THE VIKING HISTORY AT QUARTERBACK.- DRAFT OR TRADE
by lifelongvike on Oct 15, 2009 7:16 PM CDT
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PrintI really thought it would be interesting to look at the Vikes history at the quarterback position and how the team approached the position from a draft aspect. Is there a team concept as to using the draft or do they believe in trading for old pros. This gets a little lengthy and is not meant to be a critique. I have tried to be as factual as possible. Lets take a look:
THE BUILDING YEARS
1961-1966 1) Vikes draft Fran Tarkenton out of Georgia. A small scrambling Q.B.- Plays for 5 years. He is traded to the Giants for 2 first round picks and 2 second round picks. His Record was 29-51-4
1967-1969 2) New Coach Bud Grant from the Canadian Football League acquires Joe Kapp from the CBL in a very complicated trade. Takes Vikes to the Super Bowl in 1969 until he is released due to a contract dispute.
His Record 23-12-3 Vikings went to their first Super Bowl in 1969
1970-1971 3) Gary Cuozzo (an 8 year veteran) is acquired from New Orleans. Bill Cappleman is drafted in the second round. Caplleman's Stats for the vikings in two years are 7 games -5 of 11 passes for 33 yards.
Cuozzo's record is 16-4 in the two years he started for the Vikes.
THE SUCCESS YEARS
1972-1977 4) Fran Tarkenton is reacquired from the Giants for two #1 picks.. Fran asked to be traded from the Giants due to a money dispute with management. Tommy Kramer is drafted in the first round in 1977.
Fran Tarkenton takes the Vikes to three Super Bowls, 5 NFC championship games ( one of which the team loses to a last second hail mary pass) in just 7 years. Frans Record- 64-27-2
THE LOST DECADE
1978-1988 5 ) In 1977 Tommy Kramer is DRAFTED #1 by the Vikes and steps in to replace retired Fran Tarkenton full time in 1979.. He plays until injured in 1985. Kramer plays three years as a full time starter. He is injured on and off for his 13 year career. He plays only five full seasons in 13 years. 1979-1982, 1985 and 1986. His total record is 54-56 during his career at Minnesota.
Steve Dills is drafted in 1979 in the 4th round. He fills in for Kramer during this long period until halfway through 1984.. His record is 6-9 for the Vikes. In 1984 the Vikes picked up Archie Manning for a few games. he went 0-2 in his starts.
Wade Wilson is drafted in the 8th round of the 1981 draft. He plays for the Vikings for 10 years filling in for Kramer. 1988-1989 he started most of the seasons. His record as a Vike? A surprising 27-21 . The Vikes win the division in 1989. Of course the famous Herschel Walker trade occurred in 1989 and the Vikes were a little short of draft picks for awhile.
Steve Bono is drafted in the 6th round out of UCLA in 1985. . He played in two games in 2 years completing 2 passes out of 11 attempts for 8 total yards. He went on to have a pro bowl year in 1995 for the Chiefs. It was his only great year but his lifetime record was 28-14.
Brent Pease is drafted in 1987 in the 11th round. Doesn't make the cut.
VIkes won the Division in 1978 and 1980 during those years.
THE 90'S
This gets a little messy so please forgive my research. The Vikes had no, nada, zilch number 1 and 2 draft picks for 1990,1991, and 1992. Obviously no quarterbacks were taken. Rich Gannon wasdrafted by New England in 1987 and started for the Vikes in 90,91,and92. His record was 19-16.
Sean Salisbury was the dutiful back-up in 92,93,and 94. His record was 5-4 with a playoff loss in 92.
Jim McMahon was 8-4 as a Viking QB in 1993
Warren Moon was 21-18 in his three years 94,94.and 96. He lost both playoff games in 93 and 94
Brad Johnson was drafted in the 9th round of the 1992 draft. He replaces Moon during the 96 season and starts the 97 season. He is 13-8 in that season and a half. He then goes to the Redskins and wins a playoff game in 1999. He lost the playoff in 96 with the Vikes.
