2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[gzubeck]

I know of one fan on our tiny island. I expect to change that. lol Its great because that one fan is a Spectrum internet installer. So we probably have the fastest internet on the south side. Rare to see 60Mbps on the island.

Pretty soon everything will be starlink or some derivative of Virgin galactic satellites (Branson). Pretty funny downloading pron through a Virgin! LOL!

:beer:

[richpjr]

I know of one fan on our tiny island. I expect to change that. lol Its great because that one fan is a Spectrum internet installer. So we probably have the fastest internet on the south side. Rare to see 60Mbps on the island.

I missed this Fleet - when did you move to Hawaii? What island?

[Rugger05]

Herbie checks in at number 9

[Bolt-O]

[Rugger05]

Here is the full article

"First however many games, you were saying he's best in the league," said a veteran NFL offensive player. "But when you rely so much on the off-schedule stuff, that's where you can get into the interceptions."

Most evaluators don't expect that trend to continue, as Wilson's consistency is hard to ignore. Over the past three years, he ranks fourth in QBR (70.0) despite taking 146 sacks over that stretch. And many point to a new offense, implementing the system offensive coordinator Shane Waldron carries over from his Rams tenure, as a catalyst for improved play.

"He'll have easier throws to make and won't have to be the hero as much," an NFL coordinator said. "I think the main thing is he just has to get rid of the ball faster. If he does that, he should have a good year."

Still, some evaluators aren't sure what to make of the trade rumors surrounding Wilson, who voiced his frustrations with the team's offensive line and efforts to return to the Super Bowl and is under contract through the 2023 season.

"There's something going on there," said a high-ranking NFL official. "I just don't get the sense they are sold on him long-term."

---

5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills


Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 9
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: Unranked

Allen wasn't much of a consideration for the top 10 rankings a year ago. Now, the majority of voters have him in their top five after a massive third season in Buffalo.

"The growth was pretty impressive," said an NFL offensive coach. "There were times when he was so in command of the offense, and when he's on top of his protections pre-snap, he's incredibly tough to beat."

Allen ranked third in the NFL in QBR (81.7) after a pedestrian 49.5 over his first two seasons, which was 27th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks. His 37 touchdown passes surpassed his previous two-year total (30).

Evaluators point to his four-touchdown performance on Monday Night Football against the 49ers and his 324 yards in the playoffs vs. the Colts as growth examples. Indy's zone defense made him escape the pocket and throw from the near-sideline, and he handled it all game.

"His biggest weakness is also what makes him so good -- his competitiveness, and wanting to make the best play," an AFC scout said. "He'll hold onto the ball a little too long or bail on the pocket too early. He often gets away with that because he's so strong and can break tackles, but against good defenses, he might press, and it gets him into trouble."

---

6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams


Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: 13
Age: 33 | Last year's ranking: 10

And to think the "friends of Sean McVay" boost doesn't apply to just coaching. Stafford moved up four spots for no other reason than his move to the Rams via trade could align him closer to the greats.
The NFL's best at every position


Jeremy Fowler polled a panel of more than 50 coaches, execs, scouts and players to come up with top-10 rankings for 2021:

• Edge | Interior DL | LB
• CB | Safety | OT | Interior OL
• QB | RB (July 13)
• WR (July 14) | TE (July 15)


"Him going to L.A. with Sean and that offense will be great for his already massive abilities," a veteran NFL quarterback said. "This will be the deciding factor on who he is."

Stafford's up-and-down time in Detroit is still central to his standing among the game's best. Some knock him for zero playoff wins in 12 years; others applaud him for leading an oft-moribund franchise to four winning seasons and three playoff appearances. As one NFC exec said, he has been in a bad place long enough that he doesn't know what a winner looks like. Stafford is coming off a solid 26-touchdown, 10-pick season that was spent almost entirely without top receiver Kenny Golladay.

What can't be debated: Stafford has always been an aerial threat. In the post-Calvin Johnson era of Lions play (2016-20), Stafford averaged 265.7 passing yards per game, eighth among NFL quarterbacks with at least 50 games played. With Johnson as a receiving target from 2009 to '15, Stafford averaged 279.3 yards, fifth in the NFL.

