Commentary: Yet Another Quarterback Article

[TeeMoney]

Linehan's offense is being introduced for the first time to these players (besides Gus, of course). Most, if not all, of the playmakers will be in Miami next year while the brawn of the offense will probably turn over 40% of it's personnel next year. If Saban feels that Gus is the best person to function as consistent and reliable in getting this system taught to and adjusted to the various playmakers then he should stick with Gus. He has no ties to Feeley (although the organization does- to an extent), and if Saban and Linehan do not believe that Feeley can be a consistent and reliable QB in this offense then they will agree not to play Feeley at all, and will dump him next year. It is, really, not that difficult to figure out and regardless of anyones bias and the extensive, yet amateurish, analysis and debate, Saban is going to make the correct decision relative to the efficiency of and installation of Linehan's system to the whole offense.

 

[Phinz4Life]

What angers me so much about this whole discussion is basing on what AJ Feeley did last year.

NO ONE COULD HAVE SUCCEEDED LAST YEAR.

When you have less than two seconds to throw before constant pressure its very hard to find anyone open especially when teams are stacking the secondary because we couldn't run worth a damn.

Why do you think Gus was a backup after so many years in the league? Notice, I didn't say "Why do you think Gus was a backup?" Because then all those trying to be smart will say "Well Feeley was a third stringer."

AJ Feeley has some potential, MUCH more than Gus. This year is a REBUILDING year. It's the year, with some better protection from the offensive line, a running game, and a good offensive coordinator, Feeley can prove whether he was worth that 2nd round pick or not.

People look at stats and condemn players. Yeah, Feeley had a lot of INTs, but if you take away the ones that were desperation throws at the end of the game and miscommunication, you're about even as far as TDs to INTs.

They mention the fact his yards per completion were so low. YOU TRY WAITING FIVE SECONDS behind that offensive line for a receiver to get open deep. He never HAD that time.

Please, go ahead and call me a Feeley hugger, see if I care. I want whats best for this team, and that is the knowledge of knowing what Feeley can do.

 

[Hostile 17]

I agree with you. What's amazing is that it seems that so many don't. The Gusketeers on this board sound so much like the Jaybots from last year ("the most experienced guy", " the most poise", "the safer choice", etc.).

 

[Phinz4Life]

I agree with you. What's amazing is that it seems that so many don't. The Gusketeers on this board sound so much like the Jaybots from last year ("the most experienced guy", " the most poise", "the safer choice", etc.).

Jay Fiedler was "safe."

I don't want "safe."

 

[vinivedivichi]

I don't really care who starts, as long as he gives us the best chance to win.

Most of the guys supporting Gus do so only because it's obvious he'll win us more games.

How many chances does your boy AJ need?? He couldn't hold off a junior quarterback (Harrington) as a senior at Oregon. He couldn't beat McNabb or Detmer at Philly. He didn't beat Fiedler last year, or Frerotte this year.

Now I know there are tons of excuses you guys have bottled up, some of which are valid. The way I see it, either Feeley just cannot catch a break to save his life, or he's not a starting quarterback.

Either way, I think we're "safe" by going with Frerotte. Safe from Feeley throwing our season down the drain while he gains supposedly valuable experience.

 

[RWhitney014]

I don't really care who starts, as long as he gives us the best chance to win.

Most of the guys supporting Gus do so only because it's obvious he'll win us more games.

How many chances does your boy AJ need?? He couldn't hold off a junior quarterback (Harrington) as a senior at Oregon. He couldn't beat McNabb or Detmer at Philly. He didn't beat Fiedler last year, or Frerotte this year.

Now I know there are tons of excuses you guys have bottled up, some of which are valid. The way I see it, either Feeley just cannot catch a break to save his life, or he's not a starting quarterback.

Either way, I think we're "safe" by going with Frerotte. Safe from Feeley throwing our season down the drain while he gains supposedly valuable experience.

Winning more games isn't automatically the best thing. Would you rather win 4 games or 7? 7's not going to get you anywhere but a low draft pick.

