dude you have issues if you are caught up on this. warren moon is arguably the first black starting qb to be a true franchise guy even before doug williams. how many super bowls were played before blacks were even given a chance. its a sheer numbers game, and to look at the history of the superbowl as a reason to not draft a black qb is the dumbest **** i've read on here today. disclaimer: this is not an endoresement of bridgewater
please bro i understand but don't kill this thread with that. i know he started it. believe me, i agree winston is the pick if he was available.
ESPN article discussing DE or QB with a couple of Texans examples from previous drafts. [rquoter]Better bet: Dominant DE or Top QB? If No. 1 pick boils down to Clowney or Bridgewater, decision will be difficult Updated: December 4, 2013, 3:06 PM ET By Jeffri Chadiha | ESPN.com In the weeks leading up the 2006 NFL draft, with fans and media debating what Houston should do with the first overall pick, then-Texans general manager Charley Casserly placed a call to Mike Tannenbaum, the New York Jets' new general manager at the time. Casserly was preparing to make a critical selection for a floundering franchise and wanted to explore the possibility of a trade. But when Casserly asked Tannenbaum what he was willing to give up for the pick, he was struck by the reply. "I think you've got it backwards, Charley," Tannenbaum said. "I'm wondering what you'll give me to take that pick off your hands." Casserly can chuckle about that moment today because he no longer has to fret over the difficult decision of deciding on the first pick in the draft. He can relate to the general manager who will find himself in position next spring to make a choice similar to the one he faced seven years ago. Casserly ultimately chose defensive end Mario Williams over running back Reggie Bush. In May, another GM may have to decide between a dominant defender and a talented offensive player, both of whom could be early entrants in the 2014 draft: South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. WALL OF TEXT FOLLOWS Spoiler Even with all the predictable shifting that will occur over the next few months, those two underclassmen dominate the conversation as the potential top pick in this upcoming draft. Clowney, a 6-foot-5, 258-pound junior, has been the undisputed leader of the pack ever since producing a jaw-dropping, highlight-reel hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith in last season's Outback Bowl. Bridgewater, also a junior, has been incredibly efficient (25 touchdown passes and only three interceptions) and surely will benefit from Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, whom scouts regarded as the top signal-caller in the country, deciding to stay in school next fall. The problem is that although Bridgewater is the best quarterback right now, Clowney is the better prospect. That means some team could face the daunting task of deciding between a once-in-a-lifetime talent or a quarterback who isn't guaranteed to be elite. "That will be a very tough choice if that scenario ends up playing out that way," said ESPN NFL analyst Billy Devaney, who was the St. Louis Rams general manager from 2008 to 2011. "When you're picking first, you don't want to hear about a player's upside. That's a general manager's nightmare." ... It's even easier to see why passing on Clowney could be the worst move a team could make with the first overall selection. As one AFC scout said, "If you don't have a stud left tackle to deal with him, then you don't have a chance. When he doesn't want to be blocked, there are few people who can block him." ... "The No. 1 thing you have to do when you're deciding on the first pick in the draft is determine whether the player really is worthy of being the best player in the country," said Casserly, who now works as an analyst with NFL Network. "People can say that certain players wouldn't be the best players in certain years, but you don't have that luxury [as a general manager]. It's not like you have the option of picking multiple players with the selection." It's not a popularity contest Casserly's choices when he faced such a predicament in 2006 also weren't nearly as daunting as what they'll be for a franchise next spring. When the Texans' personnel department was sifting through prospects, they quickly removed the most compelling player, Texas quarterback and Houston native Vince Young, from the conversation. Nobody on the Houston staff envisioned Young as a great NFL quarterback, and the Texans were still willing to give David Carr, the top pick in the 2002 draft, time to prove himself. When it came to choosing between USC's Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner (since vacated) in 2005, and Williams, Casserly relied mainly on the physical evidence. At 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, Williams had tested impressively in pre-draft workouts -- he posted a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and a 40.5-inch vertical leap -- and he had been coached by a defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, Reggie Herring, who had worked with the Texans. Casserly also was sold on his durability; there was little doubt that Williams could handle 60 plays a game if Houston invested $9 million a year in him. Bush -- 6 feet, 205 pounds -- was a different story. The Texans saw him more as a role player despite his college achievements and were especially concerned about his ability to withstand NFL punishment with a lower body that compared to that of wide receiver. Casserly also knew something else equally important