Exactly! Some guys will fall drastically and others will rise, hell for all we know JFF lights up the combine and we take him (oh god i hope not) but the point is we dont know anything because even the scouts dont know anything.
The Sideline View has Cyrus Kouandjio rated #1 on their big board. Bridgewater can be the #1 pick this year or the third QB taken next year; not a choice really. There's no real negotiating done with first rounders any more so, there's no more so playing a player's agent vs. another player's agent to see who will accept the lower contract like there was before 2012
And what if McNair Sr and Jr are dictating moves to Rick Smith like they did with Ed Reed? How sure are you that he has true autonomy here, even if he has cleared Kubiak and Phillips from the draft room? Not arguing that it was a bad decision....but it seems like another example of McNair sending down an edict was drafting a WR with the top pick last year. With the number 1 pick and the franchise at a crossroads....do you sincerely believe that this call will truly belong to Smith, hands off? And assuming we don't have an order from upstairs regarding what to do with the pick.....how much do you trust the scouting staff that's in place? How many whiffs have we seen after day 1? Who the hell thought Sam Montgomery was a good idea when a good chunk of the NFL had him off their draft boards and his skill set didn't fit our defensive scheme (as OLB or DE) anytway? AND barring that....you have to consider what system(s) our new coach is going to want to install and how much input they'll receive. If Rick Smith wants to set himself up as President of Football Operations and cut out the coaching staff.....what top candidate is going to be interested in signing up for that? I'm hoping for the best....but there's plenty to be concerned about with this situation - Rick Smith being a central point of that concern.
Beautifully said, the problem here in Houston is that the Mcnair's DO NOT want to hire legit football people and empower them to make the football decisions. The decision making process, whatever it REALLY is, is problem number one and it has been since day one. Get first rate football people in positions of power and watch this team become one of the premier franchises in the league. And for God's sake put a muzzle on Jr, let him go run the horse racing side of Uncle Bob's business and leave the football to real football minds.
Phil Simms doesn't like this QB class: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...dgewater-and-the-2014-quarterback-draft-class
Phil Simms didn't like Andrew Luck either. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/02/phil-simms-not-sold-on-andrew-luck/
Texans need a QB but how high: http://espn.go.com/blog/houston-texans/post/_/id/2928/texans-need-a-quarterback-but-how-high
Todd McShay Mock: Analysis: This is a tough call right off the bat. I have Bridgewater ranked as the top quarterback prospect in this class, but just ninth overall. The question for the Texans is going to be this: Do you have a player at another position who grades out considerably higher? (Possibilities include Texas A&M OT Jake Matthews or South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney.) Because if not, given their need at QB and the importance of that position, my guess is that they'd talk themselves into taking Bridgewater -- or whichever QB ranks highest on their board in May. Bridgewater has great football intelligence, is mentally and physically tough, and has proved he can beat opponents from inside the pocket; he can read defenses, has a quick release and is very accurate. If he isn't the top overall pick, it'll be because of questions about his durability. He'll also need to hold off UCF quarterback Blake Bortles during the draft process. Bortles isn't as polished as Bridgewater but does have a higher ceiling.
Im just curious, why exactly does Bortles have a higher ceiling? Bridgewater has been touted since his high school days, and i hadnt heard of Bortles until this year.
If you look all the franchise QBs in NFL history, the common theme coming out the draft have all been that they all have your typical "intangibles" along with above average tools. And by intangibles I mean football IQ, knowledge, poise, leadership, etc. Beyond that, great QBs come in all sorts. You have guys that come from spread offenses, traditional offenses, taller ones, shorter ones, cannon arms, average arms(no noodle arms though). But they all were in one way or another "special" beyond the tools even back in college. I don't mind a toolsy QB. Donavan McNabb was a cannon armed guy coming out and turned out much better than I believe Tim Couch and Akili Smith that same year. But McNabb even back then aced the intangibles test.
This is how the combine often gets scouts/teams. A workout warrior has some great tests and the team overvalues the workouts. As long as Bridgewater doesn't checkin at 6'1" or 170 lbs. or fails to make "all the throws" his draft status should be fine. I don't see many folks questioning his intangibles. Didn't the McNabb draft also include Dante Culpepper? That was a big dude!
