How many teams whiff time and time again making QB selections at the top of the draft. NE's success is the furthest thing from "meh", it is downright remarkable.
Your Cincinnati Bengals since 1999 at QB in the draft...
2011 - Andy "The Daywalker" Dalton... Rd 2... been to 2 pro bowls, I guess he's okay
(And in Rd 1 they picked Adriel Jeremiah Green, no less. But before that, at QB...
2007 - Jeff Rowe (5th round, obviously not a high-hopes prospect)
2003 - Carson Palmer. #1 #1. Decent for a while, then broke.
1999 - Akili Smith, nuff said
That's the length of Brady's career. This might help us understand what even decent drafts get you most of the time at QB. Rowe wasn't a serious attempt... but since the debacle that was Akili Smith, this team has drafted a guy who was good "By Bengals standards," then a guy who was good by any standards... except ours (and GB's, and Indy's... maybe 1 or 2 others.)
My point isn't "look how much these guys suck," since if anything they've got an okay record with those high picks at QB - just one whiff out of 3. They've also picked up their share of non-QB studs, but we're talking about
the position, the one we have not had to draft for for years. Of course we still did... but you get the point. By the way, Cassel in NE? 11-5. Granted, he did have some weapons.
My point is "Holy crap we're spoiled." And I didn't even have to compare with the JESTs... just a pretty decent drafting franchise.