 

[Dolphin North]

If Feeley doesn't know the offense, then what does "throwing him into the fire" accomplish?? The result of this decision would be the veterans turning on Saban and him losing their respect. If you look at the players' comments it's pretty clear everyone who's put in their 2 cents favors Gus. Why should we throw in the towel on our season to give AJ a tryout?? Didn't we already do one of those this preseason and he lost??

Gus will start the season as quarterback, and that's the way it should be. If we are 3-9 going into the last part of the year, then we give AJ a shot, but why tell 51 guys to do their best when essentially you are just letting AJ prove himself. If the season is a wreck he'll get his chance. If he practices like he should he will have a better grasp of the offense and those four games will give us enough insight.

Sure, 4 games is fair to prove yourself. We can learn all we need to by letting a QB get 4 whole games. :shakeno: :shakeno: :shakeno:

QUOTE: "...starting Gus Frerotte is only going to lengthen the endless loop that started when Jay Fiedler’s reign went downhill after that loss to Baltimore in the playoffs. Starting A.J. Feeley and losing (or maybe even winning!) solves more now and in the future than anyone else."
Look past 1 year people!!!!!!!! Nothing else to say. This is perfect.

 

[Dolphin North]

Winning more games isn't automatically the best thing. Would you rather win 4 games or 7? 7's not going to get you anywhere but a low draft pick.

Nobody likes to say that but it helps break the mediocrety. I don't care how many games we lose this year if we figure out the Qb situation. That is paramount before this franchise regains it's glory that has been unseen since the Shula era.

 

[badfoot]

HELLO!!!! Did anyone but me think Feely had his chance last year? I was all for him getting his starts and he did and in most of those starts he was woefully inadequet in almost all phases of the game... my biggest worry with him is he is a sitting duck in that pocket .. almost as bad as marino in his later years where teams just KNEW where the QB was gonna be..AJ has IMO no pocket awareness...the ability to side step or step up in the pocket to give him those precious extra seconds to complete the throws...I just dont see that from him and I seriously doubt at his age he is going to get it now...some guys just have it and some dont.There is a reason why he is 28 and still not a starter in this league .. and my friends if you cant start here you just aint the one.

 

[vinivedivichi]

Winning more games isn't automatically the best thing. Would you rather win 4 games or 7? 7's not going to get you anywhere but a low draft pick.

When you're at week 13 and 3-9, the difference between 3 and 5 wins is not so important. You are right about that.

When you're willing to throw a season away, that's when your logic is out of whack. You don't give up on a team before they have even played a game, even if they look bad in the preseason.

This is not a Palmer/Kitna situation BTW. Top ten picks eventually have to get on the field and learn the tuff way, even if the backup may be marginally better. I obviously don't have any problem with something like that.

The AJ situation is much different. Using your logic, why not let Manny Wright start at DT? He'll improve more on the field than if he sits on the bench all year. What's that?? He hasn't shown any ability to start in the NFL besides his raw talent?? Sounds a lot like AJ.

If we're giving up let's be smart about it. Why risk JT, ZT, Sam getting injured if we don't need them this year. We'll definitely have the #1 pick if we sit them as well. That would also give Roth, Crowder, and Daniels some opportunities.

 

[RWhitney014]

When you're at week 13 and 3-9, the difference between 3 and 5 wins is not so important. You are right about that.

When you're willing to throw a season away, that's when your logic is out of whack. You don't give up on a team before they have even played a game, even if they look bad in the preseason.

This is not a Palmer/Kitna situation BTW. Top ten picks eventually have to get on the field and learn the tuff way, even if the backup may be marginally better. I obviously don't have any problem with something like that.

The AJ situation is much different. Using your logic, why not let Manny Wright start at DT? He'll improve more on the field than if he sits on the bench all year. What's that?? He hasn't shown any ability to start in the NFL besides his raw talent?? Sounds a lot like AJ.

If we're giving up let's be smart about it. Why risk JT, ZT, Sam getting injured if we don't need them this year. We'll definitely have the #1 pick if we sit them as well. That would also give Roth, Crowder, and Daniels some opportunities.

