I can remember talking with an ex-pro soccer player who was a friend of my dads and had moved into becoming a soccer commentator.
I asked him about a player who I thought wasn't trying and he laughed.
He said that supporters really don't understand that element and that every player was giving it their best 99% of the time. It's just that trying takes many forms and isn't always obvious.
Over about 20-years I had a lot of chats with him and it really opened my eyes up to professional sports - or more importantly who people who had never viewed it thought it was.
He once said to me that the worst most damaging (to a team) player wasn't actually the poor one, but the inconsistently performing one.
Every time the coach was about to drop (bench) him he'd throw in a great game and he'd not know what to do. I loved that insight because that does carry over to almost every team sport.
I do think not trying is more of a *thing* in the NFL for various things, but I cannot imagine why a guy fighting for a starting place would fall into that category.
Similarly, and I'm guessing it was for effect, but I doubt a player of 'Bush league skills' would get past McVay and into this team.
I'm not sure why you needed to use such hyperbole and tabloid-like accusations if you're then going to do a detailed breakdown. Because ,to me at least, it undermines your argument.
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
