2015 Draft Prospects

[getBUCKED]

I've been expecting this for a while now. It's no surprise given how much Farmer liked him last year.

Guess it's time to watch some film to see if he's as impressive as Teddy was.

 

[AZ_]

The Titans do need a QB, but they need a team to overpay for their draft spot even more. I think that is why we are hearing so much buzz around Mariota definitely off the table at pick #2.

The Rogers situation is a great parallel for Mariota. We see Rogers as that perfect blend of mobility and pocket presence now. Leaving Cal, he was still more of a running quarterback with a nice arm. He needed a few years running the first team offense in practice all week with Brett Favre playing on Sunday to become the QB we see today.

Aaron Rodgers had 126 rushing yards in his final season at Cal.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Aaron Rodgers had 126 rushing yards in his final season at Cal.

I know you aren't attempting to say he was pro ready coming out of Cal. If he was, he wouldn't have slid to the late 1st. His development as a pro style pocket QB was the result of running practices for a resting Grandpa Favre during the week, most specifically his pocket awareness.

 

[AZ_]

I know you aren't attempting to say he was pro ready coming out of Cal. If he was, he wouldn't have slid to the late 1st. His development as a pro style pocket QB was the result of running practices for a resting Grandpa Favre during the week, most specifically his pocket awareness.

I'm attempting to say that he shouldn't have even been remotely considered a running QB, as you were clearly insinuating.

 

[Ohio]

I've been on the fence for whether to trade up for Mariota or take a top QB in 2016...but, I think if you can get Mariota, you have to do it. 2016 is an unknown. All we have is now, and I'd prefer that the 2015 season be worth watching. Go for it.

 

[chrisrich91]

I've been on the fence for whether to trade up for Mariota or take a top QB in 2016...but, I think if you can get Mariota, you have to do it. 2016 is an unknown. All we have is now, and I'd prefer that the 2015 season be worth watching. Go for it.

I agree with your logic that we have an opportunity at a relatively affordable top notch QB prospect this year and we must pounce on it. I do not necessarily agree with the bolded, however.

I'm the biggest Mariota advocate on here but I would very much like him to sit the year behind McCown and even Thad Lewis if injury strikes. I know that's too much to ask for out of a Cleveland QB prospect, but that would really give Mariota a chance to be special. The Rodgers comparison is a good one...and while McCown is no Favre, I don't think the guy you are sitting behind has any effect on how you turn out. It's the time afforded to the prospect to watch and learn the NFL game that can make the difference.

 

[Ohio]

I agree with your logic that we have an opportunity at a relatively affordable top notch QB prospect this year and we must pounce on it. I do not necessarily agree with the bolded, however.

I'm the biggest Mariota advocate on here but I would very much like him to sit the year behind McCown and even Thad Lewis if injury strikes. I know that's too much to ask for out of a Cleveland QB prospect, but that would really give Mariota a chance to be special. The Rodgers comparison is a good one...and while McCown is no Favre, I don't think the guy you are sitting behind has any effect on how you turn out. It's the time afforded to the prospect to watch and learn the NFL game that can make the difference.

I couldn't imagine Mariota sitting an entire season while Josh fuckin McCown plays. Not saying he should or shouldn't sit, I just cannot see that happening.

 

[Randolphkeys]

I'm attempting to say that he shouldn't have even been remotely considered a running QB, as you were clearly insinuating.

I'm talking about developing a pro style quarterback when the college system has stopped doing so. You can focus on whatever minutiae of posts you want, that's kind of your thing.

 

[AZ_]

I'm talking about developing a pro style quarterback when the college system has stopped doing so. You can focus on whatever minutiae of posts you want, that's kind of your thing.

I focused on the part you were wrong about.

I don't really think the comparison holds much water, anyway. We'll never know what Rodgers would have done as a Day 1 starter, obviously the time on the bench benefited him just as it would anyone else.

That's not to say he couldn't have been just as productive, given the great system he was drafted into and the talent/coaching around him.


Needless to say, Rodgers wasn't a running QB without NFL ready passing ability. Guy was a pretty damn good prospect.

 

[Randolphkeys]

These discrepancies have more to do with Tedford's system and Oregon's system than ability. Rodgers ran a 4.71 40 coming out of the draft and has shown he is durable. Tedford doesn't run a scheme that asked Rodgers to run for yardage like he did in JuCo.

