The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog » 2010 NFL Draft

Poll: Which quarterback will have the most success in the NFL?

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:00:30 +0000

When we polled readers on which quarterback they think will wind up having the most success in the NFL, the one name I didn’t expect to receive the majority of the votes was Tim Tebow.

I’ve been vocal with my opinion on the Broncos’ decision to trade three draft picks for Tebow in the first round of last month’s draft. First and foremost, I think Tebow is a massive project and to give up three picks (a second, a third and a fourth) in order to trade back into the first round and select him wasn’t wise on Denver’s part. (Especially after they traded for Brady Quinn in the offseason and still have an unspectacular, but effective Kyle Orton on the roster.)

But regardless of whether or not you liked the trade for the Broncos, Tebow is remains the biggest boom or bust quarterback in the 2010 draft class. He is extremely coachable and works very hard on his craft, but he will likely need years of schooling before he can become a NFL quarterback. He still has a long way to go with his mechanics and he’s behind the 8-ball because he didn’t play in a pro style offense at Florida. Athletically he’s ready to play now, but there have already been a handful of scouts, coaches and GMs that have said in so many words that they wouldn’t stake their careers on him being a quarterback.

The only reasons I can come up with that Tebow received the most votes is a) readers expect the Broncos to succeed more than the Rams, Browns and Panthers, and therefore like Tebow to succeed, b) readers believe he’ll eventually wind up playing another position, c) we have a lot of Gator fans on the site or, d) a lot of chicks stumbled onto the poll. Because when you compare the four quarterbacks, Tebow is by far the riskiest of the quartet so why did he receive most of the votes?

Let’s look at the other three QBs, shall we?

Sam Bradford – has the most physical tools of any of the four quarterbacks, although he also plays for the worst team so his stock takes a hit. Still, if we’re comparing natural quarterback talent, Bradford holds the edge.

Jimmy Clausen – doesn’t have a real strong arm, but he’s the most NFL-ready after playing three years for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. Plus, if he does wind up starting sooner rather than later, the Panthers have an outstanding running game and a receiver in Steve Smith to help take a lot of the pressure of Clausen’s shoulders.

Colt McCoy – has the weakest arm of the bunch, but is a great fit for the West Coast Offense and there is zero pressure on him to start right away.

With that in mind, I would have chosen any one of those three over Tebow (I voted for Bradford) and would be interested to see why most of our readers went with the Florida product.

Any ideas?

Colt McCoy not Browns’ first choice in third round?

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:30:52 +0000

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com shared an interesting tidbit the other day about how Colt McCoy wound up being a Cleveland Brown. Apparently McCoy has Corey Peters to thank for that.

Who is Corey Peters you ask? He was the Falcons’ selection at No. 83 in the third round of last week’s draft and had Atlanta not taken him, he more than likely would have ended up a Brown. That’s because according to Yasinskas, Cleveland GM Tom Heckert was “leaning heavily” towards taking Peters with the No. 85 pick, which was the selection Cleveland used to take McCoy.

What’s interesting about this report is that Mike Holmgren wanted McCoy at No. 85. So had the Falcons not intervened and taken Peters at No. 83, there would have likely been a debate between Holmgren and Heckert over whether or not to take McCoy.

It’s also kind of noteworthy that many draft pundits (including Mel Kiper) criticized the Falcons for reaching on Peters (who had a late round grade) in the third round, yet as it turns out, he was wanted by at least two teams (Atlanta and Cleveland). It’s always interesting to hear how things play out in the war room and this story is no different.

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Hurney’s decision to draft Clausen will pay off for Panthers, Moore

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:23:11 +0000

After the Panthers selected Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday, many pundits started to wonder whether or not the team had confidence in Matt Moore as a starter. Then when GM Marty Hurney selected Tony Pike in the sixth round, some experts’ heads were ready to explode as they feverishly talked about how Moore may not be wanted in Carolina.

But let’s take a step back for a moment and look at the situation as a whole. Entering the draft, the Panthers had Moore and Hunter Cantwell on the depth chart at quarterback. Even if the team has confidence in Moore (which it still sounds like they do), they had to take a quarterback as insurance in case he turned out to be a disaster or suffered an injury. Say again, they had to draft a quarterback.

Reports have surfaced that Hurney was attempting to trade up in the second round to take Clausen, which does indicate that the team isn’t completely sold on Moore as their franchise quarterback. But considering Clausen was a top 15 pick who fell into the second round, Hurney would have probably kicked himself if he didn’t at least try to trade up for him. He knew he needed a quarterback and considering Clausen represented so much value in the second round, it made sense for him to try and trade up to get him. Then when Clausen fell to him anyway, it was a perfect situation.

