I Still Believe in Mitch Trubisky

I was in love with Mitch Trubisky coming out of college. Like way, way, way too much. I had him as my top quarterback as Watson’s inaccuracy worried me, and I had just been burned by a quarterback who makes plays and shines brightest in big games, because that also describes Johnny Manziel. When it came to Mahomes, I saw the talent but like nearly everyone else, I didn’t know how it would translate to the NFL level. This revisionist history on Mahomes is a little insane, because nobody thought that guy was a slam dunk. There were things to love about him but also a ton of uncertainty. Anyway, it turns out Mahomes talent did translate to the NFL level. You may have heard about it.

So now Mitch is the butt of so many jokes, and it hurts me each and every time, because I’m an insane person who still believes in him. Even I have fallen out of love, but I don’t see why he can’t be as good as Kirk Cousins, who is, and will always be, the 16th best quarterback in the NFL. Trubisky should still at least be able to get to that level.

I forgot how good he was in college. I know he didn’t start until his junior year, but he saw time in his sophomore season and completed 85% of his passes. It was over 47 attempts, I get that, but that’s still pretty damn good. His senior year was 68%, and he did it without a lot of talent around him. Ryan Switzer is a nice little slot receiver, but it’s not like he had a big wide receiver or a top-notch running back while there. Also, they were 8-5 with Mitch and promptly went to 3-9, and then 2-9 after he left. Mitch Trubisky was an impressive prospect, and that can never be taken away.

Obviously, things have not gone as planned with the Bears. In 2017, he had to learn under John Fox, and that was a disaster, but he bounced back in 2018 and made the Pro Bowl. He was definitely streaky, but there were some really positive signs in 2018. The man was fourth in QBR in the NFL that season (Kirk Cousins was, unsurprisingly, 16th).

Mitch was a young quarterback who showed plenty of promise and enough production to think that 2019 would be another year of improvement, and instead, everything fell apart. Instead of having more confidence, he had less, way less, and he just wouldn’t pull the trigger on throws. It was so frustrating to watch. Part of this was probably due to Mitch taking way more sacks as the offensive line took a massive step backwards this season, and I also think Trubisky was hurt significantly by the Bears lack of a reliable tight end in the offense. He just didn’t have that safety valve to rely on, especially with Tarik Cohen really struggling early this season. I also think the Bears would have been helped by Jordan Howard who just bulldozes into things, and even if he’s not a great back, he is a reliable option that can churn out a few 100-yard games each season. Still, Mitch SUCKED this year. There’s no way to sugarcoat that. Even with some things working against him, he should have stepped up more than he did. He still showed flashes, but they were fewer and further in between this season.

The Bears need to get some help on the offensive line and they either need to have a healthy Trey Burton or add some help there as well. I think the receivers are good enough, especially since Allen Robinson is a true #1 wideout. I think David Montgomery will be better in year two, and will also benefit from a better offensive line. Also, if they give the damn ball to Cordarrelle Patterson on third or fourth and short, they owe me a brand new television, because I will break mine if I have to watch that plan fail yet again. 

But why can’t he bounce back? Mitch has the talent, and nobody can deny that he’s shown flashes of brilliance in the pros. He seemed to be at his best in the two-minute drill, because he stopped thinking and just fired the ball down the field. If he can get that mentality again, he will be plenty good enough to lead this team. They even brought in John DeFilippo as QB Coach when two years ago, he was being interviewed for the Bears head coaching position because of his strong work in Philadelphia. I think a shakeup for Mitch is good, and I think Mitch is going to shake things up in the NFC North next year. 

I can concede that Patrick Mahomes would have been a better selection than Trubisky, but I still think there’s a chance that he can get on Deshaun Watson’s level (I’m a tad delusional, I understand that), but either way, it’s too early to call Trubisky a bust, because he still has enough time where the next time you mention bust and Mitch Trubisky, you’re talking about his induction into the Hall of Fame. 