"He's always been top 10 because of his talents, and his ceiling is how he makes plays when [the Rams] need it late in the year," an AFC scout said. "Some feel he'll let you down at some point. Maybe that's true, maybe not. We're about to find out, and he's got the ability and the smarts and the system to make it happen."

---

7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys


Highest ranking: 7 | Lowest ranking: 14
Age: 27 | Last year's ranking: 9

Prescott surpassed Lamar Jackson in a close race that prompted an isolated matchup with new voters for good measure. For some, the reasoning was simple.

"Lamar is a better all-around football player, Dak is the better QB," one AFC exec said.

Prescott's ankle injury didn't hurt his standing. In fact, it might have helped, placing a focus on his stellar production in the five games before the injury. Prescott threw for 1,856 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions before falling to the turf in Week 5. The Cowboys were first in passing yards per game with Prescott (381.4) and 28th without him (204.9).

"He, individually, was pretty impressive," said a veteran NFL quarterback. "Couldn't do better than that. It was high-level play."

Prescott, however, has not always been great against high-level teams. In 2019, Dallas was 1-6 against opponents that made the playoffs, with Prescott throwing for eight touchdowns to eight interceptions in those matchups. Against non-playoff teams, Prescott cleaned up, with 22 touchdowns to three interceptions and a 7-2 record. For his career, Prescott is 9-17 against eventual playoff teams. Of course, the Cowboys' defense has been a major issue the past few seasons too.

That record will change with better a Dallas defense around him, some voters say.

"He can throw it deep into the playoffs because of his ability to be accurate from the pocket at all levels and also extend plays with his legs," a veteran NFL quarterback said.

---

8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens


Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: 6

Still the toughest evaluation on the list, Jackson earned more top-five votes than Prescott and Stafford combined, yet many left him off the ballot altogether. He remains one of the game's most breathtaking playmakers, and his intangibles as a tough, vocal, team-first leader resonate.
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But since entering the NFL in 2018, Jackson has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in 22 of his 37 starts, the most in the NFL during that span. The next closest is Sam Darnold with 19.

"People are figuring him out a little bit," said a veteran NFL offensive player. "Those guys on the list, in the two-minute drill, they can go do it. Not sure he's there yet. The running is great, but when you have to play from behind and throw, that can be very tough."

Many believe those issues aren't all on Jackson. The offense must change to help him evolve, one NFL quarterback said.

"He can become a better passer if they put more on him to do so," the quarterback said. "But if they continue to build a fence around him that's RPO gimmick type of stuff only utilizing his running skills, I think they will never score enough to make a deep run."

An AFC scout said Baltimore had failed in the past to surround Jackson with the same arsenal that in-his-prime Colin Kaepernick got in San Francisco. That mobile quarterback who was also coached by coordinator Greg Roman had Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Delanie Walker and Vernon Davis.

"[Jackson] might not be that accurate, down-in, down-out passer, but you can tailor things around him and he can have more success in that area," the scout said. "It's not like he can't make the throws. He can."

---

9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers


Highest ranking: 6 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 23 | Last year's ranking: Unranked

Herbert has the NFL's attention in a big way, appearing on as many ballots as Prescott and Stafford. He didn't have any top-five votes, but evaluators had a difficult time keeping him off after an explosive rookie year with the Chargers.

He's hard to ignore in person, too.

"Big as hell. Looks like Megatron," a Pro Bowl running back said of the 6-foot-6, 237-pound passer. "He's going to be a factor for a long time."

Herbert broke several NFL rookie passing records, including passing touchdowns (31) and completions (396). He was dominant in six wins, with an 82.1 Total QBR, 304.2 yards per game and 14 touchdowns to one interception, punctuating a stellar year with a 72.1% completion rate over the final four weeks.

"He and Josh Allen are very similar -- that's the way the league is going, the prototype," a veteran NFL quarterback said. "Huge arm, can stand in there and throw, and [he's] athletic to make plays.

"The throws he was making as a rookie, to hang in there and deliver, almost 60 yards in the air off his back foot while getting drilled, rookies don't make those types of plays unless [they're a] special player."

---

10. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals


Highest ranking: 8 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 23 | Last year's ranking: Honorable mention

After NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, Murray looked destined to crack the top 10 after Year 2. He did, but not convincingly. The voting drop-off after Herbert was significant, with Murray winning a tiebreaker with Matt Ryan.

