Hey guys
This is a guest article by Dominic who is a new writer here at NFL Down Under.
Apart from the fact that he is a Redskins fan, Dominic really knows his NFL so feel free to welcome him by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Stay tuned for more NFL draft goodness as we count down the last few days leading up to the big day at Radio City Music Hall.
Teams would do well not to lose their heads this NFL draft.
The quarterback in the NFL draft is more often than not the most hyped and highly coveted pick for teams undergoing a rebuilding process. The chance to set your franchise up for the next decade with the perfect play caller is a tempting option for any GM or owner looking to revitalise a team. This is a position that can be found in many teams going into 2010 with the St Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills all looking for the QB of the future and all having top 10 picks.
With this in mind it is important for teams to step back, not allow themselves to be taken up by the hype and truly analyse how well the rookie player might fit into their system. History has shown that for every amazing first round pick QB such as Peyton Manning there has been equally horrid busts such as JaMarcus Russell or *shudder* Ryan Leaf. While their careers have vastly differed these players have one thing in common: they were highly touted at the time and paid astonishing amounts of money. Poorly picking a franchise QB in most cases can set a team back years, especially if they traded away later draft picks to move up in order to claim their bust or used up too large a chunk of their salary cap to later attract free agents.
Many forget Tom Brady was a 7th round Draft Pick. The only way to stop him is give him a season ending injury. 2008. Best year ever.
The inherent dangers then should be something all managers are aware of before committing a hideous amount of money and their franchise’s future to one boy in his early twenties. A point only made clearer by the apparent randomness of a franchise QB’s position in the draft. One only needs to look to the Patriot’s Tom Brady for an example: drafted 198th in the 7 round in 2002 he has earned three Superbowl rings and is often referred to as the greatest QB of the last decade, arguably the greatest ever. Recent retiree Kurt Warner was not even drafted and eventually picked up as a free agent from the Arena Football League team Iowa Barnstormers, he went on to multiple Superbowl appearances and one ring. These two examples are obviously not the norm but it’s clear that a franchise QB can be found anywhere, not just in the first round.
Looking recently at the first round quarterback picks one certainly has reason to think that their franchise can be revitalised by grabbing a play caller. In 2008 Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan had astonishingly good rookie years for the Ravens and Falcons respectively. Both players earned their teams winning records with Flacco’s Ravens now making two consecutive playoff berths.
However we must look at the teams they were drafted to as well. The Ravens boasted one of the best defences in the league led by Ed Reed and Ray Lewis and their success could easily be attributed to the aggressive and hard hitting defence rather than the play calling from the young QB. The Falcons too benefited from the explosion from the trucking running back Michael Turner who exploded for over 1700 yards in 2008.
Last year Mark Sanchez, a rookie QB picked 5th overall also made the playoffs in his first year, but it was not due to his arm, nor his play calling, but the dynamic impact of new Head Coach Rex Ryan and his ‘Jet’s Football’ style run heavy offence. Finally the 1st pick of last years draft, Matt Stafford, a player with a cannon for a arm and unbelievable heart only managed to lead his team to a 2-14 record. His team, unlike the other examples did not already have established talent to help him in his rookie year (other than the brilliant Calvin Johnson). He also started the year with a 74 million dollar contract. No kidding. While I don’t believe he is a bust, quite the opposite, he does serve as a reminder that a shining new QB will not automatically fix a struggling franchise’s problems, at least not immediately.
Sam Bradford: Staying for his Senior year and suffering a season ending injury was merely a cunning ploy to (somehow) increase his draft rating. It worked.
This year in the 2010 draft we are not short on QB talent either: Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow all look to have solid NFL careers. But all have their baggage too: Bradford injured his shoulder, Clausen his toe, McCoy his shoulder also (during his National Championship Game no less) and Tebow’s throwing mechanics have long been under scrutiny. There is no ‘perfect’ option as much as the media and scouts would have us believe and nobody really knows how well a new QB will do in the NFL until they actually start, and by then it might be too late.
When teams look at this years draft class and find themselves with a chance to pick a juicy new QB they should first ask themselves: are they drafting the best player for their team or just the best QB available? If he is only the best QB then perhaps they should reconsider, and look at the team as a whole picture, instead of just the (really) expensive guy throwing the ball around.
Shortlink:
(click to copy)
Matt Caelli:
marZey:
Dominic: