Originally posted by NYniner85:
So then you agree it was a f**king horrible move from day 1. They f**ked up the process from beginning to end and people act like it was just Lance…not the whole damn organization.
dude never had a chance and yet fans will fan.
And how did you come to that conclusion? He came from a small school program, to Super Bowl caliber roster, as the rawest rookie that had ever been drafted that high in the modern era. He came in against an experienced vet who had helped the team get to the Super Bowl the previous year and who he was never going to beat out that first season. Then he hurt his finger in a pre-season game, which set him back. Then he starts against the Cardinals when Jimmy gets hurt, promptly hurts his knee, and not only loses the game but the opportunity to fulfill all of the fanboy dreams of his replacing Jimmy.
Jimmy, gets hurt again and Lance comes back against Houston, plays well and ends up perhaps saving the team's post season chances. Good for him, the future beckons. They reach the playoffs with Jimmy nursing injuries to the thumb and shoulder of his throwing arm, one of which will require offseason surgery to repair, and yet, oddly enough, the team still seems to think an injured Jimmy gives them a better chance to win than a significantly less injured Lance.
Fast forward to 2022, Lance is handed the starting job even though subsequent reporting suggests that he didn't clearly win it over Brock Purdy in training camp, and had it gifted to him, essentially because of his draft status, and the team's desire to give him the opportunity to develop. He loses against the Bears, breaks his ankle against the Seahawks and is done for the year. Jimmy comes in and does what Jimmy does, including getting hurt, which opens the door for Brock, who had apparently been denied the starting role that year simply because the team didn't have any corresponding game film on what they had seen him do in practice, and because, according to Kyle, they were hesitant to put that much weight on the shoulders of a 7th round rookie.
Now Brock has a chance to put up game film that matches what the team had already seen in practice and Lance's fate is presumably sealed. But wait, Brock gets hurt and now his availability for the opening games this year is suddenly in doubt. Lance now has the opportunity to go into OTA's and minicamp, fully healthy and unopposed to show what he can do. But then, on the first day of free agency, the team signs Sam Darnold, a notorious underachiever. The plot thickens. Purdy returns ahead of schedule so Lance and Darnold are given fairly even reps, in order to make their case for the number 2 spot. But, but, but this is unfair because Lance's lack of overall experience means he should get all of the reps, right?
First preseason game comes around and Lance pretty much sucks. But, but, but he was rusty after having not played for a year. Purdy comes in for a series the following week and does what he does. Marches the team down the field and puts them in position to score. He was coming off a major injury to his throwing arm and hadn't participated at all in OTA's and minicamps, apparently he wasn't rusty. So Lance comes in with the chance to put the Las Vegas game behind, and promptly throws an ugly interception on a screen pass but, to his credit, turns it around at the end and plays pretty well. But no, he never had a chance.
However, having said all of that, had it been my choice, I might have made him the #2 to start the year. I haven't been all that impressed by Darnold, but I can understand why the team went the way they did. Lance's story here may not be completely over. As far as I know Darnold is only here on a one-year deal, while Lance still has two years left on his contract. If he actually does have an opportunity to play against the Chargers he'll have another chance to show what he's capable of. The conclusion to his story is in his hands, it always has been. The idea that he "never had a chance" is just whining.
