Quarterbacking is in steep decline

[Satchel89]

I can't hardly watch College Football. I know it sounds crazy but I'm just not a big fan of it. The Big 12 defenses are atrocious. The QB's throw to guys that don't have a defender within 10 yards of them. Baylor and TCU score 50 and 60 a game. I know there are conferences that are better then that but I just don't see great QB play anywhere. I heard about Goff for weeks and then he throws 5 interceptions against Utah. The spread offense has all these dual threat QB's but the problem is that most of those guys are way better at running than throwing. In the NFL the QB have tight windows to throw in and these guys come out of college and there used to guys having all kinds of separation and can't adjust to it.

 

[Garrettop]

I don't know what you were watching but he looked damned good (obviously not as good as he does now) and was playing better than Favre, I remember wishing Favre was still in the game and was glad we had built such a big lead.

This is almost verbatim what my response was going to be. Favre had a deer in the headlights look and checked out. I was so mad, especially when Rodgers came in and nearly had a come back going.

I also can't stand college football now. Such a joke. If the NFL gets any more collegiate/poor I may have to resign from football fandom and just watch recorded seasons from the merger until the late 90s + Romo highlights.

 

[dogunwo]

Cam Newton definitely is not pending.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

How is this different than any other era of football? Didn't know every team had superstar/future hall of famers starting until recently.

the main reason it is different now is the league is passing driven and defenses are handcuffed.

go look at career qb rating lists...it used to be a 80ish QB rating was a STUPID good qb.

Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, etc. etc.

They were rock solid QB's when really they werent playing to where every QB was elevated. Now, an 80 rating qb is a backup. because of the rules, we've lowered the skill required to be an 80 level qb. now that doesnt get it done, now if you arent mid 90's you're typically a loser.

 

[Hardline]

Maybe the Cowboys should go into next years draft or the 2017 draft and draft a QB in every round and play the percentages.

 

[lostar2009]

First off, Foles didn't come into the league until 2012, McNabb was gone after the 09 season.

You then list Bledsoe/Brady and Bledsoe/Romo. One was a near undrafted QB, the other was an undrafted QB. Every team looks at QBs in the undrafted free agent market.

It doesn't matter how teams look at the qbs. It's the fact we took Romo and groom him for some years.

 

[windward]

the main reason it is different now is the league is passing driven and defenses are handcuffed.

go look at career qb rating lists...it used to be a 80ish QB rating was a STUPID good qb.

Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, etc. etc.

They were rock solid QB's when really they werent playing to where every QB was elevated. Now, an 80 rating qb is a backup. because of the rules, we've lowered the skill required to be an 80 level qb. now that doesnt get it done, now if you arent mid 90's you're typically a loser.

Even when you account for era, the bust rate is generally the same.

 

[dallasdave]

Romo will lead the Cowboys into the playoffs if Cassel can just steer the ship for a while.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

Even when you account for era, the bust rate is generally the same.

I disagree.

Statistics tells us as you get near the median, that you have a larger selection...as you move up the scale, the selection becomes smaller.

Go look at QB ratings lists and look at QB's from the 80's and 90's...tons of teams had top QB's for their era = much easier to find.

Joe Montana
Dan Marino
Brett Favre
Jim Kelly
Steve McNair
Neil O'Donnell
Troy Aikman
Randall Cunningham
Warren Moon
Boomer Esiason
Jeff George
John Elway
Jim Harbaugh
Drew Bledsoe
Kordell Stewart


Almost all of those were playing at the same time.

Much easier to gather QB's capable of median stats than today where they need to have top tier stats. Look at QB ratings...Rodgers, Romo, Brady, Manning...all your capable teams have QB's at the top of the list now.

 

[darthseinfeld]

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.

This is why the Garrett Graysons, Bryce Pettys, Sean Mannions and Brett Hundley's were on the Cowboys visit/workout list. And why I think guys like Paxton Lynch, Carson Wentz, Gunner Kiel amd maybe a few more will likely be there list this year. Romo gives you an opportunity to 1) Scout QB's without having to commit to a player you dont like 2) When you do find that QB that fits what you want to do you have a good amount of time to to indoctrinate him into a pro offense.

