Help me understand why players leave their team and want to go somewhere else when a man like coach Fran Brown (and his new staff members) is hired to replace an embattled one.
Is it to pay respects to the fired head man, is it because they feel that they will be overlooked and not be chosen to step on the turf or is it because they never really liked where they were and want another fresh start.
I mean what’s better, a new beginning staying at a familiar place with your original team brothers and playing for a proven dynamic young coach or playing at a unfamiliar location with your new adopted family hoping that they will see you in a new light and love you?
I am truly shaking my head at this course of action.
Why?
This isn't about any player running away from the new coaches. This is about the new coach taking advantage of an opportunity to purge and rebuild the roster.
Coach Fran met with every player the first week after being hired. Coaches have also been reviewing game film, practice film and actual practices as the team has been preparing for the bowl game to evaluate current players.
This week Coach Fran started meeting with players to have "the talk". Coach also met with a couple of players who have been on the fence about staying (guys who have graduated but still have eligibility) or leaving (NFL or portal). Word is Coach Fran definitely left those guys with something to think about.
Coach then met with players who he and his staff don't think will have the opportunity of play much, if at all, at Syracuse. If you want to play, you're going to need to go somewhere else to find that playing time. Players basically have a few options.
- Stay at SU and finish your education. The school will pick up the scholarship, but the young man will not be part of the football program.
- If the player wants to continue playing, enter the portal and look for a new home. Some of these guys will not get picked up before the spring semester. If that happens, they too can stay at SU until they do get picked up. Hopefully they picked SU in the first place because of the education opportunities.
- Staying at SU and trying to prove the coach wrong usually isn't an option.
Coach started these conversations this week so players who want to hit the portal can have more time to find a fit. A couple of guys were already planning to leave, but the majority of the guys who are in the portal are there because they had "the talk."
What will be worth watching for in the spring is the guys who are no longer on the roster but did not enter the portal. Guys who decided to stay at SU without being part of the football program. I can think of a few who might fit this category already (guys who may have had the talk but haven't hit the portal, yet).
Enjoy the ride.
Go Orange!
