Charlie Casserly. Whether you like his abilities as a talent evaluator or not, whether you think he's a loon or not, he's basically saying the same thing I've been saying--that there are at least 7 QBs better in this class than even the best QB in last year's class (other than Geno of course who is better than anyone since Luck and then Peyton before him). Leading to my overall theory, you don't draft QBs in weak QB classes, you draft them in STRONG QB classes (we just happened to totally luck out last year). BTW, I think he's underrating Murray who he didn't list. And Boyd is probably better than all but 2 or 3 from last year as well. Other than Geno, who is phenominal, think about the crap that got drafted last year--or didn't get drafted-- Manuel (oooof), Glennon (best performing rookie last year and ALREADY replaced), Barkley (awful--won't beat out Sanchez), Nassib (career backup), Tyler Wilson (cut), Landry Jones (?), a bunch of seventh rounders, Tyler Bray (not even drafted)--an AWFUL class. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...-qbs-in-2014-draft-rate-higher-than-ej-manuel http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...uel-would-be-the-no-8-qb-in-this-draft-class/ Charley Casserly: 7 QBs in 2014 draft rate higher than EJ Manuel EyeOn Football Charley Casserly: 7 QBs in 2014 draft rate higher than EJ Manuel By Ryan Wilson | CBSSports.com April 11, 2014 11:02 am ET [iframe style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 78px; HEIGHT: 20px; VISIBILITY: visible; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" title="fb:like Facebook Social Plugin" height=1000 src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/lik...ampsend=false&show_faces=false&width=70" frameBorder=0 width=70 allowTransparency name=fa2c94fcbbad5a scrolling=no] Would EJ Manuel be the 8th-best QB in this draft class? At least one person thinks so. (USATSI) More NFL offseason: Mock Drafts | Prospect Rankings | Pro days | Top free agents A year ago, EJ Manuel was the first quarterback taken and the only one to go in the first round. But according to NFL Network contributor and former NFL general manager Charley Casserly, Manuel would be the eighth-best quarterback in the 2014 draft. "I've got a lot of guys rated ahead of (Manuel) based on their college career and based on Manuel's college career," Casserly said on Thursday's Path to the Draft. "[Teddy] Bridgewater, [Blake] Bortles, [Johnny] Manziel, [Derek] Carr, [Jimmy] Garoppolo and [AJ] McCarron -- I've got them all rated ahead of EJ Manuel coming out a year ago. And you know what, LSU quarterback [Zach] Mettenberger, I've got him ahead of Manuel, too." Last April, the Bills traded down in the first round and got Manuel 16th overall. He started 10 games as a rookie, completed 58.8 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and ranked 37th in total QB value, according to Football Outsiders (which was better than Case Keenum, Matt Flynn and Joe Flacco). But Manuel, who was slowed by a knee injury midway through the season, showed glimpses of franchise quarterback potential, and general manager Doug Whaley has stated repeatedly that the team isn't in the market for a quarterback. And coach Doug Marrone, who, like Manuel, is heading into his second season, thinks we'll see a much-improved quarterback in 2014. "It's going to be unbelievable," Marrone said, via the BuffaloNews.com's Tim Graham. "It's the biggest benefit that you can have. "I love the way [Manuel's] going about his business right now. He's learned a lot. It was a new experience for him. ... He's a very bright kid, a very prideful kid. I think all those experiences that happened to him -- all the adversity, the challenges with the injuries, preparing for that first away game, the two-minute drive to win the game against Carolina -- all these things tell him, 'OK, I know what I have to do to get better.' ... He's hungrier now than he's been before." It's worth pointing out that Casserly was the GM in Houston when the Texans used the first-overall pick in 2002 on David Carr, and was at the helm in Washington when the Redskins used the No. 3 pick in 1994 on quarterback Heath Shuler. If you're in the talent-evaluation business, those are two names whose NFL careers don't exactly freshen up your