Fields' Back-Up QB Expendable Status Change

[LakecrestSteeler]

The Steelers have clearly had a step change on their winning percentage.

This is important, because I personally, will cease calling for a Justin Fields' package. Under the previous win percentage regime, you had to worry about trap games, down games, slop games, or whatever the nom du jour is/was, nearly every other week. And you could feel it in your bones when bedwetting was warranted, and something needed to be done to spark the offense or defense out of its slumber.

It looks like we have a real football team, and Russ can grind us through rough patches. There are several OC's who could create some great plays and packages with Fields in the game, and it would have been warranted under the previous win percentage regime, but now with what looks like at least a .75 win percentage, we need to worry about having a bonafide back-up QB should Russ go down. Not a one game limp along, but a 4-game stretch where the QB might actually play himself onto another team. We will still have our trap games, but it would seem they have shifted to a much longer interval between them, and you would be playing Russian roulette on green trying to determine when to insert Fields for a spark versus letting RW grind through the rough patch. Additionally, it appears we have witnessed defense and special teams play complimentary football multiple times this season, giving the offense a get-out-of-jail-free card at times.

Naturally, some of you will claim you had already made this shift, but as someone pointed out with pixels on the Fury board, Fields is the backup QB. It is no longer, they are both expendable until you find a winning formula. Now we are in the territory where you would scream at Tomlin for getting the back-up QB injured the same as when Boz got injured on a fake FG.

[PennyBacker]

I would make the case for the contrary on Fields. The Steelers have a player with rare and unique abilities for the quarterback position. He is not fully polished, but has immense potential.

Expecting Justin to play well as a package player off the bench may be more than he is capable of, or could cause Wilson to lose his rhythm, but that would be the only reason not to utilize him in my mind.

It is evident to me that Russ Wilson as the starter gives the offense its best opportunity for sustained success, so my philosophy would be all hands on deck to help his cause. But, that would absolutely include working in Justin Fields if / where possible. Both players are part of why Pittsburgh is in the position it presently is in, looking to punch a ticket into the playoffs.

And for Fields, he should be hungry for any opportunity possible to make plays for the Steelers and improve his chances that they will want to resign him, and allow him to continue to build his career as a professional football player in Pittsburgh long term.

[Deebo]

I would make the case for the contrary on Fields. The Steelers have a player with rare and unique abilities for the quarterback position. He is not fully polished, but has immense potential.

No he doesn't.

JF is what he'll ever be: a high end backup in this league bc he can't process worth a damn.

[PennyBacker]

4.4 speed and can rip the 40yd frozen rope. That has to qualify as immense potential.

He is still underdeveloped, but he took significant steps in the number one area where improvement was required during his starting stint earlier this season - taking care of the football, not turning it over.

[Deebo]

4.4 speed and can rip the 40yd frozen rope. That has to qualify as immense potential.

He is still underdeveloped, but he took significant steps in the number one area where improvement was required during his starting stint earlier this season - taking care of the football, not turning it over.

And I bet there are a ton of other dudes in college that have the exact same physical traits.

If physical traits were all that mattered for a QB, Jeff George would have been the best QB of all time. Dude could sling it like no one I had ever seen in my life.

[anpsteel]

4.4 speed and can rip the 40yd frozen rope. That has to qualify as immense potential.

He is still underdeveloped, but he took significant steps in the number one area where improvement was required during his starting stint earlier this season - taking care of the football, not turning it over.

And I bet there are a ton of other dudes in college that have the exact same physical traits.

If physical traits were all that mattered for a QB, Jeff George would have been the best QB of all time. Dude could sling it like no one I had ever seen in my life.

*Jamarcus Russell

[Deebo]

4.4 speed and can rip the 40yd frozen rope. That has to qualify as immense potential.

He is still underdeveloped, but he took significant steps in the number one area where improvement was required during his starting stint earlier this season - taking care of the football, not turning it over.

And I bet there are a ton of other dudes in college that have the exact same physical traits.

If physical traits were all that mattered for a QB, Jeff George would have been the best QB of all time. Dude could sling it like no one I had ever seen in my life.

*Jamarcus Russell

Good example
But I still put George against any other QB that has ever been drafted from a physical arm strength, velocity, touch, etc. Dude had ALL the physical tools.

[PennyBacker]

4.4 speed and can rip the 40yd frozen rope. That has to qualify as immense potential.

