2014 Regular Season Snap Counts, Trends, & Roster Thoughts

[Chopper0080]

So this was something I was doing regularly, but then went on vacation for two games, and felt an end of the season recap might be more informative.

.........................Snaps... Snp%... Gms Actv

QB Drew Stanton... 469... 44.3%... 9
QB Carson Palmer... 410... 38.7%... 6
QB Ryan Lindley..... 163... 15.4%... 3
QB Logan Thomas... 17... 1.6%... 2

RB Andre Ellington... 528... 49.9%... 12
RB Stepfan Taylor... 210... 19.8%... 14
RB Robert Hughes... 137... 12.9%... 16
RB Marion Grice....... 94... 8.9%... 10
RB Kerwynn Williams... 89... 8.4%... 5
RB Jonathan Dwyer... 47... 4.4%... 2

WR Michael Floyd..... 944... 89.1%... 16
WR Larry Fitzgerald... 857... 80.9%... 14
WR John Brown........ 633... 59.8%... 16
WR Jaron Brown....... 230... 21.7%... 16
WR Ted Ginn............ 151... 14.3%... 16
WR Brittan Golden...... 0... 0.0%... 0

TE John Carlson... 734... 69.3%... 16
TE Rob Housler... 320... 30.2%... 15
TE Darren Fells... 225... 21.2%... 10
TE Troy Niklas..... 89... 8.4%... 7

OL Jared Veldheer... 1059... 100.0%... 16
OL Lyle Sendlein..... 1059... 100.0%... 16
OL Bobby Massie..... 1059... 100.0%... 16
OL Ted Larsen........ 1040... 98.2%... 16
OL Paul Fanaika....... 891... 84.1%... 14
OL Jonathan Cooper... 184... 17.4%... 10
OL Earl Watford......... 9... 0.8%... 10
OL Bradley Sowell....... 0... 0.0%... 16
OL Anthony Steen...... 0... 0.0%... 0

DL Calais Campbell... 782... 73.8%... 14
DL Tommy Kelly....... 708... 66.9%... 16
DL Frostee Rucker... 475... 44.9%... 15
DL Dan Williams....... 412... 38.9%... 16
DL Ed Stinson......... 203... 19.2%... 10
DL Kareem Martin..... 183... 17.3%... 11
DL Josh Mauro.......... 82... 7.7%... 5
DL Alemeda Ta'amu... 23... 0.2%... 7

LB Larry Foote............ 994... 93.9%... 15
LB Alex Okafor............ 699... 66.0%... 13
LB Sam Acho.............. 469... 44.3%... 16
LB Matt Shaughnessy... 334... 31.5%... 8
LB Kevin Minter........... 317... 29.9%... 16
LB Glenn Carson........... 79... 7.5%... 5
LB Thomas Keiser......... 78... 7.4%... 3
LB Marcus Benard......... 71... 6.7%... 12
LB Lorenzo Alexander..... 51... 4.8%... 16
LB John Abraham.......... 36... 3.4%... 1
LB Kenny Demens............ 1... 0.1%... 14
LB Daryl Washington....... 0... 0.0%... 0

DB Rashad Johnson... 1051... 99.2%... 16
DB Antonio Cromartie... 987... 93.2%... 16
DB Patrick Peterson... 969... 91.5%... 16
DB Jerraud Powers... 745... 70.3%... 16
DB Deone Bucannon... 692... 65.3%... 16
DB Tony Jefferson... 680... 64.2%... 16
DB Tyrann Mathieu... 428... 40.4%... 13
DB Justin Bethel........ 97... 9.2%... 16
DB Chris Clemons....... 0... 0.0%... 0

###

Trends
1-Darren Fells got the majority of his snaps at the end of the year, and with Housler and Carlson still healthy. I expect him to be a contributor next year, and might cause Carlson to get cut. He stepped in for Shaughnessy, but then supplanted Acho.

2-Okafor had the second most snaps by linebackers despite not playing until week 5.

3-Kareem Martin being inactive for several games after being active and getting snaps is something to look out for. First Stinson tooks his snaps, and then Mauro who was signed off another team's practice squad. Not a great start, but it is early.

4-Jaron Brown went and took Ted Ginn's snaps at the end of the year. It is a good sign for his development, and probably a sign that Ginn is not for long with this team.

