Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoover
I think that's the wrong way to look at things.
Frankly at this point bringing in a DHop only stunts the growth of guys like Tooney, Moore, and Riice. Playing time is what speeds up the learning curve. Toonie and Moore really need to step up. Rice needs to be ready.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Meck
I think you're absolutely right, and I've been harping on this all off-season. You have to play the kids to grow them.
|
I'm sorry guys, but this just isn't accurate. Unless reality is just unique in the Chiefs organization vs. the entire rest of the league since the beginning of time.
Successful vets mentoring young/inexperienced players is the number one most desired situation because it creates the best learning environment and fastest improvement of players historically.
Hell, it's not even just football, it's in any human endeavor, whether it's sports or business, aviation, Skilled trades, even working dog training. Having a successful veteran teach/mentor a less experienced person is probably the most common training method on Earth.
In the NFL obvious examples are Jerry Rice mentored by both Dwight Clark and Montana (Jerry has acknowledged Dwight's mentoring as one of the biggest reasons for his success multiple times).
Jerry then passed it forward by mentoring John Taylor and then Terrell Owens, both of whom praised Jerry many times for his mentorship. TO turned around and mentored several WRs including Steve Smith and Brandon Marshall.
Chris Carter mentored Randy Moss, both on and off the field, and Randy has credited Carter as instrumental in Randy taking that next step and becoming a HOF player.
In Chiefs land, did we not see George Karlaftis taken under the wings of Chris Jones, Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap, and did we not see George's improvement over the last 8 games of the season?
Didn't Mahomes benefit from Alex's tutelage in 2017?
Bringing in DHop wouldn't stunt the growth of our young WRs. That's sheer fallacy. in reality, it would likely flatten the learning curve and make them better WRs/players/professionals in a much shorter period down the road.
You want Rice to fully develop and maximize all of that potential? You could hardly do better than to put him in the same room with his idol, Deandre Hopkins, and let him learn first-hand how Hopkins does everything that he does, from physical training, game prep, film study and analysis, practice, reading defenses, setting up DBs, footwork/release mechanics, hand-fighting, winning the leverage battle, in-game situational awareness, mental toughness, etc.
Probably every one of our young WRs could use that sort of mentoring from an elite veteran future HOFer WR.