Pats select Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe at 137

[NextBigThing8184]

Drafting 4

Penix is not in the class of the top QBs, Nix even lower, both are considerably worse prospects than Mac where the top 3 are all better. If you don't go QB top 3 you better have a FA plan because you aren't getting a franchise QB in all likelihood

I don’t see any free agency plan, absent Cousins, being any better than Nix/McCarthy/Penix.

It depends on who is the GM but in a world where the Pats are drafting 4th, or are 3rd but don’t love Daniels, they need to get aggressive and trade up for a QB. As great as Harrison is, a Harrison/Darnold (or Winston, Tannehill etc) combo isn’t going to get this offense back to being competitive. And then you’re looking at wasting a year or two or three of Harrison’s rookie contract and athletic prime while you hope for a new QB.

that said, I don’t see Chicago or Washington passing on QB. Arizona might. The final draft order of teams ahead of the Pats makes a big difference in their strategy.

 

[NextBigThing8184]

Agreed, which is why I'm on team top QB. If someone really loves someone in that next tier, they'd still be crazy not to sign one of the FAs. Just seems like folks are already worried that it's a 3-player draft, and if we get the #4 pick, we're doomed.

I think there’s a difference between “doomed” and “unlikely to get back to being a strong playoff contender”

In a QB driven league, I just don’t see a path to competing in the AFC with Ryan Tannehill and (example) Olu Fashanu or even Marvin Harrison. I suppose if Judon/Gonzalez are back and the defense continues to play well and is well coached, a bridge QB like Minshew could keep them around or slightly above .500 but in a division with Tua, Allen and healthy Rodgers, a Minshew offense is going to likely win fewer games than we’ve seen Cleveland and Indy win with fringe QB’s this season and then you end up with a 7-10 team drafting 12th hoping for the 2nd or 3rd QB in what (very early) looks like a fairly weak 2025 draft class.

QB purgatory is what the Pats need to avoid. And landing the 4th pick is a lot more likely to land them there than a top 3 (and certainly a top 2)

 

[Eddie Jurak]

How many years would it take, then? Or does he just get to do it for as long as he wants because he's Bill Belichick? I just want to have a parameter of what would need to happen for an HC with his accomplishments to warrant being fired. Tom Landry went 10-6, 7-9, 7-9, 3-13 before getting canned (at age 64). Four years later the Cowboys won the Super Bowl.

Honestly, Bill's age (71) seals it for me. There's reason, age-aside, to wonder what he has left in the tank, but he also has an all-time great coaching record. If he's 64, I think I left him give it another few years. At 71, and given the signs that he is not what he used to be, I wouldn't risk another couple of years of treading water/bottoming out.

If you take every single starter on the Patriots right now, which player does a fan of any of the other 31 teams covet? Because I think the only two are injured right now (Judon and Gonzalez). Barmore is probably at that point as well, to be fair. Everyone else? A big fat "meh" at best. Especially on offense.

Barmore. Peppers. Dugger if someone needs a box safety who won't be asked to play in space. Jennings and Uche. Offensively: Onwenu. Stevenson. Zeke as a backup. Henry. Maybe Douglas.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Honestly, Bill's age (71) seals it for me. There's reason, age-aside, to wonder what he has left in the tank, but he also has an all-time great coaching record. If he's 64, I think I left him give it another few years. At 71, and given the signs that he is not what he used to be, I wouldn't risk another couple of years of treading water/bottoming out.


Barmore. Peppers. Dugger if someone needs a box safety who won't be asked to play in space. Jennings and Uche. Offensively: Onwenu. Stevenson. Zeke as a backup. Henry. Maybe Douglas.

There are playoff teams who would kill for Trent Brown,.. Tackle play is rough in the league right now

 

[Kull]

Since this is the Bailey Zappe thread, the visual evidence from the last few games indicates that he's playing better. And there's an obvious reason why. He's getting QB1 reps in practice, and that's been the case since the week prior to the Chargers. His previous appearances have been as a back-up, and that's a very different game prep process. The results have been somewhat mixed, but his performance has clearly improved, game over game. Before we toss the Bailey out with the Bath, maybe see how he does over these next two games. No matter what, the Pats are still picking Top 10 (and not just round 1) and that should be good enough to get some cool tools on Offense. It would be very interesting to see how Zappe performs if he was throwing to a top wide-out.

