Cal2GreenBay
16 years ago
I like the quotes in this article

Rodgers is a "younger, more practical version of Brett Favre...w/out the
lovable mistakes" hehe


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keown/080916&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos2 

There are many lessons to be learned from the dual sagas of Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith, not the least of which is this: The best time to draft a quarterback is when you don't need one.

Carrying a clipboard was the smartest thing the Packers asked Rodgers to do. Easier said than done, of course, since there are times when you don't think you need one until suddenly you discover you do. Still, the idea is solid. It's pretty much unquestioned that quarterback is the most important position in any team sport. Nothing else really compares -- not a big-time starting pitcher (significant only every fifth day) or even a LeBron James-type basketball player (though that one comes closest).

When you factor in how much football coaches expect a quarterback to learn and how quickly they expect him to learn it, there's no other position that deserves a place in the discussion. And if NFL offenses seem at times to be overly complicated -- maybe even artificially complicated -- well, you're not alone in that line of thinking. No matter, though, since wondering if all of that professorial, sleep-in-the-office stuff is necessary doesn't make it any easier to master.

There's no doubt Rodgers would have rather been playing in Green Bay -- or maybe somewhere else -- than standing on the sidelines in a ballcap waving in signs like a third-base coach. For three years he played behind Brett Favre, and it was the rare instance in football where nobody clamored for the backup.

It's also true that Rodgers' time as a backup to Favre couldn't have been better for the Packers. How good do they look now? They drafted him in 2005 knowing he wouldn't play right away, and now that he is playing he looks like a younger, more practical version of Favre. So far, he's Brett without all those lovable mistakes.

The theory on Rodgers is this: It wouldn't have happened if he started as a rookie. In fact, if he had started as a rookie, it might not have happened at all.

Which brings us back to Alex Smith. Taken by a quarterback-starved 49ers team with the first pick of the same draft, Smith was tossed into the grinder far too soon. He played poorly, got hurt and wandered through three different offensive coordinators in his first three years.

[+] Enlarge

Phil Carter/US Presswire
Who knows what Alex Smith could have done if he were not thrown into the fire so quickly?
Were the talent evaluators that far off on the respective talents of Smith and Rodgers, or did their circumstances dictate their futures? Rodgers has started only two games, so there's always the possibility this won't last, but no quarterback has hit the ground running like this guy in the past 10 years. And Smith, out for the year with another shoulder injury and ostensibly through as a 49er, is being discussed as the worst pick in the history of the NFL draft.

And right now, it would be hard to craft a compelling argument against that statement.

Assuming the talent evaluators had some level of competence, the difference is largely location. Smith was the great hope for 49ers fans hoping for a return to the team's quarterback-centric glory. After all, there's only so much Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett that any dues-paying fan can take.

So what's a team to do? If you have the luxury, pick a quarterback high in the draft and wait it out. As a real-life example, think about how many years Peyton Manning has left at his current level. Four, maybe five? Assuming Jim Sorgi isn't a solution, there's only one option for the Colts: Look for a quarterback, now, with the idea of getting one of the top two in next year's draft. Pick your linebackers and wide receivers after the first round, and concentrate on the most important position first.

Either that, or choose this option: Sign Alex Smith. Give him the apprentice years he wasn't afforded in San Francisco. That way, we'd all get to see whether environment is the main factor in the development of a quarterback.
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zombieslayer
16 years ago

And Smith, out for the year with another shoulder injury and ostensibly through as a 49er, is being discussed as the worst pick in the history of the NFL draft.



No. This just throws any intelligence from this article.

We picked T*** M******** when Barry Sanders, who can be argued is the best RB who ever played the game, came after. Also, in that draft came Deion Sanders, who some regard as the best shutdown corner ever to play the game. Also in that draft after TM was Derrick Thomas, who was in the Pro Bowl 9 times and should be in the HOF. We could have also had Steve Atwater and Andre Rison (who we eventually picked up in '96 when we won the SB).

There have been other notable busts like Ryan Leaf, etc. Alex Smith doesn't belong in the same discussion as Leaf and TM. That's as far as I read and won't even bother to read the rest.
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Packnic
16 years ago

And Smith, out for the year with another shoulder injury and ostensibly through as a 49er, is being discussed as the worst pick in the history of the NFL draft.

"zombieslayer" wrote:



No. This just throws any intelligence from this article.