Point taken, and I don't automatically disagree. But my response if I wanted to be stubborn would be this:

We invested a second-round pick and the starting QB spot on Feeley. We drafted Wright with an extra 5th rounder in order to make him our project.

I'm not proposing that we throw away the season. Rather, if we're going to have a sucky year, I'd rather see Feeley have it so we can get rid of him and move on. Frerotte is a stopgap solution. You play that kinda guy if you're on the edge of veteran and old, when you have a rapidly closing window.

 

[RWhitney014]

Sure, 4 games is fair to prove yourself. We can learn all we need to by letting a QB get 4 whole games. :shakeno: :shakeno: :shakeno:

QUOTE: "...starting Gus Frerotte is only going to lengthen the endless loop that started when Jay Fiedler’s reign went downhill after that loss to Baltimore in the playoffs. Starting A.J. Feeley and losing (or maybe even winning!) solves more now and in the future than anyone else."
Look past 1 year people!!!!!!!! Nothing else to say. This is perfect.

Wow, someone completely agrees with something I said...I'm not used to that around here...

 

[vinivedivichi]

My last post of the night, you guys are frustrating me. . .

I know you probably will not switch sides until you see Feeley play in more games but ask yourself this. . .

What has AJ shown in his past that makes it worth it for us to give up on our season and let him start even though we have a guy that has outplayed him on our roster? What potential are you guys seeing? When has he ever played well?

He has shown me that he has a strong arm. He has also looked totally lost in every game I've ever seen him play in. Maybe if we can put talent around him like he had in Philly he will become a quarterback that just barely throws more INT's than TD's. If that's what we wanted why the hell did we get rid of Fiedler?? We wanted a younger version?? I would hope he knew that offense well enough, but maybe not- I'm sure there's a good reason he didn't light it up in Philly too.

 

[RWhitney014]

My last post of the night, you guys are frustrating me. . .

I know you probably will not switch sides until you see Feeley play in more games but ask yourself this. . .

What has AJ shown in his past that makes it worth it for us to give up on our season and let him start even though we have a guy that has outplayed him on our roster? What potential are you guys seeing? When has he ever played well?

He has shown me that he has a strong arm. He has also looked totally lost in every game I've ever seen him play in. Maybe if we can put talent around him like he had in Philly he will become a quarterback that just barely throws more INT's than TD's. If that's what we wanted why the hell did we get rid of Fiedler?? We wanted a younger version?? I would hope he knew that offense well enough, but maybe not- I'm sure there's a good reason he didn't light it up in Philly too.

What potential for the future does Gus Frerotte have? Last year should be considered a total wash. We had no runningback, no offensive line, no offensive coordinator, no head coach, no defensive line excluding Taylor, no special teams, essentially, nothing. So you put all of that onto Feeley's back?

If he starts and plays well, awesome. If he starts and flops, we know for sure that we have to look in another direction. If he doesn't start and Frerotte is mediocre, which is what he will be at best, where did we improve?

 

[His'nBeatYour'n]

Sorry, there are a some diehard Feeley fans on this board. The guy played about as poorly as possible last year, yet some are convinced he's a diamond in the rough.

The number 1 reason that I defend Feeley is because unlike Gus his value has not been determined yet. They've finished polishing Gus all over this league and everyone knows what he can and can't do. That still may be more than Feeley, I'll admit. Feeley may be a lump of coal, but in my opinion no one knows for sure what he is. I am not convinced that Feeley is anything, but as a fan I do hope he is a diamond. If there was another QB on our roster that Saban felt had more promise, he would be competing to start. Saban could have cut his ties with AJ during the offseason, but he thought there was at least some potential there. If he and Linehan decide that Gus should start, I hope it is because they don't see AJ ever developing into that diamond, not just so we can get 7 wins this year.
Saban gets a pass this year, regardless of our record, Saban comes out clean in 06'. But after this year, the pressure to win only gets worse.