Admittedly there's a fair amount of wish-casting here, but Zappe is clearly improving, the Pats as a team have obviously not given up the season, and as a group they are playing well enough that a top 4 pick seems unlikely. That puts them well outside the Caleb-Maye-Daniels range, so it seems reasonable to start thinking about a "Plan B" which includes a much more prominent role for Zappe than any of us ever anticipated.

 

[johnmd20]

Zap zap zap!

 

[DJnVa]

Admittedly there's a fair amount of wish-casting here, but Zappe is clearly improving, the Pats as a team have obviously not given up the season, and as a group they are playing well enough that a top 4 pick seems unlikely.

They're still pretty likely for a top 5 pick, which puts Daniels in play.

 

[Kull]

The Pats seem pretty likely to wind up at 5 wins, which is a Top 7 pick. So yes, maybe all the SOS permutations align and Daniels is there, but that's a slim hook to hang your hat on. In what's otherwise been a lost season, I'm intrigued here at the end. How good IS Bailey Zappe? For most of the season the evidence of our eyes told us the receivers were league-worst-level and the OL protected about as well as a tip-less condom. But over the past few games, it seems everyone looks better. Did the whole offense suddenly "get it", or just maybe the new QB is doing more than boosting confidence.

These next two games are going to be very interesting. It beats rooting for losses, that's for sure.

 

[P'tucket rhymes with...]

You have to root for Bailey and wins are a lot more fun to watch than losses, but the sum of his accomplishments so far is probably little more than demonstrating his capabilities as a back-up and convincing a handful of teams to not pass on him the next time he hits the market. If the Pats slide to 5 - 7 and like one of the QBs, they'll have to trade up for him.

 

[lexrageorge]

You have to root for Bailey and wins are a lot more fun to watch than losses, but the sum of his accomplishments so far is probably little more than demonstrating his capabilities as a back-up and convincing a handful of teams to not pass on him the next time he hits the market. If the Pats slide to 5 - 7 and like one of the QBs, they'll have to trade up for him.

Zappe is playing well, but I agree with the above assessment, as some context is needed when it comes to his performance. One win was against a Steeler team that sustained some injuries on defense, and was on a Thursday night was can be subject to bizarre results. And Zappe did zilch in the 2nd half of that game. The other win was against a Denver team that has the worst scoring defense in the AFC and in which the offense itself scored 19 points.

Zappe has demonstrated himself to be fine as a backup. He has clearly worked hard in adapting to Bill O'Brien's offense and looks like a different QB than the one last seen in the preseason, or in spot duty in games already lost. As for turnovers, they plague backups more than they do starters anyway, so he is no worse than average for a backup in that department. He will either be on the roster next season or, less likely, traded for draft capital. And I only leave this latter possibility open because there could be a new GM; I don't think BB trades Zappe. But I believe the team would be much better served finding a QB with higher upside in the draft.

 

[Jinhocho]

Zappe is playing well, but I agree with the above assessment, as some context is needed when it comes to his performance. One win was against a Steeler team that sustained some injuries on defense, and was on a Thursday night was can be subject to bizarre results. And Zappe did zilch in the 2nd half of that game. The other win was against a Denver team that has the worst scoring defense in the AFC and in which the offense itself scored 19 points.

Zappe has demonstrated himself to be fine as a backup. He has clearly worked hard in adapting to Bill O'Brien's offense and looks like a different QB than the one last seen in the preseason, or in spot duty in games already lost. As for turnovers, they plague backups more than they do starters anyway, so he is no worse than average for a backup in that department. He will either be on the roster next season or, less likely, traded for draft capital. And I only leave this latter possibility open because there could be a new GM; I don't think BB trades Zappe. But I believe the team would be much better served finding a QB with higher upside in the draft.

Or in free agency if they don't. Zappe send fine to me as a backup and to see if he keeps developing. I might be talked into him as a bridge starter as well.

 

[BusRaker]

Or in free agency if they don't. Zappe send fine to me as a backup and to see if he keeps developing. I might be talked into him as a bridge starter as well.

