The QB Market Crash

[DisturbedShifty]

Saw this posted on Twitter by a guy I followed. I thought it was a good read. Written by Peter King.

RGIII has crashed, Newton is hurting and Kaepernick is struggling. With more questions than answers at the top of the upcoming draft class, will teams back off the big investments in young quarterbacks?

I just have this feeling we’re headed for a quarterback mini-revolution in 2015. It’s part RG3-rebelliousness, part dissatisfaction with the status quo of the Cutler/Newton/Kaepernick crowd, part not being sold on Marcus Mariota, part being deathly afraid in the current domestic violence climate of Jameis Winston—who is in a Florida State disciplinary hearing this week for suspicion of sexually assaulting a fellow FSU student—and part… well, just the feeling that we might be headed for a bit of a market correction in how the position is played.

That factors in to this story. More and more general managers I speak with are hesitant about putting their quarterback at the kind of risk so many mobile quarterbacks are in these days. Look at the young, athletic playoff quarterbacks last year. Colin Kaepernick, declining. Cam Newton, declining. Russell Wilson, treading water. Andrew Luck is athletic but also effectively functions in the pocket; he’s certainly a rising star. But there’s been a hey-wait-a-minute moment when it comes to mobile quarterback as the wave of the future. And it’s because, obviously, mobile quarterbacks are getting the tar beaten out of them in the NFL today.


So… where to begin.


The bottom 12 of the first round will be determined by the playoffs. First tiebreaker is opponent winning percentage. Jacksonville picks ahead of Tennessee because of the second tiebreaker (for teams in the same division): division record. Jacksonville is 0-3 in the AFC South, Tennessee 1-3.
This column is about where NFL teams are headed in quarterback-gathering for 2015. The way I see it, 16 teams certainly will not be looking for quarterbacks high in the draft: Dallas, the New York Giants, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, Atlanta, Seattle, New England, Miami, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Denver, San Diego and Oakland. The rest? They’re open for business. Or could be.

Read more here: http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/03/quarterback-market-draft-2015/

 

[Spesh]

Not to shabby of a article.

Im surprised by the willingness of some to just throw Cam Newton away. Anyone paying attention knew he was going to have problems due to the surrounding talent before the season began. The injuries and Mike Shula's incompetence have only made it more difficult. With franchise quarterbacks being so rare, you dont just throw a guy like Cam Newton to the wayside. You bring in new coaches who can bring out his abilities. It would have been fascinating to see, say, Norv Turner coach up Newton.

If Oakland is automatically sticking with Derek Carr then they are silly bastards who deserve to continue losing. Yes, hes shown some flashes and, yes, he is hardly the biggest problem on that roster. But i havent seen much to indicate hes the answer and, given his tendency to get twitchy after getting hit, he could fall apart in the near future. As well, theres something to be said about replacing the quarterback who just led your team to a 1-15 record. If people have such a high opinion on Carr then the Raiders should trade him for a bucket load of draft picks and use the 1st on a quarterback.

Its going to be a fascinating offseason. For what its worth, there are rumors that Tennessee covets Brian Hoyer. Not a decision id make give how high they will be drafting, but interesting nonetheless. The team ive zeroed in on is Tampa. That roster has some potential. If your Lovie Smith, a man who had just been fired due to subpar quarterback play, can you really pass on Winston with the 2nd or 3rd overall pick? With giants at receiver, you know he could come in and find some immediate success...which you desperately need after this past season. But Tampa wouldnt be all that removed from potentially poisonous influences in Tallahassee(a mere 4 hour drive). Its a serious gamble.
Chicago is another team i'll be focusing on. They have to trade Cutler. I could only shake my head when they decided to extend Cutler and let McCown walk. What a complete **** up. Trying to repair that disaster is going to be quite interesting. If they choose to repair it of course. If they decide to stick with him, then they should just come out and announce to their fans they have no interest in winning a Superbowl. It would save everyone a lot of time.

One thing i do kind of hope happens: the Eagles trade an entire draft for Mariota. I dont care much about the Eagles one way or another(actually, thats not totally true, ive always felt something of a kinship with the Giants so i certainly dont want a division rival to succeed), but watching that unfold would be highly, highly entertaining. The constant talk of Chip Kelly returning to college, and thus leaving Mariota and the Eagles to twist in the wind, would only add to the fun.

 

[TheWalrus]

I'm with you, Spesh. I still like Newton. There's still meat on the bone there. He's had to deal with a head coach who's clueless when it comes to the offense, mediocre offensive coaching in general and a skill position group that's easily the worst in the league. Among the worst I've ever seen.

Now, he needs to work a bit on his fundamentals. He still throws high way too often, especially when he's excited, which I think is probably a footwork issue (it usually is). That can be death to a quarterback, especially when you're a naturally aggressive downfield thrower like Newton is. I was not a big fan of his out of college but I watched every snap of his rookie season and I came to think -- and still think -- that if you put the right pieces around him that he could not just be great, but unstoppable. He has the perfect quarterback body, excellent improvisational skills, a strong naturally accurate arm and he processes the field well. He doesn't linger for an extra beat when he makes a decision. He can see it and rip it.

Ultimately I don't think Newton wants to play for Carolina. It's a dead end in terms of the national stage, Jerry Richardson is an asshole and they're about to start rebuilding again. I doubt he'll sign a contract extension there when some of the elite quarterbacks in the league -- in some of the biggest media markets -- are just about to hit rocking chair age. Openings are a coming, and a guy like Brock Osweiler, for example, is not the answer to anything but "who is the goofiest ****er in just about any room he enters?"

In other words, boy would I hate to see Newton in New England. Ugh.

 

[trojanma]

Talk about a nightmare scenario totally Patriots thing to do but buy low on a struggling Cam Newton. I think I need a drink.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Of the struggling young QBs right now: Kaepernick, Newton, Foles, Dalton, Griffin, Wilson (to a lesser extent), I fully agree that Cam Newton is the one I am the most optimistic for moving forward.

Cam is fighting serious injuries and doesn't have a lot to work with, but he is a GOOD thrower of the football. I really like Russell Wilson (contrary to what some here apparently think I think), but right now I'm really concerned that his height is actually a bigger problem than we want to think it is. He's struggling to see the field from the pocket and IMO it is because he is 5 foot 10, and nothing else.

I think if you give Cam time to heal up, more weapons to work with, and -- yes -- better coaching, you will see a huge difference.

 

[whizafriz]

I think what I'm now seeing is, drafting a QB is going back to a "Step 1" instead of "the final answer". Teams with young QB's just aren't winning without enough coaching and weapons.

 

[Sons Of Shula]

A couple of things things that stood out for me purely from a Dolphin's fan POV: 1) we are currently not drafting within the first 20 picks, 2) this is one of the first articles I have read concerning QB's in 14 years that did not have us listed a team in need of one. Amen.

I also find it interesting that when discussing the running QB that Tannehill was not mentioned. As in, he's a pocket passer QB with running ability; not just a running QB.