Which QB prospect do you want most?

[CrimsonCrew]

Mike Holmgren was on KNBR this morning, and said Fields would be his guy. They had Matt Schaub on a few minutes later and he said the same thing. So did Warner, despite being a big Mac Jones fan. Again, none of these guys have sat down and talked to these guys, but Fields is just such a tantalizing prospect. And he has some questions, particularly his ability to play under pressure (this is arguably connected to his processing speed). But he can do things that Mac Jones will never be able to.

The way I see is if the take Jones over Fields it's because they aren't confident in Fields processing speed or the mental aspect of his game in general. I don't see anyway you would take Jones over Fields if that isn't the case because even if Fields isn't quite as good as Jones in the mental aspect if it's close you'd still choose Fields because he's way more gifted in every other area.

If they take Lance over Fields it's because they feel if they clean up his mechanics and address his accuracy they could get all the physical traits they love with Fields but with all the football IQ they love with Mac Jones.

I think that's right.

[thesack12]

So apparently Kyle was not originally scheduled to take part in that pre-draft press conference on Monday. He hasn't ever taken part in one in previous years, but he requested to do so this time.

Man I hate to say it, but it sure does seem like he is proactively trying to get out in front of the massive blowback he will get if he takes Mac Jones.

[thesack12]

https://www.thefocus.news/american-sports/mac-jones-mug-shot/

Mac Jones mug shot from 2017 goes viral as 'drunk' video surfaces

However, on the eve of the draft, Mac Jones’ name is trending for the wrong reasons.

https://www.awesemo.com/sideaction/video-of-mac-jones-drunk-making-the-rounds-on-social-media/

Read on Twitter

Is this what we have been needing?

None of this looks especially bad, but its not a good look either. Might it be enough for Lynch to pull rank and put the kibosh on Kyle trying to take Jones? One thing is for sure, this definitely is not going to help the public's perception of Jones nor his attractiveness as a potential #3 pick.

[tallglassowater]

Mike Holmgren was on KNBR this morning, and said Fields would be his guy. They had Matt Schaub on a few minutes later and he said the same thing. So did Warner, despite being a big Mac Jones fan. Again, none of these guys have sat down and talked to these guys, but Fields is just such a tantalizing prospect. And he has some questions, particularly his ability to play under pressure (this is arguably connected to his processing speed). But he can do things that Mac Jones will never be able to.

Yeah with Wilson seemingly out of reach, Fields is my guy.

Dude has pinpoint accuracy at all 3 levels of the field to accompany possessing all of the physical traits you could want. He's also reportedly a very intelligent guy, which leads you to believe that he can develop the mental aspect of the position pretty well.

I think of the three, Fields is the only guy we have a shot with if they had to play this season... either after Jimmy gets hurt again or if they trade him. Maybe he can't read the field quickly yet, or grasp Shanahan's full offense, but he brings a dynamic that can make up for those types of things while still winning games in the short term. I feel like he is more ready than Lance.

[CrimsonCrew]

Lord knows I was a drunk moron at plenty of times in college (though I looked better with my shirt off), but this ain't a great look - literally or figuratively. And just bad judgment to let someone get you on video.

Read on Twitter

[CrimsonCrew]

Sorry for re-posting. Didn't refresh before popping in and adding that. I will note that Jimmy has been known to go out and have a beer or two, and Brady had to be escorted off his party boat after the SB parade. Still, this reflects very poor judgment.

[thesack12]

Its interesting that the mainstream media hasn't picked up on this Mac Jones drunk video surfacing.

If it was a video of Justin Fields or Trey Lance & they already had a DUI on their record, I can't help but wonder if it would not be everywhere by now. I could even envision the talking heads speculating on if it might even push that guy all the way out of the 1st round.

[CrimsonCrew]

Mike Holmgren was on KNBR this morning, and said Fields would be his guy. They had Matt Schaub on a few minutes later and he said the same thing. So did Warner, despite being a big Mac Jones fan. Again, none of these guys have sat down and talked to these guys, but Fields is just such a tantalizing prospect. And he has some questions, particularly his ability to play under pressure (this is arguably connected to his processing speed). But he can do things that Mac Jones will never be able to.

Yeah with Wilson seemingly out of reach, Fields is my guy.

