quarterbacks, the combine, the draft

Ok.

This is about the NFL draft and the wacky conversations that take place and the NFL combine (and i decided to write this after I heard Blaine Gibbert compared to Matt Ryan after a pro day workout).

First. The NFL combine.

It’s kind of like going to the zoo and staring at the animals in the cage.  And it is fascinating.

And I guess I could never be an NFL team GM because I cannot figure out why they care about some of the things they put these young animals through.

Oh.  And I would never draft a quarterback in the first round.

Ever.

(that’s probably a post in itself)

So. Next.

Let’s talk about the draft and quarterbacks and to the quarterback who I wrote about at the end of 2009 and suggested he was the real deal (and what I have going for me credibility-wise is that I also called Sam Bradford the real deal).

Ryan Mallett.

Yeah. He’s slow.

He runs a 5+ second in the 40-yard dash. Yeah. That’s slow (but fast to us normal human beings).

But who cares.

Yeah. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. His interview at the combine? Surly.  ‘No comments’ up the whazoo. As one of the sports sites said: “From the first question to the last in his extremely well-attended interview session with the national media, Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett certainly didn’t do anything to improve his steadily sinking stock in the upcoming draft. Mallett consistently offered “no comment” responses to the queries that just kept coming regarding recent widespread reports of drug allegations and character issues that allegedly have raised a huge red flag in the NFL scouting community. He made Bears QB Jay Cutler look like Tim Tebow in comparison.”

(by the way … if someone was attacking my character I may be surly also)

Ok.

The interview? Who cares.

So. What should we care about?

The dude can throw a football.

An NFL quarterback coach who saw the combine (which everyone who attended judged Mallett as “off-the-charts good”) thought his Pro Day performance was better.

Even Mallett admitted there was not a single pass in this throwing workout that he’d want back.

From day one in the combine he has dazzled everyone with every throw imaginable. And he can throw a picture perfect long throw. A cannon for an arm.  Oh. And a great touch on the touch throws.

He is a quarterback. A complete quarterback. And a traditional quarterback (when nontraditional quarterbacks may be seemingly in vogue).

And he is THE quarterback in the draft.

Putting Cam Newton ahead of him is crazy. Absolutely fucking crazy. And Blaine Gibbert? Huh? Seriously?  What is someone thinking? (apparently they are not).

Look.

I wouldn’t draft any of them on day one. Ok.  Maybe if I were the Patriots I would take Mallett and let him sit by Brady’s side for a season and wait until next season when Brady’s knees need an occasional break and start working him in.

Any other quarterback in this draft is crazy talk. And I even like some of them and think they will be good pro quarterbacks.  The sleeper to me is Kellen Moore but different post for a different day.

So.

My two cents on the NFL draft. Wait until round 2 (3 if you could) for a quarterback but Mallett should be first QB off the board.

No debate.

Stop all the other crazy talk.

Anyway.

This is all crazy talk anyway because no one is playing in 2011 anyway. (sigh)

Written by Bruce