The traditional Airing of Grievances begins.

And what, I ask you, would a disappointing start be without a little player disgruntlement about playing time?  Marcus Dowtin, come on down.

… Dowtin doesn’t think the coaches are comfortable with him on the field at all times, he said.

“Yeah, I would say I feel like they don’t trust me,” he said. “What their reasons are, that’s between them. But you know, like I said, I’m just asking that they keep coaching me and eventually one of those days give me a shot to do what I can do.”

There’s a little part of me that actually takes some encouragement from that, at least if it’s an indication that Grantham’s insistence on a return to a meritocracy to earn playing time.  And it’s worth pointing out that the two other inside linebackers he’s rotating with are Dent, who’s having an excellent year, and Robinson, who, while not being the strongest kid on the field, has shown a propensity to line up and run the play properly.

Dowtin did try to walk his comment back a little, but, still, that whole tirade comes off sounding like one of those “Damn, son, I don’t think I would have said that” moments.  Grantham and Belin don’t strike me as the types who celebrate Festivus.

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