In a poll I'd pick Zappe is starter Day 1 with our 1st round QB draft pick taking over once we hit a 2-6 record or so. Mac gets cut in the last round of cuts and goes to a different team's practice squad.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

The thing is, Zappe has barely any experience. He's gaining experience and getting better, which is all you can ask for. He deserves a spot on the roster.

Zappe completed 75.8% of his passes against Denver, including all five of his throws that traveled more than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. He lost a fumble on the game’s opening snap, but none of his 33 pass attempts were deemed “turnover-worthy” by Pro Football Focus.

 

[rodderick]

Zappe is an okay backup, I just can't even conceive of a scenario in which he's the starter in 2024. My preference remains to sign Brissett as a mentor/guy who could start week 1 until the rookie gets ready and draft a QB with their first round pick.

 

[jsinger121]

If the Patriots are getting a new QB in round 1 then I'm dumping both Jones and Zappe and bringing in an Andy Dalton type mentor backup type to help develop the new guy.

 

[BusRaker]

Zappe is an okay backup, I just can't even conceive of a scenario in which he's the starter in 2024. My preference remains to sign Brissett as a mentor/guy who could start week 1 until the rookie gets ready and draft a QB with their first round pick.

If we can get Brissett for the $8M he is making now this would be great. If someone offers him $20M+ I'd stick with the Zappe + draft pick scenario freeing up money for an plus OL in free agency.

 

[P'tucket rhymes with...]

Zappe is an okay backup, I just can't even conceive of a scenario in which he's the starter in 2024. My preference remains to sign Brissett as a mentor/guy who could start week 1 until the rookie gets ready and draft a QB with their first round pick.

If the Patriots are getting a new QB in round 1 then I'm dumping both Jones and Zappe and bringing in an Andy Dalton type mentor backup type to help develop the new guy.

Brissett struck me as maybe being the just-right bridge guy to bring in--unlikely to be so bad that the team feels rushed to bring in the new guy before he's ready, and (ideally) at the point in his career where he has something to teach the kids and might be comfortable with being a designated mentor rather than staying focused on finding a long-term QB1 spot. Of course, I know less than nothing about his ambitions or reputation in the QB room, nor do I have any sense of how much cheaper he would be than a Dalton.

 

[NomarsFool]

Television color commentary is such an easy and well paying gig, but it’s a bit of a shame you can’t just hire formerly good, retired QBs as quarterback coaches to come in and mentor young quarterbacks, rather than spending cap money on a likely never been good veteran quarterback. Ridiculous wishful thinking, but I’d rather have Tom Brady as qb coach mentoring Zappe and whatever qb they draft than paying cap money to Jimmy G to do the same.

 

[lexrageorge]

Television color commentary is such an easy and well paying gig, but it’s a bit of a shame you can’t just hire formerly good, retired QBs as quarterback coaches to come in and mentor young quarterbacks, rather than spending cap money on a likely never been good veteran quarterback. Ridiculous wishful thinking, but I’d rather have Tom Brady as qb coach mentoring Zappe and whatever qb they draft than paying cap money to Jimmy G to do the same.

Huh? Teams have QB coaches, most of whom have played QB previously. Being a great player doesn't make a great coach. Zappe is getting the coaching he needs.

Jimmy G is probably out of the league next year, unless Kraft hires an incompetent dolt to be the new GM.

 

[NomarsFool]

I know they have QB coaches. I was referring to the idea that the team needs a rostered, veteran QB to mentor the young quarterback(s). I fully agree that great players are not necessarily great coaches, which is one of the reasons I think it is silly when folks sometimes complain about the lack of former players as coaches. But, being a former player does have a certain level of credibility that someone who never has had success at that level just doesn’t have.

 

[Champagne Shower For Gabe]

I know they have QB coaches. I was referring to the idea that the team needs a rostered, veteran QB to mentor the young quarterback(s).

Unfortunately I think it's just human nature. I know it's not the same as a nfl qb but i used to coach competitive dance and found many students (including one that went on to win several international awards) needed to shadow someone else for a full season before they were able to be relied upon to handle the pressure of being the lead of the team themselves.

it gave them a chance to absorb the theories and witness their application without some kind of pressured timeliness until we felt they were ready.

