Not "far" from a guarantee by a long shot. Many, if not most, expect him now to be in the driver's seat for the starting job.
That's nice. It's still far from a safe thing, no matter how many opinions lean that direction.
Which is why they have insurance policies, which are paid only if a insure goes uninjured and gets drafted. Safe bet.
And if he gets dinged up a little but still gets drafted in the 6th round, that policy does him no good.
If he didn't display other "weaknesses" or "flaws" in those three games under those circumstances, chances are he either doesn't have them or they're insignificant.
He showed weaknesses in those three games. There also wasn't much (or any) film on him heading into these contests, and Bama and Oregon are not particularly strong in the secondary.
Most important of all, he has well documented red flags when it comes to maturity and focus off the field. To his credit, he reinvented himself in remarkable fashion and completed the greatest QB debut in history. That said, getting ready for the 3 biggest games of his life is a different animal from going through the mundane offseason or facing snoozers in september. Then there's the incredible uptick in distractions that will arrive with being worshiped by an entire state, leeches trying to attach themselves to him from all directions, even family and friends who used to ignore or distance themselves from him, etc. There are a lot more complications heading his way that he has not had to deal with yet. Then imagine if he is dealing with all of this while struggling to secure the starting spot over a rehabbing player with little NFL potential.
Not sure what you're trying to say here.
I'm saying that at some point, the system has to be accounted for with all of this success, especially when his tailback and line are outplaying everyone else in america as well. Combine that with a system that does not translate well to the NFL and there will be concerns there that will not go away next year.
Again, a few million, before cuts and spread over 3-4 years, is nowhere near a few million.
Semantics. That same sentence can be said about any amount of money. I agree that it would be wise to learn just how little money you have after paying taxes, agents and everyone in your circle, but that's true for the guys making tens of millions as well.
That's the risk: leaving early without giving himself to solidify or improve his stock.
No, that's one of the risks. He has as much to lose by returning as he does to gain. I don't envy his solution nor blame him either way.
He's not playing "for free"...he's getting a paid-for education at a highly-respected institution.
That's n ice, but we all know why 99% of players are here, and it's not for a free major they can fit around their primary career path. Cardale made that pretty clear on the Twitters.
He can still get to the NFL, likely at a much higher draft pick, by staying another year.
Or he can suffer one of a multitude of consequences that cause him to slip in the draft. That's a big gamble for a guy who had so little growing up and had virtually no chance at making the NFL on Thanksgiving day.