Randall Cunningham is brought in from the Eagles in 1998 to go 13-1 for the Vikes losing the NFC Championship by a Stupid missed field goal.
Jeff George played most of 1999 along with Cunningham. For those to young to remember he was a #1 QB in 1990 by the Colts. He ended up playing for 5 teams but had a 8-2 record with the Vikings. He was 1-1 in the playoffs in 1999.
During this period the Vikes drafted two QB's. Gino Torretta in the 7th round in 1993. He lasted one year and never threw a pass for the Vikes. The Vikes traded up in the 4th round of the 95 draft for Kansas States Chad May. We gave Denver a #4 and #6 pick to move up. I can't find him listed on our rosters anywhere.
A NEW BEGINNING
In 1999 the Vikes #1 draft pick was Daunte Culpepper. He played five full seasons 2000-2004 and part of 2005. His record in the seven years he was a Vike was 38-42. We did go to the playoffs in 2000 and 2004 under Culpepper with a 1-1 record in each of those playoffs.
Gus Frerotte is brought in as backup to help.
Brad Johnson is brought back to lead the team in 2005 & 2006. A 13-10 record for Brad #2.
Travaris Jackson is drafted #2 in 2006. He is 10-7 so far with one playoff loss.
Kelly Holcomb and Brooks Bollinger are brought in 2006 and 2007 to help.
Tyler Thigpen is drafted in the 7th round. We cut him but both Kansas City and Miami like him alot.
Gus Frerotte #2 is brought back in 2008.
In the 2008 draft the Vikes trade picks to get John Booty in the 5th round. Hes gone now.
He had to be let go because the Vikes obtained Brett Farve. He's 5-0 so far.
I will be preaching for a High Draft pick Quarterback from now till Draft day, unless Travaris comes along. He might. One could learn alot from Brett. If the Vikes are to succeed in the future they need the real deal to replace Brett in two years. Good QB's are comming in the next two drafts. I hope were ready.
This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.
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Don't get excited
I highly doubt McCoy or Bradford are going to drop all the way to #32 in next year’s draft. Maybe Teebow would but I really don’t see him as the answer. He’s just a buffer, whiter T-Jack minus the arm.
i dont know how good mccoy or bradford will be
all their stats are padded by the spread oddense and they benefit greatly from it.
how many qbs today made succesful transitions from the spread offense into the nfl where only the patriots run it full time
by vikesfan4lyf on Oct 15, 2009 9:08 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
my bad i meant offense
im typing from my ipod lol
by vikesfan4lyf on Oct 15, 2009 9:13 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
That might be the case for McCoy but Bradford looks to have all the tools to be a great QB. He is tall, has a strong arm, is smart, and most importantly is super accurate. He kind of seems like the prototypical NFL QB.
by packallday555 on Oct 16, 2009 1:32 AM CDT up reply actions
well
in 2007 and 2008 he did have a completion percentage of 69%, and had very consistent stats. I haven’t watched enough game film of him to get a feel for poise and what his flaws are.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 22, 2009 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions
To compare Tebow to TJack is ridiculous. I don’t think Tebow will be a great NFL qb, but he will be eons better than TJack.
by vikes since 68 on Oct 16, 2009 9:40 AM CDT up reply actions
greg mcelroy
the perfect qb for our offense. so much poise and is extremely smart. can move around the pocket well and has very good accuracy even on the run. hes a protege of nick sabans tough program at alabama whose a run first oriented team. he doesnt get much spotlight because its his first year and hes a senior. his record in his last 21 games?…..21-0
by vikesfan4lyf on Oct 15, 2009 8:45 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Nice
I just watched him play against Ole Miss and was impressed. They said he was kind of Alabama’s “back-up” plan if Tebow didn’t go there, and they sure can’t be disappointed about that now.
by packallday555 on Oct 16, 2009 1:34 AM CDT up reply actions
i think the ole miss game could have gone better for him
he was telegraphing and over throwing recievers in the red zone. didnt help that his recievers dropped three of his td passes
by vikesfan4lyf on Oct 16, 2009 6:41 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
It’s possible Favre will be waffling again next April, TJack will have signed the first backup-QB-contract offer that comes his way, and the Vikes will walk into the draft with potentially nothing but Rosenfels and an empty paper bag at the QB position. In other words, I think they’ll take a QB at some point next draft.
