Bill Polian: Colts had high grade on Tom Brady

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I read that article. It doesn't say Polian had a first round grade on him. Polian just says it was a high grade. Just more sloppy journalism by the NFL*

“Tom Brady would have been a guy, and we were very high on him,” Polian said. “Our guys really loved him, but we weren’t in the quarterback market, obviously. Those would be the guys I remember us giving solid, first-round, can-lead-you-to-a-championship grades.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-he-had-a-very-high-draft-grade-on-tom-brady/

 

[RobertWeathers]

Link: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...olian-colts-had-firstround-grade-on-tom-brady

Glad they don't use draft picks to develop backup QBs or Brady might never of a headcoach who'd have allowed him to compete for a job. I've never heard this before and it seems odd that he says this 15 years into Bray's career. Guess he was HoF caliber...

He is so full of it his eyes are brown.

 

[h0c2000]

Bill Polian also had:

• Marques Colston
• Donald Driver
• Terrell Davis
• Matt Birk
• all other great late round picks

rated as first rounders but they were stacked at all those positions at the time as evidenced by all the banner in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

[RobertWeathers]

(1) for the record, Belichick wasn't in the market for a QB either. He had just resigned a franchise QB to a mega deal, and his depth chart at QB was full. Peyton is Peyton, but Drew was a cornerstone too and no slouch.

(2) then Polian has no reason to be all bitter and sour over losing to Brady so often over the last decade+, if he knew TB12 was going to be great. He could have made him a Colt and chose to let him be great for another team. Only himself to blame.

If you go back and look at the Bledsoe deal, it wasn't as nearly mega as it was billed.

In short, they wanted Drew, but they weren't married to him.

 

[RayClay]

I believe he said he had a first round grade for leadership. Probably UDFA for athleticism, strength etc. etc.

 

[RayClay]

He never did "fight Drew Henson for the starter's job"

Brady started every single game his junior and senior year. Yes, the hot-shot Henson was stupidly "rotated in" for a few series, usually in the second quarter, and played a lot in mop-up time. That happened less often later in the year, as Lloyd Carr came to his senses.

stats for 1998 and 1999:
Brady 618 pass attempts
Henson 134

so I guess you can say it was an 82%/18% "time share"

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tom-brady-1.html
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/drew-henson-1.html

Lloyd Carr and Brady said on tape that he was giving each qb one quarter, then the better one would get second half. So, Brady did fight and win back the regular starters job.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

Polian is irritating, but he and his staff did a great job picking the offense. Remember Jeff Saturday? The Ravens cut the guy and he is out of football. Polian's staff brought him in and he becomes a perennial pro bowler at center, a huge position of need for the team. I could see a staff able to find a Jeff Saturday also able to find nice things to say about Tom Brady before the draft.

edit: Just looked it up. Saturday was an UDFA cut by the Ravens in Aug. 1998 before he played a game. He took a manager position at a hardware store. The Colts signed him after the season was over, January 1999.

 

[RayClay]

Polian is irritating, but he and his staff did a great job picking the offense. Remember Jeff Saturday? The Ravens cut the guy and he is out of football. Polian's staff brought him in and he becomes a perennial pro bowler at center, a huge position of need for the team. I could see a staff able to find a Jeff Saturday also able to find nice things to say about Tom Brady before the draft.

edit: Just looked it up. Saturday was an UDFA cut by the Ravens in Aug. 1998 before he played a game. He took a manager position at a hardware store. The Colts signed him after the season was over, January 1999.

Polian probably embellishes his stories. Of course, people don't read what he actually said either. Either way, he's one of the top front office people of the recent era.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Polian is irritating, but he and his staff did a great job picking the offense. Remember Jeff Saturday? The Ravens cut the guy and he is out of football. Polian's staff brought him in and he becomes a perennial pro bowler at center, a huge position of need for the team. I could see a staff able to find a Jeff Saturday also able to find nice things to say about Tom Brady before the draft.

edit: Just looked it up. Saturday was an UDFA cut by the Ravens in Aug. 1998 before he played a game. He took a manager position at a hardware store. The Colts signed him after the season was over, January 1999.