###

Roster Thoughts

1-Drew Stanton was unable to finish two of the games he started this year. That is not great for a backup QB, and especially when the line isn't giving up a bunch of sacks. His cap hit may cause the team to look elsewhere.

2-Andre Ellington played 49.9% of snaps on the year despite playing 12 games. He can't take that load, and the team will need to look elsewhere for a lead RB in the offseason. IMO, Ellington is best as a role RB, and a WR in 4 or 5 WR sets. Essentially, a great 2nd down RB who plays WR in most 3rd downs. You need his body healthy over an entire season for him to be the gamebreaker he can be.

3-Fitzgerald missed a couple games and had another down year with stats. It might be best to move on from him if he isn't willing to take a flat paycut to stay. I'm not sure I trust Jaron Brown and Ellington to make the clutch catch that Fitz can, but I think they can do everything physically that he can do.

4-I can see the Cardinals re-signing Housler to be their 3rd or 4th TE. He offers a different skill set than Fells and Niklas, and won't cost much. His ability to catch the swing pass out of the backfield and work the TE screen is a valuable role.

5-I don't see Fanaika coming back, but I don't believe it means the Cardinals won't look to upgrade at OG. They may feel Larsen will work at RG if Watford can't win the spot.

6-As much as I would like to see Tommy Kelly back, I'm not sure it will happen due to positional depth. I expect Dockett to sign an extension, and Rucker to be retained. That, along with the nice development of Stinson and Mauro makes me feel like the Cardinals will pocket the 1 mil it would cost for Kelly and use it elsewhere. He was a good signing, and played well, but I think the Cards have good depth.

7-Our linebacker position is really bad, especially inside. Foote is old and is a free agent. Washington will be suspended to start the year. Minter is lost, and looks nothing like the explosive run-stopper he was in college. Carson is a special teams player. It is bad, and I expect the Cards to use both free agency and the draft to address the position. Our #1 need in the offseason.

8-Mathieu had a lost year. He looked nothing like the player he was in 2013. That was expected. However, it is discouraging to see him get nicked up again this year after an injury last year. It is tough for smaller players to stay healthy over the course of a season, and I don't blame them for it. That being said, it will not shock me if the Cardinals add a S in the offseason, keep Mathieu to a slot CB role.

9-DB bonus thought. I am curious to see what the Cardinals will do. Rashad Johnson is a limited player yet led the team in snap %. Cro will likely price himself out of AZ. I believe Powers will sign an extension. Bucannon will slide to SS, but might have to assume the WILB role until Washington comes back (if) which could stunt his growth further. Mathieu is listed as a FS like Johnson, but plays much less. My guess is Mathieu plays FS in base, and Johnson plays FS in sub packages, but we will see.

10-Offseason needs (in order) ILB, OLB, ILB, RB, DB, WR, OG, QB

###

As always, comments and questions are welcome.

 

[Chopper0080]

I am trying to make it easier to read.

 

[kerouac9]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing. Stanton is going to have a $4M+ cap hold in 2015 whether he's on the roster or not--methinks. It's possible that by not playing 50% of the snaps he missed out on that incentive. I wish someone would be able to find out. Maybe Joeshmo is still around somewhere to look into it.

I don't know if you're going to find a better DT than Kelly for the veteran minimum. Those guys are hard to get for that little money. It's great leverage to use with Dockett, at the very least. He could end up a camp body since he may not count against the Top 53 salaries.

It'll be interesting to see what Arians does with that slot receiver role if the team decides to move on from Fitzgerald. I don't trust Floyd to play that role yet--I wonder if they've seen enough from Jaron Brown to let him step in there?

 

[juza76]

I am trying to make it easier to read.

so what olb ilb coming from college fit better on this team

there are qbs u would consider ?

 

[don7031]

I would expect the team would prefer to have Jaron Brown's speed on the outside which would move John Brown into the slot.

 

[az jam]

Thanks Chopper for the info. It will be a very interesting off season especially with Fitzgerald's large salary hit.

 

[bankybruce]

It is crazy that Palmer only played 6 games. I had to go look at his stats because I thought there was no way Staton on 5 games for us. Can't argue with anything you said.

 

[football karma]

next year to really compete for a SB -

-the team needs to be far more efficient on offense. In addition -- they will be counting on a QB that has had his left knee reconstructed twice. To me, that says focusing on improving the offensive line / running game might be the most important priority.