My guess is the early mock drafts might end up thinking a little too highly of some of these QB prospects, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two slips to the point where the Vikings have a shot to move up. We’ll see. If they’re relatively confident Favre will come back (or if Chilly asks Zygi to just back the money truck up to Donovan McNabb’s house), they could just wait until later—Zac Robinson or something. But I think they’ll have to take one (or trade for one).
High Draft Pick
By high draft pick I meant 1st round not #1 or #2 pick in the draft. If you will notice the history mentioned in the article we have had two 1st round picks ( both were excellent), Two 2nd roujnd picks ( a bust and T-Jax) ) and one 3rd round pick ( Tarkenton).
The next two years is a Bonanza of NFL quality QB’s comming out of college. It was reported that Parcells requires a four year college player that starts at least 3 years. That sounds like a good place to start to me.
yeh the party is just starting
THOMPSON IS A MORON
by 4 where-ever on Oct 16, 2009 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions
They should add a QB
Let’s not expect the Vikings to draft a QB in the 1st or 2nd round. Sometimes that’s a good idea and other times it’s drafting someone like Cade McNown or Jim Druckemiller for the sake of taking a QB early or because it is considered a talent-rich year for QBs. That decision should hinge on many factors.
The QB class of ’99 was supposedly the most talent-rich since the early 80s, and only 2 are left. There was a time when McNabb was the only one left, and only McNabb and Culpepper were still excelling after 5 years.
There is also a trend toward the next-best QB jettisoning up to the 1st round (Josh Freeman) or 2nd overall pick (in Ryan Leaf’s case), even if there is a mighty gap between those 2 QBs.
There could be a good enough FA or a middle round QB who could compete for the starting role by 2010, too. The Vikings should be open to all options.
Realistically, this team will need to tear down and rebuild soon and consider a 1st round QB when some of those new cornerstones (OL/DL, secondary, skill positions) are in place again.
There’s a school of thought that any underclassman with any promise or momentum will declare in 2010, because of the possible caps on rookie wages with the new CBA. I’m not sure if I buy that (mainly because that would seem to apply mostly to guys in the top 5-10 range; if I’m Jevan Snead and I’m having as crappy a year as he is, I don’t think I declare; I’ve got other things to worry about than a rookie cap…), but if that’s accurate, then guys like Clausen, Jake Locker, and Sam Bradford might be declaring. I’m not advocating any prospect or anything right now, just saying the class could be deep.
Personally, I don’t love the QB class (I’m much more excited about the defensive tackles), and let’s face it, the next halfway decent QB drafted by Chilly or Spielman would be their first.
Good points
I think that you are right that not every QB with promise will declare, but then again, that didn’t stop Omar Jacobs from coming out early a few years ago. I wonder how many teams tell 4-5 guys that they are possible 1st rounders, leaving many stuck with 3rd or 6th round contracts instead.
And I’m all for adding a lower round QB every year if necessary. Eventually one will stick without taking up too many resources or cap room or emotional ties to the coaching staff as “their guy.”
It will be interesting to see if another team can have success with JDB or TJ, although I doubt it.
I agree. Always add a QB scratch ticket, and maybe eventually you’ll “hit.” Or at the very least, you won’t need to pay $9 million for a 2nd/3rd stringer.
I hope that’s what they do next year. Barring something goofy happening, I just don’t see a good QB prospect being available when the Vikings are likely to be drafting in round 1. I could be wrong, but we’ll see. Given their D-line may need 2 new starters next year, that’s where I’d focus my attention.
They’ll probably need to draft a RB at some point next year, too…
All of that and...
…and they haven’t even addressed the secondary yet, which has at least 2 positions to fill in the next 2 years!