XFAlpha Podcast Notes - Episode 12

Jonah and I talk bowl games as well as the continued dominance of my Chicago Bears over his Minnesota Vikings. He claims the Week 17 loss should not be blamed on Kirk Cousins, because of some lame excuse about Cousins not playing in the game, but that's just another excuse. It might be time to call Jonah, "Incest," because it seems like he loves his Cousins a little too much.

After that, we get into cornerbacks where you can hear some top notch analysis right below and some written notes below that. 

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CORNERBACK

1. Houston Roughnecks
1. Deji Olatoye - Product of North Carolina A+T. Despite being a small school player, he managed to hang around NFL rosters from 2014-2017, playing in 15 games total. He might only be the second best athlete in the family as his sister is a record-setting weight thrower. The weights kind of look like kettlebells. I’ve tried kettlebells and had terrible form, so therefore I think kettlebells are stupid and if I’m going to do a dumbass workout, it might as well be wrestling or jiu jitsu. 
2. Robert Nelson - Played at Louisiana Monroe before transferring to Arizona State where he became a first-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2013. That was still not enough to get him drafted, but he did manage to play half of the games for the Cleveland Browns after signing with them as an undrafted free agent. He remained on the fringes of NFL rosters, getting some special teams play here and there. He’s had enough of a shot to show what he can do, and teams just haven’t trusted in him so it’s hard for me to see him making an impact in the XFL either. 
3. Brendan Langley - Played for Lamar in college but was impressive enough to get an invite to the Senior Bowl and the combine. He was a third round pick by the Broncos in 2017. The next year they tried to turn him into a wide receiver, and then they cut him. Weird story, but maybe switching back to corner will help unlock his potential, especially since corners usually take some time to develop at the pro level, so he’s still likely getting better and with his background, he could be the top shutdown cornerback in the entire league. 
4. Deatrick Nichols - Three-year starter at South Florida where he had 11 interceptions. He played two games for the Cardinals last year but couldn’t catch on with a team this season. Good amount of experience and still young enough to be an intriguing player for the Roughnecks. 
5. Justin Martin - Tennessee Volunteer cornerback. 
6. Jeremiah Johnson - Concord Cornerback who was First-Team All-MEC all four years in college. You don’t just go into the Mountain East Conference and get those sort of accolades without earning them. On Twitter, his pinned tweet simply says Humble Beast. 
7. David Simmons - North Park University cornerback. That’s in Chicago.
8. Saivion Smith - Even though he was a five-star prospect, he had to take the Juco route early on to keep playing football. Then he transferred to Alabama but left last year after only one season to turn pro early. He had a strong year in his single season with three picks, but he shat the bed during the combine and went undrafted. He then did not make a roster, but considering he was good enough to start for Alabama who is at least in the top three of churning out defensive backs along with Ohio State and LSU, this is definitely an intriguing player who I’m excited to see step up and take on pro level talent. 
2. St. Louis Battlehawks
1. D’Montre Wade - Murray State corner who had six interceptions his senior year in 2017. 
2. Marquez White - Florida State corner who became a sixth round pick by the Cowboys. Was charged with a felony for flashing a gun, but the guy was yelling racial slurs so it seems justified.
3. Trovon Reed - Auburn grad that didn’t play corner until his senior year there. He only played in 9 college games at corner, but he managed three interceptions. He only played in six NFL games but had two interceptions for the Chargers in 2016, and then somehow never made it back. Is this man the greatest ballhawk in history? He’s a guaranteed interception every three games. 
4. Trey Caldwell - Louisiana-Monroe product that was selected in the fifth round by the Browns where he managed to play in one game. He’s only 5’9” but it’s never wise to overlook short guys, or, more appropriately, perfectly average height guys. 
5. Ryan White - Not the famous AIDS kid, nor is he a hockey player. Instead, he is another Auburn defensive back. 
6. Clifton Duck - After starting for three years with 12 interceptions, he became the first player in App State history to leave early for the NFL Draft. It has not worked out for him so far. The heightists in the NFL didn’t like a guy who was only 5’9”, but he’s still young, he was tremendously productive in college, and he could have been more productive but teams stopped throwing his way his junior year. If he gets a chance to show what he can do on the field, I am pretty damn positive he’s going to impress some folks. 
7. Charles James - Another 5’9” cornerback, played in college at Charleston Southern and played four seasons in the NFL, but hasn’t been in the league since 2016. 
3. DC Defenders
1. Elijah Campbell - Northern Iowa cornerback who had eight interceptions in his two years there. He also just received his master’s degree.
2. Desmond Lawrence - Cornerback out of North Carolina, but I’m not sure if he’s going to come on and raise up, take his shirt off, twist it around his hand and spin it like a helicopter. 
