Ryan or Mcfadden ?

Hmm. Actually take time to ponder the Jets' draft conundrum, or ...



Click ...

 

Unless you're Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Big Ben (though he did have some buzz), Brett Favre was an under-the-radar pick, Derek Anderson came from nowhere, Kurt Warner bagged groceries and played Arena ball, David Garrard has always been in the background, Jake Delhomme didn't draw that many fans in college ...

... I'm not so sure quarterbacks need a decent amount of sustained hype in college to be good pros.

 

Only because of the presence of the much-hyped Drew Henson.

 

In defense of the Michigan staff, didn't they have to play Daddy's Boy Henson over him? Since Daddy was some big powerful doofus? (Edit: Damn you Slappy!)

As for the contention that you have to have a star QB to win...I think don't think that's been the case for a while. Just look at the Super Bowls:

2007: Giants vs. Patriots (one elite QB, one guy who was a giant question mark six weeks before raising the Lombardi)
2006: Colts vs. Bears (one elite QB, one Rex Grossman)
2005: Steelers vs. Seahawks (Roethlisberger wasn't anywhere near elite at the time of the title, Hasselbeck is an excellent tier two QB who also had the all-time TD champ in the backfield)
2004: Patriots vs. Eagles (two elite QBs)
2003: Patriots vs. Panthers (Brady and a very good system QB in Delhomme)
2002: Buccaneers vs. Raiders (Brad Johnson was good, not great, and Gannon was a great system QB)
2001: Patriots vs. Rams (Brady wasn't elite yet, Warner was)
2000: Ravens vs. Giants (Dilfer vs. Kerry Collins? Not quite Staubach vs. Bradshaw)
1999: Rams vs. Titans (Warner vs. Steve McNair, a guy who had an awesome playoff run)
1998: Broncos vs. Falcons (John Elway, HOFer, vs. Chris Chandler, first guy to ever start for six teams)
1997: Broncos vs. Packers (Elway vs. Favre)

The only game that matched sure-fire HOFers was the '97 SB. McNabb is--or was--elite, but a HOFer? Doubtful.

I think egomaniacal coaches are looking more for the QB that fits their system than a QB worth designing a system around.

 

Eh, I'll admit that it's going to be hard for me to try to prove my point, especially cause football hasn't long since been my thing. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that people knew of JaMarcus Russell (and Brady Quinn, even) for quite some time. Vince Young and Matt Leinart were in the public's mind for two years. Alex Smith was doing big things at Utah for more than a year, Byron Leftwich was a big deal at Marshall and Eli Manning was, probably due in part to his pedigree, hyped up.

The only exception I can think of lately is Jay Cutler, who really exploded on the national scene as a senior. But I still don't think he's among the top 12 quarterbacks in the league.

 

raiders pick mcfadden and this thread means nothing.

 

People knew about Ron Powlus for four years.

In none of those years, BTW, did he win the Heisman. Thank you very much, Beano Cook.

 

Also, you can't go around throwing out guys like Tony Romo and Jake Delhomme, because they weren't legitimate first-round picks. What I'm saying, before the quote function went awry in bending words, is that good quarterbacks who are worth a top 10 pick had more than one good college season.

Romo and Delhomme do not fit that bill, for they were not in that group. Colt Brennan had two years of success, as did Chad Henne, but they are not in that first-round discussion. Carson Palmer, for example, had two years of success and panned out as a first-round pick.

Perhaps I'm not making this clear, for I'm insanely tired. Perhaps it's just my own way of thinking. I guess the result is that I don't think Matt Ryan is legimately worthy of the position he's slotted by the "experts," that's all.

 

If Matt Ryan weren't a qb (best available) he wouldn't be getting half as much run. I don't think he's a game-changer and for the amount of money you would have to pay him in the top half of the first round, I don't think you'll get the return on the investment.

 

I'd go neither and try to get a defensive lineman. This year's draft has a couple of true star-quality prospects.

 

Except the top three likely will be gone. And even if the Raiders take McFadden, the Chiefs would surely take the top DL who drops to them at 5 -- be it Dorsey, Long or Gholston. Then, if you're the Jets, do you take Ellis at 6 when you could draft the top-rated QB and the top-rated RB is gone? In that scenario, I'd trade down and try to pick up another second- or third-rounder.