aj. said:
I can give you about 8 million reasons why in about two weeks....and another 20 million over the past four years. If you are going to pay a guy like a top ten QB, then he needs to be one. If VY is picked #1 overall and the Texans are still sub-500 after his first 59 starts then you can bet he will be getting railed just the same.
I only played through HS, but to me the quarterback is the de facto leader of the offense. When you are picked #1 overall, there are expectations and in hindsight, Carr wasn't worthy of the #1 overall. No, it's not his fault and he's not a bad guy because of it. He's a multi-millionaire who's being questioned about why he should continue to receive more millions by being the starting QB for the Texans. Should he receive carte blanche and a get out of jail free card just because he's a good guy, hasn't been given a fair shake in some opinions, or just because he has potential? No. Carr has never had to compete for his job and that is one of the single worst decisions this franchise has made to date. Let him compete for the job with a legitimate #2 and let the cards fall where they may. I want the best QB in there whether it's Carr, Vince or anyone else who can lead this team deep into the playoffs. The blind loyalty displayed by the Vince homers is surpassed only at times by those who want to keep Carr just because he 'hasn't had a chance.'
I can respect this take, AJ, because it is clear to the reader that you are not a Vince-maniac, neither are you a "Carr-homer:" you simply want what's best for the team and would like to see Carr paid for what he has done, not what he might do given [insert change that must occur].
That said, I am not sure your take on "QB competition" is the answer. It seems presumptuous to assert that virtually any starting QB in this league right now plays to his level because of the threat of "competition" for his post. I would point to successful coaching, playcalling, etc. as being more relevant attributes, which you cannot deny: the Texans have not given Carr.
But sticking to your competition argument: is it really feasible to draft a Vince Young and kill off a good third of our team's salary cap at the QB position, for the sake of competition? Or do you intend to bring in a cheaper veteran, in which case I ask you, who? We had a veteran, "Super Bowl winner" in Banks and I think we know what he is worth. We have Europe league MVP Dave Ragone, who didn't play this year because he was a joke in practice (and yes, I have that from people who sat through every practice this year.)
I am simply asking who would you like us to bring in to compete with Carr? That is not a slam on any of your opinions, just a question for my own education and for discussion.
infantrycak said:
What you seem to be describing is a coach adapting to a player's strengths, not the player telling the coach what to do. Do you have any kind of a link for a better description of what transpired?
Giving feedback to the coach (a) isn't what you were suggesting and (b) is something we have virtually no idea about. We do know Carr went to the Texans at the end of last season about changes that needed to be made. It appears the Texans went almost the exact opposite of what Carr wanted in the transition to Pendry. Basically though we have no idea how much Carr told Palmer, Capers and Pendry about how he would like things run. Once again, are you suggesting Carr is only a leader if he told the staff to stick it and started calling his own plays in the huddle and are you suggesting Young has ever defied, i.e. refused to follow, Mack Brown's directives?
Carr was very frustrated with the playcalling both this year and last and repeatedly asked the coaches to alter it. He got his wish against Arizona when they let him call the plays in the first half and put up 24 points (against a crappy D, I know, but still, how many other crappy Ds did we make look like Pro Bowl units this year).
There is a chain of command in this league and what you are describing, tsip, is not "taking the bull by the horns" but anarchy. Players who outright refuse to do what coaches are told end up traded or on unemployment. I too would like to see a link of the news story at least that describes "Vince sticking it to Mack," because until I see at least that, I am going to assume you are completely distorting it.