Surefire NFL Prospects

[bobtheflob]

I'd put Charles Woodson up there on the other side of the ball.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I'd put Charles Woodson up there on the other side of the ball.

Add Reggie White to that list. He was a can't miss player.

 

[Da Hammer]

most recent players i would say Palmer (although i hate USC) and Manning

 

[tyke1doe]

Bo. His 4.12 combine time and 9+ National Combine rating sealed the deal for me at the time. Too bad that fluke cartilage injury did him in. It was amazing that he still played baseball with a fake hip afterwards, though that was in part a marketing ploy.

I'm convinced that had he gone to a team other than the Buccaneers, he would have been the greatest running back in the history of the NFL not named Jim Brown.

He opted for baseball because Bo was a man of enormous ego, and you just didn't challenge him. The Culverhouses tried to play him (I can't remember the exact situation but I think they tried to force his hand to play football, and that made Bo Jackson angry).

He was powerful and fast. Not so much elusive, but he didn't really need to be. He'd just get the ball and power over anyone who tried to tackle him.

 

[JackMagist]

Joe Namath, while at Bama was as good a College QB pospect as there ever was. He was unbelievably talented.

WHAT?!?! How can you say that? Did you ever see his mechanics? He threw like he was throwing darts instead of footballs. He had this strange throwing motion that you only see on a few second rate QB's...Like Dan Marino and....dare I say it.....sure, why not (I love talking to myself)....Drew Henson.

 

[burmafrd]

In defense of Joe Willie, he was considered the best QB in the draft that year by pretty much everyone. And even in college it was seen that he had "it"- the touch of a great leader. So he was as close a sure thing at QB as you could find that year. BUT with his knees already bad he was a risk. AMAZING that he played as long as he did with his knees as bad as they were.

 

[Tass]

Brian Bosworth. I just knew he was going to be the MAN. He might have actually wound up being a steady if unspectacular player if it wasn't for his shoulder. I don't think he would have lived up to expectations even if he'd stayed healthy, though.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

John Elway, Troy Aikman

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

WHAT?!?! How can you say that? Did you ever see his mechanics? He threw like he was throwing darts instead of footballs. He had this strange throwing motion that you only see on a few second rate QB's...Like Dan Marino and....dare I say it.....sure, why not (I love talking to myself)....Drew Henson.

Yep. I watched him play and he was great. In those days, QBs weren't disected like they are now. You looked at what they were capable of physically, you looked for leadership quality and you looked at what they actually produced on the field. I have to say that your comparison with Henson, of a sort, is interesting. I had never actually thougth about it but you know what......

Sometimes you just know. With him, I knew. Really a shame he had so many injuries early in his career. He could have been much better then he was if he had kept his mobility.

 

[doomsday81]

Only on a Cowboys message board would Aikman be considered with Elway. You have to be kidding me. Coming out of college, players like Elway and Manning were considered much more of a "sure thing" than Aikman was. Some people questioned Aikman's arm strength - which isn't even close to the other two - on the deeper routes thrown a lot on the NFL. To say Aikman was a sure-fire, can't miss prospect in Elway's league is laughable and I would venture to say if you started this thread on 20 other team message boards, not one person would say Aikman, while many would still list Elway and Manning. If you want to list a Cowboy, say Tony Dorsett for Christ sakes. I think he was regarded as much more of a can't miss prospect than Aikman was coming out of college.

 

[JackMagist]

Yep. I watched him play and he was great. In those days, QBs weren't disected like they are now. You looked at what they were capable of physically, you looked for leadership quality and you looked at what they actually produced on the field. I have to say that your comparison with Henson, of a sort, is interesting. I had never actually thougth about it but you know what......

Sometimes you just know. With him, I knew. Really a shame he had so many injuries early in his career. He could have been much better then he was if he had kept his mobility.

Oh I agree about Joe Willie. I was of course being facetious about his mechanics though they were somewhat unorthodox. But they gave him his signature quick release and accuracy. It truly is a shame that he had so many knee issues; still he was one of the all time greats.

BTW I WAS serious about Henson's mechanics (the way he throws now; not year before last) being somewhat of the same style as Namath and Marino. Not saying he will be that good because as we all know there is a lot more that goes into being a QB. But I am saying that I am no longer worried about Henson's mechanics. But I'm getting off topic...not to mention poking sticks at some of the...ummm...well...some other posters here.

