I am not putting a SB appearance on the QB in their first three seasons, even if I think talent-wise the ability is there to make it a possibility. When you look at a QB like Brock Purdy, I think he played very well and deserves a lot of credit for being throw into a situation where Jimmy G's ceiling was holding them back and Trey Lance washed out before he even had a chance to fail. However, that was also a championship roster for Purdy's first two seasons. Last season, yes, the 49ers took some injury hits but even with those injuries it wasn't like the remaining roster was bad, it just wasn't enough to carry the QB and it reflected in Purdy's play. Jayden Daniels was drafted onto a roster that was more or less gobsmacked by the previous front office and coaching staff (and ownership) and had Jayden Daniels even just been a typical looking rookie, the team would have been lucky to get to .500. And all this while you could still tell JD5 was a rookie out there at moments when he sometimes played in a mechanical nature due to processing NFL speed for the first time. (Where as now going into a season with the knowledge & experience, he is going to be that half step quicker with everything).
I don't want to downplay how well this roster came togetther last season and rallied around each other, but make no mistake about it, the team needed near-elite (if not outright elite) QB play to get where they got last season.
Eagles fans have every right to gloat because hey, they won the SB, but for them to act like these were two evenly matched teams talent-wise last season is a joke. They are a good 4-5 seasons into the construction of their roster and the Commanders are now just coming out of their second offseason where the front office has had to turn so much of it over not to mention still only a second year QB. Eagles fan can come looking for smoke in another season or two when this roster has that core 15-20 players that have been drafted and designed as a machine and we will see who is gloating.
I think the roster this season is better on paper but I do also acknowledge that players like Ertz & Eckler could fall off a cliff at any time and it is going to be even a bigger deal this season that those players being devloped behind them take the next step and show that they are going to be part of the core of this team going forward and not just placeholders until the next guy(s). Match that with some good young talent that I expect to flash but not necessarily play mistake free football as rookies and it is hard to say what that will mean on the field in close games where one possession could determine the outcome.
I think with JD5 under center, unless this roster or rosters in the near future are totally ravaged by injuries we are finally going to become one of those franchises that is usually at least in the conversation going into most seasons and with a lot of hard work and some luck, hopefully they snag a trophy a handful of times over the next 10-15 seasons.
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