A better OL turned Tony Romo from interception prone December choker into a QB that lead his team to a 12 win division championship and a 113 qb rating (a 16% improvement over career rating).

I get the need for more athletic players at LB -- but to me, getting a running game that defenses have to really account for would go a long way to getting this offense to its potential.

 

[kerouac9]

I would expect the team would prefer to have Jaron Brown's speed on the outside which would move John Brown into the slot.

Jaron Brown is the slower Brown. With the way that Arians offense works, he wants the faster receiver on the outside, not in the middle. The design of the offense--at least as far as I can tell--is to move the defenders up toward the line of scrimmage outside the hash marks and then try and beat them over the top with "shot plays" to the post, corner and go routes.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I tried to look it up but my skilz are non existent, how many snaps did Sowell get last year? He got zero this year. Wasn't he the LT of the future... lol

 

[MrYeahBut]

Jaron Brown is the slower Brown. With the way that Arians offense works, he wants the faster receiver on the outside, not in the middle. The design of the offense--at least as far as I can tell--is to move the defenders up toward the line of scrimmage outside the hash marks and then try and beat them over the top with "shot plays" to the post, corner and go routes.

Then why is Lindley throwing over the middle?? Isn't that where 2 of his picks were Sunday?

 

[Catfish]

Thanks Chopper for the nice workup on the season snap counts etc.

I am one who would prefer to see Drew Stanton move on, provided we can find a solid replacement for him. Maybe, (as K-9 pointed out), he does not reach his incentive with only 44% of snap counts reached. I believe it is imperative that we have a solid healthy backup if we are to retain Palmer as our #1 QB. Also, I might be among the vast minority, but I hope they keep Lindley on the QB roster. If he can continue to make progress like he did from the Seattle game to the 'Niner game, he might eventually become a youthful, solid backup for Palmer. He throws a nice catchable deep ball, and he would be helpful when the staff runs two fields at the same time during OTAs.

 

[kerouac9]

I tried to look it up but my skilz are non existent, how many snaps did Sowell get last year? He got zero this year. Wasn't he the LT of the future... lol

825. 76.1% of the total snaps.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/snapcounts

Then why is Lindley throwing over the middle?? Isn't that where 2 of his picks were Sunday?

I think that at least one and maybe both of his picks were to the deep middle of the field.

The Hughes interception was short right.
The John Brown interception was deep left.
The last interception was short middle.

In the 4th quarter before Lindley's game-killing interception, the Cards--down 3 points with an entire quarter to play--called 12 pass plays and two run plays. That included 8 consecutive incompletions.

Yikes.

 

[kerouac9]

Thanks Chopper for the nice workup on the season snap counts etc.

I am one who would prefer to see Drew Stanton move on, provided we can find a solid replacement for him. Maybe, (as K-9 pointed out), he does not reach his incentive with only 44% of snap counts reached. I believe it is imperative that we have a solid healthy backup if we are to retain Palmer as our #1 QB. Also, I might be among the vast minority, but I hope they keep Lindley on the QB roster. If he can continue to make progress like he did from the Seattle game to the 'Niner game, he might eventually become a youthful, solid backup for Palmer. He throws a nice catchable deep ball, and he would be helpful when the staff runs two fields at the same time during OTAs.

How do you hold in your mind simultaneously the idea that you need 2 full years in the offense to understand it and that we need can find a "solid replacement" for Stanton next season?

 

[Catfish]

How do you hold in your mind simultaneously the idea that you need 2 full years in the offense to understand it and that we need can find a "solid replacement" for Stanton next season?

I was thinking that maybe there is a former Pittsburgh backup who knows the system that BA employs who would have familiarity with it, yet be a better health risk than Stanton is. BA might just have somebody in mind for this if Stanton does not, (or can not) return to health. For as long as BA has been an OC in the league, there must be someone who fits that bill.

 

[kerouac9]

I was thinking that maybe there is a former Pittsburgh backup who knows the system that BA employs who would have familiarity with it, yet be a better health risk than Stanton is. BA might just have somebody in mind for this if Stanton does not, (or can not) return to health. For as long as BA has been an OC in the league, there must be someone who fits that bill.

Dude, it's been three years since Arians coached in Pittsburgh. Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich were Roethlisberger's understudies.

 

[Chopper0080]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing. Stanton is going to have a $4M+ cap hold in 2015 whether he's on the roster or not--methinks. It's possible that by not playing 50% of the snaps he missed out on that incentive. I wish someone would be able to find out. Maybe Joeshmo is still around somewhere to look into it.

