Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:
I hear what you are saying. I just dont agree. Lance's biggest issue is his lack of experience. So redshirting him (which provides him with ZERO experience), and then saying "it would be unacceptable if he isnt ready next year" are contradictory thoughts. I totally understand the reasoning to stick with Jimmy, but doing so doesnt help Lance out in the long run. Playing would have. I personally would have made Lance the starter after the bye, but I know that wasnt realistic for Kyle.
If Lance stinks it up next season, then Kyle should be on the hotseat....I agree. But for me, he would be on the hotseat because he decided to ignore 2021 in the sense of preparing his QBotF to be ready for 2022. If Lance is horrible in 2023, I will be on board with getting rid of Kyle and Lynch.
Ok, lets explore this contradiction.
Redshirting - Weather one agrees or disagrees most (myself included)
at the time roundly believed that this was a SB-ready team given the team was returning fully healthy. No matter what one thinks of Jimmy G. he did lead this team to a SB. We drafted Lance, but with a SB-ready team QB'd by a SB QB redshirting the rookie make very good sense, especially given the belief that Lance will need development before starting. And as we know rookie QB's don't win SB's.
Being ready for 2022 - Like it or not, given this situation, Lance will have to be "ready" to start in 2022. Shanny got the QB HE wanted. Now, people can say all they want that what was paid to get him and his draft status is irrelevant. You don't pay that much for a QB to draft #3 overall only to take
2 (or more) full seasons before he can deemed "ready" to start, especially after redshirting the first season to develop. Jed York can say whatever he wants publicly, "not ready" will not be acceptable for 2022. Now, I totally agree that without real game experience 2022 will be basically a rookie season for Lance. So I agree that Shanny really needs to find ways to get Lance playing time this season. A year of film study and watching will not prepare him. But the reality is that fans, the media, and even Jed will not hear that. Right or wrong, people will see 1) #3 over all, 2) the cost to draft him #3 overall, 3) has had a whole season to sit and learn, and 4) will be inheriting a team that's at the very least ready to push for a division title. Period, end of . . . .
I don't think you are wrong in saying that Lance's biggest issue is the lack of experience. And I don't disagree that maybe we should have went with Lance after the bye, especially given that we were 2-3 at that time. But for me the biggest issue is how Shanny has handled this whole QB situation. It's no secret that all offseason Shanny was in the QB sweepstakes. Then he spends a boatload to draft Lance, only to do his best to not play him, sighting that he's "not ready". I get why he didn't start the season. You don't give the keys to the kingdom of a supposed SB-ready team to a rookie, especially when the incumbent is one bad pass away from winning the SB. Rookie QB's don't win SB's.