resume. Then again, as PFT's Michael David Smith notes, "Just because a GM has made bad picks doesn't mean he lacks knowledge about the draft evaluation process." Put another way: This is the latest example of why the draft is more art than science. Casserly claims EJ Manuel would be the No. 8 QB in this draft class Posted by Michael David Smith on April 11, 2014, 9:08 AM EDT Last year, EJ Manuel was the top quarterback in the NFL draft, and the only one to go off the board in the first round, taken No. 16 overall by the Bills. This year, one former NFL general manager says Manuel would be way, way down the list. Former Houston and Washington General Manager Charley Casserly says this year’s draft class has at least seven quarterbacks who are better prospects than Manuel: Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, Eastern Illinois’s Jimmy Garoppolo, Alabama’s A.J. McCarron and LSU’s Zach Mettenberger. “I’ve got a lot of guys rated ahead of him based on their college career and based on Manuel’s college career,” Casserly said, via Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “Bridgewater, Bortles, Manziel, Carr, Garoppolo and McCarron. I’ve got them all rated ahead of EJ Manuel, coming out a year ago. And you know what? LSU quarterback Mettenberger. I’ve got him ahead of Manuel, too.” It’s fair to point out, as some of Graham’s readers did on Twitter, that Casserly didn’t have a great track record of identifying quarterback talent during his days as a general manager: Casserly took David Carr first overall in 2002 and Heath Shuler third overall in 1994. But it’s also fair to point out, as I did on Twitter, that just because a G.M. has made a couple of bad picks in the past, that doesn’t mean he lacks knowledge about the draft evaluation process. So, while Manuel still has plenty of time to prove he has what it takes to be a great NFL quarterback, count Casserly’s opinion as one that says this year’s draft contains a much better group of quarterbacks than last year’s. And that the teams drafting quarterbacks in the early rounds this year will end up with better players than the Bills got in Manuel. _
And this is why I call hogwash to the idea that all the QB needy teams will just not pick a QB until the 2nd or 3rd round.
It's the whole class. This QB class is 1000x stronger than last years, yet you'll get guys here suggesting this is the worst class since 2005. Anywhere from 2 to 5 or 6 franchise type guys this year. _
this class sucks balls too if blake bortles doesn't improve and stays the same he's a journeyman backup. johnny manziel makes questionable decisions a lot, like if you watch the tape he misses wide open WOs and scrambles. that's instinct, you can't change that. the only potential franchise QB is teddy bridgewater, i think he will be a star honestly. mettenberger has a lot of the tools i like aswell
Bridgewater and Derek Carr in my opinion are better then any of the QBs in last year's draft. Not a fan of Bortles, or Manziel.
LOL, sure. I guess every class that doesn't have a Luck in it sucks. _ I think a lot of guys are selling Carr short. He's got the most arm talent of the class and is extremely smart, that guy had total command of his offense last year. Love his approach at the line. Bortles I'm not sure most of us know enough about. And you either love Manziel or you don't. There isn't a poster here who knows to a certitude what he'll be, notwithstanding their protestations. He may be a complete bust or he may become the most dynamic playmaking QB in the league. Nobody really knows at this point. The height/size thing may or may not matter, and he may try to run like crazy or he may calm down his approach and only run when necessary. He's such a special, unique guy, nobody can say one way or the other. _
it's the most overrated class i can think of, that's what i meant. the big 3 just aren't that spectacular
Or they're really really good and the next 4-5 guys are pretty good too. Even second tier guys like McCarron and Murray IMHO will have a better careers than Locker or Dalton or Ponder or anyone drafted last year, maybe even someone we may have drafted. _
This QB class is underwhelming at the top, we were spoiled by Luck. The team that drafts Jimmy Garoppolo may get the best long term NFL QB in this draft.
