Again, Hoyer couldn't get himself a gig for a second round pick. As for the "physical tools", there may be a more meaningless term in football, but I'm not sure any of us have ever heard it. Mallett, supposedly blessed with all this first round talent and all these physical tools, fell to the 3rd round in a year where teams were QB crazy in round one. Does that mean he'll never make it? No, but it's not a good sign, either.
At this point, I think you've lost track of the argument.
They're the coaching/scouting staff. If they haven't gotten some clues after a season, they should resign.
One fellow named Dan Marino knows about being passed over on rumors, until a secure, future HOF Coach, snapped him up. And another fellow that also played at Michigan, got passed over too. Name of Brady or some such.
I don't know if Mallett will make good. He has rare physical talents except for the most overated stat for a QB, the speed to run. But I can certainly tell when rumors with little substance are runniing rife, and constantly repeated, by non-researched air heads who fashion themselves as sport journalists.
If Belchick took him without knowing much, based purely on rep, and falling unexpectedly into his lap, I would be more circumspect. But he spent several hours in an in-depth interview, so I would judge he knew exactly what he was getting. The only question was Ryan's leadership abilities, and off field personality. That would have been evident to Bill Belichick, during thre leadup to the interview itself.
IMHO, Mallett handled the coaching change at Michigan with the maximum amount of class, correctness and maturity.
The new coach replacing retiring Lloyd, told him he wanted to run his wildcat and he didn't fit. Mallett evinced no recriminations, just executed a quiet orderly exit.
He carefuly interviewed, didn't step down in class, so as to not have to wait a year, waited, and went to a big time power in the SEC. Where he set records, for a Coach, who had NFL Head Coaching experience and ran a pro system. I think that Mallett handled that crisis well. He also excelled on the gridiron but also in the classsroom. I beleive his GPA was over 3.0
He did impress Belichick with his football knowledge. The rumors have turned out to be untrue, regarding his captaincy and supposed loathing by his teamates. In his year with the Pats he has been a model Belichickian citizen-rookie, being seen but not heard.
If I am not mistaken he also won a a couple of "black shirts" for the best efforts at prepping the starters for the opposition tendencies that week.
We shall see, but I feel more sanguine about the post-Brady years than ever.
I am hardly a QB guru, but I could see what Matt Cassell became, a guy with triangle numbers, and it wasn't as a mere scrub. I could even see the "tests of Job" that Belichick was inflicting on him his third preseason, to see if he rattled, while others wanted to dump him for a bucket of warm spit. He passed Belichicks gauntlet, when he didn't rattle.
I like Hoyer, and I think a team could win with him. I liken him to a Brian Sipe, a wonderful game manager as a QB, and someone BB surely admires, from his Brown's time.
But Ryan Mallett could be a Peyton Manning, who his game resembles, elite arm, great size, sliding ability, but absolutely no running ability, and a brain; or a Dan Marino, who had every similar physical attribute, but perhaps less brainpower,but maybe more will to win.
I DO NOT THINK he resembles a Jamarcus Russell in any manner, shape or form.