to making such a potentially controversial pick: He had to prepare Williams for the scrutiny that would come with being selected over a national championship-winning quarterback and a rock-star runner with Hollywood charisma. "The whole world knew who Reggie Bush was, and hardly anybody knew Mario Williams," Casserly said. "And I remembered how Philadelphia Eagles fans booed [quarterback] Donovan McNabb when he was drafted [second overall] in 1999. So when we decided on Mario, I publicly said that if anybody didn't like the kid, they could boo me. And they booed the hell out of me." There probably won't be booing if Bridgewater becomes the top pick over Clowney. But there will be reasonable speculation about what kind of quarterback he will become in the immediate future. There's little doubt he looks the part: 6-foot-2½, 220-pounds, 4.67 speed in the 40-yard dash and stats that jump off the page (6,986 passing yards, 69.6 completion percentage, 52 passing touchdowns and just 11 interceptions over the past two seasons). But nobody in scouting circles is putting Bridgewater in the same class as Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the first pick in the 2012 draft and a player widely hailed as one of the best quarterback prospects in the past 20 years. One AFC scout said Bridgewater "is a really good athlete with a nice arm, but from what I saw, Mariota was the better prospect." An AFC general manager added that Bridgwater "has dropped off some [since his sophomore year]. He does have that quick release, but he's as thin as can be. All his weight is in his ass and he has skinny ankles and wrists. This is the big boy league, and you have to be able to absorb pounding. He's a great kid, and he'll get drafted high, but is he a sure thing? I can't say that." ... "There are teams right now where it's obvious they can't win with the quarterback they drafted," Devaney said. "But you have to play it out at that point, and it takes about three years for some teams to admit they made a mistake. It's the worst position you can find yourself in when you need a quarterback and you feel that temptation to force one. Those decisions cost people jobs." Why wait for an impact? The instant appeal of Clowney is that a team probably wouldn't have to wait for an immediate return. When Casserly chose Carr with the first pick in 2002, the team selecting right after Houston -- the Carolina Panthers -- took defensive end Julius Peppers, a player who was as hyped as Clowney is today. All Peppers did in his first season was produce 12 sacks and win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors despite missing four games for violating the league's policy on banned substances. The Panthers made the Super Bowl in his second year. At 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, Peppers was so impressive in Carolina that he once rushed the quarterback in a game against Arizona, pivoted and ran 30 yards downfield to tackle Cardinals running back Marcel Shipp on a play that started with a screen pass. "Pep brought instant credibility to our team," said Buckner, who was a defensive tackle for the Panthers from 2001 to 2005. "He was an elite player, and Coach [John] Fox and [defensive coordinator Jack] Del Rio wanted to build a team from the inside out. Pep made all three spots on the defensive line better just because of all the attention he received." Buckner added that Peppers' mental makeup was an underrated aspect of his game, saying, "If you have a bad game as a top pick, you have to be able to handle the criticism, and Julius could do that. He'd have years where he would have double-digit sacks and people would still say he wasn't doing enough." Clowney will surely face similar expectations if for no other reason than he's already heavily scrutinized at South Carolina. He's been knocked this season for taking plays off, allegedly telling Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier that he was sitting out a game with an injury and producing underwhelming numbers (he has two sacks this season after amassing 13 in 2012). One NFC general manager said Clowney does look "like a player who is playing around the edges to avoid getting hurt," but the AFC scout said some of the jabs at Clowney are unfair. "He does take plays off, but a lot of guys do that," the AFC scout said. "He also doesn't have any legal issues. The big thing with him is that he's used to being on his own program because that's probably how Spurrier got him in the first place." ... The good news for whichever team picks No. 1 is that it will have plenty of time to do that homework on Clowney and Bridgewater. There's also a decent chance that its needs will be so apparent that the choice will be obvious or that another player will enter the conversation. That said, there's also more time for second-guessing, overthinking and concerns about public reaction. As Casserly said of Williams, a two-time Pro Bowler with the Texans now with Buffalo Bills, "The city of Houston never forgave Mario for being the first pick in the draft. "I've heard people say that you can afford to make mistakes [with the top pick] because the money is different now [with the rookie salary scale]," Casserly said. "But I don't believe in that because it still comes down to taking a player you need. When you look at it that way, you wouldn't make any different decision. You still put the same amount of pressure on yourself, and you still can't afford to make a mistake." [/rquoter]
this. Bridgewater just isn't a sure thing. Remember Geno Smith was projected #1 around this time last year. And look at how awful he's been.