3. Jalen Myrick - Minnesota corner that runs a 4.28 40. All of his change of direction drills were subpar, but man is he fast, it’s a good thing you don’t need to change directions quickly as a cornerback. Oh wait. He did get drafted in the seventh round and did play some special teams with the Jaguars in 2017, but that’s all I see him doing, even in the XFL. 
4. Doran Grant - He started two years for Ohio State which was good enough to get him drafted in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. He managed to play in three games in his rookie season but has not seen time since. He was pretty damn good in college, has good athleticism, but never made it onto the field in the pros. I usually steer clear of the older guys who haven’t been around the NFL recently, but my Big Ten bias has me intrigued with Grant. 
5. Bradley Sylve - Alabama cornerback, and although he never started, he was able to make the Saints practice squad his rookie season. He’s coming off a torn achilles, and he might just need a chance to get on the field to show what he can do. 
6. Reggie Cole - National Champion at Mary Hardin-Baylor.
7. Ladarius Gunter - Miami cornerback who makes a strong case of being the least athletic corner to ever go to the NFL Combine. Despite that, he still made the Packers active roster as an undrafted free agent and played two seasons with them before playing a handful of games with the Panthers in 2017. Not a great athlete but to stick around that long, it’s clear the guy is a football player, so I think he could be a really good player for the Defenders. 
8. Deion Harris - Undrafted free agent out of North Dakota this year. 
9. Kamrin Moore - Boston College corner that was a sixth round pick by the Saints that played a couple games for the Giants last year but was accused of domestic violence. The charges have since been dropped so this is his chance to show he deserves another chance in the league. I usually try to steer clear of these, but his story seems fairly solid on this one, so I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt while always keeping a tinge of doubt just in case I am proven wrong. Pretty strong tweet with, “The internet isn't weird, y'all are. It just gave you a platform to continuously expose yourselves.”
4. Tampa Vipers
1. Jalen Collins - TRADED FOR ARRION SPRINGS -  Left LSU after his junior year where he became a second round pick by the Falcons in 2015. He became a part-time starter his rookie season despite Atlanta having two strong corners in Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant. He was suspended four games for PEDs, then 10 games for PEDs, then four games for unspecified reasons, then ten more games again. He tried to catch on with the Colts last season but couldn’t get beyond the practice squad. The raw tools are there, and I do love my PED guys, but my hopes in Collins are dwindling. Still has an incredibly high ceiling, but due to suspensions, he’s barely played football the last three years so there is a lot working against him. 
2. Picasso Nelson - Played at Southern Miss, signed to the Colts practice squad recently so very close to the NFL and may not be showing up this year in the XFL. His Dad played briefly in the NFL.
3. Demontre Hurst - Oklahoma cornerback who managed to play in 32 games his first three years in the league, but has not played in an NFL game since 2016 so it’s tough to get too excited about him.
4. Jude Adjei-Barimah - After a career at Bowling Green, he signed with the Buccaneers and played 23 games his first two years, but then he got suspended for performance enhancing drugs and has not been on an active roster since 2016. 
5. Lashard Durr - Mississippi State Bulldog who was not good enough to start in college.
6. Herb Waters - Wide receiver at the U who didn’t play corner until late in training camp for the Packers when they had a litany of injuries. He made it to the active roster in 2016, but has not been able to repeat that feat since. His lack of experience makes him slightly more intriguing, but since he hasn’t caught on yet, I can’t say that I have a ton of faith in him making an impact this year. 
7. Bryce Canady - Walked on at Florida International where he started for them in 2017. 
8. Davante Davis - 6’2” Cornerback for the Texas Longhorns who was good enough to get invited to the combine where he showed impressive athleticism, especially for a guy of his size. I would say this guy has a good amount of potential and is definitely someone to keep an eye on this season.
9. Shelton Lewis - Florida Atlantic corner who is fresh out of school and put up decent numbers in college.
10. Malik Warner - Wagner Seahawk. 
5. New York Guardians
1. Jamar Summers - Cornerback out of UConn who did have eight interceptions his sophomore year to become all-conference but hasn’t been able to make it in the NFL. Still, the ball skills are intriguing. 
2. Lorenzo Doss - Corner out of Tulane who had an awesome sophomore year where he had seven interceptions and two touchdowns. He left school after the following season and became a fifth round pick by the Denver Broncos and promptly won a Super Bowl. He was released late in 2017 when he showed up late to a meeting on Thanksgiving. That coaching staff deserved to be fired for having meetings on Thanksgiving. He’s bounced around but been active every year until this one. Only 25 years-old, I would say this is one of the better prospects in the league. 
3. David Rivers - Youngstown State product that made it in a few games over the last couple years. 
4. Jeremiah McKinnon - Florida International corner who played one game for the Browns last year. 
5. Terrence Alexander - Played for Stanford until becoming a grad transfer at LSU. 