I don't know if you're going to find a better DT than Kelly for the veteran minimum. Those guys are hard to get for that little money. It's great leverage to use with Dockett, at the very least. He could end up a camp body since he may not count against the Top 53 salaries.

It'll be interesting to see what Arians does with that slot receiver role if the team decides to move on from Fitzgerald. I don't trust Floyd to play that role yet--I wonder if they've seen enough from Jaron Brown to let him step in there?

I don't believe we will sign a vet DL. Honestly, I think with Dockett extended the Cards will go with Campbell, Dockett, Rucker, Stinson, Mauro and Martin. They will need to re-sign Dan Williams, and posibily vet min a backup NT, but I don't see another DE.

I believe they like Jaron Brown quite a bit, but I'm not sure they are going to bank on him. We will see what happens with Fitz. That starts the entire offseason IMO.

 

[Chopper0080]

so what olb ilb coming from college fit better on this team

there are qbs u would consider ?

For OLB...the ideal guy is probably Dante Fowler out of Florida. Has experience playing multiple positions, can play the run, and brings enough quickness to be an edge threat. You could work him in behind Shaughnessy. There are a ton of options though.

In terms of scouting ILBs, look for smaller college edge guys like Beasley out of Clemson. Again, there are a bunch of solid options. Eric Kendricks out of UCLA is probably a plug and play guy. I worry Denzel Perryman will have Kevin Minter syndrome but he should be a decent fit. I really like Benardrick McKinney out of Miss St. but he never looked real dynamic when I watched Miss St. I'm not sure he has the quickness we are looking for at ILB.

 

[Matt L]

For OLB...the ideal guy is probably Dante Fowler out of Florida. Has experience playing multiple positions, can play the run, and brings enough quickness to be an edge threat. You could work him in behind Shaughnessy. There are a ton of options though.

In terms of scouting ILBs, look for smaller college edge guys like Beasley out of Clemson. Again, there are a bunch of solid options. Eric Kendricks out of UCLA is probably a plug and play guy. I worry Denzel Perryman will have Kevin Minter syndrome but he should be a decent fit. I really like Benardrick McKinney out of Miss St. but he never looked real dynamic when I watched Miss St. I'm not sure he has the quickness we are looking for at ILB.

Wouldn't surprise me to see us take Shaq Thompson out of Washington and plug him at inside linebacker. We just love drafting inside linebackers with our top picks.

 

[Ohcrap75]

For OLB...the ideal guy is probably Dante Fowler out of Florida. Has experience playing multiple positions, can play the run, and brings enough quickness to be an edge threat. You could work him in behind Shaughnessy. There are a ton of options though.

In terms of scouting ILBs, look for smaller college edge guys like Beasley out of Clemson. Again, there are a bunch of solid options. Eric Kendricks out of UCLA is probably a plug and play guy. I worry Denzel Perryman will have Kevin Minter syndrome but he should be a decent fit. I really like Benardrick McKinney out of Miss St. but he never looked real dynamic when I watched Miss St. I'm not sure he has the quickness we are looking for at ILB.

I think Fowler and Kendricks would be great fits in our defense. What do you think about Bud Dupree?

 

[Chopper0080]

I think Fowler and Kendricks would be great fits in our defense. What do you think about Bud Dupree?

I like him. He fits really well. I am just always wary of "big man on small campus" guys. Dupree is a big deal on a bad team at a non-football college which can lead guys to be lazy. It isn't universal, but it is something to look out for. With Fowler I don't have that worry which gives him an edge IMO. Again, I like Dupree, but I just prefer Fowler.

 

[Chopper0080]

Wouldn't surprise me to see us take Shaq Thompson out of Washington and plug him at inside linebacker. We just love drafting inside linebackers with our top picks.

I think Shaq would be awesome but there are some size concerns which will be clarified at the combine. As is, I think he is a similar type player to Daryl Washington when he was drafted with more experience in coverage.

Vic Bealey works as a WILB

Leonard Floyd
Denzel Perryman
Zach Hodges
Eli Harold

as well.

 

[juza76]

I think Shaq would be awesome but there are some size concerns which will be clarified at the combine. As is, I think he is a similar type player to Daryl Washington when he was drafted with more experience in coverage.