He is still underdeveloped, but he took significant steps in the number one area where improvement was required during his starting stint earlier this season - taking care of the football, not turning it over.

And I bet there are a ton of other dudes in college that have the exact same physical traits.

If physical traits were all that mattered for a QB, Jeff George would have been the best QB of all time. Dude could sling it like no one I had ever seen in my life.

I align with your thought process, Deebo. Traits will only get a player so far. At some point he has to fit into a system and an organization. Which in the business of the NFL involves trying to settle into a professional space with a whole bunch of other guys where the average career lasts @ 3.3 years (per Google).

To me, Justin still has some maturing to achieve before he will be a polished pro quarterback. Areas such as reading the field more naturally, and not throwing laser beams inside of 10 yards.

No one should decry him should he take $15m+ next season from a franchise who promises a shot to be the starter, but on a short term contract like that, he has to expect a back up plan will exist. If that falls through for him, he may be bouncing around as a hired gun for as long as he can hang on.

Speculating a bit now, but I would applaud signing him to a 2 year deal that would effectively be his shot to continue to compete for a starting job in Pittsburgh. Right now it is unlikely that Russ will want to call it a career after this season, so assuming they could bring the same QB room back, start to get Fields work as a package player this season. One because those reps will help him moving forward into next season, but two because the guy has juice, and he could be a real contributor even only seeing the field 10-20% of the snaps each game from here on through the playoffs.

[955876]

Areas such as reading the field more naturally, and not throwing laser beams inside of 10 yards.

How long does it take to learn that though?

It’s not like he’s year 1 or 2.

Or 3.

Especially the part bout not throwing laser beams inside of 10 yards.

Does it take 6 years in the league to learn that?

[Ice]

And I bet there are a ton of other dudes in college that have the exact same physical traits.

If physical traits were all that mattered for a QB, Jeff George would have been the best QB of all time. Dude could sling it like no one I had ever seen in my life.

*Jamarcus Russell

Good example
But I still put George against any other QB that has ever been drafted from a physical arm strength, velocity, touch, etc. Dude had ALL the physical tools.

Terry Bradshaw. And Terry could run it, too.

[955876]

Totally different era when TB came out though.

QBs come into the league far more polished and ready to play than they did in Terry’s day.

[PennyBacker]

Areas such as reading the field more naturally, and not throwing laser beams inside of 10 yards.

How long does it take to learn that though?

It’s not like he’s year 1 or 2.

Or 3.

Especially the part bout not throwing laser beams inside of 10 yards.

Does it take 6 years in the league to learn that?

Justin Fields in his 6 games as a starter this season for the Steelers proved he could avoid turnovers. That was step one to him becoming a long term NFL quarterback, a franchise quarterback.

With that as his base, now he can focus on the other areas of his game. Such as touch passes and reading the defense.

Since those are critical areas where he has shown a lack of polish, specific packages (20-30% snaps / 15 plays) on game day which focus on getting him live experience that he can reflect on could be a way to help him improve.

No reason to ask him to eat the entire plate in one bite, let him eat it a bite at a time. Work on the touch passes in the first quarter of the season. Let 6 or 7 of his game day plays be with an eye towards helping him add that skill to his tool box.

Once he has that ability, then get more exotic with asking him to read defenses.

In terms of reading defenses, for starters, have him look at two reads - one on each side of the field. Get him used to trying to find coverages. If the second option is not open, run.

As he shows progress on secondary receiver reads, add a tertiary option. By this time next season, the Steelers should have a better idea of if he is a long term option at the position, or merely a phenomenal athlete who can make some plays.

The above would predicated on Wilson signing another deal which was team friendly and Fields friendly. No way could a team try to pioneer this style of player delelopment without two quarterbacks who like each other and want to see the other succeed.

[tbsteel]

I would make the case for the contrary on Fields. The Steelers have a player with rare and unique abilities for the quarterback position. He is not fully polished, but has immense potential.

This is a common mistake made with athletic QBs.

Does Usain Bolt have immense potential as a QB or no?

Fields has no potential. He is a complete failure as a QB. He has no potential because he can play in the NFL 10 more years and he'll never have NFL accuracy and a NFL QB brain processing.

Any team that wants to sign him and start him is only wasting a year of their life.

He's a fun gimmick player. Dude looks like a 6th grader trying to take a snap under center.