Nobody seem to be able to tell me what's wrong with Bridgewater other than he didn't participate in the combine.
This hit the nail on the head, the only thing I differ on is that the other QB I would take ahead of him also would be ZM. To be fair lets see what EJ Manuel does in his second year, he put a hurting on the jets defense with a very bad receiving corp last year.
A QB that went in the second round last year in a weak QB draft class (was not the first QB selected) would be ahead of the Qbs that may go in the top 10 this year in what is considered a strong QB class? Sure I buy that
This isn't a strong QB class. It doesn't have a great prospect at the top headlining things and it doesn't have any consensus as to who will be a good starting NFL QB. The difference between this year and last year is that teams at the top need QB's badly. Last year none of the top teams was desperate for a QB. That's feeding the frenzy at this point and even then the frenzy is muted because there's no Carson Palmer or Eli Manning or Andrew Luck at the top of the class. The Texans just went 2-14 with bad QB play a big part of the picture. They have the #1 pick. Who are they going to take? If it was truly a great year for QB's we'd know exactly who was going to be the pick by now and yet instead of that we have 3 names floated in rotation as their pick while the owner talks up Clowney. This is an average QB class. It's more like 2011 than anything else, although nobody really has the whole package physically the way Cam Newton did. We didn't even know Newton was going #1 until shortly before the draft. He was a 1st rounder but nobody knew where until Carolina finally decided they had to take him.
I don't understand why folks feel the compulsion to imagine Geno more than what he was/is. He was INCREDIBLE value at 39, he's got a great arm, he's athletic, he's tough, he throws a beautiful ball--why isn't that enough? I've never querstioned any of that--my biggest issue with him is his football IQ and his release and accuracy--at times. He fixes those and he learns to read defenses better--he could have a pretty high ceiling. Does it make you feel better by imagining the Jets had him rated at 16? Preposterous--if the Jets had him at 16 they would have taken him at 13. As QB strapped as the Jets were, you don't let your top rated QB--the 16th player on your board--get past you at 13. If you truly had him at 22--again--your franchise QB--you move heaven and earth to move up to get him--you don't HOPE he falls to 39. In the 20s up to 39 you had the Vikings drafting TWICE, you had Jacksonville, you had the Titans, the Eagles, you had another 4-5 teams drafting just after 39 that could have moved up for the guy--you do NOT let that happen if your franchise was 22 on your board and you wait till 39. The BAP is not the BAP, written in stone, when you are talking franchise QB for a QB strapped franchise. The Jets didn't have him as a first rounder--I have no evidence of that other than they didn't take him when they had the luzury of 2 picks, nor move up to get him. Nor did anyone else. It's just as likely that the Jets had Geno in the 40s but felt that he was worth the reach to get him at 39--that he wouldn't last another whole round. Who knows for sure? No one here. I keep hearing how at one point he was the number 1 pick of the draft--but never from a real NFL person--from draftniks and fans--number 1 QBs don't fall from the number 1 pick to 39 unless he set a baby on fire. And probably not just 1 baby. And Teddy is only 5% better than Geno? That's nonsense, again made up to make us feel better. We're not getting Teddy--no shot--but to say Geno is just slightly lesser of a QB is just silly. The only knock on Teddy is his size and he's going to end up being pretty much exactly Geno's size. Similar arm, quicker release, much better accuracy, just as athletic but a whole lot higher football IQ. Can't really compare Geno to Manziel--Johnny Football is going to bust or star--anybodies guess is as good as anyone elses. Geno may have a much better career, or much worse--they are different guys. I think the better comparison is Carr. Carr's biggest issue is whether he can handle pressure. Similar size, both have huge arms, both athletic, both came from non-NFL offenses. Bortles who knows? Danny Kannel said this am he'd take him over all the other QBs and develop him--he has franchise anchoring qualites written all over him. I guess it also makes folks feel better about Geno by trying to downgrade this class--which is very strong and deep--when compared to how utterly weak last years class was. Hey, if it makes you feel better, that's your peragotive. I've always felt you draft QBs in strong QB classes, not in weak ones. We may have lucked out with Geno, time will tell. But last years class was awful compared to this class (go back and look at some of the dregs that were drafted and then cut or not even drafted that some folks thought were 3-4th rounders). Who knows, Garapolo may turn out to be better than anyone in last years class. _
