Sorry if posted already... Despite hype, Leinart, Young still a Cutler above Clark Judge Feb. 24, 2006 By Clark Judge CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer Tell Clark your opinion! INDIANAPOLIS -- No offense, but let's put a lid on the Jay Cutler for President campaign. Advertisement The Vanderbilt quarterback is one of the hottest properties at this weekend's NFL scouting combine, with some guys talking about him as if he could push USC's Matt Leinart or the University of Texas' Vince Young as the next Quarterback of the Future. Please. Nothing against Cutler. He seems like a nice guy, and he beat Tennessee. But let's get this straight: He's the third quarterback in this year's NFL Draft. Not that that's bad. It isn't. But listen to some people here and you have the feeling that Cutler is headed for a photo-finish in late April with Leinart and Young. He's not. Leinart and Young are quarterbacks 1 and 1-A. Take your pick. Cutler is next. Yeah, I know, Leinart isn't supposed to have the strongest arm. Or is it that he can't move? Young can, but he has an awkward throwing motion that's supposed to be a problem. Forget that he completed 30 of 40 passes in the Rose Bowl; his motion could be a hangup, draft experts charge. Then there's Cutler. He's someone who can run, who has a strong arm, who is productive and who has solid mechanics and -- presto, just like that -- he's next in line to become this year's Mike Mamula in his march up the draft board. But we're forgetting something here. Leinart won two national championships and had his club within seconds of winning a third. He also was 37-2 as a starter -- including 34 consecutive victories. Young was last year's Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Award winners, and he beat Leinart with a memorable come-from-behind win in the Rose Bowl -- producing 467 yards, including 200 rushing. Oh, yeah, he was a school-best 30-2 at Texas. What was Cutler at Vanderbilt? Try 11-34. I'm not blaming him, and I'm not trying to denigrate the program. That Vanderbilt knocked off mighty Tennessee was one of last year's great stories. But if I'm looking for a franchise quarterback I'm looking first for someone who produces results, not someone who looks good in workouts. Leinart beat Notre Dame on the last play. Young beat USC on the last drive. The two won the past three national championships. Sure, Leinart had a great supporting cast. So did Young. But they won. And won. And won. Advertisement "But what if Cutler played at USC?" asked one scout. "And what if Leinart played at Vanderbilt? Would Leinart have been as tough as Cutler? Would he have won?" I don't know. And, frankly, I don't care. Because we'll never know. What we do know is that Matt Leinart and Vince Young made the best of where they were and of what they had. When Leinart was asked to describe what makes him attractive to pro teams, he mentioned his leadership skills, his game management and his work habits before getting around to his won-loss record. "I lost two games by six points," he said. "My whole thing is winning. I'm like a Tom Brady type." OK, sold. Now, what about Young? He's an extraordinary athlete -- someone Leinart described as a "freak runner" -- and one of the most intriguing prospects in years. But critics keep coming back to passing mechanics that didn't seem to be much of an issue while Texas was dry cleaning opponents this season and doesn't seem to be much of one here. "I've talked to a lot of coaches, and they said there's nothing wrong with it," said Young. "It's been winning ballgames. Why change something if it's working?" It's a good question, and I haven't found anyone interested in challenging the guy. "Obviously there's a classic throwing motion and delivery," said St. Louis coach Scott Linehan, "but what you would do (with Young) is play to his strengths. You get on the field and have him do what he does well and work on the other things." Leinart and Young won't throw here this weekend. Cutler will, and good for him. "It's just throwing a football," he said. "I do it all the time." And he does it well. Very well. But let's not get carried away by his willingness to do something Matt Leinart and Vince Young will not. Jay Cutler is an outstanding quarterback and a terrific prospect. He is no Matt Leinart, and he is no Vince Young. "What's happening here is very natural," said Leigh Steinberg, the agent for Leinart. "After the Fresno State game, there was Reggie (Bush) mania. After the Rose Bowl, there was Vince (Young) mania. After the Senior Bowl workouts, there was Jay (Cutler) mania. "It doesn't make any difference. The scouting process will take over, and, at the end of the day, Matt Leinart is going to be the first or second pick of the draft." http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9265112/1
Well that seals it, Cutler is better than the both of them. Clark Judge manages to be wrong about absolutely everything. It is much more likely that Cutler will be the breakout star of the draft this year than before Judge wrote this article. I don't think he's been right on anything all year. Put me on the Cutler bandwagon. I had wanted Vince Young over Cutler before, but now I'm going to go Cutler all the way.
