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WP: In the Shanahans’ eyes, John Beck is the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback


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UnWise Mike quotes Mike Shanahan saying about John Beck:

“I know he can be that guy,” he says, slightly incredulous that you asked. “I don’t think he can be that guy. I know he can be that guy.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/mike-shanahan-believes-in-his-plan-for-the-redskins/2011/08/13/gIQALZKnDJ_story.html

What do you think he meant by that?

He also told NFL Network's Albert Breer, in no uncertain terms, on camera, with forcefulness, that he never declared ANYONE the starter, and that they were having an open competition for who would be the guy, and they would play the best person at the end of camp.

Click here to say it for yourself.

What do you think he meant by that?

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I don't even know what to make of that article. He says that Beck is the starter and then lists 3-4 circumstances in which he could lose the QB competition. You can't have it both ways...

He basically makes a bold statement, but then qualifies the statement making it less bold. Jason Reid is a terrible, terrible beat reporter.

HTTR

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He also told NFL Network's Albert Breer, in no uncertain terms, on camera, with forcefulness, that he never declared ANYONE the starter, and that they were having an open competition for who would be the guy, and they would play the best person at the end of camp.

Click here to say it for yourself.

What do you think he meant by that?

My browser only played the commercial on that video, so I couldn't hear what he had to say.

I'm not sure what to think. That's why I asked.

It could be true that he hasn't declared anyone the starter and, at the same time, it could be true that he has made up his mind that, barring a complete collapse, the job is Beck's.

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He basically makes a bold statement, but then qualifies the statement making it less bold. Jason Reid is a terrible, terrible beat reporter.

Strangely, Kornheiser, who really could write, loves Reid, and won't stop gushing about Reid on his radio show (when he is on the air). I understand Reid has a nose for controversy, but what you id here -- the backpedaling -- and his logic, which is is jumpy at best and nonexistent at worse, not to mention his writing, which can seem like Tweets smashed together into a "column", make me wonder what TK sees in him.

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A bad former beat writer. A talented columnist when he's not being lazy as exampled by this tripe. Someone desperately trying to be the next Mike Wilbon

Well, he's got a long way to go then, because say what you want about Wilbon, JReid has a LONG LONG way to go to be in the same category. At least most of Wilbon's stuff doesn't sound like it was written as a HS writing assignment.

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Where does Jason Reid come up with this load of crap? What Washington people are saying that Beck is going to be the starter? Ed the Plumber? or Carly the Caterer? Come on! MAN! Write and article that has some facts to it and not hearsay that any eighth grader could write. It amazes me how Jason reid is still employed by the Post. It just goes to show you how reputable the Post is. If anyone believes this load of crap then let me sell you some waterfront property in the Sahara desert. The one thing I can say is that the Shanahan's do like Beck but he still has to prove that he can do it. Rex looked solid against the Steelers in preseason and it is going to take a lot to unseat him especially if Beck struggles. Five regular season games and none since 2007 doesn't fair well for his cause. So if Jason Reid wants people to believe his article or articles then come up with something better than "Washington people."

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The guy who covers the team for ESPN seems to concur

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/29611/veteran-redskins-receivers-will-be-key

I still believe, based on the conversations I had when I was at Redskins camp, that John Beck is the favorite to win the starting quarterback job in Washington. And if he does, Mike Shanahan's biggest concern isn't going to be whether Beck can handle the job but whether he has put a sufficiently strong supporting cast around him.

---------- Post added August-16th-2011 at 08:37 AM ----------

So if Jason Reid wants people to believe his article or articles then come up with something better than "Washington people."

I am far from a big Reid guy, his constant hate for Shanny gets tiresome for me. But he's not per se always off the mark. I recall him calling the McNabb trade the day before it happened even being on the money with the compensation, then I recall him saying on Twitter the same source who gave him the McNabb info is telling him that AH is going to be gone very quickly and won't make it to camp, and he was traded the next day. the WP is a national paper, am sure they know who Reid's sources are, as to whether that source is always on the money, that's a different story. but yeah hard for me to imagine that he's just making this up out of thin air.

