OK!! Here we go...I can't believe it's been FOUR MONTHS!!!
Explanation of Colors + Numbers
1 ~
Red = OverRated ~ in my OH so humble opinion!!
2 ~
Purple = Sleeper or Steal or Super Sleeper!!
3 ~
Blue = Bargain ~ Good Value.
4 ~ The first number = Market Value ~ my best guess, based on CBS, Walter, Et Cetera...
5 ~ The second number = FIENDISH Value ~ how
I grade them!!
6 ~ These will all be Cut + Pasted from yon Site, so the formats are different.
An Explanation of My Twisted ViewPoint!!
I have no intention or expectation of converting anyone to my view of things, of course. That doesn't happen, anyway: People make up their own minds in their own way...But an explanation is warranted, I think, out of respect to those of you who do me the honor of reading these Works.
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When I assess the Value of a Quarter Back ~ or any player at all ~ I strip away absolutely everything else but one simple, solitary factor: His prospective Impact on The Championship Quest.
~ I don't give a rat's ass if he throws for 6000 Yards.
~ I don't give a rat's ass if he rushes for 1000 Yards.
~ I don't give a rat's ass if he helps his team make the PlayOffs 10 years in a row.
~ I care only ~ only ~ about how well I expect him to compete in Championship Games.
And analyzing that, my friends, is a tough undertaking, indeed.
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Dan Marino set many records, and played in many playoff games, but in my view he was not a great Quarter Back, any more than Marty SchottenHeimer was a great Coach.
He was merely a great Passer...And if you don't know the difference ~ regardless of whether or not you agree with my assessment of Dan Marino, for whom I have great respect ~ then we can never have an intelligent conversation on this matter: A great Thrower does not make a great Pitcher...And a great Passer does not make a great Quarter Back.
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Likewise, Terry Bradshaw ~ he of the 4 Super Bowl rings ~ was also not a great Quarter Back.
Conversely, Joe Montana won 4 Super Bowls, and he most certainly was a great Quarter Back.
Perhaps the best ever.
Additionally, John Elway was a great Quarter Back...but was already a great Quarter Back before he won a single ring.
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It's complicated, in my view...don't you think?
And it's subjective.
And there is no statistic to boil it down for you or for me.
Frankly, I don't believe there ever will be.
And that's very difficult for most of us to accept.
***
I believe that, historically, the importance of a QB's Arm Strength and Athleticism are both vastly overrated.
For me, it comes down to two things, really: Diagnostic Acuity + Processing Speed.
And, no: I have no idea how to measure either.
I just know it when I see it.
Andrew Luck ~ 6.4/234 ~ 1st ~ 1st
Super Beast!! Andrew Luck commands outstanding Diagnostic Acuity, Processing Speed, Leadership, and Poise. He's got The Right Stuff to lead his team to Championships!! Best clear QB Prospect in a Decade or more. Even at #1 in the entire Draft, he is a
Steal!!
Robert Griffin ~ 6.2/220 ~ 1st ~ 1st
Stud Horse!! QB's with Robert Griffin's athleticism rarely evolve into what I consider to be Championship Caliber QB's, as the allure of their Scrambling ability tends to distract them from pursuing dedicated development of their ability to stand in the Pocket and make game altering decisions. Yet, within that context, I he's exceptional.
Fair Value!!
Ryan TanneHill ~ 6.4/222 ~ 1st-2nd ~ 3rd
Starter!! Ryan TanneHill is very raw, and has a very thin resume, but commands an extraordinary arsenal of physical and cerebral talent. Even so, it is of the Scrambling style, and such QB's tend to make a big splash without ever providing their teams a legitimate chance of winning The Big One, which is the extremely harsh yard stick by which I judge all QB's. As such, and because he is raw and will need work, I tend to give him a 3rd Round grade.
OverRated!!
Brandon Weeden ~ 6.4/220 ~ 2nd-3rd ~ 1st-2nd
Stud Horse!! Remarkably raw for his lofty age ~ 28 going on 29 ~ Brandon Weeden is, nevertheless, an intelligent Field General with exceptional physical skills.
A savvy GM won't give a rat's ass about his age ~ Weeden should be good for 8 to 12 years, anyway ~ and will take full advantage of his age artificially depressing the Market Value of a kid who ought be a 1st or 2nd Rounder.
Steal!!
Brock Osweiler ~ 6.7/240 ~ 2nd-3rd ~ 4th-5th
Potential Starter!! With his exciting raw skill set and a thin Quarter Back Market, Brock Osweiler's Stock is high and rising...But in my view, we have a QB who has a wafer thin resume, combined with virtually no noteworthy Diagnostic Acuity or Processing Speed.
In my view, he's a 4th or 5th Rounder who'll need a lot of development. As such, I consider him highly
OverRated!!
Kirk Cousins ~ 6.2/210 ~ 3rd-4th ~ 3rd-4th
Potential Starter!! Kirk Cousins's got more experience in a professional kind of Offense than most of these guys ahead of'm, and he's exhibited a good deal of Diagnostic Acuity.
Mind you: his Processing Speed needs work, as he shows a tendency to buckle under pressure from time to time.
If that can be addressed, he may be the steal of the Draft. As it is, he strikes me as a pretty good Mid Round bet, and that's where the Market has him, so I'll call it
Fair Value!!
Nick Foles ~ 6.5/245 ~ 3rd-4th ~ 6th-7th
Reserve!! Nick Foles has a great arm, but I have grave reservations regarding his Diagnostic Acuity and, especially, about his Processing Speed, after the snap.
Ordinarily, I might give a guy like this a Free Agent grade, but he gets exceptionally high marks for Work Ethic, and that aspect, while it gets tons of lip service in the media, remains a greatly underrated element of the Game, in my view: I believe that Hard Work can go a long way towards improving Diagnostic Acuity and Processing Speed.
Even so, I consider him a long shot to be an exceptional Quarter Back at the next level, so I consider his Market Value to be a round or two too Gourmet, no doubt elevated by his exceptional Arm.
Over Rated!!
Ryan Lindley ~ 6.4/228 ~ 4th-5th ~ UFA
Fringe Reserve!! Ryan Lindley doesn't strike me as having particularly notable skills in any aspect of his Game, and both his Diagnostic Acuity and his Processing Speed under pressure seem to be weak points. I wouldn't write the guy off, all together, but to my mind he is clearly a Reserve who needs work. As such, I consider his Market Value to be very excessive, as you could get QB's of his potential much later in the Draft, and even beyond:
Over Rated!!
BJ Coleman ~ 6.3/234 ~ 6th-7th ~ 5th-7th
Reserve!! BJ Coleman brings considerable physical skills to the table, but is very raw with his Mechanics. The Tipping Point, in my view, are the accolades he gets for Work Ethic. That, and his natural talent, make him a very good Late Round Pick, indeed:
Fair Value!!
Russell Wilson ~ 5.11/204 ~ 6th-7th ~ 7th
Fringe Reserve!! Russell Wilson has great natural talent, but his short stature and raw Diagnostics render him a long shot to become an effective Pro Quarter Back. The only thing that really speaks in his favor is that he's gone against top college competition.
Fair Value!!
Chandler Harnish ~ 6.2/220 ~ 6th-7th ~ 7th
Fringe Reserve!! Chandler Harnish brings great Athleticism to the table, and an exceptional Arm, but his Diagnostic Acuity and Processing Speed are pretty damned poor, at this juncture. However, he's a natural Leader and commands the tenacity to make the most of what he has. He could even develop into a Starter, in the right system with enough coaching and patience.
Fair Value!!
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