It's just folks trying to convince themselves to feel better about Geno--which really isn't necessary. You have to same folks trotting out that this is an average class, but if so, last years was the worst class in the history of the draft. It was awful. Manuel as the only first rounder--and a first rounder at that? Really? ? Mike Glennon as the best QB out of that class? I loved Ryan Nassib at my school, but he's an awful QB. Tyler Wilson was drafted in the FOURTH round and he got CUT. Matt Barkley is horrible. Folks here were talking about Tyler Bray in the 4th round and he didn't even get drafted. There are 6-7 QBs in this drtaft who are going to be better than anyone--other than Geno--out of that class. Folks need to rationalize I guess. _
I said 2011 earlier but you could also make a case for 2008. Bridgewater is Matt Ryan and Bortles is Joe Flacco under that scenario. If Manziel hadn't come out as a sophomore that's probably where we'd be. Manziel is the big wild card because there is so much hype around him right now. It'd be easy for a good management team to take him early and surround him with a ton of talent and have it work out. It'd also be easy for a clueless club to grab him and have the whole thing go splat on them.
Hey sg3, some of us watch a LOT of college football, some of us even go to several games a year. I get it, you and Mitch don't like this class but no one is saying it's 1983 all over again. _
the only team that i could think of that could of traded up was the raiders and jaguars and they had WAYYYYY too many holes to trade up. it was never going to happen
But you also had the Vikings who had 2 picks before 39, you had Philly, the Browns, arguably the Titans as well as the Raiders. The Jags had a WORSE QB situation than the Jets and they passed him up at the top of round 2--he was sitting there waiting to be taken by them and they took a free safety--one of the easiest positions on the field to fill. How anyone could say that a team, any team drafting before 39 that needed a QB and passed on him for any reason other than he wasn't worthy of it is silly. If Geno was a first round talent, or in some people's mind an early or mid first round QB--there is NO WAY Jacksonville passes on him. I'm sorry, that's just not credible. He went where he should have and likely nobody had him rated much higher. If he was, someone--maybe the Jets--go up and get him. We lucked out and got tremendous value--let's not pretend it's anything more than that. _
I think the strength of this QB draft class is overblown. It is a very DEEP QB class but honestly there's no top-end, potential superstar quarterbacks.
the vikings still had christian ponder, who was their first round pick from 2 years earlier. they weren't giving up and trading up for geno that early. the only questionable team to pass on Geno was the jaguars, that's really it but yeah, we did get amazing value for Geno so im thankful for that
Ponder was terrible and if Geno was truly looked at as a franchise QB, they would never have had to have traded up for him--they would have just grabbed him--they had 2 picks--the 25th and the 29th in round 1--late 1st round picks. That's a no brainer. Philly was absolutley looking at QB because nobody knew what they had in Foles and Vick was an injury risk and they were 4 slots before us. The Bucs were obviously looking for a QB and they were only 4 slots behind us in round 2. The Cards were 6 slots behind us and had already gotten Cooper in the first round. The Raiders were absolutely looking QB because they took a guy and cut him in training camp--they were 3 slots behind us. There were plenty of QB needy teams that needed Geno as much as we did and they either skipped over him more than once like us or did nothing to move up a few slots to grab him, just as we didn't. We got him where we should have gotten him. Early -mid 2nd round. Nobody had him mid first round. Other than fans wanting to feel better about the pick, which isn't necessary. _
Whoever picks Manziel has just just upgraded at starter or back up. You can't coach speed or confidence.
I think Zach Mettenberger is going to be the best QB coming out of this years draft. Coached well, in a pro style offense, has size and a rocket for an arm.
