Bad takes go here to be exposed later: JJ McCarthy

Submitted by StateStreetApostle on April 18th, 2024 at 3:26 PM

Right, so, I've had it.  First JJ was underrated, and so now apparently he's overrated, because this is 21st century America and there is no golden mean.  The same people that thought Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield [ed: long string of failures deleted here, highlighted by, but certainly not limited to, JaMarcus Russell], Tim Couch, Akili Smith, and Ryan Leaf were all can't-miss prospects, now think JJ is overrated. 

I lost it in this pile-on from CBS Sports:

J.J. McCarthy is going to go way higher than he should

J.J. McCarthy isn't a top-10-caliber talent

...he is a late first-round pick, and any team who takes him in the first half of the first round is reaching.

J.J. McCarthy will be in drafted too high because of 'sheep syndrome'

McCarthy is a good player, one who might be worthy of being drafted in the back end of the first round. But a top-10 pick? Please.

This is a convenient jumping-off point because three different guys [Jeff Kerr, Garrett Podell, Pete Prisco) all pile on here (initially included Bryan DeArdo but he wasn't so bad).

Post all the terrible JJ assessments you've come across ('they never threw the ball!' 'muh counting stats!') here so we can find them to mock them later, like we Bills fans do with the people who thought Josh Allen was turrible.

UM85

April 18th, 2024 at 3:34 PM ^

JJ won us a Natty.  I have no intention of posting bad stuff about him, even if the purpose is to call out the bad reporting.

San Diego Mick

April 18th, 2024 at 3:53 PM ^

I think JJ will end up being the most solid and best QB in this draft, some other guys might be very good but JJ is:

  • Indeed a winner(the most important stat)
  • Very mature with a high IQ. 
  • Has a very good arm.
  • Runs a 4.5 forty and is great at scrambling and throwing on the run. 
  • Is very accurate and takes care of the ball and minimizes stupid decisions and plays. 

I just hope the Vikings don't take him and I have to root against him at least twice a year.

MGlobules

April 18th, 2024 at 8:28 PM ^

You know, Denard didn't have to be a superstar in the NFL for me to love him to death. Neither does JJ. The truth is that we don't know how he'll turn out, and he has had fewer chances to prove himself through his throwing than quarterbacks who played for worse teams. Clearly, he's a fantastic student of the game, and capable of extraordinary accuracy, to rival all the other QBs in the draft; he has also put to rest any worries about the strength of his arm in drills and combine testing. He also played hurt toward the end last year, which may muddle perceptions of his value.  

The way that things often work in this world, he might or might not ever obtain the chance to play for a championship team or be placed in the position to earn out. He could struggle, who knows? These things are gambles for every team. My money is on him achieving a high level of success, and. . . screw the haters. They will always be out there.  

Carcajou

April 18th, 2024 at 9:01 PM ^

Yep. I wish him well, and suppose his success in the NFL would be good for not only himself, but Michigan's recruiting in the future, too. But what's most important is what he delivered us which we are grateful for, and hope whatever happens he lives a happy, fulfilling life.

GRBluefan

April 18th, 2024 at 3:34 PM ^

JJ is a really talented QB.  Just like Williams, Daniels and Maye.  Will he, or any of them, be successful in the NFL?  Who the F knows.  It's a total crapshoot which has as much to do about the situation they land in as anything else.  Personally, I hope the Vikings trade up and grab him.  Playing indoors and throwing to other JJ + Addison + Hock seems like a great position to start off in.  And I'd root for them to go 15-2 every year.  

samsoccer7

April 18th, 2024 at 3:49 PM ^

Raw talent only takes you so far.  Willingness to learn.  Willingness to put the effort in to fix footwork.  Willingness to read defenses, watch film, etc.  The intangibles are so important for a QB, and JJ has all of them.  Does he have the raw talent?  Sure seems like it.  He should succeed.

superstringer

April 18th, 2024 at 5:49 PM ^

CRAPSHOOT IT IS. Any QB in the 1st round is a 50/50 proposition at best. Generally because:

  • No idea how a person will do when facing NFL defenses, until they face them;
  • Has the college offense over-accentuated the QB's skills--i.e., "system quarterback," or, constantly playing lousy defenses (see: any QB in Big XII or ACC ever), or, benefitted from massive skills of team (any OSU QB ever);
  • Will the QB be thrown to the wolves on a bad NFL offense, or does it have talent to help the QB succeed;
  • Does the NFL coaching staff actually know how to teach up a QB (see: any Bears QB ever) (written by a lifelong Bears fan, so, I know);
  • Does the NFL's D suck, constantly putting the QB in bad/pressure situations;
  • Has the QB been getting by on talent to this point, and now that is about to get exposed when work ethic becomes important (see: Jamarcus Russel, Kyler Murphy, etc.);
  • What other events are going on in a human being's life that might interfere with work (see: Ryan Leaf)? 