 

[riboflav]

At some point with Zappe who has started all of six games in the nfl and had the second highest rated passing game in the nfl this year is going to have to start making the case why he should be shuttered. Instead of just saying he’s well look at him he’s maybe a backup maybe not even that. There are posts here saying get rid of him. Show your work. He’s had six whole weeks of prep with the starters and is 4-2 and looks better now than he did last year. His stats are pretty damn good for a guy with his limited experience. Idk. Fans seem to want great from the get go. I’m not saying he’s TB. But, getting him off the roster? Ok? On what basis?

 

[gtmtnbiker]

Fans seem to want great from the get go. I’m not saying he’s TB. But, getting him off the roster? Ok? On what basis?

I agree. I’m hopeful that he will continue to improve with more playing time

 

[BaseballJones]

Zappe's four starts this season:

6-0 loss to LAC: 13-25, 141 yds, 0 td, 0 int, 5 sacks, offense scores 0 points
21-18 win at Pit: 19-28, 240 yds, 3 td, 1 int, 2 sacks, offense scores 21 points
27-17 loss to KC: 23-31, 180 yds, 1 td, 1 int, 4 sacks, offense scores 17 points
26-23 win at Den: 25-33, 256 yds, 2 td, 0 int, 2 sacks, offense scores 19 points

So in four games, they're 2-2, and the offense has averaged 14.3 points a game. Zappe's combined line:

80-117 (68.4%), 817 yds, 7.0 y/a, 6 td, 2 int, 98.1 rating

Passing stats look pretty solid. He's gotten some help, as some of his receivers have made spectacular catches on passes they were dropping earlier in the year, but that's ok, it's a team sport. On the whole, though, the offense just hasn't been good still. Given how bad they were under Mac, this is still an upgrade, so it sure feels a lot better, but if the offense is averaging just 14.3 points a game...that's still not good at all. That would still be the worst scoring offense in the NFL aside from the Patriots under Mac.

So it's an improvement. Yes. But it's still not good at all.

 

[GPO Man]

Zappe is an okay backup, I just can't even conceive of a scenario in which he's the starter in 2024. My preference remains to sign Brissett as a mentor/guy who could start week 1 until the rookie gets ready and draft a QB with their first round pick.

People are going a little overboard with the Zappe should compete for the starting QB next year. Just because he’s looked better than Mac Jones doesn’t mean he’s good. I have no problem bringing him into camp, but he can easily lose out to a rookie or veteran QB.

 

[rodderick]

At some point with Zappe who has started all of six games in the nfl and had the second highest rated passing game in the nfl this year is going to have to start making the case why he should be shuttered. Instead of just saying he’s well look at him he’s maybe a backup maybe not even that. There are posts here saying get rid of him. Show your work. He’s had six whole weeks of prep with the starters and is 4-2 and looks better now than he did last year. His stats are pretty damn good for a guy with his limited experience. Idk. Fans seem to want great from the get go. I’m not saying he’s TB. But, getting him off the roster? Ok? On what basis?

Okay, I'll show my work for not entertaining the possibility of him being the starter. Zappe is currently 40th out of 40 QBs who have had 150+ plays in EPA/Play, he's 39th in success rate, he's virtually indistinguishable from Mac Jones in ANY/A and has a lower QBR, he's also bottom 3 in PFF grade for the year. To stay as a mid level backup? Fine, I think he can be that.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

At some point with Zappe who has started all of six games in the nfl and had the second highest rated passing game in the nfl this year is going to have to start making the case why he should be shuttered. Instead of just saying he’s well look at him he’s maybe a backup maybe not even that. There are posts here saying get rid of him. Show your work. He’s had six whole weeks of prep with the starters and is 4-2 and looks better now than he did last year. His stats are pretty damn good for a guy with his limited experience. Idk. Fans seem to want great from the get go. I’m not saying he’s TB. But, getting him off the roster? Ok? On what basis?

Zap zap zap!

 

[tims4wins]

Zappe had 256 yards against Denver on 25 completions.

Amongst those 25 completions:
28 yards
41 yards
30 yards
27 yards

That's good. Chunk plays are good. They were missing with Mac.

It also means that his other 21 completions went for 130 yards.

Is that a relatively "normal" distribution?

