Best way to get an elite QB

[Wozzy]

elite QB's are QB's that win SB's, right?
not the strongest arms. not the fastest.
that's Hurts, Mahomes and Stafford, and if he plays, Rodgers. (not sure how much Flacco or Russ will play)

great coaching. good to very good supporting cast. healthy. hard working. smart.

Marino was elite, so was Warren Moon, Fouts, Jim Kelly, Phillip Rivers, Nick Foles wasn’t…

Teams win Super Bowls, not QB’s.

 

[The Gr8est]

Set your way back machine to the year 2000.

Use your 5th round pick on Tom Brady.

 

[dannydyn]

Pure crapshoot.

You can have a GOAT get picked at 199 or you can have a complete hyperbole at #1 (see: Trevor Lawrence, Josh Rosen, etc.)

 

[NFL Mystique]

It's not necessarily just about the QB itself. It's where he is drafted to. That is huge.

What does Patrick Mahomes look like in Chicago with cheap ownership and a history of mostly failure?

What does Tom Brady look like if drafted to Cleveland or Detroit?

Thus, having a competent organization is the best way to get that QB. It's in your control. Otherwise, there is no exact science. It takes luck, health, and how motivated the guy is. Good scouting is part of it too.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I think this thread got a little twisted. The original question was “ what is the best way to get an elite QB? “ But that turned into “ what is the best way to develop a qb to become elite. The best way to get an elite QB prospect is still to suck, but the responses regarding how to develop that prospect are still relevant.

 

[TheRainMaker]

For starters, who are the last five generational QBs to play in the NFL? Two are easy, Brady and Mahomes. After them, who else?

1. Tom Brady
2. Patrick Mahomes
3. Peyton Manning
4. Aaron Rodgers
5. Josh Allen/Matthew Stafford/Joe Burrow

 

[State]

Dallas can’t believe its good fortune. Trading a late, almost negligible draft pick in order to receive a guy that the Cowboys head coach says “the sky is the limit” with Joe Milton III. Team mates are stunned at the unprecedented trifecta of Milton’s size, arm strength, and athleticism

He’s going to be better than Matt Ryan. Er, Drake Maye.

This caller is astute.

 

[n1997y]

I think this thread got a little twisted. The original question was “ what is the best way to get an elite QB? “ But that turned into “ what is the best way to develop a qb to become elite. The best way to get an elite QB prospect is still to suck, but the responses regarding how to develop that prospect are still relevant.

I think your observation is pertinent, but a little twisted because my intent in the OP was asking how to end up with an elite QB. Drafting an elite QB prospect isn’t enough, there are plenty of examples of elite prospects that busted. Sometimes they busted because they were flawed in ways that were overlooked or weren’t apparent before the draft, and other times they just weren’t developed well. Sometimes to end up with an elite QB you have to develop them to an elite level, or sign a QB someone else has developed. And the truth is, an elite prospect isn’t necessary to develop into an elite QB, as TB12 shows.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I think your observation is pertinent, but a little twisted because my intent in the OP was asking how to end up with an elite QB. Drafting an elite QB prospect isn’t enough, there are plenty of examples of elite prospects that busted. Sometimes they busted because they were flawed in ways that were overlooked or weren’t apparent before the draft, and other times they just weren’t developed well. Sometimes to end up with an elite QB you have to develop them to an elite level, or sign a QB someone else has developed. And the truth is, an elite prospect isn’t necessary to develop into an elite QB, as TB12 shows.

Ending up with an elite QB, and getting the prospect good enough to be one are different questions. But I think this discussion is good anyways.

 

[n1997y]

Ending up with an elite QB, and getting the prospect good enough to be one are different questions. But I think this discussion is good anyways.

What makes a prospect good enough to be elite? On paper Brady’s measurable athletic traits were nothing special, certainly not elite. He slipped to the sixth round for good reasons. Finding that prospect is one big challenge. Developing them into an elite player is another one. Which of those two is more important? More rare?

 

[Patriot Missile]

Dallas can’t believe its good fortune. Trading a late, almost negligible draft pick in order to receive a guy that the Cowboys head coach says “the sky is the limit” with Joe Milton III. Team mates are stunned at the unprecedented trifecta of Milton’s size, arm strength, and athleticism

He’s going to be better than Matt Ryan. Er, Drake Maye.

