Someone Who Knows Things

[Calinative]

I think even a great offensive line matters non with a non factor at QB. Load the box defense always will win. So yes even without cam or a competent QB the line doesn’t matter

Competent sure. You don't need another Cam Ward for our Oline to be great again though, And if you have a great OLine, good Weapons, and a Competent QB, you can have a good offense still. It may not be #1 in the country, but it doesn't need to be #1 in the country to hopefully make the playoff lol. It's about the team as a whole. The expectation should absolutely be our Defense to take a big leap forward particularly in coverage. And hopefully our offense doesn't fall too far and stays inside the top 15-25. I agree we will need a competent Qb for that to be the case. But it matters just as much now as with Cam that our Oline is good/great.

 

[Memnon]

Cam wasn't a one-man show, but pretty much everyone who isn't a delusional homer expects us to have a worse Offense & lose more games, despite returning what some say is an Elite OL & arguably the best RB room in the ACC, along with Four 4-star HS WR's returning & a productive portal add...

Not a one man show, but we literally would be a sub .500 team with Emory & would be shocked to win 7 or 8 with Nickel.

And are also desperately scouring the Portal for QB's.

Lol

This rush to try to diminish Cam at every turn is classic CIS.

The way this board beats up its great players while simultaneously throwing parades for every UDFA & 6th/7th rounder practice squad player is always astonishing.

 

[DMoney]

Cam wasn't a one-man show, but pretty much everyone who isn't a delusional homer expects us to have a worse Offense & lose more games, despite returning what some say is an Elite OL & arguably the best RB room in the ACC, along with Four 4-star HS WR's returning & a productive portal add...

Not a one man show, but we literally would be a sub .500 team with Emory & would be shocked to win 7 or 8 with Nickel.

And are also desperately scouring the Portal for QB's.

Lol

This rush to try to diminish Cam at every turn is classic CIS.

The way this board beats up its great players while simultaneously throwing parades for every UDFA & 6th/7th rounder practice squad player is always astonishing.

Cam is the best QB in the country. We can’t place him on a higher pedestal than #1. He’s going to be a first round pick based on his individual talent.

He also had help. That’s why he came to Miami. He said it himself.

Some of that help comes back, some needs to be replaced. Is it enough surrounding talent to elevate a middling QB? No. But it can help a good QB get better. Everybody expects our offense to get worse without the best QB in America. The hope is we can still be a Top 25 unit.

I don’t understand why any of that is controversial. Now we need to get a good QB, because we don’t have one right now.

 

[Hurracanes]

Two points that should be obvious, but are subject to debate in here:

1) We aren't going to win anything with Emory handing the ball off. Our defense won't be good enough, and even if it was, we need more from the QB position.

2) Cam, while clearly the best QB in the America, wasn't a one-man show here. His offense at Wazzu was 53rd in scoring offense and 72nd in yards per play. And that's with an innovative OC and two legit 1,000-yard receivers. They actually won more games before he got there. We helped him and he helped us.

We have made big strides on defense this offseason. There are three big items on the agenda: QB, WR and Xavier Lucas. I'd personally add linebacker to that, as well. Lots of work to do before Notre Dame.

I am surprised we aren’t upgrading on the DL and LB rooms more. The lack of talent on that side of ball is clear as day so It’s just insane work we are only prioritizing the secondary. Come spring, the staff is going to panic and make more moves but by then it’ll be too late. This staff can’t get out of its own way. 25’ going to be a difficult season.

 

[Carlcane]

the problem is following Cam. what average qb wants to be compared to Cam by the fan base and the media? Can an average qb enhance his draft status as Cam had done, that is the sales job that had to happen imo

 

[Hurracanes]

I don’t think that’s the argument. The argument is we’re not relevant without cam. We didn’t make the playoffs WITH cam. Without him 8 wins is a great accomplishment

How anyone can argue this is silly.

It’s a very small sample size but the bowl game literally showcased what this offense is like with Cam and without him. Talent around him was irrelevant against a horrific ISU defense.

Year 4 and this staff has yet to build a roster that is superior to anything Diaz and CMR had. Mario is supposed to be this HS recruiting guru but he’s missing way too much on talent and staff. For the ridiculous amount of resources he’s been privileged, this is extremely disappointing to be in this position.