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

Okay, I'll show my work for not entertaining the possibility of him being the starter. Zappe is currently 40th out of 40 QBs who have had 150+ plays in EPA/Play, he's 39th in success rate, he's virtually indistinguishable from Mac Jones in ANY/A and has a lower QBR, he's also bottom 3 in PFF grade for the year. To stay as a mid level backup? Fine, I think he can be that.

What if we exclude his play from games when he didn't prep as the starter? And also look at if his performance is improving with more game experience and prepping with the 1's or staying flat? (Not asking you to do the work, just suggesting that it's fair to believe that he should be given a shot to improve with experience as he gets reps with the 1's in practice and more game experience.)

 

[Ed Hillel]

People are going a little overboard with the Zappe should compete for the starting QB next year. Just because he’s looked better than Mac Jones doesn’t mean he’s good. I have no problem bringing him into camp, but he can easily lose out to a rookie or veteran QB.

That’s literally what competing for a starting job means.

Point is he should be on the roster competing with whomever else is brought in.

 

[NomarsFool]

Keep in mind that the Patriots’ coaching staff has much more information about Zappe’s abilities than we do. If he’s really, actually better than Mac, what does that say about them?

I think Mac is terrible, but he was also a bit unlucky and Zappe has been a bit lucky, making the perceived gap between them larger than it likely actually is. Mac had a lot of dropped passes and the line was noticeably worse earlier in the season.

 

[wonderland]

Keep in mind that the Patriots’ coaching staff has much more information about Zappe’s abilities than we do. If he’s really, actually better than Mac, what does that say about them?

That Mac started off camp better than Zappe? That Zappe progressed through the season but Mac stalled/went backwards?

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

Keep in mind that the Patriots’ coaching staff has much more information about Zappe’s abilities than we do. If he’s really, actually better than Mac, what does that say about them?

I think Mac is terrible, but he was also a bit unlucky and Zappe has been a bit lucky, making the perceived gap between them larger than it likely actually is. Mac had a lot of dropped passes and the line was noticeably worse earlier in the season.

I'm not sure what the coaching staff was seeing, but one huge difference by the "eye test" is how they both navigate the pocket and deal with pressure. Just based on the eye test, there seems to be a large gap there in Zappe's favor. I'm not sure what that wouldn't have been evident to the coaching staff though.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

I'm not sure what the coaching staff was seeing, but one huge difference by the "eye test" is how they both navigate the pocket and deal with pressure. Just based on the eye test, there seems to be a large gap there in Zappe's favor. I'm not sure what that wouldn't have been evident to the coaching staff though.

Because in practice, QBs get to wear red jerseys. Mac heard loud-ass footsteps in games, but those footsteps get muffled when you're wearing the red.

 

[Jinhocho]

Over the 4 games he has started, PFF grades Zappe out as:

OFF - T-18
Pass - T-17

 

[aksoxfan]

Drive by post, but I would love to Zappe with a Gronk,, an Edelman, and a good running back.

 

[BaseballJones]

Drive by post, but I would love to Zappe with a Gronk,, an Edelman, and a good running back.

Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo won with Gronk, Edelman, and a good RB.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

I get the desire for people to only include the games Zappe started, but ignoring all of his other throws is just a way to massage the numbers to make your point.

Is coming off the bench different than starting? Of course. Does that excuse decision making that, quite frankly, was worse than Mac's in those games? Nope.

When I look at Zappe, I view his ceiling as a Ryan Fitzpatrick with a weaker arm. He can navigate the pocket, and he's extremely confident in his throws...even the horrific ones. But Fitzpatrick had a strong arm and was a little mobile. Zappe has neither of those strengths. If your QB is going to be turnover prone - one of the worst things a QB can be - than he better be able to produce things outside of hitting 60% or his throws.

I'm not looking to build this team around Fitzpatrick lite. I don't even know why this is a fucking question.

 

[Jinhocho]

I get the desire for people to only include the games Zappe started, but ignoring all of his other throws is just a way to massage the numbers to make your point.

Is coming off the bench different than starting? Of course. Does that excuse decision making that, quite frankly, was worse than Mac's in those games? Nope.

When I look at Zappe, I view his ceiling as a Ryan Fitzpatrick with a weaker arm. He can navigate the pocket, and he's extremely confident in his throws...even the horrific ones. But Fitzpatrick had a strong arm and was a little mobile. Zappe has neither of those strengths. If your QB is going to be turnover prone - one of the worst things a QB can be - than he better be able to produce things outside of hitting 60% or his throws.