Well
We don’t need much now but yes keeping the foundation strong is important. However. The weakest spot we have is QB. That’s a pretty important spot, and to be sitting here nad hoping we can get smoe kind of QB somewhere seems a bit far fetched. I like the idea of picking OL and DL up this year mckinnie and pat will need replacements sooner or later, but really without that QB we’re hosed. Remember last year the year before that?
We need a QB of the future...
That’s it. The nice thing about a lot of the QB’s in the draft this year is that they’re SENIORS this year, which means that they’re 5 years out of HS, and about Sidney Rice’s age… These guys should have the poise and polish that we saw from Ryan and Flacco last year, and we would hopefully have the luxury of having said QB hold a clipboard for a year or two behind a BF or a Sage… I halfway expect TJack to be gone by Oct 20, but if not, he’s probably going to bolt in the offseason. Next year’s QB ranks should look like BF, Sage and stud rookie, or Sage, someone like Jay Fiedler or something, and stud QB… That’s my thoughts on the issue… I wouldn’t mind seeing a trade of like TJack, a first rounder and a 2nd rounder for a top 3 draft pick…
Maybe they should trade to reacquire Culpepper
…like they did to reacquire Fran back in the day.
No, seriously, I like Daunte too much to wish Chilly and Bevell on him.
New 2010 Mock Draft has Minnesota getting Jimmy Clausen in 1st round
Check out this mock draft. 23rd pick is a quarterback.
http://www.nfldraftdog.com/Mock-Drafts/2010-nfl-mock-draft.html
Rather have Tony Pike
Tony Pike just seems to be a better fit for the NFL. From what I’ve seen from Pike he has just enough mobility to get by, almost like a Joe Flacco type.
Too bad
…they always tell the height and weight of the QB, but not whether he can make all the throws accurately or not or how much of his success was dependent upon his receivers.
very true
if size and weight were the only things that make NFL QB jamarcus Russell would have 2 SB titles by now and guys like Jeff Garcia, steve young wouldnt be crap, whn will AL Davis learn there is more to playing QB than having a rocket arm, thats why Stafford went #1 last year, i watched him all 3 years at Georgia and he is horrible at reading coverage and trusts his arm way to much in the long run sanchez will be the better of the 2 even if either of the 2 last 5 years
by mad_wacker39 on Oct 24, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Click click click
I only want a decent long term QB, click click click, I only want a decent long term QB……
"That is the craziest sonofabitch I ever saw, how many more like him do you think are up there?"
Interesting
Based on his injury I am betting Bradford doesn;t come out this year. Also, the more I watch Tebow, I like his heart but he is not a QB worth a 3rd round pick nevertheless a 1st round pick.
Still somewhat early but I want to see more of Jake Locker (Wash), Dan Lefevour (Cent Mich), T. Pike (Cincy) and J. Clausen (ND).
I'm with you
It is way to early to decide but I would hesitate on Bradfords injury. He would have to prove he’s healthy for me to spend 60 mil. on him. I want someone like Matt Ryan. Accurate ,tall, smart,
good character. oh yeah Detroit already drafted him. Not to worry there will be talent available even in the bottom of the first round.
by lifelongvike on Oct 18, 2009 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed
Intelligence is the difference and Favre is proving it. Read the defense, check out of the play and make things happen. TJack can’t do it, neither can Rosepetals.
A lot of time left in this year. I personally think McNabb will be traded during the offseason as he has one year left and will not resign with the Eagles. There is a silent fued between him and Reid that has been going on for years and he has avoided signing for longer a few times. I think if Favre doesn’t come back the Vikings will go after McNabb if the Eagles are sold on Kolb as the apparent heir.
No Tebow for QB
I live in Florida. In case you don’t know it Tebow is a football God. Can’t say otherwise down here or they kill you. But my assessment is that Tim Tebow is not an NFL QB. His mechanics will never be right for an NFL starter. He is not accurate enough for an NFL starter. Now I would draft him as a Fullback/TE. He is tough, strong, and fast for a short burst. If he can catch a ball on the run he is a great Multi-use player like Harvin. Only bigger.