Vic Bealey works as a WILB

Leonard Floyd
Denzel Perryman
Zach Hodges
Eli Harold

as well.

so u suggest better fit for beasley and also striker should be ILB?

 

[Darkside]

I am trying to make it easier to read.

It's actually in perfect formatting for my phone, but I'm moving to a computer to respond due to the amount of information.

 

[Darkside]

So this was something I was doing regularly, but then went on vacation for two games, and felt an end of the season recap might be more informative.

.........................Snaps... Snp%... Gms Actv

QB Drew Stanton... 469... 44.3%... 9
QB Carson Palmer... 410... 38.7%... 6
QB Ryan Lindley..... 163... 15.4%... 3
QB Logan Thomas... 17... 1.6%... 2

RB Andre Ellington... 528... 49.9%... 12
RB Stepfan Taylor... 210... 19.8%... 14
RB Robert Hughes... 137... 12.9%... 16
RB Marion Grice....... 94... 8.9%... 10
RB Kerwynn Williams... 89... 8.4%... 5
RB Jonathan Dwyer... 47... 4.4%... 2

WR Michael Floyd..... 944... 89.1%... 16
WR Larry Fitzgerald... 857... 80.9%... 14
WR John Brown........ 633... 59.8%... 16
WR Jaron Brown....... 230... 21.7%... 16
WR Ted Ginn............ 151... 14.3%... 16
WR Brittan Golden...... 0... 0.0%... 0

TE John Carlson... 734... 69.3%... 16
TE Rob Housler... 320... 30.2%... 15
TE Darren Fells... 225... 21.2%... 10
TE Troy Niklas..... 89... 8.4%... 7

OL Jared Veldheer... 1059... 100.0%... 16
OL Lyle Sendlein..... 1059... 100.0%... 16
OL Bobby Massie..... 1059... 100.0%... 16
OL Ted Larsen........ 1040... 98.2%... 16
OL Paul Fanaika....... 891... 84.1%... 14
OL Jonathan Cooper... 184... 17.4%... 10
OL Earl Watford......... 9... 0.8%... 10
OL Bradley Sowell....... 0... 0.0%... 16
OL Anthony Steen...... 0... 0.0%... 0

DL Calais Campbell... 782... 73.8%... 14
DL Tommy Kelly....... 708... 66.9%... 16
DL Frostee Rucker... 475... 44.9%... 15
DL Dan Williams....... 412... 38.9%... 16
DL Ed Stinson......... 203... 19.2%... 10
DL Kareem Martin..... 183... 17.3%... 11
DL Josh Mauro.......... 82... 7.7%... 5
DL Alemeda Ta'amu... 23... 0.2%... 7

LB Larry Foote............ 994... 93.9%... 15
LB Alex Okafor............ 699... 66.0%... 13
LB Sam Acho.............. 469... 44.3%... 16
LB Matt Shaughnessy... 334... 31.5%... 8
LB Kevin Minter........... 317... 29.9%... 16
LB Glenn Carson........... 79... 7.5%... 5
LB Thomas Keiser......... 78... 7.4%... 3
LB Marcus Benard......... 71... 6.7%... 12
LB Lorenzo Alexander..... 51... 4.8%... 16
LB John Abraham.......... 36... 3.4%... 1
LB Kenny Demens............ 1... 0.1%... 14
LB Daryl Washington....... 0... 0.0%... 0

DB Rashad Johnson... 1051... 99.2%... 16
DB Antonio Cromartie... 987... 93.2%... 16
DB Patrick Peterson... 969... 91.5%... 16
DB Jerraud Powers... 745... 70.3%... 16
DB Deone Bucannon... 692... 65.3%... 16
DB Tony Jefferson... 680... 64.2%... 16
DB Tyrann Mathieu... 428... 40.4%... 13
DB Justin Bethel........ 97... 9.2%... 16
DB Chris Clemons....... 0... 0.0%... 0

###

Trends
1-Darren Fells got the majority of his snaps at the end of the year, and with Housler and Carlson still healthy. I expect him to be a contributor next year, and might cause Carlson to get cut. He stepped in for Shaughnessy, but then supplanted Acho.

2-Okafor had the second most snaps by linebackers despite not playing until week 5.

3-Kareem Martin being inactive for several games after being active and getting snaps is something to look out for. First Stinson tooks his snaps, and then Mauro who was signed off another team's practice squad. Not a great start, but it is early.