6. Nydair Rouse - The pride of West Chester University. 
7. Ranthony Texada - Smaller corner out of TCU who might be a slot prospect.
8. DeJuan Neal - The pride of Shepherd University. 
9. Bryce Jones - Went to Akron after three years at Boston College. 
6. Seattle Dragons
1. Jhavonte Dean - From Juco to the U where he had 3 interceptions last year. He’s young enough to be an interesting prospect.
2. Chris Davis - One of the most famous people in the league as he was the return man on Auburn’s famous Kick Six return against Alabama in the Iron Bowl a few years ago. He was named an All-American return specialist for his efforts, and he was also a return man for the Chargers and 49ers from 2014-2016 but has not made an active roster since. He should at least be a valuable addition on special teams, but there’s nothing too promising about him turning into a shutdown corner.
3. Steve Williams - Four-star prospect who attended Cal and had a solid career for the Golden Bears where he left after his junior year and was drafted in the fifth round by the Chargers after a very good combine. He played with the Chargers from 2014-2016 but has been unable to make a roster since. He made some impact plays in the NFL, and he’s still young enough at 28 years old where I think he could have a very good year for the Dragons. A lot of him being overlooked may be literal as he is just 5’9”, but the guy can make plays, and this might be the bounceback he needs. Also, I double checked this, and he is not Dr. Death Steve Williams nor is he the real name of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
4. Channing Stribling - Michigan man who was one of the worst athletes at the combine in 2017. He went undrafted and hasn’t been able to break through despite a senior year with four interceptions. 
5. Mohammed Seisay - Went to Memphis and later Nebraska, and although he had a good freshman year at Memphis, he never really got a chance for the Cornhuskers. He still managed to make the Lions in 2014 but has not been able to make it anywhere since. There is a very limited track record of success, and it was a while ago, so I’m not expecting much from Seisay. 
6. Sterling Moore - Went to SMU after junior college and managed three interceptions in college. Had six interceptions in the NFL and managed to stay in the league from 2011-2017. He hasn’t been able to make a roster the last two years, and since cornerbacks age quickly, this could be one last hurrah for Moore or he simply might not have it anymore. 
7. Jermaine Ponder - Big cornerback out of St. Francis University that was unable to make the Texans. 
7. Dallas Renegades
1. Treston Decoud - Defensive back out or Oregon State. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 Draft by the Houston Texans. He played ten games for the Texans before getting in one more time with the Cowboys the following season. He could have trouble sticking around since he is not much of an athlete.
2. Dashaun Phillips - The pride of Tarleton State, he managed to play in 11 games from 2014-2016 but hasn’t made it back since so my hopes aren’t super high for Dashaun. 
3. Josh Hawkins - East Carolina corner that stuck around the NFL from 2016-2018 but wasn’t able to catch on with a team this year. Should be a solid corner prospect.
4. John Franklin III - A great athlete that went to Florida State, the Junior College featured on Last Chance U, Auburn, and Florida Atlantic. He’s played just about every position imaginable, and even though he hasn’t specialized in any area, he still recently got signed by the Bucs so he might not make it to the XFL.
5. Donatello Brown - Valdosta State corner that managed a few games with the Packers in 2017. 
6. Tenny Adewusi - Delaware defensive back who is an avid weightlifter. 
7. CJ Smith - Cornerback out of North Dakota State that failed a physical in May with the Seahawks. 
8. Jamal Peters - Just graduated from Mississippi State last year which was an absolutely dominant defense. He’s 6’2” so he offers great size so he’s an interesting guy who’s fairly fresh out of college.
9. Josh Thornton - Southern Utah corner who hasn’t found a way into an NFL game yet.
8. Los Angeles Wildcats
1. Jack Tocho - Originally from Kenya, he’s a cornerback out of NC State that was drafted in the seventh round by the Vikings in 2017 but has never made an active roster. 
2. Jaylen Dunlap - Illinois corner that had one interception in his career and has been close to an NFL roster since graduating in 2017. He believes LeBron is the better athlete, but Jordan is the better player. 
3. CJ Moore - North Carolina Central defensive back. RELEASED
4. Roman Tatum - Delaware corner originally that transferred to Southern Illinois. Those are two pretty unexciting places. Let’s hope his play on the field is more exciting.
5. Harlan Miller - Southeastern Louisiana corner that has good size but poor athleticism. He managed to get drafted by the Cardinals in the sixth round and has managed to play a few games each of the last three years before not being able to find a team this year. 
6. Mike Stevens - Not the world famous saxophonist. Corner out of NC State. He wrote on Twitter, “Tory Lanez album dumpster juice.” I’m not sure if that’s the name of the album or the greatest insult ever. I plan on calling a lot of things dumpster juice from this point forward. 
7. Bryce Cheek - Akron Zip who is trying to make it in the USA after a stint in Canada. 
8. Tyree Holder - Former Ball State cornerback. 
9. Joshua Jenkins - Former Army cornerback. Better to cover receivers than take cover, am I right?
10. Arrion Springs - TRADED FOR JALEN COLLINS. Oregon Duck and not much else to say there.

