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merlin
is the fact that he's a 1 to 2 read QB. You rarely see him get through the entire read for a given play. Sometimes he'll even stick on his first read and wait for it without consideration of anything else. From there when he gets moved off his spot it screws him up and only rarely did he get a win on that type of play.
Journeyman is a really good term for what he is. He does have upside of course but I don't think he's mentally quick or tough enough to maximize it without a team around him that wins him that with threat.
I'll tell you... There are have so many times I've looked at his film and thought to myself "if only he would have gotten to the backside and the RB who has a 10 yard cushion." Akers would get a first down like 80% of the time in that situation 1v1 on almost any defender. But he never got there. Stafford will.
In addition to not getting through the progressions, he seemed to not take what he defense was giving. Positive plays were often there for the taking and as bad as missing them would have been, he seemed to just not take them.
The infamous 2018 Chicago game was a prime example of it. I'd imagine the turnover laden games against SF and Miami were like that too. Which is why I think McVay eventually gave up. His offense was presenting opportunities for production that his QB was not taking. Worse, he would turn those potentially positive plays into negatives. Not every time, but too often.