I would try to get him in the 3rd round but Jacksonville will not let him go that low. Did I mention he is a God?
Gators Speciality?
They seem to be specializing in producing players who aren’t masters at any particular position, but more like jacks of all trades. All-purpose athletes.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
More than mechanics
I’m a huge gators fan and for the last 3 years Meyer and Mullins were tryin to improve on Tebows’ throwing motion im sorry if you grew up throwing the ball a certain way its hard to change it. accuracy isnt the only issue its the throwing motion itself, its a slow release and corners and safeties will eat him alive, tebow is god but if coaches try to make him a QB in the NFL he will go from God to mortal overnight sry timmy
by mad_wacker39 on Oct 24, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Drafting a QB is always such an interesting topic for me. I did like the Parcell’s model of having a 3 year starter and a senior. Obvioulsy there are exceptions to every rule, but when you miss on a QB in the 1st round it really sets a franchise back. There are always guys who drop a little further than they should. Green Bay (my team) got lucky with Rodgers and not so lucky with Brian Brohm (taken I believe either a pick or 2 before Chan Henne). But I also agree, that you never want to take a QB in the 1st round, just to take a QB. Personally, I like vocal leaders at your QB position. I also like guys who love the game. Obvioulsy a little cliche, but what I mean is that I want guys who enjoy studying, enjoy looking for imposing teams weakness on film. I don’t want a guy just learning the playbook, i also want a guy who know about opposing teams schemes. (I remember hearing Peyton manning talk about how amazng Marshall Faulk was at lineing up in the backfield and he would be able to diagnois instantly what the defense would do). That is the kind of trait I also want in a QB. Look at Farve against Green bay this year. He knew exactly where the weakness were in Dom Capers scheme. When he needed to get the ball out quickly he did. When it is time to attack deep, he also recognizes. So will intelligence is a broad term, I would want a QB who studies and understands and has the desire to learn about attacking defenses. Those would be my 2 mandatory qualities (vocal leader who players respnd too and desire to learn how to attack defenses).
Other important qualities:
1) strong arm (doesn’t have to be the strongest, but needs to be able to make every throw with ease)
2) big hands (cold weather and fumbling)
3) pocket awareness (when pressure is coming, avoid sack)
4) mobility ( doesn’t need to be Michael Vick, but it would be a beneift of there was the threat of scrambling for a first down)
That's all?
“Wanted: college QB for draft target. Must read opposing defenses like a newspaper, make every throw with ease. Love of long hours in the film room a must. No fumblers need respond! Must know when to move and be quick enough to do so, so as to make defenses game plan for it.”
Just teasing, but you’ve just basically described everyone’s dream quarterback; those guys don’t come along every year. Anyway, I do agree with placing a premium on known film junkies and some indication of above-average intelligence. Manning is the perfect example, of course – guy doesn’t even need an O-Coordinator, for crying out loud. Brady’s not far behind. But then again, those guys don’t come along all that often, and one of them was a late round steal who barely had a chance to start in college.
I think the draft this year will overvalue quarterbacks generally, based on the immediate success of Flacco, Ryan, Stafford and Sanchez. We’re all convinced now (despite the CW being 180 degrees opposite just a few years ago) that college programs are churning out immediate NFL starting quarterbacks like a factory line these days. My guess is that there’s some truth to pro-style college offenses better preparing kids for the next level, but that the decrease in the wildcard factors, and the decrease in growing pains for the average rookie is being overstated based on a few anomalous results. Maybe this will change if Sanchez continues to struggle and Stafford doesn’t manage to get Calvin Johnson to win more than another game or so for the Lions. But right now, everyone seems to think there is salvation in first round QBs, and significantly less risk than there used to be. I’m not sure what the Vikings’ response to this should be, but I fear we’ll spend a late first-round pick on someone like Snead out of fear of missing out and it will burn us.
