Saban on Harrington or Culpepper for the future

[bluehaze]

Got this from his radio show last night.

When asked about what he would do when Daunte was healthy because a guy shouldn't lose his job through injury:


"We try to make all our decisions on winning and what's going to give us the best chance to win. I think that's the only thing thats fair to the players, I think thats the only thing thats fair to the organization, I think that's the only thing that's fair to the fans because I know everybody works hard and wants to have a winning program from here and I think the big challenege for us is we got to get beyond this respectability mode and try to become a contendor in terms of being able to play with enough consistency against contending teams like we are going to play against this week, they made the playoffs last year they have a chance to make the playoffs this year so that's the big challenge for us right now and if were going to be able to do that we have to have lots of good players we can't just have one good player and the more competition we have on our team and even if we have two good quarterbacks, I mean the team we're playing has 2 really good quarterbacks. Garrard is a very good QB and would be a starter you know on alot of teams and for us to have those kind of problems in the future I think we would be delighted with but to make a decision about that right now I can't say that. When Daunte Culpepper comes back and plays the way he's capable of playing he'll certainly have every opportunity to get his job back and if Joey keeps playing well it's going to be a great problem for us in the future"

 

[jdang307]

Sounds like waffling to me lol. I can't read that nor would I expect Saban to say anything either way.

 

[dolphan117]

Thanks for typing that up bluehaze.

 

[Coral Reefer]

Nice post Blue!

Sounds like waffling to me lol. I can't read that nor would I expect Saban to say anything either way.

Sometimes the truth can sound like "waffling" but it's not.

I like what I see in his statement.

When Daunte Culpepper comes back and plays the way he's capable of playing he'll certainly have every opportunity to get his job back and if Joey keeps playing well it's going to be a great problem for us in the future"

It's exactly the way he should be looking at this situation.
No one should be handed the job heading into next year.

Culpepper and Harrington both have a lot to prove to this orgaization. Harrington has to continue to improve his game and show he has more room to grow now that he's out of Detroit. Culpepper has a lot of questions on his game that need addressing. How much of his mobility will return and can he adapt his game to more of a pocket passing approach without the problems he had this year if that knee will continue to hinder him?

Both guys have issues that deem an open competiton.

From Saban's comments it leads me to believe that the QB spot will be an open competition and that's without doubt the smart way to approach this situation.

 

[jdang307]

Isn't it always a competition though even though never declared one? As long as the coach is a reasonable one (Fiedler anyone?). Sort of like how Parcells kept his eye on Romo. I don't remember hearing about a qb competition there. And also Cutler and Plummer. Any responsible head coach will put the teams good over their preferences or they should.

 

[Coral Reefer]

Isn't it always a competition though even though never declared one? As long as the coach is a reasonable one (Fiedler anyone?). Sort of like how Parcells kept his eye on Romo. I don't remember hearing about a qb competition there. And also Cutler and Plummer. Any responsible head coach will put the teams good over their preferences or they should.

You're right they should, but it dosen't always happen that way. Thankfully, that sounds like how Saban will approach it.

He's said before that no one is safe and that they'll put the best guy on the field regardless of who he is.

 

[tcdrover]

Sounds like waffling to me lol. I can't read that nor would I expect Saban to say anything either way.

It would be waffling if he had to decide TODAY, and was postponing it.

He doesn't have to decide until the off-season, and even then it will be based on everything that happens this season. Who knows what will happen in the offseason?

We might get offered pics for Joey, Daunte may not be healed even by next year. Who knows...

 

[jdang307]

What I meant by waffling means that hypothetically lets say he has already decided Joey is the starter. Or Daunte is the starter. There is no way in hell he's going to admit that in this PC. Saban has never really said anything of substance in his PC's, a common peeve of readers here and journalists. I'm not saying he has, but even if he has, he wouldn't admit it.

Don't you agree?

 

[tcdrover]

What I meant by waffling means that hypothetically lets say he has already decided Joey is the starter. Or Daunte is the starter. There is no way in hell he's going to admit that in this PC. Saban has never really said anything of substance in his PC's, a common peeve of readers here and journalists. I'm not saying he has, but even if he has, he wouldn't admit it.

Don't you agree?

Yeah, I think that's smart. He is never really candid about anything, thats the sign of a good coach. He's no Herme Edwards that's for sure...

He definitely comes from the Parcells line of coaching....

:dolphins:

 

[thecoordinator]

daunte can't be a backup with his contract. something has to give.

 

[atlzonkafan]

You look up diplomat in the dictionary and there's a picture of Saban.

 

[Phantom]

Any fool who thinks you shouldn't lose your job do to injury needs to look up the story on wally Pip..... He's the guy who didn't feel well and told his manager to put the kid in..... The kid being, Loe Gehrig.....

 

[jdang307]

Yeah, I think that's smart. He is never really candid about anything, thats the sign of a good coach. He's no Herme Edwards that's for sure...

He definitely comes from the Parcells line of coaching....

:dolphins:

Herm Edwards makes me laugh. One PC I remember him talking about prom, and how when he went he actually had a date, and how most of the people in the room went with their sister or cousin. LOL.:sidelol:

 

[finfan292]

i was at the radio show last night at dolphin stadium it was pretty cool

 

[Regan21286]

Got this from his radio show last night.

When asked about what he would do when Daunte was healthy because a guy shouldn't lose his job through injury:


"We try to make all our decisions on winning and what's going to give us the best chance to win. I think that's the only thing thats fair to the players, I think thats the only thing thats fair to the organization, I think that's the only thing that's fair to the fans because I know everybody works hard and wants to have a winning program from here and I think the big challenege for us is we got to get beyond this respectability mode and try to become a contendor in terms of being able to play with enough consistency against contending teams like we are going to play against this week, they made the playoffs last year they have a chance to make the playoffs this year so that's the big challenge for us right now and if were going to be able to do that we have to have lots of good players we can't just have one good player and the more competition we have on our team and even if we have two good quarterbacks, I mean the team we're playing has 2 really good quarterbacks. Garrard is a very good QB and would be a starter you know on alot of teams and for us to have those kind of problems in the future I think we would be delighted with but to make a decision about that right now I can't say that. When Daunte Culpepper comes back and plays the way he's capable of playing he'll certainly have every opportunity to get his job back and if Joey keeps playing well it's going to be a great problem for us in the future"

He sounds like he's open to a QB duel next offseason. That's good news. Best man for the job wins. Otherwise, he'd be saying Daunte is the starter period. I think even he realizes Culpepper has his red flags and he may not be anywhere near the level he was playing at.