The Beck thing seems intuitive to me. If the team is looking for greener pastures, you know what you got in Grossman, Beck is more of the unknown -- exploring the unknown seems consistent with the rebuilding idea.

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Well, he's got a long way to go then, because say what you want about Wilbon, JReid has a LONG LONG way to go to be in the same category. At least most of Wilbon's stuff doesn't sound like it was written as a HS writing assignment.

Yeah, no kidding. While I think Wilbon is ridiculous, and quite possibly trying to make up for some serious confidence issues possibly stemming from never getting laid since he is a total nerd, he is intelligent in his writing.

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...The Beck thing seems intuitive to me. If the team is looking for greener pastures, you know what you got in Grossman, Beck is more of the unknown -- exploring the unknown seems consistent with the rebuilding idea.
Agreed. Beck has more potential than Rex.

Reid exaggerated in saying "the fix is in," but the idea that it's Beck's job to lose is entirely consistent with the facts. John Beck was signed to an extension while Rex was allowed to go to free agency. It was Rex who needed to be evaluated in 2010, not Beck.

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I think the big thing that stands out is that the premice of Reid's article smells false.

If we've seen anything in the first two preseasons is that Shanahan loves competition. People rise and fall down the depth chart without preference to incumbancy, salary, or draft pick. We cut some fairly high draft picks last year because Shanny thought they weren't good enough.

For Shanahan to have made up his mind before ever seeing these two in competition (remember the whole of the offseason was locked out) just seems very unMike-like.

So, while it's possible that Reid is right. It's more possible that Beck is getting this start because Shanahan wants to keep the pressure up on both of them and see which one shines brightest at the end of the preseason.

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I think the big thing that stands out is that the premice of Reid's article smells false.

If we've seen anything in the first two preseasons is that Shanahan loves competition. People rise and fall down the depth chart without preference to incumbancy, salary, or draft pick. We cut some fairly high draft picks last year because Shanny thought they weren't good enough.

For Shanahan to have made up his mind before ever seeing these two in competition (remember the whole of the offseason was locked out) just seems very unMike-like.

So, while it's possible that Reid is right. It's more possible that Beck is getting this start because Shanahan wants to keep the pressure up on both of them and see which one shines brightest at the end of the preseason.

I'm quite sure you're right. He'll want to keep the pressure on Grossman, it's now up to Beck to do that. that said, I would still be amazed if Beck beat out Grossman for the job. Talking up Beck was, in my opinion, nothing more than a strategy designed to keep the pressure on the sex cannon and get him back on the cheap.

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Agreed. Beck has more potential than Rex.

Reid exaggerated in saying "the fix is in," but the idea that it's Beck's job to lose is entirely consistent with the facts. John Beck was signed to an extension while Rex was allowed to go to free agency. It was Rex who needed to be evaluated in 2010, not Beck.

Yeah and also Grossman signed for the veteran minimum or close to it. The Redskins didn't seem nervous about losing him. Hard for me to believe that J. Reid, Graziano who covers the team for ESPN and spent time in camp, Shefter who is Shanny's friend and biographer are all part of some conspiracy making up sources about Beck or being misled totally by Shanny in a convoluted plot hatched by him to affect Grossman's psyche for motivational purposes. Apparently, Shanny is saying stuff like he doesn't think but knows Beck is going to be a successful QB just in order to rankle Grossman to greater heights? Just tough for me to buy. Yeah I can see if Beck looks pathetic in preseason that the experiment might get squashed but for a team looking for answers it seems to make sense to explore the unexplored.

---------- Post added August-16th-2011 at 09:28 AM ----------

Smoke screen.

Smoke screen for whom? The Giants so they are preparing for the wrong QB?

---------- Post added August-16th-2011 at 09:32 AM ----------

I think the big thing that stands out is that the premice of Reid's article smells false.

