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2014 NFL draft thread (no longer too early)

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Steak Snabler, Dec 18, 2013.

  1. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    It is amazing how little has been written about Bridgewater in the last few weeks.

    A lot of people were really high on Mettenberger before he got hurt. I'll be curious how high he goes. I think Boyd could be decent.

    I see McCarron and Murray as serviceable backups and spot starters, both are known for being coachable, so they'll hang around the league for awhile. McCarron could surprise if he walks into the right situation.
     
  2. joe king

    joe king Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    So here's my question: How good are the QBs at the top of this draft? I'd love to see the scouts' grades on them. Do Bridgewater, Bortles and Manziel all really grade out as projected franchise quarterbacks? Do any of them?

    I just wonder if a team drafting in the top five that needs a QB might be better served by addressing another need with that pick (or trading down) and taking, say, Mettenberger later. If he pans out, great, but if not, you've got another shot getting a better prospect next year.

    If you're in the top five and the quarterback is the highest rated player on your board, then by all means take him. But if he's not, I'm not sure any of these guys are strong enough prospects to abandon your board and grab just because you feel you have to take a quarterback.

    Of course, I've completely discounted the public uproar factor and the coach/GM might get fired if they do that and the team bombs factor. So there is that. But I just don't see any gigantic upside in these QBs. I mean, I'm not a scout and I won't get fired if I'm wrong -- which I very well could be -- but I'm still not sold on the three QBs in the top five picks thing.
     
  3. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Manziel strikes me as another RG3. He has the potential to be a huge player, but the chances that he's going to get injured are very high. I don't think too many people will be thinking he can have a long career. I think if he goes to a team like Houston, his chances of succeeding go up considerably than if he's taken by Jax, Cleveland or Oakland.

    I think Bridgewater is the best of the group and probably has the best chance to succeed long term of the three.

    It's hard to know too much about Bortles, but I tend to be a bit wary of the guy who teams have just discovered in the last few months. Teams were aware of him, but they probably haven't been scouting him the way they have for a guy like Bridgewater.

    I don't know if any of these guys are considered "surefire franchise QBs" but that's a tag that is usually reserved for the Andrew Lucks and the Peyton Mannings of the world.

    Of the five guys who are true franchise QBs, Manning (and Luck if he's included...) were the only ones who had that tag coming out of school. Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady certainly didn't or they would have been taken a lot higher.

    Matthew Stafford is a good QB, but he's not a franchise QB. Hell, Sam Bradford was rated higher than almost any of these guys when he came out.
     
  4. joe king

    joe king Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Manziel reminds me of Griffin to an extent but I don't think he's as fast or as smart as Griffin. Griffin also has a stronger arm. Before last year I would have said Griffin is less of a potential head case, but I'm not 100 percent sure of that now. Like Griffin, Manziel gets hit a lot, and yes, is very much at risk for injury.

    If I had to compare him to college QBs headed for the draft, I'd say he's kind of a cross between Griffin and Vince Young.

    And now you know why I am not sold on Johnny Manziel as an NFL quarterback, and certainly not as the No. 1 choice in the draft.
     
  5. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Who, if any, are the college QBs who would be considered better prospects in the 2015 draft than the bunch this year? I honestly have no idea who they are or even if they exist.
     
  6. nmmetsfan

    nmmetsfan Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Maybe Winston?
     
  7. Pancamo

    Pancamo Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Winston, Mariotta and possibly Hundley.
     
  8. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Winston, when he comes out, should be, barring injury or additional legal trouble the runaway No. 1 pick.

    Brett Hundley and Marcus Mariota will also project high as well.

    I'm not sure how Bryce Petty and Braxton Miller are seen as NFL prospects.

    At one point, there was talk that this class would have 6-8 QBs taken in the first round. Now, most mocks have 4-5 being taken.
     
  9. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    With the obvious exception, and a big one it is, of Winston, nothing I saw last season from those other guys you mentioned made me think they were significantly better prospects than the top three QBs in the 2014 draft. So unless a GM is pretty sure his team's going to go 2-14 this season, there's little incentive to wait for a QB if he needs one right now.
     
  10. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    Oh, I agree... I think Hundley and Mariotta would have been high picks this year, but I don't think any are clearly better than any of the four QBs (including Carr) who are likely to go in the first round.

    It's seems to be widely believed that Winston would be the first QB taken if he was draft-eligible this year.
     
  11. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    I put all those guys in the group with, say, Sam Bradford and Matthew Stafford. Good college QBs, decent NFL players who can be starters for a number of years (barring injury, of course), but maybe not future Hall of Famers. Just a guess, of course, Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick and JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 overall..... and that was determined by the "experts".
     
  12. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

    The only two active NFL quarterbacks who were considered clearly better NFL prospects than Sam Bradford were Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

    You could argue for Vick and RG3.
     
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