Since this is more or less about all of the QBs in the draft, figured it didn't need to get buried in the Geno thread. From Bleacher Report (Btw, did they merge with some major media company? They were crap like a year ago, I remember not even bothering to click on links to their site, because their writing was some of the worst out there. But nowadays, they seem to have a lot of coverage, their app is very useful, and even saw like a TV ad for them, lol).
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...2013-nfl-draft
It was a case, where the teams that had inept QBs were tied to first round picks in the last two years, and thus reluctant to give up on those guys. Also about natural supply and demand as well. How last year's QB run, filled a lot of teams with QBs (some promising, some not so much) that the demand just wasn't there.
Also, the teams that could have picked say Geno Smith or EJ Manuel may have overplayed their hand.
Let's examine the teams that had a shot at picking a QB in this draft as a matter of need, rather than luxury.
The Kansas City Chiefs: They made the trade for Alex Smith, while Geno Smith was almost certain to be picked in the top ten of the draft. At that time, there were rumors that Nassib might be gone in there as well. They probably didn't rate Geno as the No. 1 player in this year's draft, and saw value in waiting. They traded their second for Alex Smith. Now that's a team that does have some holes, so it's not wise for them to now waste their first two picks on a QB in this draft. They passed. They only had one pick (The No. 1 overall) before Geno was off the board.
The Jacksonville Jaguars: This is one of the teams mentioned in the article, about how they are just 2 years into a first round QB. It's admitting a colossal mistake to give up on a top 10 pick after two years. They are also admitting to the fact that the team he has taken over is devoid of talent, hence why they have drafted a WR and an OL with top ten picks the next two years. I mean, Sanchez in year 4, and we have people getting a heart attack as soon as you mention that it might be time to move on. This is most likely the make or break year for them. They picked twice before Geno was off the board.
Philadelphia Eagles: One of the most rumored places for Geno Smith or EJ Manuel to go. However, they already have a QB that they are paying dearly for in Vick. A 3rd round pick in Foles as well. And they acquired Taylor from Baltimore too I believe because he was a stud at Oregon. Adding a first round QB there just might not have been worth the money. They needed help on the offensive line big time, because last year they were really hurting to protect Vick. And adding the TE helps as well to protect the QB. They obviously think Vick will thrive, otherwise they wouldn't have brought him back at the salary that he is making. Barkley makes perfect sense as a backup QB. It's the same idea as the Ryan Mallet pick by the Pats in the past. They picked twice, but again, understandable why they passed on QBs in the first three rounds.
Cleavland Browns: Invested first round pick in a QB last year, and lost their 2nd round pick to find a WR for that said QB. Weeden had an up and down year. There were a couple of games where he looked very good, some duds. But pretty much anyone of significance on their offense was a rookie or second year player last year, so it makes perfect sense for them to wait one more year atleast and see if things gel. They picked once before any QB was gone.
Arizona Cardinals: This is the one team that had a legitimate need for a QB and the one that most blatantly passed on a QB. They traded for Palmer, and gave him what is essentially a 2 year 16 million contract, with an opt out clause after year 1. However, this could also be their thinking that, they need OL help as much as any team in the league. Last year, their QBs were getting killed and it wouldn't matter who they picked, if they couldn't protect them. So they most likely saw Palmer as a stopgap until they can fix the OL problems, and then try to get a QB. They only picked once before Geno was gone, and they addressed OL with that pick. Remember, they also made that trade when these QBs were projected to go in the top ten, so they already showed their hand by the time the draft rolled around.
Oakland Raiders: They traded for Matt Flynn, with his money involved, they were heavily invested in at the QB position as well. Also having Pryor there as a backup QB that seemed atleast passable last year influences them to wait. Another team that had major holes elsewhere, so it wasn't wise for them to invest that much money into Flynn, and then invest money into a first round QB. They also made the Flynn deal when the QBs were supposed to go in the top 10.
Buffalo Bills: The one team that picked a QB, when in need of a QB, and passed on Geno. A pure projection pick, and to be honest, these two guys are pretty close together. I remember liking Manuel as a possible second round pick or third round pick early in the draft process, but he obviously moved up. His physical talent is better than Geno, IMO. It's really the mental aspect that is a problem. I watched a bunch of tapes of him back when I thought we might take a shot on him, and he never stood out as an elite guy on the field. His team was superior than most of the teams they faced in terms of talent, but he never looked like he was setting the scoreboard on fire or was unstoppable. It also didn't help that people covering FSU think he was incredibly limited on the field as to what he could run, and that they really simplified it out there for him. They also mentioned that, he stopped running the read option after injuring his shoulder, and that his effectiveness decreased exponentially after the injury in regards to the read option. But the guy has the highest potential in the draft, so I can't blame them for picking him. He just has a high bust potential as well, IMO. Also, the Bills traded for Kolb, and I don't think they pick a QB if they stayed at 8. I think they address other needs at 8, but once all the QBs made it to them, they knew they would get a shot at Manuel or Geno at 16, and getting the second to address that need pushed it over the edge. I read that they were afraid to trade back from 16 because of the fear that some other team might trade back into the late first and pick off the QB, a sign that they feared other teams valued these QBs somewhat high as well. In retrospect, they could've waited. But still a good pick for them, IMO. Have to get an elite QB to compete, so might as well take the shot with Manuel.
So this wasn't like, teams were avoiding these guys like the plague. A good number of them had their arms tied because of first round picks in the last two years. Or, they overplayed their hands when these QBs were projected to be top ten, and invested either a high pick or a good amount of money into veteran guys. It makes sense for them to then not pick a QB high, because otherwise it looks like an idiotic move to sign or trade for someone to be your starter and then pick a QB high. And it payed off for the teams that waited it out like the Bills and Jets for a change.
Bookmarks