If we've seen anything in the first two preseasons is that Shanahan loves competition. People rise and fall down the depth chart without preference to incumbancy, salary, or draft pick. We cut some fairly high draft picks last year because Shanny thought they weren't good enough.

For Shanahan to have made up his mind before ever seeing these two in competition (remember the whole of the offseason was locked out) just seems very unMike-like.

So, while it's possible that Reid is right. It's more possible that Beck is getting this start because Shanahan wants to keep the pressure up on both of them and see which one shines brightest at the end of the preseason.

The truth could be somewhere in the middle though. True that Shanny likes competition and wants players to fight for their jobs. But it doesn't strike me far fetched that he wants Beck to win the job. The thought process being something like thinking that Grossman is an OK QB but he sees a ceiling on him without potential greatness whereas with Beck he might have a potential great QB or at least you want to explore it. It's like going out with a girl for 2 years and you think the relationship is OK but isn't going anywhere long term, you meet someone else and you see potential, yeah it might flop, but at the same time it could work big. The thought process IMO is very instinctual and common.

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The truth could be somewhere in the middle though. True that Shanny likes competition and wants players to fight for their jobs. But it doesn't strike me far fetched that he wants Beck to win the job. The thought process being something like thinking that Grossman is an OK QB but he sees a ceiling on him without potential greatness whereas with Beck he might have a potential great QB or at least you want to explore it. It's like going out with a girl for 2 years and you think the relationship is OK but isn't going anywhere long term, you meet someone else and you see potential, yeah it might flop, but at the same time it could work big. The thought process IMO is very instinctual and common.

That's possible. Shanny is a guy who seems pretty stubborn, but also nimble. He might really like Beck, but I bet he doesn't like him so much that the winner of the camp won't be the QB.

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I still don't see why they are trying to paint this as some conspiracy. Now if he were saying that Beck is going to be the starter no matter what then you might have a story. I am 99% certain that Shanahan would like to see Beck win the competition. It just makes sense. But that doesn't mean he's just going to hand it to Beck. If Grossman outplays Beck he'll have the job. If it's a tie then Beck gets the job.

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The Beck thing seems intuitive to me. If the team is looking for greener pastures, you know what you got in Grossman, Beck is more of the unknown -- exploring the unknown seems consistent with the rebuilding idea.
That's a possible and valid take.

For me I think its even simplier then that.

Coaches don't look at circumstances they evaluate talent.

And to me I think its clearly evident that Beck is more talented then Grossman.

Therefore Shanahan would expect talent to win out in a QB competition, but he's not gonna hand anyone the job.

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Reid gets paid to provide a provocative opinion and column and when he does it, he's doing his job to perfection.

Everytime somebody in the media says something about the team, people's heads explode.

Maybe so, but it doesn't make it any less dumb. Media should report, not invent, the story.

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That's a possible and valid take.

For me I think its even simplier then that.

Coaches don't look at circumstances they evaluate talent.

And to me I think its clearly evident that Beck is more talented then Grossman.

Therefore Shanahan would expect talent to win out in a QB competition, but he's not gonna hand anyone the job.

A couple of gripes with your argument.

1.) Clearly more evident that Beck is more talented than Grossman. In what sense? Grossman may be inconsistent but he's shown flashes of brilliance and the ability to get it done. Beck has never shown the ability to get it done, sure he might have all the tools, but the tools don't matter unless you can get the job done.

2.) I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but in my opinion the more talented player doesn't always win a competition in the NFL, rather it is the more coachable/dedicated player that will win out the majority of the time.

-I believe this because to be true for a couple of reasons, a.) The talent gap between an NFL starter and an NFL pro-bowler isn't as large as most believe in my opinion, b.) the level of preparation between an average NFL starter and majority of pro-bowlers is where the true difference comes in to play. Pro-bowlers absorb everything their coaches say, they don't take criticism like a 5 yr old girl, spend hours and hours watching film etc.. These players know their role within a system down to a T, and that's why they can operate at such a high level.

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