Sure. My point is that I think based on what DeBoer has said, he does think Milroe is a QB. He called him the headliner. He didn't have to say that he could have been more vague if he wanted. Also I think we've seen some movement at CB with Hurley being moved down for Brown IIRC. But I might be confused there. It also would make sense to be slower in moving QBs around.
I am not saying he loves Milroe as his starter or will start him. But I don't think its too early to say DeBoer thinks Milroe is a QB.
I get what you are saying, and am not familiar with that exact comment and the context in which it was made, but I think what others are referring to is that a majority of the time, the media is asking specifically about Milroe when DeBoer makes these statements. it's most often - "How is Milroe doing with learning the new system" or something like that. It's almost never more generic questions about "how is the QB room progressing". So when asked specifically about JM, he answers. I also think he's trying to build all of them up, so isn't going to say anything bad, and is going to go out of his way to try to increase their confidence instead of decrease it. Interestingly, often when asked about Milroe, he seems to go out of his way to talk about the entire QB room as well.
Saban did the same thing in talking about the progress they all made and how hard they were working and so forth, but we know now that Saban and the staff told both Milroe and Simpson in their end of spring 1-1 meetings that they were not where they needed to be and that the team would be looking at transfers and would help either of them transfer out if they wanted to.
I'd not say Milroe isn't a QB like some have, but the question is can he develop to be a good QB? No one knows at this point, really. The past body of work isn't that great. His year as a starter had the lowest overall offensive output in the last 10+ years, and the second lowest passing yardage (behind only Hurts), but it's a new era, with a new approach and a new scheme with new coaches and hopefully JM gets a handle on the areas he needs to develop.
There's a coaching adage that changing motor behavior has to be done in the offseason and it takes 60 reps a day, for 60 straight days of just that one thing to have any chance to stick.
the really hard part that I don't think most people realize is that OUR (or any) staff is pretty limited in what they can do to help JM in his development. During spring, the coaches can't spend extra time with any players - there is a limit per week that players are allowed to be 'coached' and that's consumed with team practices. Once spring is over, the on field coaches are not allowed to work directly with ANY players (JM included) until summer camp starts. There is allowable time for meetings and such but even that is very limited.
There is no on-field, with equipment (which means a ball)
training allowed with or under the supervision of the team coaches. Our coaches can really just tell a player: here are the 5 things you need to improve before summer. I guess a player might be able to video stuff and have a coach watch it and provide feedback. Strength and conditioning can be supervised, but again, no on field and no 'football equipment' can be used. That means most of the development and progress required will be on JM and/or whatever private coach he works with. We know he's more than willing to put in the work, but he's been doing that, with other private coaches, for years without much progress in some really key areas.
IMHO, the biggest thing JM must do, is do everything faster. When you watch him compared to other QBs, he's slower at all the steps from snap to release. he's slower in his drop steps, he's slower getting the ball into position, he's slower at getting his feet set correct and his body aligned - slower at just about everything except the actual release (from pull back to release) which isn't that bad (this isn't just an opinion, I've stopwatched it) and it's literally on every throw we see in practice and I think why he had the slowest snap to throw time in FBS last year according to PFF. That seems to be the root of everything since if he's not in the right position and alignment on time and in sync with the routes, he's not going to be in a position to make the throw on time (i.e. looks like he missed a read, etc). Again, just my opinion, but he needs a coach, or a player, or friend or whatever, who will stand there with a stop watch and time snap-to-release for every rep he takes when he's working on his own and if it's not less than 2 seconds, it doesn't count and JM doesn't stop until he gets 60 reps with reasonably correct drop steps, ball positioning, foot positioning and body positioning etc that day and he does that for 60 days straight.