DOWN WITH BROWNS

With all the hoopla that surrounds the upcoming NFL Draft, no position will get more attention than quarterback. The quarterback is usually the face of the franchise, it is the single most important player in professional sports.

Sam Bradford by all accounts had the pro day of a lifetime. General Managers, Coaches, and Football Czars were all in attendance to see if this physical specimen’s shoulder was completely healed and if Bradford was the real deal. Reports from the exhibition were Bradford could not miss a pass. He had accuracy, zip on the ball, and the ability to throw deep.

Last week lesser known quarterback Dan LeFevour staged his pro day. It was said to be unimpressive, accounts of the quarterback were that he struggled throwing the deep ball and was classified as average.

I guess Bradford will be a star and LeFevour will be a clipboard holder. Not so fast.

Here are some quotes about former prospects and you guess who the quarterback is.

1. This is a quote from former Colt’s coach Tony Dungy, who is he referring to:

”I like his ball. He throws the ball like Warren Moon. It’s a beautiful ball with more revolution on his passes than any quarterback I’ve ever seen. He’s a little older than the regular college quarterback, and I like that experience in his life, if not at his position. He throws a tight, accurate ball.

Peyton Manning right?

Wrong Akili Smith

2. A quote from a former NFL coach about this player’s pro day:

“We were very impressed. He had a great day. He seems very first class, very easy to get along with. No doubt he was a great leader here. That’s why everybody wants him now.”

Carson Palmer?

No it was JaMarcus Russell. The quote is from former Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin.

3. This is from former Kansas City head coach Herman Edwards about this quarterback’s pro day:

“I thought he pressed a couple times, trying to throw the ball a little too hard.”

Brady Quinn maybe?

Nope franchise quarterback Matt Ryan.

Those are just a few examples of the difficulty of judging a quarterback when he is playing wearing a  t-shirt and shorts on a practice field.

This is an interesting item from Peter King in the August 1998 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Mike Holmgren ran this guy’s pro day in 1991.

“Also on draft day 1991, New York Jets scout Ron Wolf was pushing hard to get his team to draft an undisciplined, injury-plagued quarterback from Southern Mississippi named Brett Favre. Wolf had watched Favre’s workout at Southern Miss a few weeks earlier—run by San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren—but hadn’t been very impressed. Wolf was particularly turned off by Favre’s cockiness. In his scouting report to the 49ers, Holmgren wrote, “This young man has all the tools to be not only a starting quarterback but a very good starting quarterback. However, he has to display the maturity a quarterback needs…. He also throws every ball like he’s going to kill somebody.”

Sensing that the group of talent evaluators was disappointed, Southern Miss’s pro football liaison, Thames Coleman, sidled up to Wolf and said, “You have to watch his film as a junior to see this guy at his best.” Wolf did and was impressed, especially by Favre’s athleticism, decision making on the run and accuracy. When he returned to New York, Wolf told Jets general manager Dick Steinberg, “Favre’s the best player in the draft, and you know we need a quarterback.”

Evaluation and scouting are huge components when drafting a quarterback but you also need a little luck.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1013553/3/index.htm