People like to say Rodgers was 1 in a million and isnt really good evidence as to why sitting a QB is good. Well at almost the same time the same thiing was happening to Phil Rivers, and a few years before that Carson Palmer

 

[Garrettop]

I think one of the upsides now for 1st rounders with character problems is they aren't being handed ludicrous salaries that dwarf anyone else on the cap. Just think if TB had to pay Winston 100+mil.

 

[T-RO]

Agreed. We are about to hit a QB shortage...

And with it...an entertainment shortage. Football is boring when quarterbacks suck.

 

[CowboyMike]

I disagree.

Statistics tells us as you get near the median, that you have a larger selection...as you move up the scale, the selection becomes smaller.

Go look at QB ratings lists and look at QB's from the 80's and 90's...tons of teams had top QB's for their era = much easier to find.

Joe Montana
Dan Marino
Brett Favre
Jim Kelly
Steve McNair
Neil O'Donnell
Troy Aikman
Randall Cunningham
Warren Moon
Boomer Esiason
Jeff George
John Elway
Jim Harbaugh
Drew Bledsoe
Kordell Stewart


Almost all of those were playing at the same time.

Much easier to gather QB's capable of median stats than today where they need to have top tier stats. Look at QB ratings...Rodgers, Romo, Brady, Manning...all your capable teams have QB's at the top of the list now.

I've taken your list and assigned contemporaries to each one based loosely on similar skillets, styles, and accomplishments. Each one is arguably as good or better than their counterparts on your list.

Joe Montana - Tom Brady
Dan Marino - Peyton Manning
Brett Favre - Aaron Rodgers
Jim Kelly - Philip Rivers
Steve McNair - Ben Roethlisberger
Neil O'Donnell - Matt Ryan
Troy Aikman - Drew Brees
Randall Cunningham - Russell Wilson
Warren Moon - Joe Flacco
Boomer Esiason - Carson Palmer
Jeff George - Jay Cutler
John Elway - Tony Romo
Jim Harbaugh - Andy Dalton
Drew Bledsoe - Andrew Luck
Kordell Stewart - Cam Newton

My list didn't include other upper half quarterbacks in league right now like Stafford, Foles, Eli, and Smith

Other rookies/unprovens/potentials playing well right now: Tannehill, Bortles, Carr, Mariota, Winston, Bridgewater

 

[Aven8]

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?

And Cam?? The NFC South juggernaut?

 

[burmafrd]

the spread in college has reached the point where pro style teams are the distinct minority. So that means you will have more QB prospects that will need the basics taught to them before they can really play.

So you might start a trend where someone even picked say top 5 will sit for at least a year.

The problem will be of course that the bust rate could get even higher then it is now. QBs already have the highest dud rate of first rd picks anyway.

It is remarkable to me how many high picks are wasted on obviously flawed players. But then so many coaches and GMs fall in love with the measureables because you have hard numbers. Trying to figure out if a guy has the heart and instincts needed is so much harder. Yet to me it should be fairly easy.

Does the guy live in the film room; work during off practice to get better; etc. THOSE are the guys you pick. The party animals, easy come easy go guys should always be passed on. Don't care how much physical talent he has in the end the game is much more mental. If the guy in any way shape or form indicate that football is not the most important thing to him run away don't walk.

 

[ringmaster]

I chuckle every time I hear it. Dallas needs to draft a quarterback. The Cowboys aren't grooming anybody to replace Romo. We need a good backup.

My question would be.......who? What teams have this strapping lad in waiting as a surefire "next" guy in their organization. Most starters in the NFL are lousy these days. The backups are even worse.

Fast forward five years when Peyton, Brees, Brady, and Romo are retired. Who will be the top five quarterbacks circa 2020?

Perhaps an aged Aaron Rodgers in his twilight, Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson, and Matt Ryan? Seriously? I realize others yet drafted could work their way into that fold, but are any of these young guys inspiring images as future all-time greats?

Factor in the complete lack of training colleges are providing quarterbacks for the NFL, and it boggles my mind why anybody would waste a first round pick on a quarterback these days. The most recent picks have been so gawd awful, that we ladle Andrew Luck with praise befitting of Johnny Unitas. The fact is, there is still much for Luck to learn, and he's an interception machine at times.

