It's funny you mention Bruschi, he started out as an OLB and made the switch similar to what Brooks Reed will probably be asked to do. Hopefully it works that well.
Oh I forgot about Reed... And it's good to have Mike Vrabel to help Romeo coach the LBs. Someone had mentioned Clowney is the same size as him when he started at the position.
Clowney is considerably bigger than Vrabel, but the pass rushing OLB is his natural position. I think Travardo might get a look as the other OLB because of his speed.
I watched Garappolo before all this hype started. I've already said he looks good. The problem is there is not a lot of video on him and most of it is from a sideline or endzone perspective so you can't evaluate much with that. But the video that is not a bad angle you can see some good things. I went back and watched more and he does a lot of things similar to Bridgewater (not as good but similar). It's based on very little footage of him but Garapolo IMO is a legit NFL prospect who I think is better than Carr and deserves to be looked at more. He has a decent arm and throws a pretty pass. He actually does a lot of things similar to Teddy Bridgewater but let's not get it twisted. He is a step slower and he is not as refined and he had a year longer to get better. Anyone wwho thinks he's better than Bridgewater has seen film that I haven't (please post link here) or is full of it. The thing is if Garappolo is as good as I think he might be, who actually thinks he will drop to the 3rd round. I put him in the same breathe as Bortles having seen limited footage and if he is that good or better don't you think there are at least a few scouts on a few teams that will notice that too. All this get a QB in the later rounds is just BS. Look at the Broncos/Pat game today, Manning and Brady, the two best in the league go at it and better QB play is winning. Yeah it's not the only difference but QB is the single most important position in the game and the next spot is a distant second. Do you want to role the dice on a hope that someone you like might drop to the 3rd round. That is simply stupid. On topic Clowney is an amazing talent but he is not as good as JJ watt is now and he won't come in and instantly tear up the league the kid has no motor and maybe no heart. He may come into the league on opening day more talented than JJ Watt but without Watt's work ethic he will never be close to him. There is no reason to believe he will have the smarts and work ethic to be half as good. Look how long it took to get Mario up to level and then the Texans let him walk. Do you think they want to tie up all their money on Clowney and Watt. McNair would have signed Mario if he believed that. McNair knows what he is doing. The team needs lots of help. Either sign Bridgewater or trade down and fill multiple positions but you better believe in McCown or Mallet or someone else because hoping no one takes your guy until you pick in the third round is just stupid.
I agree, In terms of a pure qb prospect at the next level, Jimmy G is better than Bortles and Manziel. He and Jeff Matthews. I won't be surprised if he goes in the first to the Titans imo.
I always think it's funny when this argument comes up. Someone says that they don't want any of the 1st round QB's because there is a MUCH better defensive prospect there and all of a sudden Tom Brady and Peyton Manning get brought up. There isn't a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning in this draft so that point is moot. The Texans wouldn't be passing on Peyton Manning for Clowney, they'd be passing on Bridgewater, Manziel, and Bortles. Those guys aren't remarkably better than guys who will probably drop to the 2nd or maybe even 3rd round, that's why it is being talked about. Not every draft is equal, sometimes there isn't an amazing QB at the top that can't be passed up. This is one of those drafts.
Two things, there is no such thing as a "isn't a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning in this draft", I never got that philosophy. Brady and Manning are average physically. What makes them great are their mind. Second, I would say Bridgewater and maybe Jimmy G are markedly better than the rest of their counterparts. Both (especially Bridgewater) have strong arms, accurate and understand the concept of playing the qb position under center in pro style system. From what I have read and seen from Bridgewater, he has all the hallmarks of the greats. 1. Desire 2. Toughness 3. Preparation 4. Intelligence Those are the most important characteristics in an elite qb
Fair enough, perhaps I should have worded it differently, there isn't a top QB prospect in this draft. There isn't a QB destined to be an elite QB in the NFL one day in this draft. The best you can hope for out of this draft class is an above average QB so there is no point talking about how this is a QB league or bringing Tom Brady or Peyton Manning into the conversation at all.