 

[Hurracanes]

Competent sure. You don't need another Cam Ward for our Oline to be great again though, And if you have a great OLine, good Weapons, and a Competent QB, you can have a good offense still. It may not be #1 in the country, but it doesn't need to be #1 in the country to hopefully make the playoff lol. It's about the team as a whole. The expectation should absolutely be our Defense to take a big leap forward particularly in coverage. And hopefully our offense doesn't fall too far and stays inside the top 15-25. I agree we will need a competent Qb for that to be the case. But it matters just as much now as with Cam that our Oline is good/great.

Want me to tell you how this story ends?

 

[LoungeLord]

Want me to tell you how this story ends?

Nope. Most of this board is much happier if you lie to them.

 

[JustAFanHTX]

Competent sure. You don't need another Cam Ward for our Oline to be great again though, And if you have a great OLine, good Weapons, and a Competent QB, you can have a good offense still. It may not be #1 in the country, but it doesn't need to be #1 in the country to hopefully make the playoff lol. It's about the team as a whole. The expectation should absolutely be our Defense to take a big leap forward particularly in coverage. And hopefully our offense doesn't fall too far and stays inside the top 15-25. I agree we will need a competent Qb for that to be the case. But it matters just as much now as with Cam that our Oline is good/great.

I wish you well bro.

 

[iamB_rock]

We need more pass rush but I’m hoping we get production from our expensive high school recruits.

If we’re being honest and we want to win at least 10 games. we still need:
A good Qb
Potentially an rb1. Lyle has potential fletcher is good night great and the fumbling is becoming concerning
a Wr1 -
Elite pass rusher
One more dt that can take some snaps
Lb1. We need an elite backer that just eats up running backs and makes tackles
One more safety

A bit frustrating that in year 4 the coach that is a good recruiter and good at talent acquisition is still missing that much talent. And this is after already landing a handful of guys in the portal.

 

[FrancisSawyer]

Cam wasn't a one-man show, but pretty much everyone who isn't a delusional homer expects us to have a worse Offense & lose more games, despite returning what some say is an Elite OL & arguably the best RB room in the ACC, along with Four 4-star HS WR's returning & a productive portal add...

Not a one man show, but we literally would be a sub .500 team with Emory & would be shocked to win 7 or 8 with Nickel.

And are also desperately scouring the Portal for QB's.

Lol

This rush to try to diminish Cam at every turn is classic CIS.

The way this board beats up its great players while simultaneously throwing parades for every UDFA & 6th/7th rounder practice squad player is always astonishing.

Without Cam we have a very hard time even being bowl eligible. Just imagine an average QB in 2024 with that abortion of a defense we trotted out there. Look at the constant dumb mistakes, the stupid penalties, the abysmal game management. All Cristobal signature specialties! Look at the atrocious Special Teams. Look at that clown show of a defensive staff! We couldn't even figure out how to teach our defenders how to line up! All this in year 3!

Look it's not rocket science. A few of us said when Cristobal got hired that the only way he can succeed here given his track record as a terrible game day coach is for him to surround himself with an elite staff with 2 elite coordinators! He hasn't come close to that and Cam Ward saved him from would have surely been a disaster with the fans burning him in effigy! On offense the staff is good but not elite and Dawson is good but certainly not elite. Defensively we are a dumpster fire and the joke of the ACC. Seriously, other ACC OCs and HCs routinely mock us and they should. What we have on the Defensive coaching staff is a bunch of recruiters who are x's and o's illiterate and have no idea how to teach or develop. They are schematically oblivious and couldn't collectively coach their way out of a wet paper bag! They are/were a freaking disgrace and a total embarrassment to this program!

What we need is obvious. What we need is to completely retool our scouting/recruiting organization and hire someone competent and experienced to run it. Is this Edwards? I hope so! More competence less goofy morons!

Next we need to hire an elite and experienced DC. Preferably with HC experience because Mario needs all the help he can get on the sideline.
Next we need to let that DC hire his own staff. We need to get this staff filled with technical coaches who can teach and develop. We have too many recruiters and too often we are recruiting the wrong type of players. Development is crucial. Just look at our LB room! Aguirre, Pruitt, Hayes, Washington and Wiley! A ton of raw talent with absolutely no hope of getting developed by the current clown staff! And stop with this delusional fan boy fantasy of Jason Taylor getting the DC position. Just stop! I'm sure Taylor is a good guy and a hard worker/recruiter but in all the time he has been here, I have yet to see any objective evidence to support the idea that he is a good DL coach let alone qualified to be the DC.

Next up is a Special Teams coach. Danny Kalter has not been good. Do better!

