Tom Brady, QB, Michigan

[WeltRekord]

Was searching through some article archives and I found some interesting articles about Brady in college.

The Sporting News
October 11, 1999

Draft watch - possible top ten quarterbacks that may be selected in the 2000

Quarterbacks

Though the 2000 quarterback crop pales in comparison to the 1999 class, this isn't a bad group of passers. If Purdue junior Drew Brees enters the draft, then it's likely three quarterbacks will be taken in the first round.

1. Chris Redman, Louisville, 6-3, 215. Accurate and intelligent--a good combination for a QB. Throws better than Tim Couch or Peyton Manning, the last two No. 1 picks. Has courage in the pocket. Doesn't have great feet.

2. Chad Pennington, Marshall, 6-3, 220. Randy Moss' old QB is one of the most productive passers in NCAA history. Strong arm. Heady player. Isn't a great athlete but can elude pressure.

3. Drew Brees, Purdue, 6-1, 212. This junior could end up as the best of the group. Has all the intangibles. Makes good decisions. Doesn't have a big arm, but can make most of the throws and has been ultra productive. This year's Cade McNown.

4. Tee Martin, Tennessee, 6-3, 215. Great arm and throws a pretty ball, but isn't always accurate. Raw product has potential to improve, and has the right attitude to do so.

5. Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech, 6-1, 200. Has been very productive, but probably is a product of the system. Throws a lot of short passes. Has an ordinary arm.

6. Marc Bulger, West Virginia, 6-3, 210. Has a quick release, but a pop-gun arm. Competitive and smart. Can move in the pocket.

7. Tom Brady, Michigan, 6-5, 213. Classic, tall, drop-back passer with a decent arm. Has improved his play and could continue to rise. Could be an NFL backup.

8. Giovanni Carmazzi, Hofstra, 6-3, 220. Sturdy quarterback who has played against a lower level of competition and run a funky offense. Has decent speed. Accurate on the short routes.

9. Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech, 5-10, 189. Option QB is a winner, but probably too small for the NFL. Has enough athleticism that he could try to convert to receiver.

10. Doug Johnson, Florida, 6-2, 217. Has a decent arm, but could be a product of the system. Makes some poor decisions. Doesn't move real well.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Sporting News Publishing Co.


PS. Wikipedia says "Tee Martin has had offers from the Oakland Raiders to return to their team as of September 21, 2007. According to Oakland they want to incorporate him as a wide receiver/quarterback option."

 

[Phokus]

Chad Pennington and "Strong Arm"? DOES NOT COMPUTE!

 

[WeltRekord]

The Gazette (Colorado Springs) > Apr 12, 2000

Draft capsules

EDITOR'S NOTE: With the 10th pick in Saturday's NFL draft, the Denver Broncos will have plenty of top players to choose from, should they decide to hold on to the pick. In a series of previews, The Gazette's John Branch breaks down the top players by position. Today, he dissects the quarterbacks and running backs.

Quarterback

The skinny: Last year, quarterbacks were selected with the draft's top three picks. This year, it may take until the late third round to see three QBs snatched up. And whatever happened to Chris Redman?

THE TOP 5:

1. Chad Pennington (6-3, 225), Marshall

Randy Moss says Pennington is the best quarterback he's played with. Charismatic and smart player with solid, not spectacular, skills will be gone in the first 12 picks.

2. Chris Redman (6-2, 220), Louisville

Considered Pennington's equal three months ago, poor workouts and 40 times have dropped him as far as the third round. Someone will take him long before then.

3. Tee Martin (6-1, 220), Tennessee

All he did was win in Peyton Manning's shadow, now he's drawing comparisons to Super Bowl QB Steve McNair.

4. Giovanni Carmazzi (6-2, 220), Hofstra

Bright, likeable kid is raw, having led a run-and-shoot attack for a Division I-AA school.

5. Joe Hamilton (5-10, 190), Georgia Tech

Chiefs coach Gunther Cunningham loved this guy at the Senior Bowl, and Doug Flutie may have paved the way for the undersized.

Overrated: Doug Johnson (6-1, 215), Florida. Climbing the draft boards, mostly because of Internet geeks.

Underrated: Tom Brady (6-4, 225), Michigan. Harbaugh, Grback, Griese, Brady - another competent if unexciting Wolverine quarterback

What the Broncos will do: The question isn't if the Broncos will select a QB, it's when. Nabbing Pennington in the first round means Denver has given up on Brian Griese and doesn't believe Gus Frerotte offers any long-range hope. More likely, Denver goes after a quarterback in the middle- to late rounds. Possibilities: Stanford's Todd Husak, Northern Arizona's Travis Brown, Lehigh's Phil Stambaugh.