The playmaking quarterback tied for the NFL lead with 14 completions of 40-plus yards, and his 819 rushing yards trailed only Jackson among quarterbacks. Murray's arm strength and release are impressive, with one NFL quarterback saying he can "throw the s--- out of the ball."
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But his play faded late in the season, with a 57.0 Total QBR over the season's final seven weeks, ranking 19th out of 32 eligible quarterbacks. Murray was ninth over the first 10 weeks, at 76.9.

"He's very talented. Some of issues are outside of him -- I don't think [the Cardinals'] style of play is conducive to winning big games late in the season," an AFC scout said. "Even though the NFL is more open with more passing, really good teams still put an emphasis on defense and running the ball. They are the complete opposite."

Fair or not, questions about Murray's leadership ceiling exist in some league circles. Some wonder if he's the type of player behind whom teammates rally, though they aren't in the locker room with him every day. Others say he's simply reserved or quiet, which isn't a terminal flaw, but underscores the importance of letting his play talk for him.

[dmac_bolt]

Does anyone think Stafford is really going to become that superstar QB that carries teams to wins now he’s in LA? Color me unconvinced - we’ll see I guess

Edit: Something about him reminds of the super talented loser QB. Cutler but not as big a choker

[Fleet]

I missed this Fleet - when did you move to Hawaii? What island?

Leaving the 9th of Aug. Kauai.

[richpjr]

Leaving the 9th of Aug. Kauai.

Nice - some good friends just got back from 2 weeks on Kauai and loved it. On my list of places to vacation someday.

[Xenos]

[Xenos]

Full article from Tweet above:

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Brandon Staley couldn’t keep still.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach — hired away from the Rams in January and preparing to open his first NFL training camp in that role — stopped for a day at the QB Collective coaching and quarterback summit in Oceanside as the event’s keynote speaker and to help facilitate an ongoing dialogue about scheme, philosophy and trends among several competing NFL coaches.

As the event unfolded Saturday morning, some coaches, including 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, 49ers quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and Chargers defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill, sat around a large wooden table and dissected the merits of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system and how it juxtaposes to and clashes schematically with Staley’s defensive system — itself a mad scientist-escaped-from-the-laboratory amalgamation of Broncos defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system. A dozen other coaches and league personnel sat on couches that were set up around the perimeter of the table, joining in the conversation and occasionally scribbling notes.

The young quarterbacks in the room stared wide-eyed at the coaches, their eyes darting back to Staley, who paced and gestured at the front of the room as he spoke about his background and offered advice on a player’s journey to the NFL as well as a coach’s. When the teaching portion ended and the quarterbacks left, film was turned on and the real chatter among the coaches began. The dialogue was respectful but rippled with electricity as they watched cut-ups of their teams clashing on a large screen positioned at the head of the table. Staley moved to one of the couches but would hop up to the table when the conversation got juicy, unable to help himself from quite literally jumping into the ideas presented.

That, as it turned out, was only the first part of his weekend. He also swung by a seven-on-seven tournament in Long Beach the next day. The Athletic caught up with him in between events to see how his first offseason as a head coach has gone, how he’s developing relationships with his players — including, of course, collaborating with second-year quarterback Justin Herbert, the reigning NFL rookie of the year — what his approach to installing his plan in spring workouts has been and how he has set about planting the first seeds of his coaching philosophy as the Chargers prepare for camp on July 27.

Note: This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.


You’re about to jump into it. I know you’ve been preparing, and you had the draft and spring ball, but this is where it starts to get into the real year. Does it feel that way to you?

I think, from a head coaching perspective, that scheduling is really a big part of the job. I think that knowing how far in front of these things you have to be, from a planning and really from a performance standpoint — like some of these nontraditional weeks where you’re going from a Sunday to a Thursday, a Sunday to a Monday, coming off a bye week, going into a bye week — some of that long-term planning and working with our coaching staff and our sports performance team and our personnel department, I think that makes you feel like, “Hey, this is coming. This is happening.”

I pour a lot of time and energy into that because I want our players to know the reason behind everything we do. I feel like I put a lot of time and effort into organizing schedules, whether it’s practice or installation or training camp — or some of these travel schedules, (like) going from a Pacific to an East Coast time slot where it’s a 10 a.m. start time — and putting a lot of energy into that. That’s been a big part of making it feel real. You’re making these schedules because it’s coming fast.