Everyone get this through your thick skulls....We need to hire a QB Coach! Yeah I know Dawson has that in his job description but as I've said before, it isn't enough! Let Dawson concentrate on being an OC and let's go out and get the very best QB coach that money can buy. QB development is kind of important. Let's start putting resources into hiring the best one available. And I don't want to hear about Dawson's feelings getting hurt. It's all about getting better. It's all about competing with the elite programs.

Go get a QB. What he have on the rooster now will not cut it! Next time have a plan if your 1st choice goes elsewhere. Fernando Mendoza would sound pretty good right about now considering the alternative of standing pat with the cards were holding lol.

Get another WR, Safety, CB(Lucas), RB, LB, TE, DT

End of rant.

 

[iamB_rock]

I am surprised we aren’t upgrading on the DL and LB rooms more. The lack of talent on that side of ball is clear as day so It’s just insane work we are only prioritizing the secondary. Come spring, the staff is going to panic and make more moves but by then it’ll be too late. This staff can’t get out of its own way. 25’ going to be a difficult season.

It makes no sense. We haven’t had a great linebacker in so long. Agree We need line backers and DL help.

 

[Hurracanes]

Another thing nobody is taking into account is how much Cam controlled the play calls and to a degree the personnel. Dawson had the easiest job on the staff thanks to Cam. He’s about to earn his paycheck next season, and with that 2nd half playcalling, plus the basic run schemes we run, we are in trouble next year. Teams are going to stack the box and our “great OL” isn’t good enough to run up the middle all game long on people.

 

[AUcane]

I am surprised we aren’t upgrading on the DL and LB rooms more. The lack of talent on that side of ball is clear as day so It’s just insane work we are only prioritizing the secondary. Come spring, the staff is going to panic and make more moves but by then it’ll be too late. This staff can’t get out of its own way. 25’ going to be a difficult season.

I think LB is going to be more problematic than DL imo, but I agree.

On LB, I like popo and Wes has been up and down. However, I like them as our duo. Beyond that, it gets problematic. Pruitt is nice but too small. No idea after that who is in play.

At DL, keeping Mesidor will be huge. But, we still lost 3 DTs in the 2 deep and only replaced with one DT. And we are losing 2 rotational DEs. I’d like to have one more DT in the portal but big time DL in the portal is REALLY tough to land. Give me one more DL for the 2 deep (no g5 kids, please) and one LB for depth. Of course this depends on continued development of Scott, jones, Blount, moten. Might be too early to expect much out of lightfoot, 44, Pickett.

 

[AUcane]

We need more pass rush but I’m hoping we get production from our expensive high school recruits.

Too early to expect anything out of lightfoot, Rudolph or Pickett. Those kids need another year of s&c.

Is Anthony Campbell coming back?

 

[Cane6]

Another thing nobody is taking into account is how much Cam controlled the play calls and to a degree the personnel. Dawson had the easiest job on the staff thanks to Cam. He’s about to earn his paycheck next season, and with that 2nd half playcalling, plus the basic run schemes we run, we are in trouble next year. Teams are going to stack the box and our “great OL” isn’t good enough to run up the middle all game long on people.

I have continued to mention this over the past month and folks get butthurt and continue to cite “#1 offense in the country”

Dawson’s run game, redzone and screen game creativity and plsycalling is not good

 

[BoxingRobes]

Cam wasn't a one-man show, but pretty much everyone who isn't a delusional homer expects us to have a worse Offense & lose more games, despite returning what some say is an Elite OL & arguably the best RB room in the ACC, along with Four 4-star HS WR's returning & a productive portal add...

Not a one man show, but we literally would be a sub .500 team with Emory & would be shocked to win 7 or 8 with Nickel.

And are also desperately scouring the Portal for QB's.

Lol

This rush to try to diminish Cam at every turn is classic CIS.

The way this board beats up its great players while simultaneously throwing parades for every UDFA & 6th/7th rounder practice squad player is always astonishing.

We've got dudes over here thinking they can replace Cam Ward IN THE AGGREGATE like we're Billy Bean in Moneyball over here. You're not nickel and dime'ing your way to replacing that.

Playing tight, in a phone booth (exactly what you saw in the 2nd half of the bowl game, but that time with a quarterback that was literally too scared to throw the ball...scared during a meaningless bowl game!!!) with a limited quarterback (extend this to your Drones and Maiava types) with a defense that is going to be assembled using bubblegum and scotch tape through the portal is the worst possible outcome. We'll be some 5 to 8 win team that is just boring as **** with a coaching staff that can't outcoach the deficiencies. Mario has proven he can not win cavaman fights with the likes of Brent Key and Matt Campbell

People blowing up Mateer...a really good quarterback prospect...but he's not replicating what Cam did here either. The rest of this team better get better in a hurry.