 

[doomsday81]

Also, don't I remember a debate after Aikman's first year on who should be the starting quarterback in Dallas between he and Steve Walsh? Aikman was such a can't miss prospect, the Cowboys used another 1st round draft pick on Walsh a couple of months later. And yes, I know some of you old timers like me either thought Walsh should be the starter or at least know of people who held that opinion. I don't remember the Colts or Broncos (after they traded for Elway) selecting a QB in the first round of the following year's draft and that's basically what Dallas did when they took Walsh in the supplemental draft.

 

[JackMagist]

Also, don't I remember a debate after Aikman's first year on who should be the starting quarterback in Dallas between he and Steve Walsh? Aikman was such a can't miss prospect, the Cowboys used another 1st round draft pick on Walsh a couple of months later. And yes, I know some of you old timers like me either thought Walsh should be the starter or at least know of people who held that opinion. I don't remember the Colts or Broncos (after they traded for Elway) selecting a QB in the first round of the following year's draft and that's basically what Dallas did when they took Walsh in the supplemental draft.

You have to remember that Walsh was Jimmy's QB at Miami and Jimmy came in with confidence in Walsh. He did not know Aikman at all and had never had him on his team when he got Walsh in the supplemental draft. He was just hedging his bets but he soon came to recognize the error of his ways. I'm just glad that Walsh didn't come out in the regular draft where Jimmy might have taken him instead of Aikman #1 overall. That would have been 3 Lombardies down the tubes.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Only on a Cowboys message board would Aikman be considered with Elway. You have to be kidding me. Coming out of college, players like Elway and Manning were considered much more of a "sure thing" than Aikman was. Some people questioned Aikman's arm strength - which isn't even close to the other two - on the deeper routes thrown a lot on the NFL. To say Aikman was a sure-fire, can't miss prospect in Elway's league is laughable and I would venture to say if you started this thread on 20 other team message boards, not one person would say Aikman, while many would still list Elway and Manning. If you want to list a Cowboy, say Tony Dorsett for Christ sakes. I think he was regarded as much more of a can't miss prospect than Aikman was coming out of college.

Wow! I don't think this could be more wrong. Amazing.

 

[JackMagist]

Only on a Cowboys message board would Aikman be considered with Elway. You have to be kidding me. Coming out of college, players like Elway and Manning were considered much more of a "sure thing" than Aikman was. Some people questioned Aikman's arm strength - which isn't even close to the other two - on the deeper routes thrown a lot on the NFL. To say Aikman was a sure-fire, can't miss prospect in Elway's league is laughable and I would venture to say if you started this thread on 20 other team message boards, not one person would say Aikman, while many would still list Elway and Manning. If you want to list a Cowboy, say Tony Dorsett for Christ sakes. I think he was regarded as much more of a can't miss prospect than Aikman was coming out of college.

I missed this little gem earlier...Wow!

I recall when the Cowboys were on the skids in Landry's last year on our way to going 3-13. It was near the end of the season and we were playing one of the other cellar dwellers in a game that we lost. The sport casters were all saying "the Cowboys may have lost this game but they won the Troy Aikman Bowl" meaning that we had just sealed our place with the #1 pick in the draft. Aikman was considered such a sure fire can't miss player that they considered it a "no brainer" that we would select him. And this was before Jerry even bought the team and brought in Jimmy.

 

[dboyz]

Only on a Cowboys message board would Aikman be considered with Elway. You have to be kidding me. Coming out of college, players like Elway and Manning were considered much more of a "sure thing" than Aikman was. Some people questioned Aikman's arm strength - which isn't even close to the other two - on the deeper routes thrown a lot on the NFL. To say Aikman was a sure-fire, can't miss prospect in Elway's league is laughable and I would venture to say if you started this thread on 20 other team message boards, not one person would say Aikman, while many would still list Elway and Manning. If you want to list a Cowboy, say Tony Dorsett for Christ sakes. I think he was regarded as much more of a can't miss prospect than Aikman was coming out of college.

I disagree. Elway was a once in a generation athlete. Great arm. Could make all of the throws. Could run. Great leader.

Peyton's arm is adequate but nothing like Elways and IMO less than Aikman on the deep outs and those type of bullet passes. Peyton, however, was about as seasoned a QB as you can get out of college, so in that sense he was not a big gamble. However, I would not put him in the class of Namath, Elway, as a prospect physically.