Quarterbacking is in steep decline

[mattjames2010]

1993 quarterbacks

Troy Aikman
Jim Kelly
Brett Farve
Warren Moon
Steve Young
John Elway
Phil Simms
Drew Bledsoe
Boomer Esiason
Joe Montana
Vinny Testeverde
Jeff Hostetler
Steve Buerlein
Randall Cunningham
Steve DeBerg
Rodney Peete
Mark Rypien
Neil O'Donnell
Bobby Hebert

It doesn't look like that anymore.

How is that list any different than the state of QBs today?

You're actually making a point against your OP. Every QB after Montana on your list (Who was in his twilight years) were average QBs.

 

[erod]

I tend to agree with you, @erod .

To play devils advocate though, there are probably several QBs in the bust status that could've been decent or above average quarterbacks had they maybe been drafted by a different team and coached by a proper coaching staff. Though, we don't see any coaching staff clamoring for these guys, so maybe that perspective is wrong.

I agree though that the future of the quarterback is either A) grim; or B) fundamentally changing.

Who knows? Maybe 10-20 years from now, quarterbacks will all be freak athletes who run as much as they pass, the RB position all but disappears, and the game is played completely different that the game we watch today.

I think one of the more interesting things about the sport of football is that it is constantly evolving. For better or worse, whether we like the change or not.

That's the thing about these more modern sports (broad term, historically speaking). We're watching them organically evolve.

Soccer has been around for thousands of years. It pretty much is what it is at this point.

American football, basketball, and baseball are babies in comparison to that. Imagine what those 3 sports will look like in 3,000 years. I'm sure they'd be unrecognizable to us.

The athleticism of NFL defenders doesn't lend itself to mobile "run around" quarterbacks. They'll get killed in the pros, as we've seen with RG3, Kaepernick, Vick, Locker, and so many others. Wilson is sturdier because of his build, but even he's starting to knock it off.

You have to stand in there and deliver the football like Romo. Pocket mobility is fine, but you'd better not take off much. The exception was Steve Young, who was the only guy that could do both equally (and maybe Roger). Those are rare birds.

 

[Corso]

I really really hope that the Cowboys do a breakdown of all the drafted QBs and determine the causes of failure.
How many failed due to:
1. Mental deficiencies.
2. Lack of accuracy.
3. Lack of arm strength.
4. Lack of pocket awareness.
5. Personality issues.
6. Work ethic.


I think a review after the fact would show that with many of them the signs were there and people just ignored them for various reasons.

For example, people ignored that the RB Abdullah has one of the worst fumble rates ever for college RBs in this past draft. Now he has fumbled once every 16 touches in the NFL which is even worse than his 1 in 35 fumble rate in college.

The good thing for the Cowboys is that they'll have more than 1 opportunity to look for a QB. I would hate to be a team like Tampa this year that had to take a QB and convinced themselves that Winston was the guy. Sure, he might turn out great, but I just would not draft a guy with a troubled background to play QB in the NFL unless it was with a lower round pick. There is just too much pressure on NFL QBs and at some point the ones with character issues will probably have problems.

The bad thing for the Cowboys is that they likely won't have opportunities to look at top 10 QBs until Romo is gone an entire season. It's not too often that an Aaron Rodgers is there at #24; although, maybe Bridgewater will be the real deal.

Gorgeous response and I agree with you.
Edit: sorry.

 

[windward]

List of Quarterbacks drafted in the first three rounds from 1996-2005. Looks pretty similar to me.