The nature of the QB position was already a crapshoot. Now, factor in this epidemic of one-read high school read-option offenses that have taken over college football, and the future doesn't look so bright.

Let's take a look at the last 10 years of quarterbacks taken in the first three rounds:

Jameis Winston ROOKIE
Marcus Marriotta ROOKIE
Garrett Grayson ROOKIE
Sean Mannion ROOKIE
Blake Bortles PENDING
Johnny Manziel BUST
Teddy Bridgewater PENDING
Derek Carr PENDING
Jimmy Garoppolo PENDING
EJ Manuel BUST
Geno Smith BUST
Mike Glennon BUST
Matt Barkley BUST
Andrew Luck
Robert Griffin BUST
Ryan Tannehill PENDING
Brandon Weeden BUST
Brock Osweiler PENDING
Russell Wilson (Overrated, but OK)
Nick Foles LIKELY BUST
Cam Newton PENDING
Jake Locker BUST
Blaine Gabbert BUST
Christian Ponder BUST
Andy Dalton
Colin Kaepernick VIRTUAL BUST
Ryan Mallett BUST
Sam Bradford BUST
Tim Tebow BUST
Jimmy Clausen BUST
Colt McCoy BUST
Matt Stafford
Mark Sanchez BUST
Josh Freeman BUST
Pat White BUST
Matt Ryan
Joe Flacco
Brian Brohm BUST
Chad Henne BUST
Kevin O'Connell BUST
JaMarcus Russell BUST
Brady Quinn BUST
Kevin Kolb BUST
John Beck BUST
Drew Stanton BUST
Trent Edwards BUST
Vince Young BUST
Matt Leinart BUST
Jay Cutler VIRTUAL BUST
Kellen Clemens BUST
Tavaris Jackson BUST
Charlie Whitehurst BUST

It isn't pretty. There are precious few quarterbacks on the planet capable of playing at an elite level in the NFL, and Dallas is lucky to have one. This notion that you just groom somebody up to be next sounds awesome, but it's comes with an incredibly high failure rate along with it.

These days, quarterbacks are going to take 4-5 years to prepare because of the simplistic college offensive schemes, so why spend a high draft pick on a guy that will become a free agent at the time he MIGHT be ready?

I believe the level of play at the quarterback position is going to take a steep decline in the coming years. The hope is, college recruits will start to demand pro style offenses to sign with schools because the money and draft position starts drying up in the NFL for quarterbacks.

Until then, it's best not to waste valuable draft picks on them unless unusually sure about a player. Rather, go get somebody in free agency when you need them. Let somebody else take the risk and spend the time developing them, and focus draft picks on more predictable commodities.

I agree with this Erod the QBs today really don't impress me and yes Dallas will eventually have to draft a QB when Romo retires but QBs now aren't what they use to be.

 

[kevm3]

Franchise qbs aren't easy to find but you have to at least make the effort. What do we do if Romo goes out again? Let some B-tier qb take the reins? What about when Romo retires? Go into another dark age because we haven't even made an attempt at finding a replacement? Look at Green Bay and New England. Brady probably can play for a few more years and Rodgers can easily, but they have guys they've drafted sitting on the bench.

 

[kevm3]

The issue will Wilson is that he is unlikely to be able to carry a team that does not have a really good defense and a very strong running game. He has been great for that team, but he likely would have been run out of the league if he had to play on some of the teams that Romo's played on.

Then again Russell has never had Jason Witten, Terrell Owens or Dez Bryant to throw to.

 

[ShiningStar]

ahhh the ol " here is my opinon and if you disagree out the door with you"


i hope the game doesnt evolve and coaches somehow dont get something out of nothing. Everyone knew Brady was a star, Romo,(still debates) Eli manning is gonna suck i heard, oh yea he told his critics to suck it with 2 SB rings. I just hope teams dont evolve or other positions evolve or the game shift. You know, the running qb, the long life RB the so called passing league. blah blah blah blah blah. Yet coaches get by and teams win HOW DO THEY DO IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! How, the flaccos of the world will never win. What hope do we have, i know lets shut the league down because everyone on this board figured it out.


Get a get grip kiddies, the league will go on with or wtihout you.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

And Cam?? The NFC South juggernaut?

Put them in perspective.

Don't embarrass yourself.