Running back

The skinny: Several teams are hot for a running back, and there are plenty of talented ones available. Three could go from the fifth pick to the 11th, but it's anyone's guess as to their order.

THE TOP 5

1. Thomas Jones (5-10, 210), Virginia

Fastest and most versatile of the top-rated backs, and everyone is looking for the next Edgerrin James.

2. Jamal Lewis (6-0, 230), Tennessee

Injuries last season slowed him down, and he's been working his way up the draft boards ever since with impressive workouts.

3. Shaun Alexander (6-0, 210), Alabama

The Crimson Tide's all-time leading rusher elevated himself with a big senior season and by carrying his team to several big wins.

4. Ron Dayne (5-10, 255), Wisconsin

Heisman Trophy winner is in the mold of Christian Okoye or Jerome Bettis. But how many times have we made that comparison in recent years?

5. J.R. Redmond (5-11, 210), Arizona State

Great all-purpose back with combination of size and speed.

Overrated: Dayne. Few NFL teams pound the ball the way they do in the Big 10, and teams are concerned with his weight and durability.

Underrated: Travis Prentice (5-11, 225), Miami (Ohio). Loves to dish it out but also racks up the yards, meaning he should be a solid pro.

What the Broncos will do: The team needs a third-stringer, so might take a flyer in a late round. More desperately, however, Denver needs a fullback because Howard Griffith will be a free agent next year. Expect one (Michigan's Aaron Shea or Ohio State's Matt Keller, perhaps) in the last three rounds.

 

[SoxPatsFaninIndy]

"Could be an NFL Backup"

Wow, does anyone else just smile really big when you read that? I love the fact that we have the best QB in the NFL guiding our team.

 

[RussFrancis]

'decent arm'

 

[N.Eman]

I bet there's a number of people who didn't think Brady would make it this far and with this team. Most people are probably jealous.

 

[WeltRekord]

The Sporting News
Sept 13, 1999

Stop the shuffle! Brady's the man for Michigan - football player Tom Brady - includes related articles on Nebraska and Nevada
Mark Blaudschun

The great quarterback controversy raged all summer in Ann Arbor. Drew Henson, Tom Brady. Pick one. Lloyd Carr couldn't. Not last week. Not this week. And probably not next week, and that is going to hurt Michigan.

Oh, maybe not now. Certainly, no one was unhappy last Saturday after Michigan's 26-22 victory over Notre Dame in its season opener.

How could they be? The Wolverines came from behind to beat the Irish in one of those can-you-believe-it type of games these two always seem to play.

All Brady did was complete 17-of-24 passes for 197 yards. All he did was take the Wolverines down the field in the final minutes for a score when Michigan desperately needed a touchdown.

All Henson did was complete 3-of-8 passes for 40 yards in the one quarter he played, and that was good enough for the head coach. "Drew Henson did nothing to hurt himself today," Carr said.

Neither did Brady. And that's the point. Tom Brady deserves to be No. 1, not 1-A. The fifth year senior was largely responsible for Michigan's rebound last season from an 0-2 start to a 10-3 finish.

Sure, Henson might be the better quarterback in the long run. And yes, there is that baseball thing that hovers above Henson like the Goodyear blimp that floats over Michigan Stadium on game day.

The Yankees already have made it clear they think Henson, their Class A third baseman, will be a major league star, sooner rather than later And that's Henson's trump card with Carr and the Wolverines. Play me now, or I'm out of here.

It's a tough position for Carr, who labeled Henson a future star before he played a down at Michigan last season. Nothing has changed, and Carr is scared Henson and Brady might be gone next season.

So be it. Carr needs to worry about this season.

He needs to worry about beating Syracuse, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State, all of which loom ahead for the Wolverines.

"The competition was so dose," says Carr, who got through this week by starting Brady, bringing in Henson in the second quarter and then going to Brady for the second half. "I didn't think it was fair to start one guy and not play the other"

Fair enough. Although the two-quarterback systems seems to be a popular trend--Penn State, Ohio State, Arizona, Nebraska are a few high profile teams with two-headed QBs--it is not a way to win championships.

Sooner or later, Carr is going to make a mistake in judging the tempo of the game. He's going to create a situation in which one or both of his quarterbacks will be looking to the sideline as much as they do downfield to see when they are coming out.