From a microscopic point of view, which is how I prefer to think about it, it’s just about getting training camp off the ground. That’s what’s coming first. That’s been a lot of fun for me. I feel like that’s a sweet spot for me because I like being able to build things. That’s been exciting.


What are a couple of moments in which you’ve started to see the building blocks you’re stacking?

You know, over the summer, (safety) Derwin James had his first child. You know the depth of the relationship you have with him when he sends you the picture of that baby boy from the hospital. And at the same time, he’s watching Washington Football Team film against the Rams! And, you know, asking questions about our game plan and what he’s seeing on tape from them — while he’s in the hospital. I think that shows you’re maybe doing something right.

Just being able to connect with (receiver) Keenan Allen at the U.S. Open. I brought my brother in from Pittsburgh — he had just been named a partner at his firm — and so I surprised him with a trip out here to go to the third round of the U.S. Open. And being able to connect with Keenan at the tournament and walk the course with him and my twin brother, I think you have a strong sense of where you stand with a guy like that — how he has accepted you and where his frame of mind is — a guy who is one of the premier players in the game. Just so excited to compete with him. I feel like, in just a short amount of time, we’ve been able to get really close. Those are the things that I really, really enjoy.


With relationship-building being such a huge part of what you’re doing now, how do you do that authentically?

I think you just do it slowly. I think you do it daily. I don’t think it’s ever one big moment, just a lot of little moments. I think it’s just acknowledging everybody that you see and the small conversations that let everybody know that you’re aware of them and who they are and listening to them.

We had Austin Proehl, who we signed (after the draft) from North Carolina, who is best friends with Mitch Trubisky (who Staley knew during his time in Chicago as an outside linebackers coach), who is from where I’m from in Ohio, and valuing him the same way that I do Keenan Allen and getting to know him. (Center) Corey Linsley, he had a baby a couple of weeks ago back in Columbus, and he was able to come back and forth during the spring. (His wife) Anna and my wife kind of got to know each other. So, you do the best you can with everybody and know that each relationship is different; it has a life of its own. And all you can do is make sure that you do the best you can with all of the people that you’re with and knowing that they’re all different. And the more you get to know them, you’ll know how much or how little of a relationship you’ll have with them. It can’t be the same with everybody. … But the fact that you have one is what’s most important to me.

Really, I think (you can) learn a lot through your coaching staff. Your coaching staff can have a more intimate view of their position group. … It’s daily. That’s a big part of your role as the head coach is to have the pulse of your team — not only your players but your coaching staff. It takes a lot of investment, and I’m sort of built for that. That’s what I really like to do.


I even heard that offensive line coach Frank Smith moved his office so it’s like an entry and exit point of the building for the linemen.

Yeah, we want to live the mission. We talk about “our way” being relationships and competition, and if that’s going to be at the forefront of everything that we do, then each individual coach in their own way has to make that a big part of their own mission statement. I think why Frank is a special coach is that he understands how to connect with his guys. He understands what a dynamic group an O-line room is and how different all of these personalities are. And the best way that you can connect with people is being available — a great way to be available is to be with them.

Frank knows that sometimes when a player comes upstairs to a coach’s office, he feels differently than when he’s downstairs in a meeting room. It feels like a more welcoming environment where (they) can be themselves; (they) don’t have to be sort of a manufactured self. You see that a lot in the NFL; people are putting on a front — they’re playing a part in a movie — they’re not necessarily being their authentic, full self. I think what (Frank) has done with our group is open himself up, and I think by doing that, it’s opened them up. Now our lines of communication are open in a way that wouldn’t be possible if he were upstairs all the time. They can stay later with him; they can come earlier. He has a central command center down there for them and with (assistant offensive line coach) Shaun Sarrett, and I think it’s Frank’s way of making the relationship part really big.


Do you think that helps, having multiple spaces like that where guys can just be around each other, learn about each other, understand each other — not just player to player but coach to player?

Yeah, and that’s why I tell our coaches to go work out when the players are working out. I was like, “You’ll be surprised what you can find out from observing them or being a part of a workout session where you can maybe talk about something just briefly that will end up helping your day out.” I think a lot of people look down on that or laugh at me, turn their nose up, whatever. There’s a lot of cynical people out there. What I encouraged our staff to do is to be around our guys if they’re into what we’re doing. … If we can always stay current with them, then we’re going to create a lot of solutions to these really tough problems that we’re going to have. I don’t believe in coaches hanging out together all day. I know that’s not the way. The way is to be around your players as much as they can, and our coaches have kind of given life to that.