Still, gotta feel JJ is ahead of most of these. He did face an NFL-esque D in practice every day for three years (see how Penix did when facing it). His work ethic showed when he made key plays against OSU and UW based on his film study. Don't think you can ascribe his accomplishments on 3d and 4th down plays as "UM had better talent on O." If anything, it's the "product of system" holding back his evaluations--UM was a running team and didn't ask JJ to do much. Is that because they didn't have to, or, they didn't trust him to do more? That's what it comes down to.

superstringer

April 18th, 2024 at 5:49 PM ^

CRAPSHOOT IT IS. Any QB in the 1st round is a 50/50 proposition at best. Generally because:

  • No idea how a person will do when facing NFL defenses, until they face them;
  • Has the college offense over-accentuated the QB's skills--i.e., "system quarterback," or, constantly playing lousy defenses (see: any QB in Big XII or ACC ever), or, benefitted from massive skills of team (any OSU QB ever);
  • Will the QB be thrown to the wolves on a bad NFL offense, or does it have talent to help the QB succeed;
  • Does the NFL coaching staff actually know how to teach up a QB (see: any Bears QB ever) (written by a lifelong Bears fan, so, I know);
  • Does the NFL's D suck, constantly putting the QB in bad/pressure situations;
  • Has the QB been getting by on talent to this point, and now that is about to get exposed when work ethic becomes important (see: Jamarcus Russel, Kyler Murphy, etc.);
  • What other events are going on in a human being's life that might interfere with work (see: Ryan Leaf)? 

Still, gotta feel JJ is ahead of most of these. He did face an NFL-esque D in practice every day for three years (see how Penix did when facing it). His work ethic showed when he made key plays against OSU and UW based on his film study. Don't think you can ascribe his accomplishments on 3d and 4th down plays as "UM had better talent on O." If anything, it's the "product of system" holding back his evaluations--UM was a running team and didn't ask JJ to do much. Is that because they didn't have to, or, they didn't trust him to do more? That's what it comes down to.

dickdastardly

April 18th, 2024 at 3:40 PM ^

Just like he had to in college, JJ will have to prove himself -- and boy did he -- as he will also need to do in the pro ranks...just like EVERYONE else who is drafted. I think he'll end up doing fine.  

The anti JJ/U of M agenda driven sports journalists can go stick their collective peckers in a meat grinder. 

Grampy

April 18th, 2024 at 5:14 PM ^

The people JJ will need to prove anything to will be his future teammates and coaches.  He will do that during his first training camp.  Look at his history - Everyone not named Cade LOVED playing with him, even if it just involved being in the same locker room.  The NFL is more mercenary, of course, but it's still a game played by a bunch of guys.  JJ will be fine and a long-term asset to the team lucky enough to draft him.  Draft day opinions are a pretty cheap yardstick to measure anything with.

S.D. Jones

April 18th, 2024 at 3:44 PM ^

Pretty much every football writer at that site, save Tom Fornelli, is a dum dum. 

If this thread is the repository of all takes hawt, here are mine:

Drake Maye is Heath Shuler 2.0 and Michael Penix will be the second-most successful QB in this draft (after J.J.). 

SC Wolverine

April 18th, 2024 at 3:48 PM ^

The sad reality is that the great majority of sports journalists know next to nothing about the subject they are covering.  These are the guys who say "quarterback keeper" when it's a read option.  The issue here is not that they don't like JJ as a high draft pick, but the complete lack of competent rationale.  (In my opinion, Williams and Maye are the two most likely to bust out of the top 4).  

It does make you appreciate the competent sports journalists, like Klatt and a few others.

SC Wolverine

April 18th, 2024 at 3:48 PM ^

The sad reality is that the great majority of sports journalists know next to nothing about the subject they are covering.  These are the guys who say "quarterback keeper" when it's a read option.  The issue here is not that they don't like JJ as a high draft pick, but the complete lack of competent rationale.  (In my opinion, Williams and Maye are the two most likely to bust out of the top 4).  

It does make you appreciate the competent sports journalists, like Klatt and a few others.

Bill22

April 19th, 2024 at 1:35 AM ^

Couldn’t agree more.  I’ve been of the belief that JJ is a top 10 pick for over a year now.  For the past month or so I have subscribed to the “he’ll go #5 to the Vikings in a trade with the Chargers.”

Just this week my mind has shifted to, “he’s gonna go #3 to the Patriots” to just today thinking, “he could actually go #2 to Washington.”  The only reason I can’t see him going #1 is because the Bears haven’t brought him in for a meeting at their facility.  If they do, which they probably won’t, he will go #1.

blueheron

April 18th, 2024 at 3:50 PM ^

Sensationalism aside, I get it to a small degree. J.J. is young and doesn't have a ton of "reps" at this point. He's probably still pretty far from his ceiling. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a rough adjustment to the NFL. He's resilient, though, and I'm not concerned about him getting "scarred." I think he'll eventually succeed. Possibly very soon. We'll see.

PopeLando

April 18th, 2024 at 5:01 PM ^

Counterpoint: he has more reps than anyone else in the draft at calling out NFL style (most run) plays with motion, route trees, protection schemes, etc., from a huddle.

That’s worth a LOT. Completely agree that he’s nowhere near his ceiling as a passer. But as the head of a pro-level offense? More experience than anyone.

Michigan-Alabama was PhD-level football.

sarto1g

April 18th, 2024 at 3:54 PM ^

JJ is pretty much a 1:1 to comparison with Brock Purdy in terms of fan perception.  SF/Michigan fans are naturally albeit annoyingly defensive of their guy while outsiders point out the talent and system around them.  Best part is  everybody gets to be correct in their own way!

LDNfan

April 18th, 2024 at 3:58 PM ^

IDK...if I were say running a sports focused website and I wanted to maximise profit...I'd probably post content that riled up the largest most passionate fanbases around. You know they ARE definitely going to click, read, engage and share the content with others in said fanbase...so, the clicks multiply and so does the moolah...

....and I'd laugh all the way to the bank. 

Then I'd do it again...and and again...rinse and repeat. 

Its almost too easy...