That's the mentality I don't get. The best prospect since Peyton isn't in this class, therefore it's underwhelming. Teddy could become Rogers, Bortles could become Big Ben, Manziel could become Wilson, Carr could become Tom Freaking Brady, but it's an undewhelming class because there's no Luck in it. Of course, none of those guys could amout to a hill of beans. I guess I just view Teddy and Carr and Manziel differently then everyone else. That's why I was hoping we waited till this year to draft a QB, but I was also sure Mariota was coming out too. _
Carr, Manziel, Bridgewater, Murray, and Stephen Morris (played poorly for about 3 weeks after injuring his foot v. South Florida and everyone wrote him off after that) are in my opinion better than everyone in last year's class. Though i think Geno and Bray at least are in the neighborhood of ability with some of them. Mettenberger still makes too many bad decisions, but yeah he makes some beautiful throws for sure. Garoppolo I think is overhyped, he showed some decision making/hesitation issues at the Senior Bowl. Only game I saw him play in was against Towson and he was very unimpressive. Everybody loves his mechanics but so what if you don't know where to throw it in time. I think he's still too much untested to say how good he is. McCarron is pretty poor... I think like a 6th round talent. Throws off his back foot for no reason, is terrible when he tried to throw with anticipation... almost always incomplete. His big plays come on throws after the receivers breaks and often on either WR crosses or double moves. JMO of course.
if bortles and manziel don't recognize their potential than they aren't very good prospects at all, that's my problem with this class i think mettenberger and bridgewater have the best bet to be the best QBs of this draft class
I made it known I was never a Manuel, even dating back when he got chosen before Geno in our annual 7 rder last year. Manuel might be the "better leader"(Some guys lead by example rather than do RAH RAH which is why I don't get nuts over this) while Geno had the bad stigma around him of being "Lazy and unemotional" which was credited to his drop. Geno was more accurate, had the better arm and wasn't far off from Manuel in the running game department. At least with Geno year 1 compared to Manuel, Geno had the training wheels thrown off early and he got to live and die by making plays rather than routinely checkdown like Manuel was doing for much of the season(Besides vs the Jets at Ralph Wilson....credit that to our shit CB play). Preferred Geno to Manuel before last year's draft and still do. Would take Bridgewater and Bortles over Geno of this class. Manziel's height scares me regardless of his intangibles and his scrambling....Carr I worry about his ability in bad weather(Geno has this fair knock on him too) and his athleticism/decision making on the run. If Carr has a clean pocket, he can make any throw though but it won't always be that way on the pro level. Mettenberger I like though he's far from ready at any point in year 1(His ACL tear is a blessing in disguise....stock him on 8 game IR and have him learn on the sidelines and be ready by maybe December, if not 2015 with a good preseason). Ability and size is there for him though, just a matter of crispening his reads. Can't say I have seen much on Jimmy G......Murray's durability is an issue to make him a franchise guy but seems like a great no.2 for years in the NFL(Shaun Hill esque)
Has nothing to do with Manning and Luck. It has to do with a QB that deserves to be ranked at the top of the draft. There isn't a top tier QB in this draft. I like Johnny Football, he's my highest ranked QB, but he's not my highest ranked player in this draft by a long shot. I have at least 6 or 7 players with higher rankings. If a QB goes in the top 5, it will be because of need, not because he's the BPA. We might have better options for a QB in 2015, they're some solid QBs next year.
I don't think Manuels is anywhere near as bad as you say he is. I think that some of you are going to be surprised by his play this year if he can stay healthy.
Carr is maybe one of the 3 best athletes at the position in this draft, among guys like Bridgewater, Morris, Manziel, and Connor Shaw. His biggest issue IMO is inconsistent footwork, which he hasn't had to work on yet because he's got the arm to throw without setting his feet.
I actually don't think he's bad either. I am shocked that some folks here thought Geno was/is better than him. I thought Manuel was by far the best QB in last years draft but I didn't think he was particularly good--just not particularly bad. _