I shared a bunch of stories about when I was with (Rams star cornerback Jalen) Ramsey. I made a 90-play cut-up last March of him, from Florida State all the way to the 2019 Rams: good plays, bad plays, in the middle, press, off, tackling, effort, leadership stuff, his role for the Rams. On two hours, on a Zoom call in the beginning of the pandemic, that’s where it started for us, because he knew that I was invested in his game. I shared with him, I said, “I don’t think that I would be here without Jalen Ramsey.” And it was a moment like that that led to a lot of other really big and small moments along the way that allowed him and us to have a great year — that let him know that you’re thinking about him, that it’s personal. I don’t see how you can do this job if you don’t make it personal. (Voice raises.) I just don’t, Jourdan. I don’t see how you can do it well.


I remember how collaborative your relationship with Jalen was, too.

I use that word — “express themselves” — because I mean it. It’s a partnership. That’s why I love the NFL. You have to make sure that that guy has a big voice in how you do things, because he can help you. He can see a lot of things that are happening out there that can really help you. You can say, “Hey, we can do this one of two ways.” And then he makes the way that he wants work. We’re always going to be wired that way. “We’ve got two really good solutions. What are you more comfortable with?”

I just think that’s the best way to do business. And then you’re always current during the week, and then when you get to the signal caller meetings that he and I had all the time, they were like quarterback meetings where he’s ranking the third downs. “Hey, these are the coverages I like the best. This is where I want to be in the red area.” So he’s fully aware of why we’re doing everything and there’s no surprises for him on game day. I think that collaboration is ultimately why we had the year that we had. He had a huge impact on me.


And I want to tie that thread over to the other side because of your quarterback. If we’re tying thread together, translating that type of collaboration over to Herbert, I imagine that’s the most important thing you two can do is to collaborate in that manner.

A big part of it is that I know our offense. I know how we call things, I know why we call them that way, from a formation standpoint to a protection standpoint to a route concept standpoint, so I can speak his language on a day-to-day basis. And then, I feel like a big contribution from me is to help him identify defenses and how people play and what their rules are. “These are the personnel groupings that they play. These are their fronts they play, the coverages they play, the pressure packages they have. Here’s a couple defenders who can tell you what’s happening. Here’s why it’s happening.” And offer him that second part of his education where, yeah, he’s learning it from Joe (Lombardi) and Shane (Day). But I’m the checks and balances that offers him that other perspective — and a fresh perspective. And I think that with Justin, it’s: “Do you prepare the path for the player or the player for the path?” And I want to prepare the player for the path, not the path for the player.

I don’t want to make it easy for Justin; I want to make it right for him. And so on the front end, I’ll say, “Hey, man, we’re going to challenge you. We’re going to push you.” Because ultimately, I know that for us to be as good as we can be, (he) has to be the one running the show for us. And (him) just knowing that, as his head coach, I have his back and we’re going to work through it during the week together and hopefully I can give him that full perspective where he can become a complete player.


When you guys talk, how do you talk to each other?

A lot of it is keeping it light, talking about our day to day. And I think that’s where it starts: from a personal perspective. From a ball perspective. Just asking a lot of questions and being a part of the conversation and the dialogue. And he knows that my door is open and my cellphone is on for all of those things that come up for him. I think everyone wants to make it this big thing, but that’s not how it is; they’re little things. Little things that add up to the big things, and ultimately, that’s where you know you trust one another — when it’s not like (you’re only reaching out over) big stuff. It’s small stuff that happens over time.

I think, over the course of OTAs, what was awesome was being able to be in all of those quarterback meetings. I felt like Justin got a lot better. I felt like he learned a lot more about not only our offense but our defense. I could say, “Hey, this is why, offensively, we really like this. This is why we do this, because it’s really good against this.” When you can speak that part of the language, it’s not like you’re some sort of “defensive coach.” You’re just his coach. Right? And I think that’s just a goal of mine was to establish, “I’m a coach. Not just a defensive coach.” I’m his coach, just like I’m Derwin James’ coach. And I’ve really enjoyed that.

