03-01-2020, 12:19 AM
(02-26-2020, 01:44 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: A rookie QB is not going to step in immediately and "demand accountability" or "get in guy's faces". That's not how it works. I don't care who it is, or how good they are supposed to be.
What he can do is: Earn respect. Show up early, stay late. Be prepared. Try to forge relationships, and become part of the locker room and the culture that's been created and/or is being built. Listen to, and even lean on veterans for advice. Show respect to the older guys and their knowledge.
What he can do most, to demand anything, is to play well. This will inspire confidence, and require every one's level of play to come up. Silently lead by example.
You may hate Andy Dalton and think he's much, much worse than Burrow is already. But Burrow can't walk in from day 1 and pretend to be the leader Andy was right away. That comes from years of history. It's earned over time.
The worst thing Burrow could do is to even try to get in guys faces and hold others to a certain standard. He needs to come in and learn, and slowly show these guys the hype is all true. And I think he will eventually. But to expect to demand anymore than a well respected vet like Andy is nonsense.
Give it time. It's not his locker room or team just yet.
Spot on. I do think some guys are born with a leadership mentality, but you can't demand anything out of teammates until you earn that level of respect. Drew Brees didn't just walk into New Orleans and start barking at teammates. He played at an elite level and got a ring. That success allows him to take leadership of the team. Same with guys like Brady. They have the hardware to go along with the leadership trait. You need both, not one or the other.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
