Hottoddie
03-24-2002, 04:28 AM
Here's a nice article about Carr & what other teams are saying about him. I can't wait to see this kid on the field.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/fb/nfl/1306041
Sky's the limit
NFL brass sees little that can stop Carr
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
The coaches, general managers and personnel directors around the NFL will not have a shot at drafting Fresno State quarterback David Carr, but that's not stopping them from sizing him up less than a month before the draft.
Carr is expected to become the first overall pick and wealthiest rookie in NFL history. Those asked about him at last week's NFL meetings in Orlando, Fla., had glowing reviews of the player the Texans are expected to take April 20 with the first pick in franchise history.
"He's got great ability," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "He's an unbelievable athlete for that position. I'm impressed with his ability to make a play when nothing's there. He's going to be a difference-maker."
New Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden spent the last four years at Oakland and watched some of Fresno State's Saturday night games on television.
"I had a chance to see a lot of his games," Gruden said. "One thing I watched was how he threw the ball in the red zone. He can make any throw from any spot on the field.
"Carr's got a great field presence that's contagious. He does a good job of bringing his team from behind and making the players around him better."
A fifth-year senior, Carr was measured and weighed at 6-3 and 223 pounds at the Indianapolis scouting combine. Although he didn't run at the combine, scouts have timed him in the high 4.6s and low 4.7s in the 40-yard dash.
"Carr's a great physical specimen," Titans general manager Floyd Reese said. "Everybody knows he's got the cannon arm, but he's a better athlete than some people are giving him credit for. He's a legitimate franchise quarterback."
When analyzing Carr's strengths, Seattle vice president of football operations Ted Thompson compared him to an NFL quarterback who was the top pick in the 1998 draft.
"Yes, he's got the great arm everyone wants, but he's also got great character," Thompson said. "He's got all the attributes you look for in a quarterback. He could end up being another Peyton Manning."
Carr is expected to start at a rookie -- perhaps in September but maybe in November.
"If Carr plays on a team that has a great defense, I think he can have a good rookie year," 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said. "If he has to play from behind all the time, it's going to be harder for him to have success right off the bat."
Last season, Carr led Fresno State to an 11-2 regular-season record, including victories over Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin. In those three victories, he completed 64 of 108 for 778 yards and seven touchdowns. He had one interception.
In a 44-35 Silicon Valley Classic loss to Michigan State, he threw for 531 yards and four touchdowns.
For the season, Carr was 344-of-533 for 4,839 yards, 46 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
"I love the kid," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. "His demeanor -- his make-up -- is what you want in a quarterback.
"He's accurate and mobile. He's makes a lot of plays with his feet because he has a feel for the rush and he can throw accurately on the run. He finds the open lanes and gets the ball through those lanes."
The only knock against Carr is that he doesn't have the classic over-the-top delivery, but that doesn't bother the Texans or officials at other teams.
"I don't get caught up in the way a quarterback releases the ball as long as he has a quick release, and Carr does," Angelo said. "The only people I hear talking about it are you guys (media). I wouldn't mess with his release at all."
Neither would Gruden.
"At this stage, I wouldn't try to change his dynamics," Gruden said. "One of the beauties of the position is that the quarterback can throw from a lot of different angles, and Carr can do that."
Neither would Mariucci.
"You don't dwell on his delivery," Mariucci said. "If you look at some of the better quarterbacks in history, there weren't many that had perfect releases. What I want to know is, Does he get the ball to the receiver?
Green Bay vice president of football operations Mark Hatley pointed out that Brett Favre throws the ball from every conceivable angle.
"Not only does he have a great arm and quick release, but Carr puts the ball where it's supposed to go," Hatley said. "If he has to throw sidearm to get the ball around a pass rusher, he can do it. If he has to throw over the top, he can do that, too."
Or, as new Carolina coach John Fox said, "The idea's for the quarterback to get the ball to his receiver when he's supposed to get it there, and Carr can do that. The way I see it is, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
In the era of free agency and the salary cap, top-rated quarterbacks who are fifth-year seniors are a vanishing breed. The scouts like Carr's experience at the college level and the fact that he played for a former NFL assistant coach in Pat Hill.
"He's got that rare ability to lift the performances of the players around him," Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said. "You can see that type of leadership quality in him. He's just very impressive on and off the field."
Carr will be under enormous pressure -- a quarterback who is the No. 1 pick in the draft for an expansion franchise. Cleveland's Tim Couch has handled the same pressure extremely well.
What Couch and Carr will have in common is Chris Palmer, the Browns' former head coach who is the Texans' offensive coordinator. Palmer also coached the Patriots' Drew Bledsoe when he was the top pick in the 1993 draft.
"It looks like they're (the Texans) doing a good job of fitting the pieces around him," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "Any quarterback coming into that situation has to be made to feel like he doesn't have to make all the plays to win.
"It's natural for a rookie quarterback to have to fight through worrying that, `We're not going to win if I don't make every play.' "
Scouts and coaches say one of Carr's strengths is his maturity.
