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(PHOTO: Charles LeClaire - USA TODAY Sports) Bucky Brooks had an interesting take on Monday night, with Brooks pointing out something that some here in New England probably agree with.
Given the amount of quarterbacks taken at the top of the draft board every year and how few of them pan out, Brooks believes that some of the fault has to fall on the NFL when it comes to both the evaluation and the development of some of those players.
Brooks was replying to a stat posted by NFL researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming, who noted that from 2021-2022 there were 19 quarterbacks selected in the draft, with only 2 of those players expected to start in Week 1 next season.
Brooks believes that the NFL needs to try and help fix what he believes is a “revolving door” of players at that position, and it’s going to remain an issue if the league doesn’t stop blaming the players and takes some accountability while also trying to improve.
“The NFL has a QB evaluation and development problem. There’s no other way to spin it,” wrote Brooks on X. “The league doesn’t know what leads to success at the position. And coaches do not know how to play around a QB’s flaws. Until those issues are fixed, we will continue to see a revolving door at the position… At some point, we can’t keep blaming the players. This is what HS and colleges are producing. It’s time for the league to adapt and adjust.”
Obviously, there are some here who believe that not all of the blame falls on Mac Jones for his failures here in New England, but it’s clearly an issue that goes beyond Jones.
The main issue is figuring out how to resolve it, and that’s a tricky situation. Some guys are self-starters and are willing to put in the work. Some guys don’t take criticism well and require being handled a certain way.
For others, it sometimes is a situation where both their physical attributes or abilities simply aren’t up to snuff. If the ability is there but they’re not physically where they need to be, the next question is whether or not they’re being given the proper help from that standpoint to get them there.
It’s an interesting discussion, and there’s no question that today’s players are different from those of the past. However, the point that so few guys pan out in this league remains true, and it will be interesting to see if it’s ever seriously addressed.
Considering that more and more big names are retiring and not as many are coming up, it may certainly be a bigger issue than the NFL truly realizes. Tom Brady is the biggest name to have left in recent years, while Aaron Rodgers will likely be one of the next ones gone in the not-so-distant future.
Russell Wilson will likely be out soon also, joining other guys like Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and other former Super Bowl winners, including Peyton Manning, among names who have walked away in recent years.
If they’re not replaced, it dilutes the league. And it’s hard to deny that the number of talented passers isn’t what it once was, and it may indeed continue to be a problem if something isn’t done.
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