re: Fall Practice Thread. "Practice?" "We Talkin' Bout Practice?"

I have still yet to understand why everyone is so scared of Morris.

quote:

---

I have still yet to understand why everyone is so scared of Morris.

---

This.

As much as I love Blake Sims, it was clear that for at least the first half of the year he didn't have a complete grasp of the offense, struggled with reads, and generally required a great deal of hand-holding from the sidelines.

All he managed to do was break most every single season passing record, win the SEC, and come within a TD of playing for a national title.

Everyone says Morris knows the offense inside-out. If that's the case and he's the guy then IMO that will go a long way to keep him out of situations where Blake found himself forced to make things happen with his feet.

Throw in what appears to be a much improved secondary and possibly the best D-line in the nation and you've got a path to Atlanta that doesn't require any voodoo at all.

Robert Lester too.

If it doesn't shake out where his rankings match up to what actually happens then drew will just claim whomever moved up had a great past 2 weeks and whomever moved down had a horrible 2 weeks.

quote:

---

Good points. If Alec can read a defense and really knows the offense as well as it sounds, I don't think he'd limit us. Is his arm as strong as Coker/Barnett/Cornwell's? No, probably not, but he has a more than solid arm. He should be able to make the throws. The only thing I worry on is touch, as Saban mentioned it being a thing he has to improve.

---

I completely agree with you. Yes he has a solid arm. He threw the ball 53 yards from his knees. Since a lot of message board Bama fans only seen concerned with how far a QB can toss it, he should more than pass the test. I don't get the "arm" concern from some people. This isn't the Brandon Avalos or Spencer Pennington era anymore, there's no need to worry about arm strength. Morris may not have a rifle attached to his shoulder like Matthew Stafford, but he knows the offense and Blake Sims himself said Morris gave him tips on picking apart defenses last season. He is easily big enough for the position, and the guy just doesn't seem to get worked up. I agree that touch is a concern if Saban says so. Other than that, he seems to have what everyone is looking for in a Bama QB.. But people don't want to see it in him. For some reason, we are desperate to have a guy who will get drafted. You gotta win games first, and I think Morris is the guy to help us win games. He's going to get called a "game manager" this year, guys. Every Bama QB will be called that.. Thank you, media, for twisting Saban's definition of that in to meaning "guy who can't do much so he relies on everyone else." But make that call for yourself. I bet Morris will manage the game better than anyone else on our roster. I also bet he has the tools to erase the "game manager" tag. Everyone just has to decide for themselves if their gonna give him a fair shot at erasing that tag. I can't wait. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people.



.... Now watch him not be the starter.

I have zero problem with Morris winning the job, if he does. People don't want to get on board because he didn't have a lot of stars by his name back when he was recruited. But, he may be just what this team needs. He seems like a leader and a smart guy. That's most of the battle right there.

But, like I said, I'm not worried. Whoever wins will be a pretty good QB.

quote:

---

Much talk about David Cornwell being in the doghouse; can confirm it was not a verbal disagreement with HC Nick Saban & OC Lane Kiffin
— Drew DeArmond (@DrewD977ESPN) August 23, 2015

It was an off-the-field incident, after a subpar end of spring practice, that set the tone for a poor fall camp; pic.twitter.com/XRaCLRK5q6
— Drew DeArmond (@DrewD977ESPN) August 23, 2015

---

quote:

---

Whereas Coker came to Tuscaloosa in the summer of last year and was clearly the backup after a couple of months with the squad.

---

That's what I'm having a hard time with too. How is it that Coker immediately jumped ahead of Morris, Bateman, and Cornwell last year, yet is struggling to win the job now that he's presumably got a better understanding of the O? I'd hate to think that the staff just gifted him the back-up job last year based on hype and the fact that he had a little game experience in mop-up duty. I don't know. He could still wind up being the starter this year as the supposed leader of the QB race changes almost daily.

quote:

---

Much talk about David Cornwell being in the doghouse; can confirm it was not a verbal disagreement with HC Nick Saban & OC Lane Kiffin — Drew DeArmond
(@DrewD977ESPN) August 23, 2015

It was an off-the-field incident, after a subpar end of spring practice, that set the tone for a poor fall camp; pic.twitter.com/XRaCLRK5q6 — Drew DeArmond (@DrewD977ESPN) August 23, 2015

---

Drew is off on this one. He's in the doghouse for both. I know because someone who saw it told me, before it made the message boards.

quote:

---

maybe the other qbs have progressed.

---

Oh yeah, no doubt.

One thing that a lot of us get stuck on sometimes is that our opinions of players(QBs mainly) are set in concrete based on one practice/game/scrimmage, and we don't consider a player actually being able to progress from year to year, or their "light-bulb" coming on. We have to remember that these guys are young, and still maturing pretty much every day.