We are going to have penalty issues again - its a Mario team, they always do. So, who is going to be the quarterback that gets us those nearly 70 yards per game we lose to penalties back? Who is going to save our *** and keep us on schedule to bail us out on 3rd and behind schedule? (Cam Ward is the reason we were FIRST IN THE NATION on 3rd Down conversions - and it wasn't close). We were also one of the better teams in the nation on 4th Down. We scored more TDs in the RED ZONE last year than any team in the nation other than Indiana.

These are ALL aspects we ******* sucked at before Cam Ward got here.

We were 52nd in the nation on 3rd down in 2023. 65th on 4th down. 66th in the Redzone.

You can compare Cam Ward at Washington State and Miami as much as you'd like. And he was not a "one man show" here because the OL and skill talent was better...but he was the catalyst to clean up all of Miami's deficiencies. Those OL and skill guys were there in 2023.

Those deficiencies are not being outcoached this offseason. Mario is going to be Mario. We're going to be heavily penalized. We're going to have a ton of injuries. We're going to suck on 3rd down. We're going to suck on 4th down. We're going to suck in the red zone.

Who is going to change that? It has to be the quarterback. And there is no coaching mental jiu jitsu these Neanderthals are going to come up with (especially on the sideline during a game) that is going to fix the issues that come baked into the cake.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

Another thing nobody is taking into account is how much Cam controlled the play calls and to a degree the personnel. Dawson had the easiest job on the staff thanks to Cam. He’s about to earn his paycheck next season, and with that 2nd half playcalling, plus the basic run schemes we run, we are in trouble next year. Teams are going to stack the box and our “great OL” isn’t good enough to run up the middle all game long on people.

I'd also say this. People get confused by the "impacts" of various people. For instance, some say "hey, Cam got us 3 extra wins, therefore, nearly any QB we get will cause us to backslide, because any QB available now is probably not +3 from where we were with TVD/Jacurri".

OK, except that Cam's impact was probably +5 or more, and the DEFENSE was responsible for -2 or more game outcomes. With a slightly better defense (one more stop per game), Cam's offensive impact wins the GT and Syracuse games.

So the reality is that we could "give back" some QB offensive impact (i.e., take a QB who might not guarantee 12 wins with his impact) and then try to offset things with better defensive play. We're not going to find another Cam. It's impossible. But teams (including UM) have won championships with QBs who were not as good as Cam. With a defense capable of getting us to Top 25/Top 30 levels, that is probably good for a couple of games of improvement, so if we stay healthy and get above-average QB play, we should be in every game next year.

But you're right, we will be missing a lot of Cam intangibles next year. That's one of the reasons I was hopeful for Mendoza, I think he is a very smart QB who could likely step into doing some of the things that Cam did. Emory could too, if he could just throw a decent pass.

 

[jrock2332]

Cam is the best QB in the country. We can’t place him on a higher pedestal than #1. He’s going to be a first round pick based on his individual talent.

He also had help. That’s why he came to Miami. He said it himself.

Some of that help comes back, some needs to be replaced. Is it enough surrounding talent to elevate a middling QB? No. But it can help a good QB get better. Everybody expects our offense to get worse without the best QB in America. The hope is we can still be a Top 25 unit.

I don’t understand why any of that is controversial. Now we need to get a good QB, because we don’t have one right now.

Not to be a Debbie downer but I remember when Peyton manning had neck surgery and was out for a season and Curtis painter was qb1. They went from winning 10 or 11 games under Peyton to winning a single game with Curtis. With virtually the same team. Not maybe they were tanking for luck but one game good god. I could see similar results if Emory or judd are qb1. We just saw a FSU team that didn't have a qb1 and what did they do huh.

 

[DMoney]

Not to be a Debbie downer but I remember when Peyton manning had neck surgery and was out for a season and Curtis painter was qb1. They went from winning 10 or 11 games under Peyton to winning a single game with Curtis. With virtually the same team. Not maybe they were tanking for luck but one game good god. I could see similar results if Emory or judd are qb1. We just saw a FSU team that didn't have a qb1 and what did they do huh.

If we don’t upgrade our QB, it’s hard to imagine much success. Anything from 4-8 wins is possible.

That needs to be our most urgent priority, and that’s been true since before Emory stunk up the bowl. Cam gave us elite talent and elite IQ. Mendoza wouldn’t have at least replaced the IQ part, but he’s off the board. Need to find someone with veteran experience and some proven production.