Devin Gardner to Receiver: Good Idea

I agree with most of what you've written (including the conclusion), but this is condescending and in boring lockstep with what Brian has already said.  I want Denard to stay at QB, too, but Eric Lloyd's "move Denard to WR" idea uses many of the same arguments as this one, is a perfectly reasonable idea to discuss in the offseason, and definitely doesn't warrant you calling him out by name (and photo) as an idiot on a widely read site.

I've made this point before, but one of the things that frustrates me about this site is that it's extremely rare for any of the non-Brian writers to publicly disagree with anything that Brian writes.  I happen to agree with you guys on this point, but it would make for interesting reading if we were to get debates every now and then instead of just dismissive diatribes.

Hoke could use DG like Tannehill - WR only on 3rd down situations to minimize the injury risk.

but I am glad Coach Hoke has to make this decision. Not me. I trust him.

I'm picturing Denard to Devin, back to Denard for 6 ...

YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH KEEPING A FULLY STOCKED BUNKER IN CASE OF NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST?

"if Denard gets hurt, that's a doomsday scenario in and of itself."

Garnder is a decent QB.  Let's remember that last year some people thought he should start while Denard moved to WR because Devin is a better fit in the offense and needed to see the field.  The coaches openly said that Gardner does some things as a passer better than Denard (similar things said by the previous staff too.)  A 5-star backup QB in his 3rd year having to step in for Denard is not doomsday, as we saw last year. 

The chances of 2 QBs getting hurt are indeed slim.  But the chances of a starting QB like Denard and a WR getting hurt - not slim at all.  This happened last year and pretty much every year.  Part of the reason 2 QBs don't get hurt often is that the backup isn't playing!  I obviously can't give you precise math, but the probability of Bellomy playing meaningful snaps more than doubles if Gardner is at WR -- because the probability of Gardner getting hurt doubles.  With Denard, it's not IF he'll get hurt but when.  The chances that Garnder can step in when that happens decrease significantly if he is at WR. 

The worst case scenario here is not Bellomy at QB, it's a walk-on.  That is unlikely but it is possible.

I think he should move to WR because the potential benefits outweight the risks - but let's not act like there's no risk involved in the decision.  If Devin and Denard are both playing there is only 1 scholarship QB available on the bench.  With potential injuries, suspensions, attrition, etc. it's a significant risk to take.  I hope Hoke takes it though.

how bout start russell bellomy and have Denard and gardner out at wr!

I agree with everything you've said, ACE. You also might want to include Kain Colter in that Tannehill part, since he was pretty nasty as a WR last year and will be Northwestern's starter this year. He was pretty good as NU's back up as well. He's a prime example of getting two of your best players on the field at the same time.

Regarding those people who say that Denard should move to WR because that's where he's best suited for the NFL, I'd have to disagree for two reasons. First, it's not what's best for Michigan. Denard wins us games at QB, and while his throwing might not be great, it's good enough to win football games. He's your best player and you're putting the ball into your best player's hand every offensive play. The other reason is that he wants to play there.

Now, regarding Gardner moving to WR. It might be what's best for him. Now, I'll let the coaches decide who is the starting QB after this year, but if Gardner thrives at the WR position and the coaches like what Bellomy does as a back up, wouldn't it make sense for Gardner to stay at WR? Plus, with his size and athleticism, he might be best suited for that position anyway, for Michigan and beyond. I'm not saying that the coaches will take the opportunity to play QB away from Gardner, I'm just saying that he might do well at WR. Ultimately, it's their decision.

I might be a bit biased on Gardner because of SSS, but I want to see more of him doing positive things for the team. Last year, I wanted to see more of him running the ball too instead of handing it off to Denard or Fitz. This might be a way of letting him make plays. He's got the one thing that we're lacking at the skill positions: size. We should give him the opportunity to do something with it.

Just to advance the discussion.

While we can agree that Gardner is a special athlete who will help no matter what, is he really significantly better than Roundtree/Robinson/Jackson/or the Freshman?  He has no real experience at the position afterall.  Maybe the gain at WR is being overstated and the risk of hurting your top backup isn't worth that.

Specifically he said that Bellomy would be taking snaps away from Denard and some from Devin in spring practice because that was when they could afford the time to take a look at him and evaluate him. 

I hate to be repetitive about Borges's presser, but when asked about moving Devin he did not say "Yeah... practices are closed for a reason". The first word was not "yeah". It was not a word. It was a sound that started with a N sound headed toward nah never got there and finished with a ow. It was followed by the comment on closed practices to indicate that further questions about the details of practice were closed. Anyone who believes that Borges expressed a generally positive response to putting Devin on the field as a regular WR (as opposed to special situations) needs to go watch that presser again. 

"Are you experimenting with Devin at other spots?" 