Which phase of the on-field “building” process are you in right now?

We talked about in the springtime really trying to push it from an installation standpoint, to really introduce our football scheme, our technique and our situational foundation. What we wanted to do was teach our guys a lot of football and install a lot. We were not going full speed, so what we did was we two-spotted the field so that everybody on the team could be working. That was done intentionally so that everybody was developing. Not just part of the team; the whole team was developing. We didn’t have to worry about the full speed of 11-on-11, the full speed of that, the anxiety, not to mention the health and safety stuff. What we were able to do was really install a lot more offense and defense. … There’s a lot of information that they’re responsible for, so they have to come to the facility ready. They’re responsible for a lot. So in a traditional OTA (practice), they may get 10 to 15 plays. Well, they were getting 65 to 75 plays that they were having to operate against a great offense or defense. If you just do the math on that, you’re getting five times as many snaps every day.

On the front end, it was a lot harder for our players because we ended up installing as much defense as we had for the Green Bay playoff game (with the Rams). We ended up installing that much. But what it did was it introduced our players to what we do and why we do it. I think that our players, although it was challenging for them, they benefited greatly because now when it goes live in training camp, they know what to do because they’ve done it. There isn’t anything they have not been exposed to from a baseline of installation, because at the end of the day, you just want these guys to be able to perform their best and express themselves, and then for you as a coaching staff to figure out what everyone is best at. We were able to establish our way of playing, and our guys are going to feel very confident in operating our systems in all three phases because we put a lot of stuff in. It wasn’t smothering or overwhelming because the physical part wasn’t a part of the equation. I felt like I got really good feedback from the players because we engineered this as a coaching staff first and then went to our (player) leadership council (about it).

As you saw last year with the Rams, I feel like we spent a lot of time thinking about how to build things. Like, a lot of time. Like, way more time than you could ever imagine. And I feel like that’s why it usually works out OK. I think if you build things properly, you’re going to be more prepared for all of the things you’re going to (experience) in the league.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

Does anyone think Stafford is really going to become that superstar QB that carries teams to wins now he’s in LA? Color me unconvinced - we’ll see I guess

Edit: Something about him reminds of the super talented loser QB. Cutler but not as big a choker

Cutler out-and-out alienated a lot of people. Not everyone is a fan of Matt Stafford the person, but he doesn't have Cutler's d-bag reputation.

I'm skeptical about Stafford's future success, too, but have to concede he's on a much better team now with the Rams than he was EVER with the Lions.

By way of analogy, maybe Stafford's situation is more like if Archie Manning had been able to escape the Saints while he still had gas in the tank.

Archie didn't exactly pile up the wins on a bunch of woeful Saints squads, but there was always the sense that he could accomplish waaaaay more if only he were on a better team. (Of course, with this being Archie's experience, he didn't want his son Eli going to a beleaguered organization like the Bolts were, and having the same kid of squandering of talent. But that's another-- depressing-- story.)

So, yeah, I'm wait-and-see about Stafford in L.A. Should be interesting. I'm guessing his Floor is a good, solid "B" grade. Not anticipating him 'choking', like, performing at a "C" grade level. Definitely have to have more than *that* from your QB if you intend to accomplish anything.

[Topcat]

Cutler out-and-out alienated a lot of people. Not everyone is a fan of Matt Stafford the person, but he doesn't have Cutler's d-bag reputation.

I'm skeptical about Stafford's future success, too, but have to concede he's on a much better team now with the Rams than he was EVER with the Lions.

By way of analogy, maybe Stafford's situation is more like if Archie Manning had been able to escape the Saints while he still had gas in the tank.

Archie didn't exactly pile up the wins on a bunch of woeful Saints squads, but there was always the sense that he could accomplish waaaaay more if only he were on a better team. (Of course, with this being Archie's experience, he didn't want his son Eli going to a beleaguered organization like the Bolts were, and having the same kid of squandering of talent. But that's another-- depressing-- story.)

So, yeah, I'm wait-and-see about Stafford in L.A. Should be interesting. I'm guessing his Floor is a good, solid "B" grade. Not anticipating him 'choking', like, performing at a "C" grade level. Definitely have to have more than *that* from your QB if you intend to accomplish anything.

Quack, speaking of non-elite, but at least competent QB's, would u rate Stafford above or below someone like Derek Carr?