Kirk Cousins and the Power of Intangibles

As you may have read on this site previously, I am not a fan of Kirk Cousins. Well, let me rephrase that, I am not a fan of Kirk Cousins…as a football player. He seems like a totally decent human being. Yeah, he beat my Hawkeyes last year, but I really can’t fault him for that. Also, he lost a few before that, so there is no animosity towards him for that.

But, I just don’t get it. People say he is a “leader.” People also talk about how he is a “winner.” He is not some epic winning quarterback who needs to be hailed as a savior, because Michigan State didn’t win that much with him at quarterback. And as for the leader part, nobody gives a shit how charismatic you are if you can’t back it up. If you’re not a good quarterback, nobody is going to care that you can wax poetically about the values of working hard and overcoming all obstacles.

Todd McShay and Trent Dilfer about had a heart attack when he was drafted by the Redskins, because he wasn’t going to have a chance to come in and compete for a starting job. This was in the fourth round of the draft. There was no team that was going to give him a shot to compete for a starting job right away. He came into his senior year talking about how he was going to have improved footwork, and he had the same shitty footwork as before. He makes a lot of dumb throws. His balls are not that accurate, and he was saved by good catches from Cunningham and Martin. He gives great speeches, but that doesn’t make him a great quarterback; it doesn’t even make him a great leader.

I think that too often, people fall in love with the person instead of the player. This is why we hear about intangibles. Danny Wuerffel was a winner, Craig Krenzel had intangibles coming out of his ass, but that didn’t make them great players, nor will Kirk Cousins’ intangibles help him win any football games at the next level. He was a good college quarterback, but there are major red flags with how that will translate to the next level. Personally, I’m going to weigh the things that I can see much more heavily than the things that I can’t.

Intangibles are great, but I’ll take tangibles over them every single time.