When an NFL team drafts a QB in the first round of the NFL Draft, everyone wonders if this is the guy that is going to save their franchise. Take the Jets for instance. Last year they signed Brett Favre out of retirement (chuckle), and he turned the team into a playoff team for half of the season, but then showed his age in the second half as the team went downhill and missed the playoffs. After the season, Favre again retires… and then unretires to sign with the Vikings, but enough about Favre.
The Jets organization was left in limbo without someone to play QB. Sure, they still had Kellen Clemens, but he has proven time and time again that he isn’t a starter in the NFL. The Jets could have looked to sign another free agent QB, but since they got screwed over by doing that the previous year, they set their sites on the NFL Draft where they selected a young kid out of USC with the 5th overall pick in Mark Sanchez. Everyone then wondered when he would be the team’s starter.
This same question was asked by many when the Detroit Lions drafted Matthew Stafford number one. The Jets already named Sanchez as their week one starter, but the Lions have yet to name theirs. My question is how does a team that went 0-16 last year not name the number one overall pick their starter by now, no matter what the position is? You have a guy in Daunte Culpepper who, in my opinion, has tons of knowledge and experience and can share that with Stafford week in and week out. But to think about starting him over Stafford is just silly.
One thing about NFL coaching (which has a lot to do with the fans and media) that I just don’t understand, is why they think that if you start a young player at QB, he then has to play the entire game. I say you throw your rookie QB out there every week to start the game, and if he plays poorly, you have a veteran number two (like Culpepper) to bring in to try to keep your team in the game. Meanwhile, the rookie goes over his mistakes on the sidelines. Then there’s no QB controversy after the game, just two QB’s in the same stat book. You don’t leave the veteran in the rest of the year, you put the rookie back out there the very next week to start.
I don’t know how Stafford or Sanchez will do, but I do know that the less stress and pressure put on their shoulders, the quicker they can play in the NFL at a high level instead of becoming the next Alex Smith, David Carr or Rex Grossman.
I agree, I bet if those last few QB’s could have gotten some mentoring from their predecessors they wouldn’t be the busts they are now. Or at least not as big. God forbid that every time two QB’s played in one game the media didn’t call it a controversy
The last thing you want to be doing in the NFL is shuffling your QB’s each week, especially when there’s a rookie involved. Dealing with rookies is a sensitive process. Rushing their development could cause more harm than good.
I’m a firm believer in naming your starter and standing by him. Take the Browns situation for example. Quinn and Anderson have to worry about making a mistake and being pulled from the game due to a lack of job security. That’s not a way to get the best out of a player.
Justin you talked about pulling the rookie so he could go over his mistakes while the veteran tries to keep the team in the game. That would be a major blow to his confidence. The only way you learn and correct those mistakes is during the game, not on the sidelines. However, in the Lions, and even Bucs case for that matter, your team isn’t going to the playoffs regardless so why not let them take their bumps and bruises with no pressure to win. Then, year two comes and he’s got some experience under his belt. I do think having am experienced veteran on the roster is a must, though. Let’s not forget Troy Aikman went 0-11 his rookie year en route to a great career.
Luca thinks that pulling the rookie in the middle of the game to go over mistakes with him is a blow to his confidence… How about the day that he learns from his mistake and finishes a game with a comeback victory because he’s corrected his mistakes? That would be a huge boost to his confidence.
I mean I am not saying he never finishes a game, I am saying that if he throws 3 picks in the first half start the second half with your number two QB and keep up with it until your rookie solidifies himself as the number one QB on the team by proving it. As long as it is known throughout the media, which then makes it known throughout the fan base, that he is the QB of the future, but won’t be the QB of right now until he shows he can handle it. This lets everyone following the team know where the team stands and then they dont start shouting for the backup QB.
As for the Troy Aikman comment… you named one player..
I could think of at least 10 QB’s and former QB’s that were first round busts because they were handled the exact same way Aikman was handled.. 99% time they don’t turn into a Troy Aikman, they turn into a BUST.
So basically you want a QB carousel. You can’t do that. Show your guy that you are a 100% behind him and do just what the Jets did with Sanchez verse the Ravens. He throws a pick on his first pass of the game and comes back to throw a TD the next quarter. You can go over mistakes while your team is on defense, in between quarters, timeouts, halftime, etc. Either make him your starter or make him a reserve for the entire year like Aaron Rodgers (although not for as many years as he did).
I agree with you Luca, start em from the beginning or let him having a learning year.
Stafford just announced as starting QB for the Lions!