When your problem with a player is his ability to stay clean, it should kind of go without saying that raising the victory banner on the aircraft carrier after a few decent games as a role player is just a BIT premature.
I agree, I just believe that the psychological dependance is a form of addiction. I saw TM as a more extreme case than Beasley for the Heat. This was before the Heat signed Beas, but in the draft threads I stated that TM's most likely career was something similar. I expected him to come in and have early success. Then in season two or so he'd relapse. That would continue on and off with suspensions and other discipline. He may or may not end up out of football for a year or so. The drafting team would get far less benefit from him than they expected based on his talent level and the next team (or maybe the team after that) would get this more professional and mature player. Either that or he'd never make it back. I saw either of those scenarios as far, far more likely than him coming in as a first round pick (as some suggested) and being deemed worthy of that selection.
I didn't bring it up...besides, the argument against him was more than just substance abuse related, by most, it was he can't play in this league, he's not that talented, he's a punk, he'll be a bust, he's got bad hips, not big enough, blah blah, not much leverage there...special movement, highly talented in the football dept...worth the risk.
He's been good. Very good metrics thus far. His yards per pass snap and yards per attempt are balancing out now that the Chargers are getting clued into the fact that good things generally happen when they get him the football. He had been a guy with low yards per pass snap but very high yards per attempt. Given that my biggest overall criticisms of him coming out were 1) Attitude and 2) Speed/big-play ability...I would like to see him string together more than just two games (and actually more than just one season, to be honest) and I would also like to see him create more big plays with his physical ability. Right now he's doing it with good hands and really good ball placement from Phil Rivers. If he's really going to end up a #1 at this level then I think he needs to do some more with his own ability.
History has shown that this is not a game that Miami comes out and dominates at home. Lets see if there is a difference in the approach and emotional investment..
I've said many times Peyton Manning is one of the greatest REGULAR season QBs ever. Jim Irsay agrees http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...rsay-ok-with-peyton-manningandrew-luck-choice
