When Collins/Amendola get back what more talent do you want to put around Mills and how would you go about acquiring this talent? How long would you want to sit Mills and unless you think Mills is going to get hurt playing behind this OL, then there's no real reason to not start Mills. IMHO Of course you might be able to win a couple of more and go say 6-11 with TT. (Maybe) But what have you really accomplished this yr except getting a lower draft pick and still not knowing if Mills is the future. Injury to the Pervert was why I wanted Savage to start over your Pervert in his rookie season, because I knew how bad that OL was. Do you think the OL is anywhere near as bad as that OL? If you think the OL is that bad then you're concerns are valid. I dont think the OL is anywhere near as bad as the OL RS neglected during the Perverts rookie yr. Of course I also dont want another Carr situation.
IMO you've already missed the opportunity to really know if Mills is 1 of the very few rookie qbs who is ready to go & start now. That opportunity came and went last Thursday & i don't think any of us are expecting him to light it up against the Bills....B/c that's really the only CLEAR CUT way you're going to know that you have your guy...Go light it up and win us some games against tough opponents...at the very least compete. What's he going to prove going against worse defenses after this Bills game? That's he can play well against bad teams & look shitty vs top ones? We already had that fools gold with Schaub.
You continue to trot him out there with nothing around him and as a rookie who only started 11 total games in his college career that doesn't really know how to protect himself out there.............. he's gonna eventually get hurt; really has nothing to do with the o-line. Teams will come after him simply b/c he's a rookie...& they know how rookies like to hold the ball. Sure there were some good things he did against Car, but i think overall, its clear he's not ready to put forth his best effort...& as a fan of him, this team & its future, you should want that more than anything. He won't get that with the talent he is surround with right now. So Starting him now just to "See what you got" is very short-sighted.
Yes i would've went back to TT when he got healthy. That doesn't mean that Herbert still wouldn't have come into this season balling out the same way he started last year...maybe he comes out better this year b/c of it. As outlined in the thread, Herbert came into a very stocked team talent wise. Everyone that is there now making plays for him was there 2 years prior to him showing up & they went 12-4. There's no comparing his & Mills' overall situation. The cupboard is bare for Mills right now. Herbert spent 3 years as a starter. Mills 11 total games started in his career. The experience angle is a weak argument considering He's already getting it out of necessity now & he's not really showing that the coaching staff weren't right to start TT over him.
Furthermore, This is not about just next years draft. There's a draft
every year & there's always the potential to get another QB
every year & we need talent and help at a number of positions outside of qb. There's just simply no credible reason to rush him into the starting role.
Bottom line is the overall risks outweigh the rewards of continuing to trot him out there when you don't necessarily have to.