Who knows what would have happened had Brady played the entire game against Notre Dame? Michigan, which got a big lift from Anthony Thomas' 138 yards rushing, might not have needed to come from behind in the final four minutes to beat the Irish.

Carr was right in one sense. Both quarterbacks deserve a chance to play now, and they likely will see action this week against Rice. But what about when it comes to crunch time? When it's late November and Ohio State or Penn State are across the line of scrimmage, and a Rose Bowl bid or even a national championship might be at stake, the players have to know who their leader on the field is.

Brady is one of the captains. He is a classy kid who has taken the high road. When someone asked him about the situation after the Notre Dame game, Brady said, "It was never on my mind. It's not something I concern myself with."

About Henson, he said, "Everyone has built up such high expectations. He's such a great player." But Brady also said something else. He said Henson was young, a second-year player.

And he's right. Henson's time will come, maybe sooner rather than later because injuries are always a factor in college football. For now, Michigan should be Tom Brady's team. He has paid his dues, and like Carr said about Henson, Brady did nothing to hurt himself against Notre Dame.

So play your quarterback shuffle next week against Rice, Lloyd, and then make a decision. Pick a quarterback. Pick Brady and see if he can do what Brian Griese did for you a couple of years ago--win a share of the national championship. Sure, it will be tough on Henson, but he's a tough kid. He'll adjust, and he'll eventually get plenty of playing time.

But the two-quarterback thing? Forget it. Sure, it looks good in the non-conference part of the schedule. But no team has won a national title switching quarterbacks, whether it has been on every series, every play or every quarter.

Good teams need leaders. Tom Brady is Michigan's leader right now. Drew Henson will be the leader next season, if he chooses to stick around. If he doesn't, ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on.

 

[primetime]

I wonder if Brees appreciates being compared to Cade McNown.

Henson was supposed to be a football and baseball star. Neither one worked out. The perpetual glory boy.

 

[maverick4]

Based on all those scouting reports, which were kind of accurate, these are the traits that are important:

- accuracy
- intelligence
- good feet and movement in the pocket

NOT a cannon arm

Also, while Tom may be the GOAT QB, he wasn't the complete package out of college, remember his first year most of his passes were short darts and was wildly inaccurate on corner throws, but he has worked his butt off to become a complete player now.

 

[Na_polian]

The Gazette (Colorado Springs) >

And whatever happened to Chris Redman?

Redman's professional career began when he was selected in the third round (75th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He was one of several quarterbacks selected ahead of Marc Bulger and Tom Brady. Redman, who earned a Super Bowl championship ring as a rookie third-string quarterback for the Ravens, spent four seasons with Baltimore (2000-03), playing in 10 games with six starts and completing 106 of 198 passes for 1,111 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. His record as a starter was 3-3 before he was sidelined with a back injury in 2002.

On Oct. 6, 2002, Redman had arguably his best outing as a pro, completing 19 of 30 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a victory at division-rival Cleveland on ESPN's Sunday Night Football. He clearly outshined Browns starting quarterback Tim Couch, the No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft and a longtime rival of Redman's in high school and college.

Redman served as Baltimore's backup in 2003 after recovering from back surgery. In a Nov. 9, 2003, nationally-televised game at St. Louis, Redman replaced injured starter Kyle Boller during the game and was injured himself, suffering a torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder. The season-ending injury was not diagnosed until after the game.

After recovering from shoulder surgery in 2004, Redman was signed to play with the New England Patriots on Jan. 6, 2005, but he was waived on June 1. He was then signed by the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 23, 2005, but was waived on Sept. 4.

On Jan. 4, 2007, the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League announced that they had signed Redman to a contract.[1] But then Petrino and the Falcons came calling.

Redman was signed by the Falcons on March 23, 2007, after Atlanta traded backup quarterback Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans in exchange for two second-round picks and an agreement to switch first-round picks for the 2007 NFL Draft. Redman began fall practice as the third-string quarterback but moved to No. 2 on the depth chart before Atlanta's first preseason game. His backup role was reinforced when D.J. Shockley suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Falcons' first preseason game.

 

[maverick4]

5. J.R. Redmond (5-11, 210), Arizona State

Great all-purpose back with combination of size and speed.

Even if his career never amounted to much, JR can be proud of the fact that he came up HUGE in the Pats' first superbowl shocker, especially in the last 2-minute drive.

JR Redmond and Jermaine Wiggins are unsung heroes of that game.