I wouldn't call Colt McCoy or Johnny Manziel running quarterbacks either, whatever their college stats amounted to. I'd say they were, much like Rodgers, unprepared to make NFL progressions. Rodgers possesses more similarities to Mariota than Manziel and McCoy because MM seems to have the physical ability to be that mix of escapability, accuracy, and arm strength. I'm outlining why the journalist is making that link.

 

[AZ_]

He threw for 30 TDs in his only season in Community College, so I'm not sure how much running he did there either.

Mariota is more mobile and bigger, presenting more of a threat there than Rodgers ever did.

 

[Randolphkeys]

He threw for 30 TDs in his only season in Community College, so I'm not sure how much running he did there either.

Mariota is more mobile and bigger, presenting more of a threat there than Rodgers ever did.

Again, this is the problem when you focus on the 5% of my post that ruffles your feathers rather than other 95%. Rodgers was running a 4.7 40 in college. Tedford was known as a more pro style offensive mind who coaches up prospects, and he helped for Rodgers into a much better QB by the time he was a senior. Rodgers was not, however, very good at avoiding turnovers and being productive in the pocket when he got to Cal. He was shaky as a junior. His productive senior year was a good sign, but there was a lot of tape on his red zone blunders as well. Thus, a guy who had great speed and a strong arm dropped in the draft.

Again, much of what I'm going off is the Cal games I watched over 7 years ago, but he was much more productive throwing as a senior than his stint as a junior, and by the time he was 24 he had three years of grooming in the Green Bay scheme before facing NFL defenses on Sundays. Why are we arguing that three years running the Green Bay practices as Favre saved himself for Sundays weren't helpful?

 

[AZ_]

Again, this is the problem when you focus on the 5% of my post that ruffles your feathers rather than other 95%. Rodgers was running a 4.7 40 in college. Tedford was known as a more pro style offensive mind who coaches up prospects, and he helped for Rodgers into a much better QB by the time he was a senior. Rodgers was not, however, very good at avoiding turnovers and being productive in the pocket when he got to Cal. He was shaky as a junior. His productive senior year was a good sign, but there was a lot of tape on his red zone blunders as well. Thus, a guy who had great speed and a strong arm dropped in the draft.

Again, much of what I'm going off is the Cal games I watched over 7 years ago, but he was much more productive throwing as a senior than his stint as a junior, and by the time he was 24 he had three years of grooming in the Green Bay scheme before facing NFL defenses on Sundays. Why are we arguing that three years running the Green Bay practices as Favre saved himself for Sundays weren't helpful?

You could at least admit you have no idea what he did at JuCO instead of pretending like you did.

As for the bolded, nobody is arguing that.

I'm simply saying you're wrong in that he was "basically a running back" coming out with no passing skill-set.

He was a pretty good passing prospect from a well-respected, pro-style system in which he had a good deal of success. The latter part of that sentence is what makes him so unlike Mariota in almost every sense.

Pretty sure Brady Quinn ran in the 4.7s as well, that's not impressive.

 

[Randolphkeys]

If anything I was guilty of brevity in my original one sentence assessment of Rodgers strengths at Cal. Didn't know I was going to turn it into a one page discussion. Maybe you should try brevity out sometime.

But, it certainly remains to be seen that Mariota isn't going to be drafted before #12, being an experienced big arm and fleet footed prospect. I think that is the bigger stretch in this thread today. My main point was that Mariota should be give one or two years to run NFL practices before being thrown to the wolves on Sunday. I think we agree the Browns shouldn't overbid for a guy who is likely not able to contribute the first season.

 

[Soda]

I couldn't imagine Mariota sitting an entire season while Josh fuckin McCown plays. Not saying he should or shouldn't sit, I just cannot see that happening.

I am kind-of feeling this way as well. If the Browns use both picks from this year to grab Mariotta with the intent to let him sit, the Browns will have used 4 first round picks on players that won't have contributed in their first season, let alone be pro-bowlers. Plus it is clear that the Manziel pick was wasted completely.

I think I'd be more comfortable to see the Browns use their 1st next year with one of the first rounders so while you have Mariotta sitting, you can have a DT, OLB, WR, etc. competing for playing time off the bat.