Hahaha, ya right.. I don't feel like doing your hw for you, but i'll give you 1 name who wpuld go over rg3 anyday of the week if nfl could redraft: russell wilson. Stop talking reckless.
Hundley hasnt been too terrible. I thought he was decent for most of the year. But he really has a true upside. His career completion percentage is phenomenal. Ofcourse there will be an NFL learning curve, but I really can see the kid doing well after a few years of real hard work. Personally, dont see the Texans amounting to much next year as well, and I think this would be the perfect time for the Texans to start from scratch. Keenum can be a stop gap QB(dont really think he has much more upside), until a kid like Hundley can be prepared for the NFL. I dont know why i keep thinking this, but for some reason im thinking he really has Aaron Rodgers potential. His college stats seem extremely similar; with a few years under a good QB coaching staff, Hundley could be quite special in the NFL.
Russell Wilson was a third round pick... he didnt have a high draft grade back when he was eligible.... we are talking about bridgewater as a prospect vs. rg3 as a prospect... and rg3 was a better prospect i would like to see rg3 on the texans with a new coaching staff, seems like kubes and the shanahans run the same offense
OK, now I'm concerned, and it's the exact same concern I have with Manziel. Mobile or not, I don't want the Texans drafting a frail QB.
Again, injury cannot be predicted. By "sure thing," I only mean that if on the field, the player is almost guaranteed to produce. Charles Rogers repeatedly breaking his clavicle, which lead to depression/substance abuse just can't be predicted. It's a very different situation than Jamarcus Russell & Gabbert being so inaccurate they can't make the throws needed to succeed in the NFL. The scouting reports weren't wrong about Rogers ability to play at the next level. I don't think Bridgewater is a bad prospect. His height, arm strength, accuracy, pedigree are all top of the line. But there are legit concerns about Bridgewater's hand-size & level of competition that make drafting him #1 overall a risky proposition beyond the chance of injury. If both Clowney & Bridgewater are assumed to stay healthy, Clowney is the safer bet realize his potential. Watt, Cushing, Reed, Mercilus, Clowney... Sign me up!
I just think the Watt/Clowney combo is just too insane to pass up. I'm concerned about fit in a 3-4 scheme (of course who knows what scheme it'll be next year), but it will make teams think twice about triple teaming Watt like they do now. I think Bridgewater will be solid, but I'm a little wary of the top tier QBs in this draft. I'd be satisfied with Boyd, Carr (won't happen) or Hundley a bit later.
Brooks Reed? Really? I'm not seeing his ability at OLB getting much better as he gets another year older. He could possibly have reclamation at ILB where coverage and run-stopping is more at a premium... but I don't see the necessary requisite to rush the QB (which is his #1 job as an OLB).
That is a hell of a knock given the article states most busts bust due to character or injury. The only thing better than an elite QB is an elite pass rusher to stop other elite QBs. Clowney and Watt would be a hell of DL combo.
what does Geno Smith have to do with Bridgewater lol Geno Smith wasnt seen a legit prospect until his senior year, Bridgwater would have been the first qb taken, and possibly the first overall pick last year
If Jacksonville picks before us and gets Bridgewater, then taking a DL/DE in the 1st and a QB in the 2nd, or even 3rd round, would be gangbusters. Hardly any other teams beyond us and Jacksonville will be in the market for first day QBs. Once Jax has their QB, we can window shop other positions with little worry of being sniped for the other QB prospects.
I was thinking about this myself. While I have no doubt he could play as a 3-4 end, he's a prototypical 4-3 end. Cushing is in a similar situation, as he's more natural Mike MLB. However, while Mercilus could fit in as the Sam from a pass rush standpoint, he'd get picked apart by TE's in the pass game from there. He'd have to be a rotation DE behind 2 players who won't sit much. Definitely better suited for Wade's 3-4 , as is Reed. I think they'd have to stick with the 3-4. Clowney has the necessary size, and the defense simply doesn't need a major change of scheme like this. I was just naming the mainstays in our front 7. I'm in complete agreement with you regarding Reed's game.
maybe if Jamies Winston was eligible for this draft... he is a better prospect than even Andrew Luck was
I don't know about being better than, but he's certainly in that elite class of prospect like Luck & Manning.