Haa… yeah I guess I didn’t articulate it well enough… I was trying to list qualities based on level of importance for me (not that they had to posses all of those qualities). QB seems to be the hardest position to evaluate and project towards future success. The Chad Henne/ Brian Brohm is a great example (as is Browning Nagle/Brett Farve). When you look at Brohm’s resume it looked great. Coachable kid, very intelligent, success for numerous years in college. But he has been an utter failure on a team with weapons and with a coach (McCarthy) who has a decent track record of developing QBs. That is why I started thinking more about not just intelligence concerning playbook and routes, but also being interested/excited about learning how to attack defenses. Who cares about the big arm and great size if you are unsure of when and where to release the ball.But your point about Manning and how guys like that are once ina generation is exactly correct. But also look at Drew Brees. Knock on him was he is too small and doesn’t have the arm to get it done. Brady, as you mentioned was a late round pick, couldn’t beat out Drew Henson for full time QB duties at Michigan. But for some reason these guys succeded where Joey harrington, Brian Brohm and Rex Grossman failed. A few weeks ago when the announcers were touching on how Bill parcels has his criteria and it was funny because the announcers were half joking mocking him about how rare those guys are….but they do fall or are made availible for whatever reason. And then I guess the trick is to be lucky and acquire them Easy, right :)
QB thoughts
These are very interesting thoughts on the matter. I don’t follow amateur sports very much until if/when there’s a relevancy to the Vikes (like, in drafting our new franchise QB!), but it’s good to know that the colleges are producing the right sort of QB more often. Hopefully.
What I look for most, however, are these things;
1) Intelligence and knowledge/learning ability (which plays into the film-watching and understanding and being able to put it to use – all the film hounding in the world does no good if they don’t understand what they’re seeing and don’t understand how to find the weaknesses and exploit them).
2) Situational awareness based on both timed expectation and vision. This usually requires a decent height. I know we have some short QBs that excel, but I think that’s more a fluke now than anything else. If you can’t see past the 6’6" linemen in front of you to know that your slot man just stumbled on his route and came open early (and won’t be where he’s supposed to be in another 2 seconds), that target isn’t going to be available and the probability of an interception goes way up. I always hated throwing blind, to me that was the option of absolute last resort. NFL QBs do it all the time, but I don’t like it and I think it’s the cause of the majority of interceptions. Since turnovers are a major cause of losing games, that makes them something to be avoided like the plague. So in this case, I’d look for a tall QB. 6’6" would do nicely :) , the taller the better.
3) True leadership ability. The number of QBs that are puttering around the NFL today who lack real leadership ability is appalling, T-Jack is one of them, but the worst case-in-point is Vince Young. A leader doesn’t have confidence problems, EVER. From the day he steps on the field, he knows who he is, what he can do, he’s sizing up his resources and figuring out how to use them before he sees the playbook. Getting sacked might annoy him but it doesn’t shake his confidence in HIS ability. I’m sick to death of hearing all the whining coddling about how this QB or that QB needs to build confidence or has their confidence shaken. I don’t buy it, I think that’s the result of having guys in the QB position who should never have been QBs to begin with, because no matter how good their athletic ability is, they aren’t real leaders.
4) Durability. A fragile QB isn’t going to last, and if the guy is constantly injured at the amateur level, it’s a real concern. Ideally I want a big, husky guy who can absorb a lot of damage, a freaking truck of a QB that LBs really don’t want to have to try to tackle. A big durable guy is better, IMO, than a fast nimble guy, when you’re talking QBs.
Hmmm…. when I add that all, my ideal QB in the NFL is best typified by Big Ben Roethlisberger…. and yeah, that’s about it. I’d gladly sacrifice Chilly’s left nut to get Big Ben in purple :) . But that’s what I think they need to look for, the next Big Ben.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
ps
I didn’t mention arm strength or accuracy because that’s a given. If the guy’s been throwing through college, he has those to a fair degree, obviously you want as much of both as you can get, but you’re going to get something at least adequate to start with, from any of them.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
quick rule
if a guy can’t connect on 60%+ of his passes (whoever his receivers are) then don’t draft him. Easy way to trim down the list.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 28, 2009 8:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm worried also
My concern is that Speilman has a bad track record of drafting QB’s at Miami and T-jax for the Vikes. I want a great replacement for Brett but not at the expense of wasting a great draft choice. Good Scouting is so important.
