Did Miami make a major strategic error not drafting Matt Ryan?

[wdkantro2]

I think they made the right pick. You build a team from the lines out. A great QB with no line is NOT going to be a great QB.
Ryan has been sacked only 13 times this year. He has the benefit of a good offensive line and an even better running game, not to mention a couple talented guys at receiver (Jenkins and White). Despite how bad it may have seemed, Ryan actually went into a pretty good situation. He has certainly made it better...but the rest of that Falcons team was much closer to being a contender last offseason than the Dolphins.

 

[BelichickFan]

Great young QB over great young LT. Duh. You can help a tackle, you can't help a QB. Name the LT you're gonna trade Brady for.

 

[maverick4]

Great young QB over great young LT. Duh. You can help a tackle, you can't help a QB. Name the LT you're gonna trade Brady for.

But we're not talking about a Brady (who was found using a 6th rd pick).

Name a decent LT in last year or this year's free agent market.

In retrospect knowing how the players turned out I'd say it's an interesting argument, could go either way.

But back in April when you didn't know, it is a no-brainer to take the left tackle.

 

[BelichickFan]

But we're not talking about a Brady (who was found using a 6th rd pick).

Name a decent LT in last year or this year's free agent market.

In retrospect knowing how the players turned out I'd say it's an interesting argument, could go either way.

But back in April when you didn't know, it is a no-brainer to take the left tackle.

I'm taking the QB. You can have a mediocre LT and help him with a guard, TE or RB. Matt Light. The QB has to be the man who can make the play. Back in April I have no memory of who I liked more; now it's a no brainer, Ryan >>> Long.

 

[VJCPatriot]

But we're not talking about a Brady (who was found using a 6th rd pick).

Name a decent LT in last year or this year's free agent market.

In retrospect knowing how the players turned out I'd say it's an interesting argument, could go either way.

But back in April when you didn't know, it is a no-brainer to take the left tackle.

Name a franchise QB that has made it into the free agent market? There are none in recent memory unless they are old and have questionmarks. Even Brett "I'm retired, no I'm not" Favre got a pick that can be as good as 1st rounder depending on how he performs and "I haven't proven anything yet" Schaub netted two 2nd round picks. Just imagine what we'll get for Cassel if he can have just a couple more big games on top of his back to back 400 yard games??

 

[maverick4]

I'm taking the QB. You can have a mediocre LT and help him with a guard, TE or RB. Matt Light. The QB has to be the man who can make the play. Back in April I have no memory of who I liked more; now it's a no brainer, Ryan >>> Long.

Based on your reasoning above, you would *never* take a LT with a high pick because he can always be 'helped' in your opinion, when all the GM's know this isn't the case. By the way Light was taken early in the 2nd round, even non-elite LT's like Light get taken high because they are impossible to get in free agency, no teams let decent LT's go to free agency. WHY is this? Meanwhile look at the league and how many good QB's were taken late or were undrafted.

Ryan is playing well but he came into a great situation and you aren't taking that into account. He has a GREAT run game, great O-line, great receivers... basically a perfect situation for him.

Still, I can respect your point of view because Ryan is a great QB and it really is just preference in my opinion. I would rather take the LT because of the scarcity of the position, and win with a good game manager at QB.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm taking the QB. You can have a mediocre LT and help him with a guard, TE or RB. Matt Light. The QB has to be the man who can make the play. Back in April I have no memory of who I liked more; now it's a no brainer, Ryan >>> Long.

I think there were a few factors at play - and maybe if the Fins even have the 2nd pick in the draft they use it on Ryan.

There's a lot of pressure with a #1 pick. Parcells went the safe route - and while even the safe pick can backfire, one is passing on a potential franchise QB - which can really vault a team to the top tier like no other player on the team, not even an LT.

And given Miami's history wasting picks on QBs before he got there, that may have contributed to a "safe" pick when it came to using the #1 choice.

I guess the first question one would ask themselves in hindsight is, if you were rebuilding a team, which would you start with? A mediocre QB with a franchise LT to protect him? Or a mediocre LT protecting a franchise QB?

It's a tough choice - and its taking a chance, but when it comes to franchise QBs, you have to get them through the draft. There's not too many teams that draft a franchise QB and let them walk in free agency after their rookie contracts. Teams lucky enough to draft one, hold onto them.