4-Jaron Brown went and took Ted Ginn's snaps at the end of the year. It is a good sign for his development, and probably a sign that Ginn is not for long with this team.

###

Roster Thoughts

1-Drew Stanton was unable to finish two of the games he started this year. That is not great for a backup QB, and especially when the line isn't giving up a bunch of sacks. His cap hit may cause the team to look elsewhere.

2-Andre Ellington played 49.9% of snaps on the year despite playing 12 games. He can't take that load, and the team will need to look elsewhere for a lead RB in the offseason. IMO, Ellington is best as a role RB, and a WR in 4 or 5 WR sets. Essentially, a great 2nd down RB who plays WR in most 3rd downs. You need his body healthy over an entire season for him to be the gamebreaker he can be.

3-Fitzgerald missed a couple games and had another down year with stats. It might be best to move on from him if he isn't willing to take a flat paycut to stay. I'm not sure I trust Jaron Brown and Ellington to make the clutch catch that Fitz can, but I think they can do everything physically that he can do.

4-I can see the Cardinals re-signing Housler to be their 3rd or 4th TE. He offers a different skill set than Fells and Niklas, and won't cost much. His ability to catch the swing pass out of the backfield and work the TE screen is a valuable role.

5-I don't see Fanaika coming back, but I don't believe it means the Cardinals won't look to upgrade at OG. They may feel Larsen will work at RG if Watford can't win the spot.

6-As much as I would like to see Tommy Kelly back, I'm not sure it will happen due to positional depth. I expect Dockett to sign an extension, and Rucker to be retained. That, along with the nice development of Stinson and Mauro makes me feel like the Cardinals will pocket the 1 mil it would cost for Kelly and use it elsewhere. He was a good signing, and played well, but I think the Cards have good depth.

7-Our linebacker position is really bad, especially inside. Foote is old and is a free agent. Washington will be suspended to start the year. Minter is lost, and looks nothing like the explosive run-stopper he was in college. Carson is a special teams player. It is bad, and I expect the Cards to use both free agency and the draft to address the position. Our #1 need in the offseason.

8-Mathieu had a lost year. He looked nothing like the player he was in 2013. That was expected. However, it is discouraging to see him get nicked up again this year after an injury last year. It is tough for smaller players to stay healthy over the course of a season, and I don't blame them for it. That being said, it will not shock me if the Cardinals add a S in the offseason, keep Mathieu to a slot CB role.

9-DB bonus thought. I am curious to see what the Cardinals will do. Rashad Johnson is a limited player yet led the team in snap %. Cro will likely price himself out of AZ. I believe Powers will sign an extension. Bucannon will slide to SS, but might have to assume the WILB role until Washington comes back (if) which could stunt his growth further. Mathieu is listed as a FS like Johnson, but plays much less. My guess is Mathieu plays FS in base, and Johnson plays FS in sub packages, but we will see.

10-Offseason needs (in order) ILB, OLB, ILB, RB, DB, WR, OG, QB

###

As always, comments and questions are welcome.

Another great post.

Your snap count and usage stats are one of my favorite posts on this board.

Agree with most, but not all, however (of course!):

Under no circumstance should Housler be resigned. I'm even trying to find a caveat and cannot. Under no circumstance. If this is the best he can do after, I don't even know, how many years now, then no. Please no.

Disagree entirely with Fitz. He's being used in the most F'd up way possible given his talent, yet it helps the team, as I posted elsewhere, because of the attention he draws to the middle of the field. I still believe he can be used outside. Brown dropped some huge balls, all year, running outs and square in's that Fitz can make and run with more precision. Fitz doesn't drop those crucial balls. Just doesn't. I do agree he probably doesn't have the speed as a Brown, or ability to cut without losing momentum or speed, but Brown isn't the route runner of Fitz. He doesn't have the body positioning of Fitz, nor does he have the hands.

Why get rid of Drew Stanton? I get the injury concerns, but that's after starting much more than he was expected to. It's not just that he doesn't have the reps for a starter, which is enough, but he doesn't even understand the protections or have the cohesiveness with the offensive line that a starter should have. He's done above average for a back up. He's 5-3, starting, as a backup. What more could you want? Seriously, what more? He's basically the best backup I could imagine, unless we're going to go way back before salary cap and free agency.

Agree with most of the rest of it. Love your posts dude.

(Edit: would like to add, your analysis of TM is spot on, he's not the same player as he was last year. Not close)