Tony Banks-below average starter
Bobby Hoying-bust
Jim Druckenmiller-bust
Jake Plummer-average starter
Peyton Manning Hall of Fame
Ryan Leaf- Bust
Charlie Batch- Career backup
Jonathon Quinn- Bust
Brian Griese- below average starter
Tim Couch- Bust
Donovan McNabb- above average starter
Akili Smith- bust
Daunte Culpepper- above average starter
Cade McNown- Bust
Shaun King- Bust
Brock Huard- Bust
Chad Pennington- above average starter
Giovanni Carmazzi- bust
Chris Redman- Bust
Michael Vick- average starter
Drew Brees- Hall of Fame
Quincy Carter- Bust
Marques Tuiasosopo- Bust
David Carr-Bust
Joey Harrington-Bust
Patrick Ramsey- Bust
Josh McCown- career backup
Carson Palmer- above average starter
Byron Leftwich- bust
Kyle Boller- bust
Rex Grossman- below average starter
Dave Ragone- bust
Chris Simms- bust
Eli Manning- idiot
Philip Rivers- Elite player
Ben Roethlisberger- Elite player
JP Losman- Bust
Matt Schaub- Decent starter
Alex Smith- average
Aaron Rodgers- Hall of Fame
Jason Campbell- average
Charlie Frye- Bust
Andrew Walter- Bust
David Greene- Bust

So we have Peyton, Brees, Ben,, Rodgers as Hall of Fame type players. Maybe Rivers. A handful of okay players and a lot of busts.

 

[erod]

So, out of that group you have

How is that list any different than the state of QBs today?

You're actually making a point against your OP. Every QB after Montana on your list (Who was in his twilight years) were average QBs.

If you don't see that extraordinarily obvious point, I can't have this discussion with you.

Wow.

 

[mattjames2010]

If you don't see that extraordinarily obvious point, I can't have this discussion with you.

Wow.

I see the point, it's simply not the one you were intending to make.

Go ahead and explain it - you listed a few QB greats and then a listen of average QBs. Help me out here to what your point was.

 

[windward]

1993 quarterbacks

Troy Aikman
Jim Kelly
Brett Farve
Warren Moon
Steve Young
John Elway
Phil Simms
Drew Bledsoe
Boomer Esiason
Joe Montana
Vinny Testeverde
Jeff Hostetler
Steve Buerlein
Randall Cunningham
Steve DeBerg
Rodney Peete
Mark Rypien
Neil O'Donnell
Bobby Hebert

It doesn't look like that anymore.

Bledsoe in 1993 wasn't good. I could just as easily name Bortles. Hostetler was an average player. Beurlein was an average player. Peete was an average player. Rypien was an average player. O'Donell was an average player. Hebert was at the end of his rope and wasn't ever really all that great. Testaverde was considered a bust in 1993. Fabre wasn't an established player either and played rather poorly in 1993.

 

[mattjames2010]

Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Tony Romo
Eli Manning
Phillip Rivers
Russel Wilson
Andrew Luck
Andy Dalton
Colin Kapernick
Matthew Stafford
Cam Newton

What is the difference between your list and the list I just showed?

 

[sureletsrace]

The athleticism of NFL defenders doesn't lend itself to mobile "run around" quarterbacks. They'll get killed in the pros, as we've seen with RG3, Kaepernick, Vick, Locker, and so many others. Wilson is sturdier because of his build, but even he's starting to knock it off.

You have to stand in there and deliver the football like Romo. Pocket mobility is fine, but you'd better not take off much. The exception was Steve Young, who was the only guy that could do both equally (and maybe Roger). Those are rare birds.

Agreed. I'm really just speculating. Ultimately I agree with your sentiment.

It's hard for me to see a group of guys in the NFL 10 years from now like this group of QBs we get to watch in Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, and unfortunately even Ben Roethlisberger.

Hell, even guys like Philip Rivers are elite in some aspects.

I just don't see how there will be competition for these guys 10 years from now, speaking in a "all-time great", "elite", and "record breaking" sense.

Which ultimately sucks as a fan. Even if you aren't a fan of other teams in the NFL, it's still fun to watch the greats like Peyton.

Enjoy it while we have it, and hope that colleges will do the right thing and start providing the NFL with better passers.

 

[erod]

I see the point, it's simply not the one you were intending to make.

Go ahead and explain it - you listed a few QB greats and then a listen of average QBs. Help me out here to what your point was.

Bobby Hebert was Andy Dalton.

Today, we over-inflate average guys as above average simply because of the dearth of quarterbacks in the league. In 1993, everybody had an Andy Dalton or better. Today, teams are DYING for an Andy Dalton.

