MU's Gabbert Goes Pro/Year of the QB-- NFL Draft Thread 11

I don't remember Montana being fast.

In the last 20 years I can think of Young and Rodgers.

 

History says that teams that get a qood quarterback with the number one pick have no kick coming. It's by far the position with the most overall number one picks, yet a relatively small number of Hall of Famers have come out of it, eight or nine, I think, depending on whether one counts P. Manning.
I mean, Drew Bledsoe was far from a Hall talent, but he was a good quarterback for the Patriots, and they were far better off drafting him than Rich Mirer. Vinny Testaverde had an OK career, just none of it for the Bucs.

 

There are plenty of teams that don't have a quarterback - but just drafting one of these guys is no guarantee that it will solve the problem. I'd argue the Panthers would be better off standing pat with what they at qb and draft a guy who will help the people they have be better. Better to pass on an iffy prospect than tie your team's progress down for at least two years with your fingers crossed.

 

Let's see... Let's go since 1980...

Elway - A+
Testaverde - B-
Aikman - A
George - C
Bledsoe - B
Manning - A+
Couch - D
Vick - B+
Carr - D
Palmer - B-
Manning - A-/B+
Smith - D
Russell - F-
Stafford - C+ (so far)
Bradford - A (so far)

 

Dan, the NFL Network last night showed the Panthers' 2010 passing stats. They were unbelievably bad -- passer rating under 60, nine TD passes for the season -- 30th or lower in every category. Your argument is not without merit, but not picking a QB is going to lead a significant percentage of fans to conclude the team is going to be just as awful in 2011 as it was last year. That's a real risk, too.
One more thing. There is as much risk in drafting players at other positions as there is at QB, the risk just isn't as visible to outsiders. I agree it's better to pick a sure thing if you can, but sure things are very, very, very rare regardless of what position they play.

 

If there is a position in the draft that is as hit and miss (if not moreso) than QB it's defensive tackle.

 

First offensive and defensive players selected these years...

* = right choice

* Elway (Dickerson, Billy Ray Smith)
Testaverde (* Cornelius Bennett, Zo Highsmith)
* Aikman - (Tony Mandarich, Derrick Thomas)
George (Blair Thomas, * Cortez Kennedy)
* Bledsoe (Rick Mirer, Marvin Jones)
* Manning -(Ryan Leaf, Andre Wadsworth)
Couch - (Donovan McNabb, * Champ Baily)
* Vick - (Leonard Davis, Gerard Warren)
Carr - (Joey Harrington, * Julius Peppers)
* Palmer -(Charles Rodgers, Dewayne Robertson)
* Eli Manning - (Robert Gallery, Sean Taylor)
Smith - (* Ronnie Brown, Pacman Jones)
Russell - (* Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams)
Stafford - C+ (so far)
Bradford - A (so far)

 

Then trade for a QB.
I can not see how taking Newton is going to improve those passing numbers in 2011.

 

Jason Whitlock is gonna kick your ass.

 

I didn't need to see the passing stats. Watching the games was more scarring. Almost as much as those stupid blue jerseys.

Cam Newton is anything but a slam dunk, but since ESPN was showing some college football replays, I did take a look at some Auburn footage. It wasn't pretty. The run plays for Newton won't exist in the NFL ... most of his running will come because he held on to the ball too long or the receivers can't get open. It won't be by design. Worse ... did Auburn have any really organized passing game? The stuff I saw Newton doing won't translate to the NFL, unless translation means interception after interception.

I question if Newton can fully understand a playbook. I question Newton's general maturity level and I question if he has "it." Sure, Gene Chizik will claim he does. And that means?

 

George is such an interesting case. He was so talented, but such a complete piece of garbage as a human being. Of the No. 1 picks that weren't successful (I'll stop short of calling him a bust) I think George was the most surprising. Guys like George are the reason why Ryan Mallett will be waiting a long time this weekend.

 

One more thing about Newton, although it's not just about him. More and more colleges and way more high schools than that, are going to the spread. It is all that an increasing number of successful college QBs (and there can be no argument Newton and Tebow were that) will have ever known. NFL teams are either going to have to accept that when you draft such a specimen, regrooving them to the pro game is part of the cost of doing business OR limit the talent pool for QBs which is already damn near dry.