Is Russell really better than Quinn?

GTripp, I think you are making too big a deal out of these starts. Player's like Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb aren't good because they started a bunch of games, they started a bunch of games because they were good. Several of the top quarterbacks in the league came from situations where they were good enough to secure the starting position at an early age. Fine, you would expect that with their kind of talent. But if you think that those starts are the reason they are succesful you are underestimating the importance of talent.

Let me put it this way. If Peyton Manning had been behind a superior upper classman for his first couple years at Tennessee would he be less of a pro today? I can guess your answer, and I strongly disagree."Player's like Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb aren't good because they started a bunch of games, they started a bunch of games because they were good." Well, yeah, of course. But the experience from college made them better pro prospects than they would have been.

I'm not underestimating the importance of talent at all. If anything, I'm being elitest about what it takes to be a successful QB in the NFL.

#1 it takes a special breed of player (nature theory)
#2 it takes an adequate amount of preparation (nurture theory)

I think you need to be both a #1 and a #2 to have a successful NFL career at QB.

If you aren't a #1 physically and mentally by the time you get to college, you will probably never be a #1. Only a few guys fit the bill. Most of these guys get noticed as first rounders, but the guys like Bulger, Hasselbeck, Brunell, and Brady fall into this category also.

To be the best you can be, you need to get all the experience you can in college. And I do believe you will be less of an NFL player if you skimp on the college experience. But all the experience in the world isn't going to help if you aren't the special breed of player that puts you in group #1.

And I believe Russell is a #1. But he will never be a #2 and mediocre may be the best he can hope for.

There are only a handful of college guys who are No. 1's and because of the propensity for guys to leave early, there ends up being even less successful NFL QBs.

It is really scary to think about Brady with 20 more starts though...really scary.



Oh come on!

It is really scary to think about Brady with 20 more starts though...really scary.

I had 60 plus starts if you count the sandlot. I am the next Dan Marino! Woooo Hooooooo!

Are you kidding? Maybe my grandmother didnt know his name, but my grandfather did and he doesn't even like college football particularily. You must not watch a lot of college ball, because this guy has been a stud for two years now. I think it was his comeback against ASU in 06 that really put him on the map, right after Katrina had hit.
Great game for LSU < Im a Sun Devils fan > , so the win was bitter sweet . The comeback was more special teams , they ran two blocked punts in for TDs . Maybe they are both all pro one day , one things for sure ,,, they will be very , very wealthy !

I had 60 plus starts if you count the sandlot. I am the next Dan Marino! Woooo Hooooooo!Show us what you got, brother!

Didn't Tom Brady only start like 25 games in his Michigan career? He was backing up Griese the first couple of years wasn't he?

Other QB's have had similar college starts as Brady. This analogy goes both ways. What about Matt Hassleback? I would consider him a top ten QB. I don't know his college stats but I know his ass was a late round pick.

From Profootballtalk:

QUINN IN THE MIX FOR NO. 1 PICK

A league source tells us that the Raiders aren't talking only to quarterback JaMarcus Russell and receiver Calvin Johnson about a contract at the No. 1 slot in the draft.

Per the source, discussions are also being conducted with the representatives of quarterback Brady Quinn.

It's still unclear whether the Raiders are presently leaning toward any one of the three guys. One league insider believes that Quinn is in the mix solely for negotiating leverage. But the source also says that he wouldn't be shocked if the Raiders take Quinn instead of Russell.

"They're taking a quarterback," predicted the source.

We still think Johnson is the safest bet. But what the hell do we know?

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And with 4 days to go, the first pick is as much of a coinflip as I thought it would be 4 months ago.

We just need some sort of three-sided coin.

Since we are on a one year plan, neither one of these guys is worth a pick.