Dude has pinpoint accuracy at all 3 levels of the field to accompany possessing all of the physical traits you could want. He's also reportedly a very intelligent guy, which leads you to believe that he can develop the mental aspect of the position pretty well.

I think of the three, Fields is the only guy we have a shot with if they had to play this season... either after Jimmy gets hurt again or if they trade him. Maybe he can't read the field quickly yet, or grasp Shanahan's full offense, but he brings a dynamic that can make up for those types of things while still winning games in the short term. I feel like he is more ready than Lance.

One thing to note about Fields is that there are multiple reports - including from John Beck, as memory serves - that he effectively has a photographic memory. He can basically read a playbook once and recite back every player's responsibilities on every play. Now, it's one thing to do that and another thing to implement it on the field, but it should help him transition a little faster to the league and a notoriously complex scheme.

[CrimsonCrew]

Haberman thinks the Mac Jones business is all an elaborate plot and the real pick is Fields:

Watch on YouTube

For a period, I was thinking similar things. But I just can't bring myself to believe it at this point. Maybe I'm wrong. And I'll live with Jones if he's the pick, but I'll always question moving up to three instead of six, and if Fields becomes the next Mahomes or Watson, I'm going to be pissed.

[CrimsonCrew]

I'm watching a bit of the press conference, and I'll confess that I don't really understand Kyle's mindset re: hiding their interest in the QBs when they were at 12. Meet with all of them. Talk to all of them. Hide your intentions by creating the same circumstances with each of them. Sure, teams might anticipate a move up, but that doesn't really hurt you. Teams already anticipate other teams will try to move up, especially for QB. And if you're negotiating to trade up, clearly that team knows you're interested in doing so and can leverage that interest. I love that they are conscious of tipping their hand, but they also appear to be inhibiting themselves and possibly overpaying for a commodity that they view more highly than the rest of the league.

Though I'm gonna laugh if they now come out and draft Fields after all our consternation. There were moments where I thought they were. I still can't make sense of some things. If you like Jones so much, why go to all the trouble with Lance? Could just be due diligence, which I appreciate, but those guys are not similar, as players. And if you like Jones more, I can't see changing your minds based on a pro day or even John Beck's work with a guy. Conversely, if you know Beck has an inside track on Fields, and Fields and Lance are similar players physically, then it makes sense to try to get them into a similar situation and get a better sense for the mental piece, their demeanor, how they respond to coaching, etc.

I wanted to return to this concern over tipping their hand briefly. I was reflecting on that concern if their pick is Jones. Now, you never really know where a guy is going to go in a draft, but I think it's unlikely any team before Carolina would have taken Jones (they coached him at the Senior Bowl and purportedly loved him). And sure, they could trade up, but they aren't going up to three for him.

So in essence, because you don't want to let on that you're interested in drafting a QB - again, they could just scout all of them and thus not tip their hand about which one they like - you instead pay out the nose so you don't have to be concerned about tipping your hand. It's just such bizarre logic. This really only holds if Jones is the pick, but just so many comments that don't make a damn bit of sense to me. Maybe that's all part of the plan....

[tres]

@ that Seahawk fan, GOOD! glad you get the point weirdo

But anyways I love how Ian Rapport is back tracking, it went from the 49ers know who they’re picking out of Mac Jones & Trey Lance to “We don’t know who the 49ers are taking” I will give him this tho, he’s consistent with this Mac Jones & Trey Lance bs.

Not gonna lie I’m stressed df out coz of this, I really feel like anything can happen, even the possibility of getting Zach Wilson but if the Niners don’t get Justin Fields then that will be another decision next to passing on Mahomes & Watson that will haunt them for years fr. I pray that we get Justin Fields And I stand by what I’ve said from the beginning, Trey Lance will be a bust & Mac Jones is not that good. Jones was not only blessed to be gifted with 2 (3 great WR’s if Waddle didn’t get hurt) & the GOAT Nick Saban.

Watch on YouTube

[Jikkle]

https://www.thefocus.news/american-sports/mac-jones-mug-shot/

Mac Jones mug shot from 2017 goes viral as 'drunk' video surfaces

However, on the eve of the draft, Mac Jones’ name is trending for the wrong reasons.

https://www.awesemo.com/sideaction/video-of-mac-jones-drunk-making-the-rounds-on-social-media/

Read on Twitter

Is this what we have been needing?

