Cbz40
The Grand Poobah
- Messages
- 31,387
- Reaction score
- 39
Developing a QB
2:03 PM Fri, May 09, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer
Over the last few weeks, we discussed the merits on developing a young quarterback behind The Franchise, Tony Romo, and backup Brad Johnson. And I've finally gotten around to putting together a small study on this.
The crux of my argument in favor of such a situation has nothing to do with grooming Romo's replacement. That'd be ridiculous, given that Romo is 28. It's just that the feeling here is that teams that are deep at the position typically see rewards.
Now, there's the obvious examples of Romo and Tom Brady, who rose from back-of-the-roster signal callers to unseat starters (or starter, since it was Drew Bledsoe in both cases) and become Pro Bowlers. More realistic is the example of Green Bay, which consistently plucked QBs late in the draft in the 1990s, turned them over to a capable staff of offensive coaches, and harvested draft picks for them down the line.
The idea was never to replace Brett Favre. It was to create depth and value on the roster. And in doing so, Green Bay became something of a farm league for quarterbacks. Consider that three long-term starting quarterbacks for other franchises came from Green Bay.
Follow the jump to see how Green Bay reaped the benefits ...
Between 1992 and 1999, the Packers drafted six quarterbacks, despite the fact that Favre started every game from Week 4 of '92 on. Half of those picks were compensatory selections, and none of them were used on the first day of the draft.
Ty Detmer left via free agency in 1996, and continued on as a career backup. He was a ninth-round pick in 1992, and the team got a seventh-round compensatory selection in the '97 draft in return for him. The windfall was greater for three more - Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks - to leave by trade. Here's the rundown of what Green Bay got out of quarterbacks who never started for them ...
BRUNELL
DRAFTED: 1993, Fifth round
TRADED: To Jacksonville for 1995 third- and fifth-round choices
IMPACT: With their third round choice, the Packers got a 12-year player, in fullback William Henderson. Travis Jervey, taken in the fifth round, was a Pro Bowl special teamer and also a contributor on the Super Bowl champion of 1996.
HASSELBECK
DRAFTED: 1998, Sixth round (Compensatory)
TRADED: To Seattle, switched 2001 first-round positions (Packers move from 17th to 10th) and Packers acquire third-round pick
IMPACT: In the final analysis, this one doesn't look so good. The Packers drafted Jamal Reynolds and Torrance Marshall with the two picks, while all the move down did was get Seattle Steve Hutchinson.
BROOKS
DRAFTED: 1999, Fourth round (Compensatory)
TRADED: To New Orleans, with TE Lamont Hall for LB K.D. Williams and 2001 third-round choice
IMPACT: If you call Williams and Hall a wash, and say it was a 3 for Brooks, you're still not done yet. That pick was used in a loaded trade that netted receiver Robert Ferguson and DB Bhawoh Jue for the Packers.
If you want to bottom line this whole thing, look at it this way - The Packers used fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks on those three quarterbacks; They wound up getting three third-round picks, a fifth-round choice and moved up seven spots in the first round of a draft in return.
That's three first-day choices, and a sizable move up in the first round, for three guys who cost no first-day picks - two of those picks being compensatory and, as such, unmovable - and never would've gotten significant run in Green Bay. Plus the Packers got six years of service, in those guys providing depth from the players.
This wouldn't work everywhere. It happened because Green Bay had a small army of quarterback specialists in that time from Mike Holmgren to Jon Gruden (who was actually the receivers coach) to Steve Mariucci to Andy Reid.
And that's why I think this is relevant to the Cowboys, with Jason Garrett on hand. You've got a guy can develop them, so I think it's smart to get guys to develop. They passed up on the chance in the draft, and let Matt Moore (who could've had trade value down the line) go. They tried to get a quarterback in the undrafted market and struck out. But before I long, I gotta believe that the old Green Bay strategy would work here.
2:03 PM Fri, May 09, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer
Over the last few weeks, we discussed the merits on developing a young quarterback behind The Franchise, Tony Romo, and backup Brad Johnson. And I've finally gotten around to putting together a small study on this.
The crux of my argument in favor of such a situation has nothing to do with grooming Romo's replacement. That'd be ridiculous, given that Romo is 28. It's just that the feeling here is that teams that are deep at the position typically see rewards.
Now, there's the obvious examples of Romo and Tom Brady, who rose from back-of-the-roster signal callers to unseat starters (or starter, since it was Drew Bledsoe in both cases) and become Pro Bowlers. More realistic is the example of Green Bay, which consistently plucked QBs late in the draft in the 1990s, turned them over to a capable staff of offensive coaches, and harvested draft picks for them down the line.
The idea was never to replace Brett Favre. It was to create depth and value on the roster. And in doing so, Green Bay became something of a farm league for quarterbacks. Consider that three long-term starting quarterbacks for other franchises came from Green Bay.
Follow the jump to see how Green Bay reaped the benefits ...
Between 1992 and 1999, the Packers drafted six quarterbacks, despite the fact that Favre started every game from Week 4 of '92 on. Half of those picks were compensatory selections, and none of them were used on the first day of the draft.
Ty Detmer left via free agency in 1996, and continued on as a career backup. He was a ninth-round pick in 1992, and the team got a seventh-round compensatory selection in the '97 draft in return for him. The windfall was greater for three more - Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks - to leave by trade. Here's the rundown of what Green Bay got out of quarterbacks who never started for them ...
BRUNELL
DRAFTED: 1993, Fifth round
TRADED: To Jacksonville for 1995 third- and fifth-round choices
IMPACT: With their third round choice, the Packers got a 12-year player, in fullback William Henderson. Travis Jervey, taken in the fifth round, was a Pro Bowl special teamer and also a contributor on the Super Bowl champion of 1996.
HASSELBECK
DRAFTED: 1998, Sixth round (Compensatory)
TRADED: To Seattle, switched 2001 first-round positions (Packers move from 17th to 10th) and Packers acquire third-round pick
IMPACT: In the final analysis, this one doesn't look so good. The Packers drafted Jamal Reynolds and Torrance Marshall with the two picks, while all the move down did was get Seattle Steve Hutchinson.
BROOKS
DRAFTED: 1999, Fourth round (Compensatory)
TRADED: To New Orleans, with TE Lamont Hall for LB K.D. Williams and 2001 third-round choice
IMPACT: If you call Williams and Hall a wash, and say it was a 3 for Brooks, you're still not done yet. That pick was used in a loaded trade that netted receiver Robert Ferguson and DB Bhawoh Jue for the Packers.
If you want to bottom line this whole thing, look at it this way - The Packers used fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks on those three quarterbacks; They wound up getting three third-round picks, a fifth-round choice and moved up seven spots in the first round of a draft in return.
That's three first-day choices, and a sizable move up in the first round, for three guys who cost no first-day picks - two of those picks being compensatory and, as such, unmovable - and never would've gotten significant run in Green Bay. Plus the Packers got six years of service, in those guys providing depth from the players.
This wouldn't work everywhere. It happened because Green Bay had a small army of quarterback specialists in that time from Mike Holmgren to Jon Gruden (who was actually the receivers coach) to Steve Mariucci to Andy Reid.
And that's why I think this is relevant to the Cowboys, with Jason Garrett on hand. You've got a guy can develop them, so I think it's smart to get guys to develop. They passed up on the chance in the draft, and let Matt Moore (who could've had trade value down the line) go. They tried to get a quarterback in the undrafted market and struck out. But before I long, I gotta believe that the old Green Bay strategy would work here.
