LTCTerry,
What you describe is essentially the Boeing Pilot Development Program (which won't have the issue of how to get people to 1500 hrs), announced about a year ago. It's not designed for the US market nor, as I've been told by my contact, will it replace existing ab initio programs like LH et al.
The problem here now is getting people from a fresh CPL/IR/MEL to the required 1500/1250/1000 for the ATP. This gap is mentioned in the linked article:
Boeing Announces Ab Initio Flight Training Program
I guess JB will have to explain how they intend to address that gap.