Does Phillips Rivers do anything for you?

I disagree. You especially see it in college, where players are only there 3 or 4 years. Take Greg Davis, for example - not a genius by any means, but he rebuilt his offense for Major Applewhite to Vince Young to Colt McCoy, each very different players with very different strengths. Urban Meyer changed his offense to fit Tim Tebow's strengths, etc.

In the pros, you can sure Chip Kelly is going to run his system differently with Sam Bradford than Nick Foles. Belichick likely adapted his system to suit Matt Cassell's strengths vs Tom Brady's the year he was in there. Jim Harbaugh certainly ran his offense differently with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. Mike Shanahan built a read-option based system for RG3. Seattle's offense is completely tailored to Russell Wilson's strengths. Various OCs dropped their systems to just let Peyton Manning do his thing (Kubiak indicated that will likely happen this year too). On and on.

I agree that lots of coaches don't adapt - but I think they are also the ones that are generally less successful too, because you don't always get to have the ideal talent for your ideal system.

 

Once in a lifetime talents like Peyton Manning and JJ Watt, are not common. By this very nature, players more commonly get moved out of systems they don't fit into, and not the other way around.

He "made it work" because he had no other choice. It wasn't like the perfect QB for him was just waiting in the lockerroom when he was hired.

 

My point is it can be done. You don't just count a player out because he doesn't match the system. Especially if that player is a special talent. If you believe Rivers is 5 times better than Mallet is, and you have both on your team; do you play the worse player because he fits the system better?

 

That's probably why those guys are college coaches and not pro ones.

Eh. Speculation. Also, not a very good example of "adapting" by a coach. Clearly the "system" won out here, and the QB he inherited, Foles, is gone.

Well, of course. Every QB is going to do something better-worse than another. But if Matt Cassell couldn't run that system to some degree, he never would have been there in the first place.

Jim Harbaugh may not really be a "system" kind of guy, at least on offense, for all we know. Some coaches appear to be more hardline on certain aspects of offensive/defensive philosophy than others. For all we know, Harbaugh may be a huge believer in the Kaepernick offense, and he ditched Smith the first chance he got because he didn't fit that system.

Again, these are all instances of a coach selecting a guy because of his skills. Clearly none of these players would be where they are if it weren't for the fact that the coach can use their skills in a system to some degree. You're making the assumption that Griffin/Wilson were picked despite the fact they didn't fit a system, when in fact the opposite might be (and probably is) true. The only actual instance of a player's talents/preference superseding a coach's desires and/or system you've listed is Peyton Manning, an all-time great.


Your stance on this is, ironically as you put earlier, too rigid. Just because a QB doesn't have the particular talents to run a certain system doesn't mean that the QB or the system suck automatically. BOB's system will indeed turn out to suck if he can't even manage to find someone to run it. But that time hasn't come yet.

 

I disagree.

There was a video made just this past year on how he changes plays at the line of scrimmage and how well his memorization skills are when learning a new offensive system.

I tried searching for it but can't find it.

Either way, I would like Rivers as a QB but depending on the price of course. Age 33 is pretty old even if we are just talking in QB age terms.

 

My point was never "it can't be done". My point was "I find it unlikely".

As for your question, clearly you play whoever will perform the best. The question you have to ask yourself is, is the system worth overhauling for that one player? In the case of Rivers, is that true (or even necessary)? I dunno. But I have my doubts BOB would.

Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe BOB is more capable of changing his stripes than he appears. And maybe Rivers is more moldable than most 30-something QBs usually are. I really can't say for sure.

All I know is the usual outcome is that players are brought in to fit the system/preferences, and not the other way around.

 

I might be inclined to go for Rivers just to make sure we dont waste any more spectacular Watt years with a flunky at QB.

 

zactly.....

 

Hey Now Hey Now!, anytime you don't win a championship, it's a wasted year.

 

I don't see where the money is coming from for a Rivers signing. Let's give Mallet some burn and see what happens.

 

You're focusing on the word "waste" in JoshFast post, I think the focus should be on "flunky". The point is imagine how great the team would be with JJ and a top 5 QB on the team.

See Reggie White when he got to play with Brett Favre.

 

Cheers to that. It's going to be hilarious watching that vein in Kubiak's head get bigger and bigger as Peyton keeps ignoring Gary's playcalls/suggestions.

 

Yes please keep a little perspective and understand we aren't legit SB contenders without a real QB ric.

 

I'd give up a first and two seconds for him right now as long as he signs an extension.

With the defense we have built we would be down right scary with a legit QB.

I say make the call Rick!