[phightin]

Originally Posted by Bobbuttons

Once again, I ask... HOW has your opinion on what kind of qb Quinn will be in the NFL been proven true? As I said, he's played two full NFL games. In two NFL games, you can't make a definitive decision on anybody. I'm not saying one way or the other how he will be throughout his career, but I do know that I nobody has seen enough of him against NFL defenses to say.

My opinion of Quinn was also the opinion of 31 other NFL teams that didn't want any parts of him in the 1st round. Mind you that I'm not going to say he cant be a serviceable qb one day, but in terms of where they picked him the browns way overreached and it can be seen in the gaping areas they have all over their team. So in terms of where he was taken based on the other players available and the browns current situation, ie the worst offensive line in football, there were less sexy but far better picks they could have made.

Originally Posted by jbergey22

This is same reason guys like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner (and the list goes on) get overlooked while busts like Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, and David Carr happen on a regular basis. The NFL is putting too much emphasis in things like Arm Strength and forgetting what seperates the great QBs. Teams would rather take a chance on someone with a huge arm and great height over a guy that has proved he is capable of reading a defense, more importantly anticipate a defense and still make all the throws even if they arent as pretty. All I can really say about Quinn is he can make every pass he needs to and is much better at anticipating the defense than most qbs his age. You cant compare the talent Russell and Leinart had around them to what Quinn had. Its pretty easy to see how important Quinn was when u look at ND's record with him and now their record the past 2 years without him.

Firstly, all the qbs you named who were successful Drew Brees is the only one without very good arm strength. Sure Brady may not have the strongest arm, but is in fact strong enough by nfl standards and Warner actually has a cannon. In terms of the busts besides Leaf all of the others had very suspect arm strength and thus proved unable to make throws at the nfl level. Guys like Cade McNown, Tim Couch and countless other high picks didnt have the arm strength and didnt pan out. Cade McNown Page: NFL
1999 Draft Picks
Sure there are a few exceptions to the rule ie Jeff Garcia and Chad Pennington, but the bottom line is if I had to choose between two equal prospects at qb I'd take the guy with superior arm strength any day largely due that it is impossible to get a feel for how a guy will be able to read coverages at the nfl level, but that at the very least can be learned etc, arm strength can not. You want a guy who can make all the throws because while it doesnt guarantee success it gives you the best odds of the pick succeeding.

Originally Posted by marc

Arm strength is one of the most overrated things that gets looked at.

It's why when the Lions draft Stafford this year, they will continue to suck for another decade.

In fact, I'm really not sure why teams continue to take QB's in the top 5 of the draft as frequently as they do. Yes, it's the most important position on the field but the risk factor is just insane, especially with the NFL's horrible salary structure.

Go take a look at teams that have taken a QB in the top 5 of the draft and missed, it's absolutely devastating and in just about every single case has set the franchise back 5 or more years.

For every Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb, there are five Akili Smith's.


There's really no perfect way to evaluate QB's, if there was, the success rate wouldn't be as ridiculously low as it is right now for highly drafted quarterbacks.
My opinion is that you build a team first and THEN insert a QB, preferably through free agency, trade, or a draft choice outside of the top 5-10. Too many teams want to do it the other way around and end up really hurting the franchise over the long term.

As I stated before about arm strength it is not overrated. Trust me while it doesn't embrace the typical mantra the underdog coming through, it does in fact give NFL teams the best odds of taking a great qb. Look at the recent great qbs and almost all have great or at the very least above average arm strength. Like I said before the NFL scouts are finally starting to get it right by not judging college qbs by their success and system they played in during college but instead by their qualities. Roethlisberger, Flacco, Ryan, and even arguably Cutler have all proven to be good picks that have worked out and all have great arm strength. If the Lions took Stafford, while I wouldn't agree at all with taking him #1, I would say they in all likelihood took the best qb in the draft. However, I couldn't agree more with your last point. It is much too difficult to judge qbs, and impossible to get a feel for how they'll react to nfl defenses and coverages etc. Thus it is highly problematic to take a qb with a high draft pick and you can see it as not many qbs are able to play at the nfl level. Thats why the safest picks and best picks over time have proven to be OLs DLs LBs and RBs. anything else is asking for a lot of luck to workout.