2023 Plan?

[slanidrac16]

Interesting thought which led me to thinking what if the guy brought in to play QB until Murray is ready ends up doing a bang up job and is leading the team to multiple wins and playoff contention? Do you still insert Murray and hope the success continues or do you stick with the guy who is leading the team and does Murray go into sulk mode because he isn't getting on the field.

I don't think it happens because the team has too many holes but it's not inconceivable.

Would love this scenario. Can you imagine Jacoby Brissett leading this team to a 6-2 record heading into November and Kyler is finally ready to return? I’d tell Kyler keep healing.

 

[Stout]

Would love this scenario. Can you imagine Jacoby Brissett leading this team to a 6-2 record heading into November and Kyler is finally ready to return? I’d tell Kyler keep healing.

lol Jacoby Brissett isn't that guy. What record did he lead Cleveland to with a much, much better roster?

 

[kerouac9]

I love Larry but the cold hard truth is Denny passed on those guys because he was an idiot.

I don’t feel like there is a lot of profit in slandering Larry Fitzgerald on this board, but I will say that I think Roethlisberger would’ve been a catastrophe here, and Rivers would have probably just been okay/Matt Stafford.

For where this franchise was at the time, Larry was a pretty good pick.

 

[SoonerLou]

lol Jacoby Brissett isn't that guy. What record did he lead Cleveland to with a much, much better roster?

If We did get Payton I think he'd bring in Jameis Winston. A few years familiar with the system.

 

[Stout]

If We did get Payton I think he'd bring in Jameis Winston. A few years familiar with the system.

Oof, no thanks.

 

[Stout]

I don’t feel like there is a lot of profit in slandering Larry Fitzgerald on this board, but I will say that I think Roethlisberger would’ve been a catastrophe here, and Rivers would have probably just been okay/Matt Stafford.

For where this franchise was at the time, Larry was a pretty good pick.

Yep. I was all in on Roethlisberger, proven right that he was a great QB, but ended up being quite content with our magnificent HoFer Fitz. I think we made the right call, for the reasons you stated.

 

[Zeno]

If We did get Payton I think he'd bring in Jameis Winston. A few years familiar with the system.

I think we can do better than having that rapist on our roster.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I don’t feel like there is a lot of profit in slandering Larry Fitzgerald on this board, but I will say that I think Roethlisberger would’ve been a catastrophe here, and Rivers would have probably just been okay/Matt Stafford.

For where this franchise was at the time, Larry was a pretty good pick.

Larry will always have been a good pick because he is a HOFer. But the truth is if we had had our version of stafford it would have been much better for the club for the long run. The team would likely have rollercoastered but it would have had a couple playoff appearances here and there imo. Also likely means boldin never leaves.

 

[PACardsFan]

I’m not at all confident that Bidwill’s able to accept this. His ego seems to demand he gets credit (even though failure is too often the result) for leading the team and making the big decisions. The fact he insists on debriefs after each game tells you he’s unable to truly delegate and has a controlling personality. He lacks the expertise to make the necessary decisions, but insists on making them anyway.

Absolutely correct. We can complain & bitch about all the elements that made us a bad football team this year. But, some of us have been around long enough to know that the Bidwill family have always been, and will always be poor owners. Sadly, the only short term success we will ever have is when we get lucky with a very occasional good HC hire. In my almost 60 years following this mess, the only “really good” HC’s have been Coryell & BA. I‘ll always give Whiz his due, as he got us to a SB & won 4 playoff games. On the GM side, Keim had a few good years. Outside of that, we have been abysmal in that category. Exactly why you hire a proven winner in either Payton or Harbaugh & hand over the reins COMPLETELY. The fewer decisions a Bidwill makes, the better.

 

[PACardsFan]

Larry will always have been a good pick because he is a HOFer. But the truth is if we had had our version of stafford it would have been much better for the club for the long run. The team would likely have rollercoastered but it would have had a couple playoff appearances here and there imo. Also likely means boldin never leaves.

AMEN!!!

 

[kerouac9]

Larry will always have been a good pick because he is a HOFer. But the truth is if we had had our version of stafford it would have been much better for the club for the long run. The team would likely have rollercoastered but it would have had a couple playoff appearances here and there imo. Also likely means boldin never leaves.

We have had a couple of playoff appearances here and there. So what's different? LOL.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

We have had a couple of playoff appearances here and there. So what's different? LOL.

Rivers was an 8 time pro bowler. While I was never a huge fan of his it would have been monumental for a bad franchise like ours to have consistent competent play at the QB for a decade plus. I’d be willing to say we (a) likely add 3 (if not more) seasons of playoffs; (b) likely don’t have as much turnover at the head coach position; (c) likely attract superior head coaching candidates; and (d) likely boost our overall win total by anywhere from 20-40 games over the life of his career with us. I know the “what if” game is all guesswork, but i think that represents reasonable conjecture and i believe those items are fairly material differences.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I love Larry but the cold hard truth is Denny passed on those guys because he was an idiot.

That's a hot take.

That draft containing Fitz, Dansby, Dockett and Antonio Smith was our best in history.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That's a hot take.

That draft containing Fitz, Dansby, Dockett and Antonio Smith was our best in history.

Drafting any of the THREE HOF QBs, who won a combined 4 Super Bowl titles and consistently got in the playoffs over a HOF WR, isn’t a hot take. It’s a rational one.

ESPECIALLY when you’re staring at Josh McCown as your QB and you’re franchise hadn’t had a Franchise QB for over 16 years since Lomax went down.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Drafting any of the THREE HOF QBs, who won a combined 4 Super Bowl titles and consistently got in the playoffs over a HOF WR, isn’t a hot take. It’s a rational one.

ESPECIALLY when you’re staring at Josh McCown as your QB and you’re franchise hadn’t had a Franchise QB for over 16 years since Lomax went down.

All of this assumes that those QBs would be HOFers or Super Bowl winners. Something we would never know for sure.

 

[Cheesebeef]

All of this assumes that those QBs would be HOFers or Super Bowl winners. Something we would never know for sure.

Also assumes we’d never know Larry would have been a HOFer also.

Which is the point. If we had the first pick in the draft, passing on MULTIPLE QBOTF for a great WR would have stupid considering who our QB was and the absence of one for almost two decades.

 

[kerouac9]

Rivers was an 8 time pro bowler. While I was never a huge fan of his it would have been monumental for a bad franchise like ours to have consistent competent play at the QB for a decade plus. I’d be willing to say we (a) likely add 3 (if not more) seasons of playoffs; (b) likely don’t have as much turnover at the head coach position; (c) likely attract superior head coaching candidates; and (d) likely boost our overall win total by anywhere from 20-40 games over the life of his career with us. I know the “what if” game is all guesswork, but i think that represents reasonable conjecture and i believe those items are fairly material differences.

In real life, Phil Rivers played 16 seasons in the NFL, 14 of them as the starter (2006-2020), and qualified for the playoffs seven times. During the start of his career, he had Ladanian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson, and Antonio Gates. He inherited a 9-7 team.

During the same period Rivers was a starter, the Arizona Cardinals (with Larry Fitzgerald) qualified for the playoffs four times and went to the Super Bowl once. I just don't see it.

 

[Krangodnzr]

This is what I see happening too.

Me three.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

lol Jacoby Brissett isn't that guy. What record did he lead Cleveland to with a much, much better roster?

Agreed...Brissett isn't leading anyone to more than maybe .500. I do think, however, Mayfield could be that guy, depending on who the HC is and the system. We now seen what good coaching can do for him.

 

[Krangodnzr]

yes, but in fairness

he passed on Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 because he loved Josh McCown

and he passed on Rodgers for the same reason...

 

[Krangodnzr]

He passed on those guys because he loved Larry.

You don't pass on more important positions for a guy you "love".

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

In real life, Phil Rivers played 16 seasons in the NFL, 14 of them as the starter (2006-2020), and qualified for the playoffs seven times. During the start of his career, he had Ladanian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson, and Antonio Gates. He inherited a 9-7 team.

During the same period Rivers was a starter, the Arizona Cardinals (with Larry Fitzgerald) qualified for the playoffs four times and went to the Super Bowl once. I just don't see it.

Sorry your rear view vision isn’t as developed as mine

If you really believe the cardinals would have had the same success with the cast of turning over QBs as with Philip rivers I don’t know what to tell you.

 

[kerouac9]

Sorry your rear view vision isn’t as developed as mine

If you really believe the cardinals would have had the same success with the cast of turning over QBs as with Philip rivers I don’t know what to tell you.

I just think it's a different team and it's too disruptive to the sands of time to even project.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I just think it's a different team and it's too disruptive to the sands of time to even project.

True on both points. I just find it difficult to believe that filling the most crucial spot on a football team with a guy who is more talented than every starter we ever had (minus Warner’s renaissance) wouldn’t have been in our best interest. I think the butterfly effect would’ve been more in the positive direction than neutral or negative.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The NFC West was so bad before Carroll and Harbaugh got going that Rivers, Eli, or Roethlisberger would've gotten us into the playoffs a few times at a minimum. Although I think Roeth would've been a trainwreck here in Arizona with our team cultural foundation and Eli never would've played for us.

Fitz at the height if his powers couldn't get us past 5-11 in 2010 for example with Skelton/Max Hall as QB for example