Yeah, I don't know about all that. One could argue that getting lucky with Tom Brady is all he really needed to do. It's like saying Vermeil knows how to develop QBs because Kurt Warner fell in his lap. I mean, Bellyfat did struggle with Tomczak, Testaverde, Kosar and Bledsoe before that. He couldn't turn those guys into anything more than they already were. And Fisher did okay with a guy named McNair. Did he develop him? You'd have to say yes, if we're using that kind of logic. Truthfully though, he just benefited by drafting a talented QB. Using Cassel as some sort of proof that he knows what he's doing is disingenuous, IMO. Cassel didn't light up the league that year, despite having an in-his-prime Wes Welker and Randy Moss. He had the kind of season you'd expect someone like Sam Bradford to have. The only difference being, the REST of his team did enough to turn that kind of stat-line into a winning season.
See, I respectfully disagree. McNair was always a playmaker more than a pocket passer that benefitted from the ground and pound philosophy of Fisher, the durability of Eddie George and the ability of guys like Dyson to create.
Maybe we're talking about different things. When I say "develop a QB" what I mean is to take a college QB or a journeyman QB with raw talent and develop that talent into a pure NFL thrower...a guy who delivers the ball when it matters. McNair never became that. I don't hold that against him cuz that's not what Fisher asked him to do and it's not what nearly won them a Super Bowl...but...he wasn't a pure thrower in that sense. And it's possible to be that AND be mobile. I'm not saying purity lies in the pocket.
So, for all the antipathy for Belichick, I think Matt Cassell's season is undervalued, Brady's development is GROSSLY underestimated and people forget how well Bledsoe was playing prior to his injury and Brady taking over. That was in no small part...Belichick. I don't like giving him much credit, but credit where it's due. Also, under Belichick, Testaverde had his best years and revived his career toward the end. It made some wonder if he'd had that all along, "what could have been?" And that staff in Cleveland (what became Baltimore) essentially was a soon to be All-Star cast of coaching that was on the cusp of getting a ton of things right.
And honestly, looking at this disaster of an offensive scheme and the complete lack of development of ANY of the QBs under Fisher's watch since he came to the Rams, even if we "gave him McNair", which I'm not want to do, even if we did... and? I'm not sure how that helps him in 2016 with two young QBs who he and his staff seem to have no idea how to develop.
I can tell you that under this CBA, you've got to be a stone idiot to spend a 7th round pick to trade for a guy as your backup and THEN use up a ton of reps having him and another guy fight over the damn backup job, thereby ensuring that the rookie you spent the 3rd round pick on gets virtually zero reps. That...is head-shakingly idiotic and I just can't wrap my head around that kind of thinking. They knew Keenum. They wanted him. They Traded for him. But they still wanted him to earn the backup job enough to NOT develop their rookie???? Who, at the time may have been the future if Nick Foles didn't work out?
I'm just not buying it. And even if it were given to me, I wouldn't take it. Cuz like I said, even if I just acquiesce on McNair, it doesn't change anything about Fisher's Rams tenure which is what concerns me. And his decisions, especially in the last few seasons have been just...bad with respect to the QB position. Downright bad.
) but lets see some heat on him...they still shoulda lost the Az game...but he was on fire the game he was injured. Brissett did just enough to win...I haven't seen a Brady-type...2006 till now Brady....yet...The Brady that beat us in 2002..that guy was average...below average...but this guy now is a machine...