I'm not looking to build this team around Fitzpatrick lite. I don't even know why this is a fucking question.

I do not see him as a long-term starter, but it is fair to note that he has been better than math this year as a starter and that even with okay or slightly below average quarterback play the team has started playing games. If it's ceiling, turns out to be a lesser version of It's Fitzpatrick that still has some value as a backup and maybe a short-term bridge starter. For a 4 th round pick in his second year, he certainly has had value for this team.

 

[Kull]

What if we exclude his play from games when he didn't prep as the starter? And also look at if his performance is improving with more game experience and prepping with the 1's or staying flat? (Not asking you to do the work, just suggesting that it's fair to believe that he should be given a shot to improve with experience as he gets reps with the 1's in practice and more game experience.)

This is the important point for me. When Zappe gets the QB1 prep, how does he perform? 2022 was his rookie year, and he first appeared in Game 4 vs GB. Hoyer was the starter, and presumably got the QB1 reps. Even so, not a bad performance in an OT loss, but we'll ignore it for this purpose. His first start was next week, a home game against Detroit. Presumably QB1 reps, and a solid performance in a dominating Pats victory. Next week is a road start against Cleveland. Zappe's second week with QB1 reps, and this time an even better performance in a solid victory. A week later and it's Chicago, but now Mac is back. It's a loss, and Zappe has an up-and-down performance, but the key is he didn't get the QB1 reps that week. That's it for 2022. The result is that Zappe is 2-0 with QB1 reps, and - importantly - had statistically solid games. I'm woefully ignorant on the best stats for evaluating QBs, but his RTG ratings were over 100 in each case (RTG is a proprietary ESPN stat, but one that - to my eyes - seems a lot more consistent than QBR).

Moving on to 2023 and we see something pretty similar. Zappe gets QB1 reps for the first time this season in the Chargers game, and yes his performance is pretty bad. Even so, the weather was terrible and one has to wonder how much of the playbook was really in use. Akin to the frozen Bills game last year, it wouldn't surprise me if Bill's game plan amounted to, "wait for LAC to screw up and win with defensive turnovers". Anyway, the week after it's a road game in Pittsburgh and Zappe is QB1 and despite a Jekyll-Hyde 1st Half - 2nd half performance, he does more than enough to win, and the RTG is over 100 once again. The next game against KC game is a bit similar to Pitt, except the "good first half" isn't enough to overcome a poor second. And regardless, Zappe's performance is middling to poor, with an RTG of 85. Which brings us to his last game, on the road in Denver, cold and hostile. Again he gets the QB1 reps, and has a solid performance, to include an unlikely 4th Quarter comeback win (which is one more than Brock Purdy has in his career, lol). Snide remarks aside, it was a mistake-free performance with 4 passing "chunk plays" as @tims4wins pointed out a few posts above. And another +100 RTG game.

The next two games will be interesting, especially Buffalo on the road, but so far it looks like the Pats have a young QB who's only had 6 starts in his career, yet has demonstrated more-than-acceptable performance in most of them. Give Zappe a weapon like Deebo, and we might really be seeing something.

 

[Toe Nash]

Keep in mind that the Patriots’ coaching staff has much more information about Zappe’s abilities than we do. If he’s really, actually better than Mac, what does that say about them?

I think Mac is terrible, but he was also a bit unlucky and Zappe has been a bit lucky, making the perceived gap between them larger than it likely actually is. Mac had a lot of dropped passes and the line was noticeably worse earlier in the season.

This is my take on Zappe. He's earned enough to bring him back and have him compete in camp but probably, if teams were worried about the Pats offense he'd get exposed pretty quickly. And if he was showing anything in practice why did it take so long to make the switch?

Why would we exclude games where he didn't prep as starter? He had more or less equal opportunity to Mac in preseason, when if he played well he could have significantly improved his stock, and he wasn't great. Seems like a lot of pressure there and he didn't rise to the occasion.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Drive by post, but I would love to Zappe with a Gronk,, an Edelman, and a good running back.

Same could have been said for Mac.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

I don't see any reason to believe that Bailey Zappe and his 985k cap hit, or whatever it is, won't be given a spot in camp and an opportunity to show something next season.