I don't think there is a debate the Polian was/wasn't a good GM or evaluator of talent. His track record speaks for itself. He built great teams that were not designed to win Super Bowls.

But sorry, his assertion that he had Brady as 1st round talent oozes of jeliously of Belichick. I also find it interesting that he says this now, 15 years later with PM on the downside and TB still on top of his game. Strange.

 

[lurker1965]

OK. Let's take him at his word. Round #3 he's still there. It may be high to draft trade bait. Round #4, or #5? OK, so Bill Polian admits he is/was an idiot. Either that or he is just lying now.

 

[RayClay]

I read that article. It doesn't say Polian had a first round grade on him. Polian just says it was a high grade. Just more sloppy journalism by the NFL*

That being said I don't even believe Polian there. He's a liar and a piece of ****.

Yeah, it's amazing how actually reading the article, even with a writer who's trying to lead Polian, gives a much different interpretation.

"Well, (Ben) Roethlisberger later on (in 2004) -- we were really high on him. Aaron Rodgers the year after," Polian said. "That's the only name that comes to mind right away. And I don't think there was a guy in between, but Tom Brady would have been a guy, and we were very high on him. Our guys really loved him, but we weren't in the quarterback market, obviously. Those would be the guys I remember us giving solid, first-round, can-lead-you-to-a-championship grades.

So, three QBs who got first round grades for leadership. that's what he said and that's not unbelievable. Athleticism, strength, arm strength, running ability? Tom probably got lower grades for that.

 

[Clonamery]

Polian probably embellishes his stories. Of course, people don't read what he actually said either. Either way, he's one of the top front office people of the recent era.

He's a liar. And a cheater. And a very good evaluator of offensive NFL football players.

And now he works for ESPN. I can't fault people for reading into his words. He deserves a kick or two in the nads. Even if it's for the wrong reason.

 

[MassPats38]

For this first rounder, he just couldn't lay off the tantalizing picks of
Round Pick # Overall Name Position College
1 28 28 Rob Morris Linebacker Brigham Young
2 28 59 Marcus Washington Linebacker Auburn
3 29 91 David Macklin Cornerback Penn State
4 28 122 Josh Williams Defensive Tackle Michigan
5 9 138 Matt Johnson Center Brigham Young
7 29 235 Rob Renes Defensive Tackle Michigan
7 32 238 Rodregis Brooks Cornerback Alabama-Birmingham

 

[fair catch fryar]

Like always, Polian is full of ****.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

Yeah, it's amazing how actually reading the article, even with a writer who's trying to lead Polian, gives a much different interpretation.



So, three QBs who got first round grades for leadership. that's what he said and that's not unbelievable. Athleticism, strength, arm strength, running ability? Tom probably got lower grades for that.

I don't take that quote to mean leadership alone. I think he's saying a first round grade is equivalent to saying they can lead you to championship- through being a QB.

 

[RayClay]

I don't take that quote to mean leadership alone. I think he's saying a first round grade is equivalent to saying they can lead you to championship- through being a QB.

Why didn't he just say he gave rothburger, Rodgers and brady first round grades then? Was he being paid by the word?

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

Why didn't he just say he gave rothburger, Rodgers and brady first round grades then? Was he being paid by the word?

Because he's telling you how he defines the grade. You're parsing his words too much. People don't talk by finding the most economical use of words.

If he meant he was a "first rounder" in leadership only he would have said that. The other QBs he mentioned with Brady were 1st and 2nd rounders who obviously had all around high grades. He grouped Brady in with them.

 

[Froob]

If this were true (and we know it's not) it would almost make him look worse by not taking him.

 

[Oswlek]

Why didn't he just say he gave rothburger, Rodgers and brady first round grades then? Was he being paid by the word?

You've heard Polian talk, right? Blowhard is being kind.

 

[Jackson 2]

Bill Polyin' lyin' again. Every time this dink opens his mouth **** comes flying out of it like a fire hose. Just STFU for 6 seconds.