This caller is astute.

 

[BTTA]

What does Patrick Mahomes look like in Chicago with cheap ownership and a history of mostly failure?
What does Tom Brady look like if drafted to Cleveland or Detroit?

Which speaks to the complexity of all this. Football fans want simple, singular answers, which life doesn't provide but which are emotionally satisfying, at least in the moment.

I've said before that Brady, if drafted into the wrong situation, might never have made it past backup status, because of his original athletic profile and never being given a shot. Or perhaps been a good QB on an average team with poor coaching.

There's too many moving parts.

 

[Wozzy]

Which speaks to the complexity of all this. Football fans want simple, singular answers, which life doesn't provide but which are emotionally satisfying, at least in the moment.

I've said before that Brady, if drafted into the wrong situation, might never have made it past backup status, because of his original athletic profile and never being given a shot. Or perhaps been a good QB on an average team with poor coaching.

There's too many moving parts.

This ^

It’s a team game.

 

[Wozzy]

I think this thread got a little twisted. The original question was “ what is the best way to get an elite QB? “ But that turned into “ what is the best way to develop a qb to become elite. The best way to get an elite QB prospect is still to suck, but the responses regarding how to develop that prospect are still relevant.

You don’t have to suck, normally you just need a high draft pick to spend there. The 49ers didn’t suck when they took Trey Lance 3rd overall. They traded for the pick.

Lance sucked… and the very last guy drafted in the entire draft class turned out to be pretty good.

The best way to get an elite QB is be elite at player acquisition and development. Scout well…

 

[TheRainMaker]

What does Patrick Mahomes look like in Chicago with cheap ownership and a history of mostly failure?

He'd be what he is in KC from 2023-2025. He'd look competent, but that's it.

What does Tom Brady look like if drafted to Cleveland or Detroit?

He'd eventually beat out Tim Couch by 2001, but probably wouldn't be that effective. Lions would be interesting because he'd have to not only be the starting QB, but do enough to have the Lions not want to draft Joey Harrington in 2002.

Here's another QB. How does Aaron Rodgers do in SF had they picked him like they were supposed to in 2005? It was a **** show there and Aaron wouldn't have had Brett Favre to model his game after. Also, does SF change his release which was a reason why he dropped in the draft? Jed Tedford developed a bad reputation and teams were getting scared of QB's from Cal. I think Rodgers would've struggled and looked at as a bust.

 

[JohnJH]

Andrew Luck was a cautionary tale of a QB who was everything that you'd want in a true "Franchise QB", and he showed it on the field (when he wasn't getting pummeled). Unfortunately for him, the team couldn't or wouldn't give him the talent (especially the OL) on Offense to keep him from getting so seriously banged-up, that he retired before he was 30. And the overall running of the team (including Coaching Staff, Ownership, and Personnel Dept.), was horrible. I always felt bad for Luck.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Andrew Luck was a cautionary tale of a QB who was everything that you'd want in a true "Franchise QB", and he showed it on the field (when he wasn't getting pummeled). Unfortunately for him, the team couldn't or wouldn't give him the talent (especially the OL) on Offense to keep him from getting so seriously banged-up, that he retired before he was 30. And the overall running of the team (including Coaching Staff, Ownership, and Personnel Dept.), was horrible. I always felt bad for Luck.

He's another guy I forgot to put on my list of the last generational QB's. He put the Colts on his back and led them to 3 straight 11-5 seasons and winning playoff games. Management ignored OL for years and by time they built a good one, the damage had been done and Luck didn't want to play anymore.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Let Cardi B recruit 1 for the team that needs one.

 

[sb1]

Andrew Luck was a cautionary tale of a QB who was everything that you'd want in a true "Franchise QB", and he showed it on the field (when he wasn't getting pummeled). Unfortunately for him, the team couldn't or wouldn't give him the talent (especially the OL) on Offense to keep him from getting so seriously banged-up, that he retired before he was 30. And the overall running of the team (including Coaching Staff, Ownership, and Personnel Dept.), was horrible. I always felt bad for Luck.

Never understood why he was booed walking off the field in Indy for the last time. Was the announcement on the Jumbotron at the same time?

 

[Salsalife]

Coach + talent + qbmind + dedication plus comeback ability under pressure = Elite qb.