 

[ALP]

"Could be an NFL Backup"

Wow, does anyone else just smile really big when you read that? I love the fact that we have the best QB in the NFL guiding our team.

ohh yes, i smile a LOT, LOL

 

[mykl]

THE TOP 5:

1. Chad Pennington (6-3, 225), Marshall

Randy Moss says Pennington is the best quarterback he's played with. Charismatic and smart player with solid, not spectacular, skills will be gone in the first 12 picks.


Randy Moss is singing a different tune now!

 

[unoriginal]

Based on all those scouting reports, which were kind of accurate, these are the traits that are important:

- accuracy
- intelligence
- good feet and movement in the pocket

NOT a cannon arm

I noticed that too.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Before everybody goes into too much of frenzy about how smart they are and how stupid everybody else is. When Bledsoe got cleared to play again in 2001, half of Boston wanted BB rung of a telephone pole for keep Brady in and benching the starter.

Or has everybody forgotten that already?

 

[unoriginal]

Chad Pennington and "Strong Arm"? DOES NOT COMPUTE!

It was stronger before he injured it. Twice.

 

[Lansdowne]

Based on all those scouting reports, which were kind of accurate, these are the traits that are important:

- accuracy
- intelligence
- good feet and movement in the pocket

NOT a cannon arm

Also, while Tom may be the GOAT QB, he wasn't the complete package out of college, remember his first year most of his passes were short darts and was wildly inaccurate on corner throws, but he has worked his butt off to become a complete player now.

I remember the brief time he played in the Thanksgiving game against Detroit in 2000. He looked awful, even though it was only one drive.

 

[The Predator]

Was searching through some article archives and I found some interesting articles about Brady in college.

The Sporting News
October 11, 1999

Draft watch - possible top ten quarterbacks that may be selected in the 2000

Quarterbacks

Though the 2000 quarterback crop pales in comparison to the 1999 class, this isn't a bad group of passers. If Purdue junior Drew Brees enters the draft, then it's likely three quarterbacks will be taken in the first round.

1. Chris Redman, Louisville, 6-3, 215. Accurate and intelligent--a good combination for a QB. Throws better than Tim Couch or Peyton Manning, the last two No. 1 picks. Has courage in the pocket. Doesn't have great feet.

2. Chad Pennington, Marshall, 6-3, 220. Randy Moss' old QB is one of the most productive passers in NCAA history. Strong arm. Heady player. Isn't a great athlete but can elude pressure.

3. Drew Brees, Purdue, 6-1, 212. This junior could end up as the best of the group. Has all the intangibles. Makes good decisions. Doesn't have a big arm, but can make most of the throws and has been ultra productive. This year's Cade McNown.

4. Tee Martin, Tennessee, 6-3, 215. Great arm and throws a pretty ball, but isn't always accurate. Raw product has potential to improve, and has the right attitude to do so.

5. Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech, 6-1, 200. Has been very productive, but probably is a product of the system. Throws a lot of short passes. Has an ordinary arm.

6. Marc Bulger, West Virginia, 6-3, 210. Has a quick release, but a pop-gun arm. Competitive and smart. Can move in the pocket.

7. Tom Brady, Michigan, 6-5, 213. Classic, tall, drop-back passer with a decent arm. Has improved his play and could continue to rise. Could be an NFL backup.

8. Giovanni Carmazzi, Hofstra, 6-3, 220. Sturdy quarterback who has played against a lower level of competition and run a funky offense. Has decent speed. Accurate on the short routes.

9. Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech, 5-10, 189. Option QB is a winner, but probably too small for the NFL. Has enough athleticism that he could try to convert to receiver.

10. Doug Johnson, Florida, 6-2, 217. Has a decent arm, but could be a product of the system. Makes some poor decisions. Doesn't move real well.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Sporting News Publishing Co.


PS. Wikipedia says "Tee Martin has had offers from the Oakland Raiders to return to their team as of September 21, 2007. According to Oakland they want to incorporate him as a wide receiver/quarterback option."

All in all, that was a very productive year. I am surprised. Pennington would have been good if his rotator cuff didn't go, Brees is solid, Rattay is an ok #2 or 3, Bulger good, Tommy great, and Redman had potential until injury.

 

[skri65]

I bet there's a number of people who didn't think Brady would make it this far and with this team. Most people are probably jealous.

A number of people? Get your facts right man, NO ONE thought Brady would make it this far. Absolutely no one thought this Tom Brady guy drafted in the 6th round would be arguably the best quarterback of all time.

 

[FrontSeven]

Don't forget, Tom's body has changed a *lot* over the years. The kid ir ripped now, and his arm strength and accuracy have improved two tons.

He looked like a wet noodle in school.