doesn’t have high end athletic traits, he’s short, etc., but the guy can play some football and help a good team stay above water.

His rookie season was great in my eyes. The stats were honestly really good. Say what you want, but that Jags team also wasn’t very good. Watching a guy like Bryce Young play, who I’ll admit is probably in an even worse situation than Minshew was in with the Jags, really puts things into perspective of how rare it is to have a QB who’s competent and not horrendous.

Is he a star? Absolutely not. Is he a franchise guy? Nah. Is he an extremely high end back up / bridge QB? Honestly yes.

Curious as to what everyone’s thoughts are. I know he’s been a topic of discussion in the past but it seems like he isn’t talked about anymore even though he’s winning some games for a decent Indy team and not looking bad in the process. Not advocating for him to be “the guy”, that’s Richardson based on tools and potential, but I think guys like Minshew are insanely valuable.

Everyone was very quick to jump on the “he’s washed and bad now” train after a tumultuous season last year with Nathaniel Hackett. He didn’t look good and didn’t meet expectations, which is fair, but context was out the window and the pile on was aggressive.

Fast forward to now and he’s finally hitting his stride and playing up to expectation. At the very least, he’s still a viable QB who’s capable with good pieces around him.

Was it a great trade? Not necessarily. Is he worth the price tag? I don’t know. What I do know is that he’s a lot better than the product he put on the field last season and I think he deserves a little respect on the football field.

What Ben has been able to accomplish with Goff is nothing short of spectacular. It’s worth pointing out that Detroit has a stout and experienced OL, with good weapons across the board, but I think an offensive mind like Johnson could really unlock something special in LA.

This Chargers team obviously needs to figure things out defensive above anything else, but I believe that they’re 1 solid coordinator away from making major strides in that area. They have elite level talent at key positions (Bosa, Mack, James, etc.)

Thoughts?

Let’s hear it! Give me your most unpopular opinions so far this season. I know this sub can be a hive mind echo chamber sometimes where people all arrive at certain assumptions and conclusions based on small sample sizes or bias’.

Here’s a few of my unpopular (to this sub) takes:

1. RBs aren’t a “luxury” pick in the first round of the draft, you just have to accept that the pick won’t be as “long term” as other positions. Drafting guys like CMC, Travis ETN, Bijan, etc. aren’t “wastes” or “luxuries”. Those guys can really aid an offense, especially in the current era where we’re coming back around to ground attacks. The big issue is the second contract, but you’ll still have a stud weapon on the cheap for 4-5 years. More specially, I don’t see anything wrong with the Gibbs pick. People think he’s a bust or a waste bc he hasn’t been a 20-25 touch guy 6 games into his career… I think he can be a huge contributor for them for 4 seasons or so. If he helps them in big playoff games, then the pick is worth it, even if he’s not a guy who’s around for 6-10 seasons.

2. A QBs ability to process info and remained poised is far more important than athletic ability. Everyone is looking for the shiny athlete like Josh Allen or Lamar, but honestly guys like Brock Purdy, Kirk, Goff, etc. are way more attainable and way safer. They can process info and deliver accurate passes. Obviously the gold standard is a freak athlete who’s an elite processor, but I think some teams try to find the athletes first then try to teach the mental aspect. While it’s true that you can’t teach athletic ability like Fields has, or the arm talent Wilson has, it’s not so easy to teach the mental component either.

What’re your guys’ hot takes and unpopular opinions?

The dudes been a super star throughout the bulk of his career, but he really hasn’t done nearly enough to be forcing his way out of anywhere he doesn’t want to be. He’s literally leaving his team on a yearly basis at this point.

It’s staggering that he’s trying to hard to get out of Philly. They have a good roster and a good new HC. Harden also isn’t a super star anymore, more-so a complementary star, so he doesn’t have the pull he used to. I also think his reasoning is ridiculous. The GM is a liar who you don’t like? Who cares. It’s a business and you’re being paid to do a job.