 

[maverick4]

Teams lucky enough to draft one, hold onto them.

But franchise left tackles are almost always top 10 picks, whereas franchise QB's can be found late in the draft. Look at Romo, Brady, Warner, lots of others too. There are NO franchise left tackles found late in drafts or in free agency. You can find a Pennington or Kerry Collins in free agency.

 

[VJCPatriot]

But franchise left tackles are almost always top 10 picks, whereas franchise QB's can be found late in the draft. Look at Romo, Brady, Warner, lots of others too. There are NO franchise left tackles found late in drafts or in free agency. You can find a Pennington or Kerry Collins in free agency.

Marcus McNeil was a second round pick, so was Matt Light.

I don't care if you have Ogden in his prime at LT, you put Pennington back there and you don't win 3 superbowls.

Meanwhile you plug in Brady at QB and you get 3 Superbowl championships. coincidence? Not at all.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

No, they made a tactical mistake not drafting Brady Quinn.

 

[BelichickFan]

Based on your reasoning above, you would *never* take a LT with a high pick because he can always be 'helped' in your opinion, when all the GM's know this isn't the case.

I love LT and I want a really good one desperately. I'm still not taking him over the stud QB though and as of now that's what Ryan is looking like.

 

[maverick4]

VJC it is funny you mention Ogden because Baltimore won a Superbowl with a stud LT in Ogden and a game manager in Trent Dilfer.

Also, the Patriots won a Superbowl after investing their 2nd round pick in Matt Light and developing a SIXTH ROUND pick to play quarterback.

 

[wdkantro2]

How many of the recent Super Bowl teams have won with a poor offensive line?
And IMO, of the winners since 2001, there are only two elite QBs: Brady and Peyton. I do NOT consider Eli an elite QB (yet), and Roethlisberger was not an elite QB in his second year: he was nothing more than a game manager. 2002, I don't think anyone will confuse Brad Johnson with an elite QB.
But the 2007 Giants had the best OL in football. The 2006 Colts had one of, if not the best OL in football. The 2003 Patriots OL controlled the vaunted Carolina front 4 quite easily. I don't remember how good the 05 Steelers line was, but their lines have been solid over the years, and it was the defense (and the refs) that won that game.
Sure, if you think Matt Ryan is going to be as good as Brady or Manning, who are better than almost every other QB in the HISTORY of the game, then you should draft him over long. But Matt Ryan so far is a game manager who is letting his dominant running game win games. He has 14 TDs through 13 games. Is that elite?? And in case you question whether he is a game manager or not, he has thrown 30+ times in less than half of the Falcons games this year. They have LOST the games where he has to throw a lot (week 2 loss to TB, 33 attempts....week 4 loss to Carolina, 41 attempts....loss to Philly, 44 attempts). Sounds a lot like Roethlisberger as a rookie.
The Falcons are a good team, and Ryan is certainly a big part of that...but to put him in the elite category at this point is just silly.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Roethlisberger won a Lombardi. Do you attribute that to his LT?

And are you guys sayign that Matt Light made Brady the QB he is today?

This is pretty laughable.

 

[memento]

Big Ben in his first couple years was ridiculous, throwing completions with defenders draped on his shoulders.

Brady, imo, has been so kickass b/c of the time he buys in the pocket, often getting decked right after he made the throw. Cassel has been good at buying time lately, too. Really like a less efficient brady that can scramble a bit.

the better the oline the more time the qb has to make reads and the more room for the RBs to run.

not to mention, jake long was paid 57 million over 5 years for being #1 in the draft. I'd hate to see what that would have been if it were a qb going #1.

 

[Kontradiction]

Henne was awful in college. We'll see how he does in the pros. I would take Brian Brohm over Henne any day of the week.

I don't know what Chad Henne you were watching but the one that I watched was pretty good. The only thing he really needed to work on was his mechanics. Saw him inserted v.s. the Cardinals earlier this year and bing-bang-boom... down the field and a touchdown. Henne probably won't be as good as Ryan is but he is no slouch either and he has a stud protecting his blindside. Good draft in a long time by the Dolphins.

 

[captadamnj]

An average QB can play above average with an above average line in front of him. An above average QB is going to play average with an average to below average, especially at LT. Build the OL and the QB play with come. I would take the hightly rated OL over the highly rated college QB every time. Besides, aren't the 6th and 7th rounds were all the best QB's are anyway?