To begin this Wednesday’s Bair Mail, let me address a topic that Denver’s Joe Carroll brought up in the mailbag.
He’s right; he has noticed a decline in the frequency of Bair Mail. Last year, I conducted three Q+As a week; this year, I only do two. Now, we operate on Wednesdays and Fridays, with byes and adjustments for holiday weeks.
It is unrelated to the negative or critical mailbag questions. If I didn’t address the concerns the fan base has with this team and bring up the possibility of benching the quarterback, firing the head coach, and using some of the team’s best players, I wouldn’t be doing my job. Must carry it out
Due to the overwhelming amount of content you are receiving and my recent distractions, we have reduced to twice a week. All of this is relevant because Joe posed a legitimate question, which I’m sure many of you were pondering, so I thought I’d address it here. Getting letters from new readers and regulars that I feel like I’ve gotten to know over the past three years is something I really enjoy about these mailbags.
Positive or negative, even if it’s just honest conversation, I welcome all inquiries and remarks. You can submit them right here, as usual. So on this lovely Wednesday, let’s get to a few of yours:
Hello, Scott. To get right to it: After the bye, is Richie Grant still a starter? And do give us an explanation of your thinking. Regards.
Bair: I’m always grateful to hear from you, Will. You got right to the point, so I’ll follow suit. Coming off the bye, Richie Grant should start, in my opinion. The Cardinals tight end Trey McBride even said after the game that he felt comfortable beating the third-year safety one-on-one, demonstrating how clearly he struggled against Arizona.
You never want to hear stuff like that. The Central Florida product has had setbacks, to be sure, but he has also contributed to this team with some huge plays while playing a versatile position as a deep safety who plays in the box or slot. However, I don’t believe that he has performed as poorly overall as the post-Cardinals recency bias indicates. He hasn’t always been flawless, though, and I can accept that.
Will, your question is actually two parts in one. It’s a review of Grant’s work and the alternatives that are accessible. With Jaylinn Hawkins gone from the squad, the only players left are Micah Abernathy and DeMarcco Hellams. As a third safety, Hellams enters the game, but I’m not sure if he’s prepared for Grant’s three-down role.