We picked T*** M******** when Barry Sanders, who can be argued is the best RB who ever played the game, came after. Also, in that draft came Deion Sanders, who some regard as the best shutdown corner ever to play the game. Also in that draft after TM was Derrick Thomas, who was in the Pro Bowl 9 times and should be in the HOF. We could have also had Steve Atwater and Andre Rison (who we eventually picked up in '96 when we won the SB).

There have been other notable busts like Ryan Leaf, etc. Alex Smith doesn't belong in the same discussion as Leaf and TM. That's as far as I read and won't even bother to read the rest.




good grief zombie. over react much?


Tony Mandarich was a second overall pick behind Troy Aikman.
Ryan Leaf was a second overall pick behind Peyton Manning.


Alex Smith was a QB and went number one overall. Drafting a bust at QB with the #1 pick is a LOT bigger deal than drafting an offensive lineman that bust. You pin your hopes on QBs, not second pick lineman.

He is absolutely in the discussion for worst draft pick ever. He is right up there with Ryan Leaf. Ryan Leaf is a big deal because of his mental breakdowns and the press that followed.

But i think Alex Smith is the biggest bust we have seen. He was drafted Number 1 overall and labelled the "savior that will return QB glory to San Fran". He failed miserably, and the worst part is that they could have had Aaron Rodgers. Drafting Alex Smith was a FAIL of epic proportions.
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bigfog
16 years ago
In the case of Alex Smith, I wouldn't call him a bust as much as I would say that San Francisco ruined him.

Smith shares part of the blame, but I've said this before, San Francisco didn't do him any favors. Smith's failure lies squarely on the San Francisco 49ers.
"I wouldn't root for the Minnesota Vikings to win a chess match against Nazi Germany."
zombieslayer
16 years ago
Packnic - I agree with Bigfog. SF ruined him. He could have been a decent QB, not as good as AR , but decent. 3 different OCs in 3 years. Took a lot of real bad hits. Thrown to the wolves with a separated shoulder.

Now TM, he was supposed to be the best offensive linemen who EVER played the game. Ever. Bar none. He was supposed to knock everyone out of the way and drive defenders into the ground, and make them wish they never got out of bed. The iconic image of TM was him pounding a defender into the end zone, standing over him, and screaming "and stay down!"

You may be too young to remember this, but there was an incredible amount of hype surrounding TM. Incredible. Those who weren't there would have no idea just how big of a deal he was supposed to be.
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Packnic
16 years ago

Packnic - I agree with Bigfog. SF ruined him. He could have been a decent QB, not as good as AR , but decent. 3 different OCs in 3 years. Took a lot of real bad hits. Thrown to the wolves with a separated shoulder.

Now TM, he was supposed to be the best offensive linemen who EVER played the game. Ever. Bar none. He was supposed to knock everyone out of the way and drive defenders into the ground, and make them wish they never got out of bed. The iconic image of TM was him pounding a defender into the end zone, standing over him, and screaming "and stay down!"

You may be too young to remember this, but there was an incredible amount of hype surrounding TM. Incredible. Those who weren't there would have no idea just how big of a deal he was supposed to be.

"zombieslayer" wrote:



Im not saying TM wasn't a huge bust. Im just saying that Alex Smith ABSOLUTELY deserves to be in the discusion.
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dingus
16 years ago
I too believe Alex was thrown to the wolves and is not so much a bust as he was busted.

The 49ers did him no favors and he should sue! (kidding about the lawsuit part!)
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
16 years ago

I like the quotes in this article

Rodgers is a "younger, more practical version of Brett Favre...w/out the
lovable mistakes" hehe

"Cal2GreenBay" wrote:


Better be careful, Roddy will find out where you live an let the air our your tires if you say things like that. :ramboface:
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Greg C.
16 years ago
A good article overall, but I disagree with the author's statement that a QB is more important to a team than a star basketball player. In basketball, there are only five players on the floor at one time, and they play both offense and defense. One player can have an enormous impact in that situation. In football, you've got 11 players on the field, and none of them are there more than half the time. Of course a QB is very important, but I think this guy is exaggerating.
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
16 years ago

A good article overall, but I disagree with the author's statement that a QB is more important to a team than a star basketball player. In basketball, there are only five players on the floor at one time, and they play both offense and defense. One player can have an enormous impact in that situation. In football, you've got 11 players on the field, and none of them are there more than half the time. Of course a QB is very important, but I think this guy is exaggerating.

"Greg C." wrote:



Yep I thought so too. A Jordan type player can take 4 other avg players and make it into the playoffs and even make a run in the post season. A QB and 10 avg players may or may not make the playoffs but they sure won't go very far.
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