None of this looks especially bad, but its not a good look either. Might it be enough for Lynch to pull rank and put the kibosh on Kyle trying to take Jones? One thing is for sure, this definitely is not going to help the public's perception of Jones nor his attractiveness as a potential #3 pick.

In a vacuum it's not a big deal but given the fact he has a bad DUI on his record it's a terrible look. He can say he's moved passed it but watching him that drunk makes you question his judgment and if he's a ticking timebomb.

Especially when you compare it to the guy you're competing against in Lance who is probably spending his nights watching film of defenses in the NFL not out getting piss drunk.

[RIPskaterdude]

Read on Twitter

Ugh

[Jikkle]

Haberman thinks the Mac Jones business is all an elaborate plot and the real pick is Fields:

Watch on YouTube

For a period, I was thinking similar things. But I just can't bring myself to believe it at this point. Maybe I'm wrong. And I'll live with Jones if he's the pick, but I'll always question moving up to three instead of six, and if Fields becomes the next Mahomes or Watson, I'm going to be pissed.

I'd be surprised if Fields is the pick but I wouldn't be shocked because it would be like this front office to pick the guy hardly any of the reports have him in the mix.

Hard to really say how teams truly view his football IQ but so far I haven't heard the same amount of praise as you do with Mac Jones or Trey Lance which is why I tend to believe it's still going to be between those two.

[Jikkle]

The day is finally here and honestly I'm glad it's all going to be over after tonight since I've always been somewhat of a fan of mysteries so it's been driving me nuts since the trade to try to piece together everything to figure out who it's going to be and I'd figure I'd throw out my final musings.

Mac Jones is my least wanted guy but I wouldn't tear my hair out or throw my remote at the TV if he's the pick. He does have some qualities to him that are legitimately great. While I think he gets knocked too harshly for the talent he's played with I don't think you can completely separate it from him either. Most of the highlights I see of him he's got a wall in front of him and with plenty of space in front and that's not what he's going to see all that often in the NFL especially right now with the 9ers. Yes he does have good plays when he is under pressure but what's he going to do when the pressure is constant and those guys chasing you are bigger and stronger and those windows to throw in are a lot tighter than you saw in college.

My football concern with Mac is that he's only going to be able to operate at a high level when things go according to plan and he's got adequate talent around him. That he'll be helpless or ineffective when things go south which they do frequently in the NFL and he'll struggle to create something outside the box because his physical limitations will keep him in that box. I don't see top 5 in the NFL potential like I do with Fields or Lance but a guy that you maybe say is a fringe top 10 but likely top 15 kind of QB.

My non football concern is with his non football judgement. Even though I hate DUI's as drunk driving is one of the most avoidable and pointless way to kill someone I can still forgive him for having a moment of terrible judgement. What really concerns me is seeing a video of him plastered drunk right when he's having the biggest job interview of his life and already has a bad DUI on his record so teams are really going to be focused on your character now. You might be telling yourself when you're sober you'll never drink and drive again but yourself when your drunk might a different story. I would hope that having your life almost derailed because of a DUI would've at least made you a more responsible drinker but that's seriously in question now.

Fields is a tough call for me because he has everything you pretty much want it's just his biggest question mark is the one us armchair scouts and GMs can't really answer and that's his football IQ or processing speed. He does have some times when he shows you he can do it with 0 problems but he has other times that really bring it into question. And it's something that's really important because almost all long term successful QBs have high football IQ and processing ability. The league is littered with busts that had all the physical talent you could want but not the football IQ or processing speed needed to thrive.

Still I'd be stoked if Fields is the pick because of his talent and because it likely means that the issues I mentioned are big issues at all if Shanahan picks him.

The guy I still want and who I ultimately will be the pick is Lance. Obviously I'm doing this off of projection and all the reports I've read and heard on him but it's hard for me and I believe ultimately Kyle to pass on a guy that has elite physical traits, supposedly the smartest QB in the draft and a football savant, and has A+ intangibles. He's got a chip on the shoulder factor and from what I've heard he's constantly looking to get better and finding out ways that he can.

