Reflection on the 2006 NFL Draft, part 1
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by user False Prophet
So I am going to be going over different parts of last year's draft every so often, and eventually give team Report Cards to how it turned out, and a redone draft, where I will go back in time, and act as each GM and decide how teams should have done things using only player production, meaning I won't go back and have the Raiders draft a QB because they are going to have a lot of their current one's get hurt, but have them draft one because Aaron Brooks stinks. So today's topic will be on the Quarterback debate that happened.
So, way back when we all were planning out the draft, we all had an opinion on who should be the first QB drafted, Matt Leinart, Vince Young, or Jay Cutler. Well, while we hoped this debate would end, it still exists.
Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart has had a few big games this year, and has shown a lot of promise to leading an otherwise undefperfoming Arizona Cardinals to victory sometime in the future. The logic for him showing that he is the best of the Rookie Qb's is that he has a decent average stat line and plays on a team that can't do anything but pass, and if he were to play on a team that had a chance of success that he would flourish.
Strengths:
Leinart has shown the abillity to run a Pro offense, probably thanks to the similarities to the offense he ran at USC. The only game I have watched completely of Leinart, I saw that he is able to throw the ball deep enough, something that was thought to be a problem. Leinart is getting on page with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and had a game this year where he threw for 400+ yards. I think that if Fitz was healthy, then they would be sitting at say 4-8 or even 5-7 because he would have another good target to throw to.
Weaknesses:
Leinart might be lacking the confidence that would have come from not holding out during training camp. While his yardage total is not bad (~180/game) he also averages a TD and INT a game, with a 50% completion percentage. This is a problem because it leads me to believe he is not capable of running a successful 2 minnute drill yet, something crucial to a QB's success.
Vince Young
Young is a winner, plain and simple. He has lead his team to a 5-7 record that could get them into the playoffs if they win out (something easy to do if the Patriots have clinched everything). Young has the knowledge that he doesn't need to run all the time, and while he still scrambles, does so in a way similar to McNabb or Young or Moon.
Strengths:
Young is mobile, and has proven as a rookie that he can run and throw in the pros. Young is all ready able to carry his team on his back, and is able to hang with any team. Young lead the largest 4th Quarter comeback by a rookie in league history, and just knows what it takes to win.
Weaknesses:
Young's stat line is not impressive, ~130 yrds, .8 TD's, .8 INT's, 29 yrds rushing, .4 TD. Young's strength's are not quite that strong, as he is 5-4 as a starter, with only 2 good wins. Sometimes I feel like he is focusing in to much on one reciever, although that may not always be the case.
Jay Cutler
He is currently in the middle of his first start, so I won't add quite as much depth to this one. Cutler has speed, and has the ability to get the Job done, but he also makes some pretty stupid mistakes, especially when he threw the ball half way down to the ground.
My opinion:
I like Young the best so far. He has beaten the Colts, and has seemed to injected energy into his team. Leinart I look at, and I see a Great QB, but I don't see the same things I see in Young in him. Cutler looks like a rookie, and will wait and see before analyzing him. Bruce Gradkowski I think is currently the third best rookie QB. He has to get something done down in Tampa, or otherwise it won't matter whether or not he is a capable starter.
Now, I ask everyone else to rank the three of them with your reasons as a comment below.
