Incredibly disingenuous?
So Max was already playing at an NFL level when he left New Hampshire? That was your take, now and at the time?
If that's the case, you must have been thrilled when Fleck and the Gophers recruited him to finish his college career here! I'd have to assume you give Fleck a lot of credit for finding Max, and for convincing him to finish his college career here at Minnesota, seeing as how you saw Max — coming out of New Hampshire — as already an NFL-level talent.
Not surprisingly, that's a pretty big assumption that I thought Max was playing at an NFL level before he got here, but you're going to be you, so be you.
For the record, I saw Max coming here as a calculated gamble to fill a gaping hole in the roster by poor recruiting at the position and PJ not developing QBs in his time at MN. Morgan regressed from '19 in successive years, AK never developed. I did not see Max then, nor do I now see him as NFL ready talent.
Max was recruited by PJ because of what he accomplished and how he accomplished it at UNH. He was recruited to come here and be the starter. He was not a project. He was someone that had experience and I assume PJ felt could come in and succeed in our system for the one year of elibibily he offered - e.g., not a project to develop.
No doubt he learned from Harbaugh and PJ as his coaches last year, but to claim that PJ developed him into an NFL QB (and note, PJ isn't claiming this - at least from what I've seen - which should tell you something) is incredibly disingenuous to Max and his coaches at UNH.
I
have not said, like some on this board, that Max should be QB2 or even screw McCarthy, make Max the starter. I did not see him in August of last year, not do I see him now as NFL-level talent.
I
did say after the Vikings signed him, that if he gets a chance, ala Brock Purdy - a similar QB to Max from what I've read about their strengths and weaknesses (and as Mr. Irrelevant, not exactly a rousing endorsement he was an NFL level QB at that time either) - I wouldn't be shocked if he did well.
Max, you may have noticed, is not going to be a starting QB in the NFL. He is a
developmental QB. Why? Because he
isn't ready to be a starter in the NFL. I think that is pretty clear. I also think his potential is pretty clear. The VIkings are giving him a chance to continue to put his football IQ to the test at the next level.
I
do think PJ created the opporutnity for Max to reach a higher level by bringing him into the B1G. Everything I've read about him says he's incredibly smart and confident and that he's succeeding becasue of that.
Even after this past season, Max wasn't a guy who is going to get drafted based on his numbers or his film - which we saw transpire.
What PJ did do is create an environment that helped Max get noticed through his building a relationship with O'Connell.
If O'Connell doesn't have a chance to get to know Max, I'm not sure any of this happens. But PJ did that, and Max has made the most of it.
That doesn't translate to PJ developed Max, it translates to PJ's program was a good fit for Max and the Gophers as it created a more succesful season than anticipated for the Gophers and the situation for Max to prove he could play at a higher level and get a shot at the NFL, however improbable.
Hope this helps.