"He's got the intangibles," Mariucci said. "I think he's well-equipped to handle the bigness of this league, and that's very important for a quarterback who's going to be in his position."
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/fb/nfl/1306041
Sky's the limit
NFL brass sees little that can stop Carr
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
The coaches, general managers and personnel directors around the NFL will not have a shot at drafting Fresno State quarterback David Carr, but that's not stopping them from sizing him up less than a month before the draft.
Carr is expected to become the first overall pick and wealthiest rookie in NFL history. Those asked about him at last week's NFL meetings in Orlando, Fla., had glowing reviews of the player the Texans are expected to take April 20 with the first pick in franchise history.
"He's got great ability," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "He's an unbelievable athlete for that position. I'm impressed with his ability to make a play when nothing's there. He's going to be a difference-maker."
New Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden spent the last four years at Oakland and watched some of Fresno State's Saturday night games on television.
"I had a chance to see a lot of his games," Gruden said. "One thing I watched was how he threw the ball in the red zone. He can make any throw from any spot on the field.
"Carr's got a great field presence that's contagious. He does a good job of bringing his team from behind and making the players around him better."
A fifth-year senior, Carr was measured and weighed at 6-3 and 223 pounds at the Indianapolis scouting combine. Although he didn't run at the combine, scouts have timed him in the high 4.6s and low 4.7s in the 40-yard dash.
"Carr's a great physical specimen," Titans general manager Floyd Reese said. "Everybody knows he's got the cannon arm, but he's a better athlete than some people are giving him credit for. He's a legitimate franchise quarterback."
When analyzing Carr's strengths, Seattle vice president of football operations Ted Thompson compared him to an NFL quarterback who was the top pick in the 1998 draft.
"Yes, he's got the great arm everyone wants, but he's also got great character," Thompson said. "He's got all the attributes you look for in a quarterback. He could end up being another Peyton Manning."
Carr is expected to start at a rookie -- perhaps in September but maybe in November.
"If Carr plays on a team that has a great defense, I think he can have a good rookie year," 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said. "If he has to play from behind all the time, it's going to be harder for him to have success right off the bat."
Last season, Carr led Fresno State to an 11-2 regular-season record, including victories over Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin. In those three victories, he completed 64 of 108 for 778 yards and seven touchdowns. He had one interception.
In a 44-35 Silicon Valley Classic loss to Michigan State, he threw for 531 yards and four touchdowns.
For the season, Carr was 344-of-533 for 4,839 yards, 46 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
"I love the kid," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. "His demeanor -- his make-up -- is what you want in a quarterback.
"He's accurate and mobile. He's makes a lot of plays with his feet because he has a feel for the rush and he can throw accurately on the run. He finds the open lanes and gets the ball through those lanes."
The only knock against Carr is that he doesn't have the classic over-the-top delivery, but that doesn't bother the Texans or officials at other teams.
"I don't get caught up in the way a quarterback releases the ball as long as he has a quick release, and Carr does," Angelo said. "The only people I hear talking about it are you guys (media). I wouldn't mess with his release at all."
Neither would Gruden.
"At this stage, I wouldn't try to change his dynamics," Gruden said. "One of the beauties of the position is that the quarterback can throw from a lot of different angles, and Carr can do that."
Neither would Mariucci.
"You don't dwell on his delivery," Mariucci said. "If you look at some of the better quarterbacks in history, there weren't many that had perfect releases. What I want to know is, Does he get the ball to the receiver?
Green Bay vice president of football operations Mark Hatley pointed out that Brett Favre throws the ball from every conceivable angle.
"Not only does he have a great arm and quick release, but Carr puts the ball where it's supposed to go," Hatley said. "If he has to throw sidearm to get the ball around a pass rusher, he can do it. If he has to throw over the top, he can do that, too."
Or, as new Carolina coach John Fox said, "The idea's for the quarterback to get the ball to his receiver when he's supposed to get it there, and Carr can do that. The way I see it is, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
In the era of free agency and the salary cap, top-rated quarterbacks who are fifth-year seniors are a vanishing breed. The scouts like Carr's experience at the college level and the fact that he played for a former NFL assistant coach in Pat Hill.
"He's got that rare ability to lift the performances of the players around him," Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said. "You can see that type of leadership quality in him. He's just very impressive on and off the field."
Carr will be under enormous pressure -- a quarterback who is the No. 1 pick in the draft for an expansion franchise. Cleveland's Tim Couch has handled the same pressure extremely well.
What Couch and Carr will have in common is Chris Palmer, the Browns' former head coach who is the Texans' offensive coordinator. Palmer also coached the Patriots' Drew Bledsoe when he was the top pick in the 1993 draft.
"It looks like they're (the Texans) doing a good job of fitting the pieces around him," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "Any quarterback coming into that situation has to be made to feel like he doesn't have to make all the plays to win.
"It's natural for a rookie quarterback to have to fight through worrying that, `We're not going to win if I don't make every play.' "
Scouts and coaches say one of Carr's strengths is his maturity.
"He's got the intangibles," Mariucci said. "I think he's well-equipped to handle the bigness of this league, and that's very important for a quarterback who's going to be in his position."