I forgot about watson but yeah he has a chance to be elite as well. Teddy B won't be elite but he's a solid starter. should wind up starting somewhere next year. Assuming brees retires he'll likely stay with NO but if not i can see him making a move in FA for big money
I'm glad we got both New England games out of the way because he really seemed to be getting it last year and obviously vs. Dallas before he ran into New England. I know he needs the fortitude to stand up to NE and can't consistently circle those two games as losses every year like we have. But hopefully he can get rolling against a weaker schedule before we can get him some more help in the off-season. He's played about equal to everyone in his class except Lamar Jackson. Baker Mayfield is a disaster this year with what should be the best receiving corps in the league. Rosen is on his second team. The next ten games are where the big jump is supposed to come for young QB's. That goes for the entire class.
In today's NFL, those are backup numbers. Even the 16th best starter throws about 2 TDs for every INT. Mariota just got run out of Tennessee with much better numbers. I get Sam was a rookie last year, and he has very little help. But if this continues (and I'm not saying it will, he could easily still turn it around), he'll be a bust.
He's got about another year and a half in my eyes to start to at least get it, stats aside. The better quarterbacks in this league cover up bad rosters. Even if they don't do it in their rookie year, they need to figure out ways TO do it. And that's what made Baker Mayfield so good last year which is that he did perform well with a meh roster. This year not so much obviously. By the end of year three, teams usually have a good feel of where their QB is at and even then they get another two years as Mariota did. I think he's got through next season and then year 4 will likely be where our eyes start to wander away from him. That being said, he still has the most important skills that a quarterback needs in my eyes. Ability to move in the pocket and move around without losing arm strength. And throws an accurate ball for the most part. That's why I attribute the low completion percentages to having receivers with such shitty catch radius'. Because he looks more accurate than his percentage says he is.
If we get a top 5 pick, and there's a QB Douglas likes, Sam could be done as soon as this offseason. And his problem isn't his accuracy. It's when he goes full Fitzpatrick and chucks interceptions off platform. That doesn't fly in today's NFL when even average QBs can drive the team downfield while limiting turnovers. Anyway, it's really simple. If Sam bounces back and displays the potential I saw him him, along with tons of other people, he'll play the Jets out of a top 5 pick. OTOH if we get a top 5 pick against a soft schedule, that means he sucked or got hurt again, and almost everyone will want to replace him.
3 biggest bust I remember. Steve Young, Doug Williams and Jim Plunkett. Don't underestimate what a raw 22 year old going to a terrible team can do to him. I won't consider Sam a bust until I see him on a decent team and he's had a chance to mature as both a player and person. What's pretty clear is Sam is 22 and was drafted by a really bad team where both the GM and HC were canned and the new GM and HC look like they will blow up the entire team and both of them may be in over their head. To be determined. He's had some injuries and mono which can impact him for a long time even if he's okay to play. I really don't think Sam is Sanchez. I think Sam is pissing into a very heavy headwind. I wouldn't call him a bust until I see him in a stable situation with a reasonably competent OL and weapons.
I personally hope not because I don't like this QB draft class outside of players that should not be picked in the top 10. Only one I really like is Eason. Teams usually don't reroute their QB decisions until the end of their rookie contract with top 10 picks. I can't see Joe D taking that leap of faith. It's also a much different NFL too with much easier rules to move the ball. The team is bad and he's unsupported but that also becomes the life of an NFL quarterback. Look at how bad Russell Wilson's offensive lines were for a couple years while he had one receiver and that's pretty much it. He needs more help and we need to support him better than we did Sanchez.