Of the following four QBs
that I have looked into a little, I would rank them in order:
Bradford, Clausen, McCoy and McElroy.
Both Bradford and Clausen have shown consistent improvement in terms of accuracy and decisions making, while McCoy has improved in accuracy but is very inconsistent in terms of decision making.
I have heard some people toss out McElroy, but the more he plays…the worse he looks. Right now, his passing accuracy may end the year less than 60% and I would never recommend drafting a QB who can’t complete at least 60% of his passes in any offensive system regardless of the receivers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 22, 2009 1:46 PM CDT reply actions
But Matt Ryan had a less-than-60% rate at BC…
Just playing Devils’ Advocate. But it just goes to show how maddeningly difficult it can be to project QBs.
Malcolm Gladwell wrote a piece about a year ago about QB prospects (and in typical Gladwell fashion compares it to something unrelated, in this case finding good school teachers: “Most Likely to Succeed”.
Clausen, McElroy, and Bradford are juniors
This is why McCoy is rated #1. The others might be great but look at Jevan Snead at Miss. or Dan LeFevour at Central Michigan. Seniors with plenty of experience. There is plenty of time before the draft and many players (not just Qb’s to consider).
Just keep in mind. Montana, Brady, Tarkenton, all went third round or worse.
The reason that teams bust on QBs so often
is that they fall in love with one aspect of a player and overlook his flaws. Your QB will limit your teams success if he doesn’t fit the scheme’s needs. A WC Offense requires accuracy, a pocket presence with average scrambling ability to move with a shifting pocket and making smart decisions. So…..
60%+ (preferrably more like 65-70%)
at least 4.7 speed (any thoughts on this?)
College career TD to INT ratio of 2:1 to go along with never throwing more picks than TDs.
averaged at least 25-30 passes per college game.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 22, 2009 3:38 PM CDT reply actions
4.7 forty time?
I’m with you professor on all but the forty time. Quick feet to me doesn’t require a forty yard dash. I know that 4.7 isn’t wide receiver fast but its fast. If forty speed translates to very athletic then I’m with you.
Your point about overlooking the flaws is very accurate. The other thing is that in college the system ( ie: A&M ) can make a QB look good when he is not NFL prepared.
I just wasn't
sure on how to quantify quick feet. They don’t have a specific measure of how fast you can move 5-10 yards laterally, etc. I was just throwing this out as a placeholder…hence the question mark. :)
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 28, 2009 8:30 AM CDT up reply actions
Sam Bradford
Bradford will undergo season-ending surgery, but will still declare for the 2010 draft.
This guy could slide. I wonder what the Vikings think of him…
Jim Mcmahon played for the Vikings. I forgot that
what a quaterback whore
Soccer is for people to small and wussy for real football
Yankees and Red Sox ...buying your way into playoffs every year
If Bradford dropped to us in the first round
I would have to look at what else is out there. There are a couple of really good defensive tackles out there that would be huge assets for us, and if we could pick one of them up I would say do that instead. If the DT’s are gone then I would pick up Bradford before I picked up someone in the secondary.
Bradfords injury makes him risky but,,,,
Lets wait until the end of the year to see all the QBs available but lets not forget that Bradford has only played two years of college ball and is having surgery. He will be a risky first round pick. Somebody will take him early (ala Sanchez) but I’m doubting he will be available for the Vikes. Claussen might be there but I’m thinking that there are at least 4 teams that need a QB. Oakland, Carolina, Washington, and Tennessee.
I doubt that there will be 4 first round quality QB’s available This means with good scouting the Vikes might have a shot at a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
I love the draft but for now we have to earn the last first round pick.
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