You don't know that. No one does. The best you can do is say this QB has the tools to be elite or no one has the tools. But to think you can predict if someone will be elite is stupid. Andrew Luck has been in the league 2 years and even now you can't say if he will be elite or not. Part of that equation is not just the tools but the work ethic, smarts and fearlessness. Add that with talent and there's a chance but no one knows for sure if any QB will ever combine all of the above to become elite. But you can say the same about any position. No one knows what CLowney will become. You don't drafty an all pro you draft an all pro prospect and hope and pray you can groom him into an all pro.
What I CAN say is that IN MY OPINION there aren't any elite QB prospects in this draft. This isn't like the 2012 draft at all. I get that "no one knows for sure" but I haven't ready any credible scouts predicting Teddy Bridgewater, or any other QB in this draft to ever be a top tier NFL QB. The expectation is that they simply won't be good enough to have all pro upside. What you are talking about is drafting a QB just to draft a QB and hoping that by some miracle he turns into the next Brady or Manning, IMO that's dangerous. Just because "you never know" isn't a reason to pick a lesser prospect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmH7jvQN4zk Some of you may have seen this, its a Bill O'Brien video on qbing
Remember the same was said about Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees None of them were touted as elite prospects coming in
Okay....and Tom Brady was a 6th rounder and Drew Brees was a second rounder, were you trying to make the case for picking Clowney in the first and a QB in a later round, because if so, you did a pretty good job of it.
Not really, just pointing out that what people call "an elite prospect" is not necessarily elite. There is too much emphasis on physical aspects on a qb prospect rather than the mental intangibles that he possesses.
I think people just want a top tier QB in every draft and do their best to invent one. Last year was Geno Smith, this year there is Bridgewater. We'll see what it looks like as the draft gets closer.
No I'm not. I think Bridgewater has most of the boxes checked in what you are looking for in a quality NFL QB prospect. I don't pay attention to scouts, I watch the video myself, it's not rocket science you just have to look for certain things, footwork, arm strength, accuracy, mobility, throwing under pressure, on the run. Most of the scouts that are talking now haven't watched him. They talk in generalities. Listen to what they say. If they talk about a specific game and say he did this and this wrong I'll go watch it and judge for myself and double and triple check just to see if I'm looking at it wrong. Other than that I don't trust what people say even the so called experts. ANd it goes both ways. If they say he is great I got to see for myself. People say Bortles is a better prospect, but I can see for myself he is not. People say Garappolo is an unknown that might be worth a look and I can see for myself he does. I watch Clowney and see he is an amazing athlete but I can also see he has a little motor. I watch film of someone like Trevor Reilly and think I might prefer getting him in the second round because he has a great motor. he is not the raw player Clowney is but he plays like JJ Watt and think a guy like that has a better chance for success. I don't want to pick a QB for the sake of picking a QB. I want to pick the player who has the best shot of helping this team. If all we had a shot at was Geno Smith I would be all for taking a non QB. IMO there are at least 4 QB's better than Geno Smith this year and Bridgewater is the clear winner of the bunch. Still that doesn't mean you take Bridgewater. He has to be the best value. I would rate CLowney the better athlete by far over Bridgewater. I would rate Clowney the better talent still over Bridgewater. I would give the edge to Clowney in all the measurables for his position but that's were it ends. I don't like his work ethic, motor and intelligence. And that drops him down on the same level as Bridgewater, who excels in all of the intangible or non-measurables. And all things being equal tie goes to the QB. Even not a tie but close behind goes to the QB. That's all my opinion I get it and I don't disrespect your opinion or even say it's wrong. Just I would have to see a lot more from Clowney doing things that he hasn't done in the video I've watched of him so far. Combine measurables won't matter to me. I already know he is an amazing athlete.
As a prospect Bridgewater is eons ahead of Geno as a prospect... If Bridgewater came out last year, Andy Reid would have drafted him.
That's fine, at least you seem rational about it. I disagree about Bridgewater, but at least you aren't making him out to be some kind of demigod like I've run into elsewhere. Perhaps the ridiculous rhetoric from those people is what has pushed me so far away from his camp. I've heard him literally called the most intelligent QB to ever come out of college behind Manning. There are sites full of people who spew nothing but that kind of BS. In the end, neither of us know, we can just argue our points and wait to find out who is right.