Competition is never a bad thing in sports. Moore will become a better quarterback with Clausen nipping at his heels, just as Joe Montana became a better quarterback when Bill Walsh traded for Steve Young. (Did I just compare Matt Moore to Joe Montana? Somebody shoot me.) Players become more focused when they know someone is trying to take their job and Hurney was smart to challenge Moore (who by the way, only has eight career starts under his belt) so that the 25-year-old QB didn’t become complacent knowing that Cantwell was the only person behind him on the depth chart.

While Hurney’s decision to draft Pike in the sixth round was a head-scratcher, it probably won’t matter in the long run. Pike isn’t a great fit for Carolina’s run-heavy offense and he has durability issues. If he doesn’t beat out Cantwell, he’ll either be cut or stored on the practice squad, meaning all the hoopla over his selection in the sixth round would have been for nothing.

I’ve been critical of some of the Panthers’ moves in the past, namely their decision to trade a first round pick for the rights to take Everette Brown in the second round last year, and trading up to take Armanti Edwards in the third round this year. But Hurney’s selection of Clausen (and even Pike for that matter) will go a long way in helping Moore and the Panthers stay competitive.

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Blount spurns Niners for Titans after talking with Fisher

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:42:08 +0000

Rookie free agent LeGarrette Blount has agreed to a contract terms with the Titans after initially telling the 49ers that they had won his services. Apparently Blount changed his mind after talking with Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher.

The Titans were in need of a big back to replace LenDale White, whom the team traded to Seattle during the third day of the draft on Saturday. Blount will pair with Chris Johnson to form a solid 1-2 punch in Tennessee’s backfield, although 2009 draft pick Javon Ringer might be in the mix for carries, too.

Blount is coming off a tumultuous final year at Oregon. What I mean by “tumultuous” is that he punched a Boise State player following a loss on the opening night of the season and also tried to go after fans that were heckling him as he walked out of the stadium. He eventually had to be escorted off the field by coaches and security, then was suspended for the better part of the season.

Blount was eventually reinstated late in the year after meeting a number of conditions set by Ducks head coach Chip Kelly. He finished the year with just 82 yards on 22 carries, which is largely why he went undrafted despite his immense talent. (Well that, and the fact that he has proven to be a nut case.)

Either Tennessee or San Francisco would have been good fits for the troubled running back, considering Fisher and Singletary are hard-nosed, no nonsense coaches. But seeing as how Blount spurned Singletary by signing with the Titans, chances are he won’t be welcomed back to San Francisco anytime soon.

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2010 NFL Draft Recap: NFC West

Anthony Stalter — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:14:28 +0000

Here are quick-hit 2010 NFL Draft observations for the NFC West.

Arizona Cardinals
Nose tackle Dan Williams is a great fit for the Cards, who were fortunate he slipped to them at No. 26. The team has been trying to fill the nose tackle position for years and they may have found the player to do it in Williams, who is explosive off the line. There’s a great chance he’ll beat out Gabe Watson for the right to start in Week 1. I also really liked Arizona’s second round pick, linebacker Daryl Washington. He’ll play alongside Geno Hayes in the Cards’ 3-4 alignment and might rack up 100 tackles with his sideline-to-sideline style of play. Citadel receiver Andre Roberts is a sleeper and will help out immediately as a punt returner. Third-rounder O’Brien Schofield had a first round grade on him before tearing his ACL in the Senior Bowl. He’s a prototypical 3-4 edge-rusher and has high upside, although he may need more time to fully recover from the injury. I also love the selection of John Skelton in the fifth. He’s athletic, has a cannon for an arm and he was a gamer at Fordham. He could be a great developmental project down the road, especially if Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson don’t pan out. All in all, this was one of my favorite drafts of any team this year.

San Francisco 49ers
I loved what the Niners did with their first three picks, which is where teams usually find starters and players that can make an impact right away. Anthony Davis will compete with Adam Snyder for the starting right tackle job, while Mike Iupati will battle David Bass at the starting left guard position. To nab two potential starters with their first two picks was excellent for San Fran. I also really liked the Taylor Mays selection in the second round because it showed great value, although he has a lot to prove after a sub par senior season at USC. The good thing for the Niners is that he has a chip on his shoulder, is a great athlete and will be working close with Mike Singletary, who is an excellent motivator. I didn’t like the pick of Navorro Bowman in the third round, only because he’s too small to play inside linebacker in a 3-4 and might wind up being a career special teamer if he stays in San Fran. It was a little early to be selecting special teamers in the third round. I did really like what San Fran did in the later rounds, however, nabbing bruising runner Anthony Dixon and burner Kyle Williams in the sixth.

Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll’s first draft in Seattle was a successful one, as he nabbed the best offensive tackle prospect in the draft at No. 6 in Russell Okung and followed up the selection by taking a very productive safety in Earl Thomas at No. 14 (at the expense of ticking off his former USC player, Taylor Mays). Okung will be a starter from day one, but he has the unenviable task of replacing one of the best LTs to have ever played the game in Walter Jones. (No pressure, Russell.) Thomas will also start right away opposite Jordan Babineaux in the Seahawks’ secondary and will hopefully give their defense a much-needed playmaker from the safety position. Golden Tate was a great find in the second round, as he gives Seattle more explosion in both the passing and return game. Cornerback Walter Thurmond III has serious knee issues, but would have been a second round prospect otherwise, while DE E.J. Wilson is a menacing hitter despite lacking ideal burst. Kam Chancellor is a less athletic version of Mays, but he’s a decent in-the-box safety prospect. Anthony McCoy fell do to off-field issues, which include testing positive for marijuana, but Carroll knows what he can do as both a blocker and a pass-catching tight end so he’ll get the opportunity to play. This draft can’t be graded without factoring in the draft day trades of LenDale White and Leon Washington, who should form a solid 1-2 punch in Seattle’s backfield. It’s hard to argue with the decisions Carroll and his staff made over the past couple days. They filled needs, upgraded weaknesses and added at least two starters.

St. Louis Rams
I really like what the Rams did with their selection immediately after taking Sam Bradford with the first overall pick. They could have easily went with a receiver like Arrelious Benn at No. 33, but instead they decided to protect their new investment in Bradford by selecting OT Rodger Saffold, who had a first round grade but fell to the top of the second. Saffold isn’t an elite prospect, but he’s steady and will upgrade the Rams’ shoddy O-line. The team also did well by adding versatile playmaker Mardy Gilyard in the third, a blocking tight end in Michael Hoomanawanui in the fifth and a pass-catching tight end in Fendi Onobun in the sixth. Third rounder Jerome Murphy immediately adds depth to the Rams’ brutal secondary and could push for a starting cornerback job right away. Of course, this draft will inevitably be judged by whether or not Bradford develops. St. Louis had no choice but to take the Oklahoma QB, based on their need at the position. He’ll become the new face of the franchise and usher in hope to an organization that’s currently hemorrhaging.

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Pete Carroll putting imprint on Seahawks, trades for LenDale White & Leon Washington

Anthony Stalter — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 19:00:45 +0000

One of the reasons Pete Carroll left USC for the Seattle Seahawks in mid January of this year was because he would have the authority to determine how the franchise played football. In other words, Carroll could wipe the slate clean and bring in the type of players and staff that he wanted for his team.

On Saturday, the Seahawks acquired running backs LenDale White (Titans) and Leon Washington (Jets) in two separate draft day trades. In the acquisition of White, Seattle swapped fourth and sixth round picks with Tennessee and also acquired defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson. In the acquisition of Washington, the Hawks sent the No. 138 pick to New York and also received a seventh-round selection in the process.

White has been chopping at the bit to get out of Tennessee and now reunites with the head coach that best found ways to utilize him on the field. While at USC, Carroll used White as his physical, early-down masher and he’s expected to use the running back in a similar role in Seattle.

Many draft pundits thought that the Seahawks would draft C.J. Spiller with one of their two picks in the first round. But after acquiring Washington from the Jets (which was a steal), they got a cheaper player with a similar skill set to that of Spiller. Plus, by not drafting Spiller, the Hawks were able to nab the top rated offensive tackle in the draft in Russell Okung and the second best safety in Earl Thomas. Washington and White should work very well together in Seattle, albeit at the likely expense of Julius Jones.

It still remains to be seen whether or not Carroll can succeed in the NFL like he did at SC, but one thing is clear: he’s going to construct his team the way he wants.

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Raiders are a solid fit for Jason Campbell

Anthony Stalter — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:26:39 +0000

Jason Campbell is getting the opportunity to start fresh. It might not be in the most ideal NFL situations, but it’s certainly a great fit for him.

On Saturday, the Redskins traded Campbell to the Raiders in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2012. There are several media outlets reporting that Campbell already has a deal in place that will pay him $3.14 million this year and $4.5 million in 2011.

Oakland is one of the few places in the NFL where players would probably rather swim in shark invested waters than go to, but this really is a great match for Campbell. He’s not an elite quarterback by any means and he certainly needs a strong supporting cast around him in order to succeed, but he should have no problems beating out JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski for the Raiders’ starting quarterback job. He has the strong arm that Al Davis covets and has a couple of players in Zach Miller, Chaz Schilens, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush at his disposal to help him succeed in Oakland’s offense.

I don’t expect Davis to outright release Russell without at least giving him one last chance to win the starting job. But if history is any indication, even the acquisition of Campbell won’t motivate Russell enough to work hard this summer. He just doesn’t have the mental fortitude, the drive or the passion to succeed in the NFL and will likely be out of the league soon enough.

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