But in 1993, you could beat the high holy hell out of quarterbacks.

 

[windward]

My point is, 10 years from now, we could be viewing a lot of those players in a far mor favorable light than the OP suggests.

10 years ago, the only potential Hall of Famer from the 1996-05 draft class was Peyton and Brady. Brees was considered an above average starter for San Diego who the Chargers were not going to keep, Rivers and Eli were unknowns. Ben had a good rookie year driving the bus on a very good Steelers team. Rodgers didn't see the light of day on the field.

 

[erod]

Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Tony Romo
Eli Manning
Phillip Rivers
Russel Wilson
Andrew Luck
Andy Dalton
Colin Kapernick
Matthew Stafford
Cam Newton

What is the difference between your list and the list I just showed?

Wilson is average, Kaepernick is a soon-to-be bust, Newton is wildly inaccurate, Eli is average, Luck is largely unproven and shaky, Dalton might be finally arriving but who knows, and Stafford is still untapped potential.

Your list doesn't even belong in the discussion with 1993.

 

[erod]

My point is, 10 years from now, we could be viewing a lot of those players in a far mor favorable light than the OP suggests.

10 years ago, the only potential Hall of Famer from the 1996-05 draft class was Peyton and Brady. Brees was considered an above average starter for San Diego who the Chargers were not going to keep, Rivers and Eli were unknowns. Ben had a good rookie year driving the bus on a very good Steelers team. Rodgers didn't see the light of day on the field.

Yes, that's possible. Certainly. But I don't have the warm fuzzies about it, and I see virtually NOTHING in college on the way right now.

 

[windward]

Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Tony Romo
Eli Manning
Phillip Rivers
Russel Wilson
Andrew Luck
Andy Dalton
Colin Kapernick
Matthew Stafford
Cam Newton

What is the difference between your list and the list I just showed?

And this doesn't even account for players like Bortles, Mariota and Carr who could all be better than Kap, Stafford or Newton. Heck even throw Matt Ryan in there.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

It's about player development.

Imagine if we were having this conversation in 2003 or 2004 or 2005. Would anybody be saying that Romo was going to be the next franchise QB for any team?

We had Parcells who should go down as the greatest developer of QB's ever (either him or Bill Walsh) and that's how Romo became a great QB.

I watch a lot of Jacksonville games and I think Blake Bortles has some real talent. But, he has very little in the way of weapons and a terrible O-Line.

I think RG3 has talent, but the Skins made the worst move by starting him right away. He had serious mechanical flaws and by starting him right away those issues never got addressed.

If anything, your list shows a major flaw with starting QB's right away. Draft them and then develop them and then start them....and continue the development process.





YR

 

[mattjames2010]

Wilson is average, Kaepernick is a soon-to-be bust, Newton is wildly inaccurate, Eli is average, Luck is largely unproven and shaky, Dalton might be finally arriving but who knows, and Stafford is still untapped potential.

Your list doesn't even belong in the discussion with 1993.

Wilson is not average, either back it up or stop saying it.

And nearly half of your list were average QBs with a mix of young guys (at the time) with potential or QBs in their twilight years. Nearly identical to the state of QBs today.

 

[mattjames2010]

And this doesn't even account for players like Bortles, Mariota and Carr who could all be better than Kap, Stafford or Newton. Heck even throw Matt Ryan in there.

Forgot about Ryan and even Rodgers.

This threads topic is getting worse the more I think about it.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Huh??? Good luck with that.

What has Andrew Luck done to show he is a top qb to date?

Beat up on the worst division in football for two years?

 

[erod]

Wilson is not average, either back it up or stop saying it.

And nearly half of your list were average QBs with a mix of young guys (at the time) with potential or QBs in their twilight years. Nearly identical to the state of QBs today.

This is a comical debate. I'm going to let you go on your merry way.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Career 98 QB rating despite having the worst collection of WRs in the league over the 4 years he has been QBing the Seahawks.

His Career QB rating is higher than Romo's.

Not saying he is a better QB than Romo, however, when Wilson throws the ball generally he throws it well.

So is weedens hehehe. QBR doesnt show the whole picture.