He replies with a slight negative shake of his head "We're doing what we did a year ago pretty much... Devin is the backup quarterback... We're going to do what we have to do to get the best 11 guys on the field. Nothings changed from that persective. We pretty much have the same mentality that we've had". He evidences a slight negative head shake at other moments during that response.

Contrast that to his response to the first question about the center position. You see a slight head nod at a couple of points and a clearly articulated "yeah we do".

Personally, I love the idea of lining Gardner up at WR. Not only would it keep him involved & loose should Denard get dinged, it puts another playmaker on the field. With his athleticism and grasp of the offense already, you'd think he'd be ready to go right away (with some minor position coaching). Why have him just burning eligibility on the bench?

The odds of both Denard & Gardner being hurt at the same time is a situation I'd be willing to roll the dice on.

I really wanted to see DG get a real shot to start last year.  I understand that 99.9% of the fanbase wants to go with the for sure thing, but Denard struggled a lot until the nebraska and ohio games.   IMO devin is a much better "quarterback".  Now I didnt say he plays the position that denard plays any better.  Let me rephrase so I dont get screamed at, DG is a better quarterback by definition of a quarterback.  Put DG under center and run a pro-style with Fitz getting the touches montee ball gets and I think we're a better team.  Watch Devin's film throwing the ball and it will frustrate the hell out of you come fall when denard throws another 1:1 tds to interception like season.  

Any DB staring at a six-fiver spilt out is focusing solely on finding a way to stop the completion, not how am I going to cut him in half. Now, that may be more the mindset of the safeties, but you can tailor routes to limit that possibility - like outs, posts, flags, cornet routes, etc. and avoid sending him on curls and crossing drags.
And again, Devin is a really big and strong athlete.

It's our thinness at WR that really decides this, IMO. If we had, e.g. Manningham or Braylon or Terrell or whomever out there, I think we'd all feel differently about the risk involved in having DG at WR.

Bad idea.  Ace, you talk about Devin losing practice reps, but he'd be losing very needed game reps.  He needs time to advance his QB game on the field, rather than watching the 3rd string QB learn the ropes.

Tannehill is used as comparison, but as Ace notes, Tannehill was a middling recruit.  Let's not forget that Devin was a 5* recruit, the #1 dual-threat QB in the nation.  Further, Tannehill had a red shirt year and RR might have taken that away from Devin (sure hope not).

I'd love to see Devin get some reps at WR, but not (as they say) on the reg.  Let him be a weapon, but he's still a QB...and should be allowed to grow into a dangerous one, just as Denard (for all his, oops another interception, flaws) is doing.

Other examples of recent-to-fairly-recent dual threat QBs switching to WR would include Anquan Bolden and, going a bit farther back, I believe Hines Ward was originally a QB before switching to WR his So. or Jr. year.  They both made the switch full-time and permanently, and both had quite a bit of success.  Obviously citing a few successful examples from history doesn't mean it's a sure thing if DG makes the move, but between those two examples, and the Tannehill example, I am very excited at this potential (probable?) position switch and think the rewards far outweigh the risks.  Plus, watch his WR camp video that Brian posted.  How can you not be excited?

EDIT: Thought of another good example - Marvin McNutt.  He even has a similar body type to DG.  Would love to have a weapon like that split out wide every play.

My only comment on using Denard as a WR is this.....when you run a gimmick play to put him out wide, make the defense respect that by at least ONCE throwing him the ball.  Imagine a deep route with Denard burning a safety. Even better (and sadly improbable) would be a bubble screen to Denard where he's out in space against two DBs with blockers. 

It makes no sense for Denard to play WR full time, but if you put him out there for those gadget plays, at least use him as a WR and not just a guy taking a handoff.

I think the bigger issue isn't whether Gardner would be a good option at WR (from an athletic standpoint he clearly is a good option), but if he would be willing to make the move, and more importantly, make it work.  I know we love to talk about kids just buying in and doing what coaches tell them, but realistically you have to convince him this is a good move for him going forward.  Because if I'm Devin and the coaches say that they want me at WR, they are implicitly saying that I'd be behind Morris and/or Bellomy next year, which would be a heavy dose of reality for a high 4*/5* kid.  And you don't know how he'll respond, but conciously and subconciously, if he is lining up at a position he's not played in years and basically being told that is your new home.  I mean, you don't move a guy to WR for a year and then make him your starting QB the next, or at least you don't do that in this offense.  

Personally, I am all for getting the best 11 on the field, but I also hate the "situational WR" role because it (1) is a dead giveaway to the defense on the types of plays you plan on running, and (2) with such limited practice time, it feels like a waste for an offense that is already hamstrung a bit by the limitations of Denard.  I think Devin will see the field as a WR before it is all said and done, but I hope he isn't moved there permanently because he's still the best bridge the team has between Denard and the Morris era, and for a kid who has suffered through a regime change as jarring as the ones RVB and Martin did, I'd hate to see him not get a chance to play the position he was brought in to occupy.