The fatal flaw with Lance right now and why Kyle could pass on him being the pick is his accuracy. To be fair it wasn't terrible as he didn't throw any INTs in 2019, had a number of balls dropped that are caught by NFL wideouts, and it was still 67% so it's not like it was sub 60% or anything like a Josh Allen in college. But it's still an issue it's just an issue I feel is correctable with improving his mechanics and since he has those intangibles I do believe he'll do everything possible to sharpen his mechanics as humanly possible.

Lance is risky but the main reason I bet on him still is guys that driven and hard working usually do live up to their potential and succeed.

[Dodub]

Hearing everyone with NFL Sources say that Mac Jones is expected to fall to the teens if we don’t draft him at 3 is the most depressing thought ever. We gave up 2 future 1st rounders and a 3rd......

[thesack12]

Hearing everyone with NFL Sources say that Mac Jones is expected to fall to the teens if we don’t draft him at 3 is the most depressing thought ever. We gave up 2 future 1st rounders and a 3rd......

Word!

Its kind of alarming how low my excitement level is for the draft tonight. There is always the chance that they don't make that Jones pick, and I will instantly perk up completely. But man, reading the tea leaves sure isn't painting a good picture.

[thesack12]

Lynch, and espcially Kyle mentioning that they don't allow outside sentiment influence their thinking and decision making which of course is only natural and frankly expected.

That said, Jed York most definitely cares about the fan's perception of his team. If they take Jones there is going to a MASSIVE wave of angst from the fan base directed at this team. If Jones doesn't thrive, and in very short order, the torches and pitchforks are gonna be coming out. We all know that Jed can get antsy, so if Jones is the pick and he's still struggling by the end of the 2022 season, I'd be willing to bet good money that the Lynchahan regime is outta there.

Also, if Jones sucks and either of Fields or Lance just balls the hell out, god help em because they are gonna be marked men.

[CrimsonCrew]

At the end of the day, I do think Jones will be an upgrade over Garoppolo if he's the pick. And with Garoppolo, we made it to the super bowl. Hopefully we can do it again. But part of the danger of a Jones-type player is that he'll be good enough to get a hefty second contract, but not good enough to carry the correspondingly weaker team that his salary will dictate (especially as the team will be weaker than it otherwise would because of the draft picks we gave up to get him). Best-case, he'll be a Drew Brees and be able to do that despite limited physical tools. But man, that's asking a lot of a guy.

I'm not crazy about Mac Jones the guy from what little I know of him (totally unfair, I know), but if he is the pick, I actually feel pretty bad for him. It's going to be pretty brutal coming into a team with expectations like the Niners have, and fan dissatisfaction. He's going to get booed the first time he throws an incomplete pass.

[Jikkle]

At the end of the day, I do think Jones will be an upgrade over Garoppolo if he's the pick. And with Garoppolo, we made it to the super bowl. Hopefully we can do it again. But part of the danger of a Jones-type player is that he'll be good enough to get a hefty second contract, but not good enough to carry the correspondingly weaker team that his salary will dictate (especially as the team will be weaker than it otherwise would because of the draft picks we gave up to get him). Best-case, he'll be a Drew Brees and be able to do that despite limited physical tools. But man, that's asking a lot of a guy.

I'm not crazy about Mac Jones the guy from what little I know of him (totally unfair, I know), but if he is the pick, I actually feel pretty bad for him. It's going to be pretty brutal coming into a team with expectations like the Niners have, and fan dissatisfaction. He's going to get booed the first time he throws an incomplete pass.

I have no doubt he'd be an upgrade over Jimmy but hard to see him as 3 1sts and a 3rd kind of upgrade which is why people would've basically been fine with him at 12 but riot if he's the pick today. That's close to a package you'd give up for Watson so you better be swinging for special than not better than Jimmy.

I do partially feel bad for the kid because like Solomon a couple years ago it's not his fault a team takes him and it's not like he's ever going to say "I'm not worth being picked 3rd so can you take your pick back?" And he'll get roasted every time he takes a sack Lance or Fields would've avoided or misses a deep ball Lance or Fields would've hit.

Now I don't feel too bad for him because he'll make more money than I could every dream of making in my lifetime just by getting his name called and if he's got the right mental makeup his attitude should be to prove everyone wrong that's booing the pick.