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

I forget who mentioned this, maybe Giardi, but one issue that concerned him with keeping Zappe around after this season is that he would not be a good fit with a rookie QB due to him believing he can and should start. Giardi noted that backups have to be part QB coach/confidant for the starter and we wasn't certain that Zappe could fill those roles and accept his role as a backup. I'm of the opinion you just flush the room and start over with a rookie and an aging vet.

Depending on the offensive system that is installed, someone like a Tannehill could be a decent vet option that will be cheaper than a Brissett.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo won with Gronk, Edelman, and a good RB.

And one of the best offensive lines in the league... Which was honestly probably more important... Handling pressure is what separates QBs most in the NFL

 

[rodderick]

What if we exclude his play from games when he didn't prep as the starter? And also look at if his performance is improving with more game experience and prepping with the 1's or staying flat? (Not asking you to do the work, just suggesting that it's fair to believe that he should be given a shot to improve with experience as he gets reps with the 1's in practice and more game experience.)

31 QBs have attempted more than 80 passes since Zappe became the starter. He's 29th in EPA/Play.

 

[NomarsFool]

I forget who mentioned this, maybe Giardi, but one issue that concerned him with keeping Zappe around after this season is that he would not be a good fit with a rookie QB due to him believing he can and should start. Giardi noted that backups have to be part QB coach/confidant for the starter and we wasn't certain that Zappe could fill those roles and accept his role as a backup. I'm of the opinion you just flush the room and start over with a rookie and an aging vet.

Depending on the offensive system that is installed, someone like a Tannehill could be a decent vet option that will be cheaper than a Brissett.

I'm just very skeptical of throwing a rookie QB out there to start at the beginning of the season. Especially given how little they can do in the offseason, the one fewer pre-season game, etc. I just think that having somebody else start for the first part of the season would enable that rookie to watch for a bit before being fed to the lions. You don't really know , of course, but it wouldn't surprise me if some of these rookie QB busts would have had a better start if they hadn't started right away.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

I forget who mentioned this, maybe Giardi, but one issue that concerned him with keeping Zappe around after this season is that he would not be a good fit with a rookie QB due to him believing he can and should start. Giardi noted that backups have to be part QB coach/confidant for the starter and we wasn't certain that Zappe could fill those roles and accept his role as a backup. I'm of the opinion you just flush the room and start over with a rookie and an aging vet.

Depending on the offensive system that is installed, someone like a Tannehill could be a decent vet option that will be cheaper than a Brissett.

I don't buy any of this talk, at all, personally.

Trevor Lawrence came into the league and his backup was CJ Beathard (who was in his 4th year, and had started 12 games for SF over the prior 3 seasons).

Josh Allen, came into the league, and in week one, they benched Nathan Peterman and brought in Allen, who then started every game since (except when he was hurt).

Jalen Hurts came into the league and sat on the bench, and got to spend almost a whole season watching Carson Wentz suck ass (not sure how that helped him).

Joe Burrow started immediately, and I'm not sure Brandon Allen and his 3 career starts at the time, was some real veteran presence/confidante for him.



Every situation is different, every player is different, and while Tua had Fitz, and Mahomes spent a year behind Alex Smith, I don't think there is any one size fits all model for any of these young QB's. IMO, the single most important thing for getting a young QB successful is getting them reps in practice, reps in games, and building a team around them with a good offensive line and good playmakers.

 

[Bowser]

I forget who mentioned this, maybe Giardi, but one issue that concerned him with keeping Zappe around after this season is that he would not be a good fit with a rookie QB due to him believing he can and should start. Giardi noted that backups have to be part QB coach/confidant for the starter and we wasn't certain that Zappe could fill those roles and accept his role as a backup. I'm of the opinion you just flush the room and start over with a rookie and an aging vet.

A quick aside, but Girardi is the emptiest of suits. Back in the day he was a scoop of vanilla ice cream who conducted on camera interviews for NECN with a barely passable competence. Now he's supposedly reinvented himself as an Xs and Os guy who is himself interviewed for deep insight. Sorry, no.

 

[BusRaker]

After watching the post-game interviews I'm still not sure Zappe isn't private first class Downey from A Few Good Men