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And Marino too! As for productivity on the field, youre right - 4 super bowl wins is a lot more than one game, but Bagent was extremely productive in his one game. until I see some longer passes, I cant realistically guess at a ceiling for him! In a small limited sample he sure does look good!

Honestly Bagent looks like a seasoned All pro at QB, except we havent seen the intermediate or deep routes yet. I remember Shane Matthews being kinds of like this, except Im not sure Bagent doesnt have a deeper ball, and theyre just protecting him? So there are definitely questions to be answered, but what Bagent has done, he has done very well. He seems to hover around a 70% completion percentage, just like in college. if that holds, and he can throw deeper routes on time, who knows what his ceiling could be? (Shane was not as good as Bagents been, I just mean he made a living off of short passes)

Im not saying WIlliams per se, just a top pick.

I don't see us trading Fields and then not taking a QB in the top half of the first round. I also don't think Fields is worth a first rounder right now. Maybe if he plays much better than we've seen so far down the stretch. i suppose if he does that, we might keep him too. But if he doesnt improve dramatically in terms of tempo getting the ball out and throwing with anticipation, then he's not gonna be on our team and hes not gonna be worth a first round pick either. Either way we need more than a developmental player at QB, and i dont think you can go into 2024 thinking Bagent is your starter and the starter of the future. you COULD see a top draft pick sit behind Bagent for the first half of the season, like the plan was for Trubisky and Fields behind Glennon and Dalton, but that's still anticipating having the rookie be your starter at the end of the year and going forward. No way we're going with Bagent and a 5th rounder.

ahahahaha thankfully there is no chance youll have to hahahaha

I'd take a first and Chase Young for Fields right now. I'd probably take a second and Chase Young.

well said.

8 years ago id take Belichick all day, but he's not gonna coach for that much longer. I think he has it in him, he knows how to win, but his roster is currently depleted, i think he could build another winner. I just dont know how many years he is gonna coach for. Meanwhile Harbaugh is under some fire that could result in sanctions against Michigan. That might be a good moment to leave? I havent looked deeply enpugh into who the good coaching options are out there. I know a few names, but I am totally open to learning about others.

I dont have a lot of faith that Fields is gonna ascend, but I totally agree there's no point in shutting him down now - he can have the rest of the year to show himself, or increase his trade value or whatever. Just as I am also 100% now on firing Eberflus, but I dont mind waiting until the season is over, theres really nothing to be gained by doing it now? And technically, we still have Fields cheap next year too. In terms of that, theres nothing wrong with keeping him next year. But I think it'd be a mistake to miss taking a first QB this year when we have the high pick(s), and I don't see Fields thriving if he knows hes a placeholder for a competitive rookie. Thats why I see us moving on from Fields after this year, but youre both compeltetly right, theres no need to end the experiment now. Im just saying Im doubful it will work out, but thats just my guess, I hope Im wrong too, because Fields with rhythm like Bagent would be a killer. Id be a major fan, and sign him to a top deal then...

Oh Im not calling anyone out on this board personally at all. I'm just saying that in order to build a winning team, a GM has to make heartless decisions. Im definitely not saying anyone, including a GM, should be rooting against Fields or any player or coach. Its only to our benefit to have players succeed and grow. And I also agree with you that just because a GM cuts or trades someone doesnt mean its the right decision! What I AM saying is that we've endured crappy teams so long, we tend to accept mediocrity, or small slivers of hope as if they were progress. And I am as guilty of that as anyone. But Im sick of losing. And while I cannot possibly predict when or if Justin Fields will grow and read defenses quickly, or whether Eberflus will learn and become a great head coach, I CAN say that right now, they aint it, and there is no trend line that tells me they are going to be it either. Its totally good for us to root for all the players and coaches this year. No reason not to - Carolina has our #1 pick, we dont need to tank for it. I was thrilled to see Bagent this week. Finally we looked like actual football. But come the offseason, I hope we are ruthless and use the position we currently have with draft and salary cap capital to find players and coaches who can be winners for us. And I also think it's time for a tough disciplinarian coach who doesnt sound as if he is the head of the HR department speaking corporate platitudes. Maybe that's Jim Harbaugh, maybe it's someone else, but i want a real leader at HC and QB who inspires everyone to be better, and who instills fear in anyone that isnt giving their all. Oh and PS, when I was a little kid and Fran Tarkenton was playing, I liked the Vikings too, much to my dads unhappiness LOL

Loyalty is a great attribute to have in a spouse, partner, neighbor, friend. Its a great thing for a fan to have too. But it's death for a GM. At some point you have to ask yourself whether you are a fan of a player or of the team. if it's the team, then you have to make the tough decisions about getting rid of players and coaches who might be nice, and trying really hard but who are not helping the team win.

And like Alex Smith, maybe you can draft a young guy behind him to sit for a year, and do it right?

I feel like Bagent is as competent and capable and winnable as any NFL backup could be while still not being courted as a starter on another team. In other words, we may have found our backup for a long time. That'd be great.

RIght. Bagent is not a great elite athlete, but he is a very good quarterback. It's better to have an elite athlete who is also a great Quarterback, but i think this experience is proving that it is better to have a good QB, than a great athlete who isnt a good QB playing QB.

we may be talking past each other. I'm saying the HC and OC are flawed and should be fired at the end of the season. I could make arguments pro and con for Morgan, but I wasn't even thinking of him when i said what I said, other than the generic thought that if we have a new head coach, they will almost certainly bring their own position coaches in?

I agree. Bagent did a great job in pre snap reads and changing plays at the line. It was most obvious on a bunch of the outside runs, but this play is an example too, except he didnt verbalize it, and just took it himself.

yes, the same ones who mishandled the timeouts at the half.

Weve outsourced our tankathon to Carolina, so it's Ok to root to win

Fields lack of presnap reads and quick deliveries is pudding us in a position to lose games.

Im still not sure. He threw a go ball way short last week, but it could also have been because he had a hard rush coming in his face. Today they took Bagent off the field for the hail mary because of his arm, but then again I think our coaches are idiots. I would love to see Bagent show me some deep balls. That would help my question a lot!

cuz our coaches suck?

That's what I think too. If Bagent had a real long ball, he'd be a contender to be Bears starter next year, passing on the rookie QBs. He is an excellent backup though, I expect us to keep him for quite a while.

Interesting that on the last play of the half - a hail mary - they put Peterson in instead of Bagent. I suppose thats a partial answer to the question of Bagents arm strength on long passes.

right, and this is just base competence! thats how bad we've been for so long.

Exactly. When you look at QBs like Montana and Marino - they played calm and fast. The numbers are flashy, not the athletes. Bill Walsh would love Bagent. Meanwhile, Eberflus mismanaging the clock again.