2010 NFL Off-Season Rumors and Reports (Week 3)

Is anyone else concerned we're looking at Ryan Leaf 2.0 in Jimmy Clausen?You've got to be kidding....:doh:

Aren't you concerned about the possibility of Jason White 2.0 in Bradford?

Based on the maturity issues that I keep hearing about, primarily.

Such as?

Based on the maturity issues that I keep hearing about, primarily.Any specific examples....other than random blogs citing "unnamed" sources.

Any specific examples....other than random blogs citing "unnamed" sources.

Nothing that I can personally vouch for of course, but a whole lot of little stuff that falls under "where there's smoke there's fire" category.

I think, if Sam Bradford had gone to a much smaller school than Oklahoma, he would have been just as successful as a college, but I don't think he would be getting billed as a top pick. In fact, I don't think he'd be getting much scouting interest at all.

The two guys who his skill set most reminds me of both went undrafted: Jeff Garcia, and Tony Romo. Both of those guys were scouting "finds" by some of the best talent evaluating coaches ever (Walsh/Parcells respectively). I think a guy like Bradford having the career he did in the national spotlight puts him in uncharted waters.

So when trying to project Bradford, one of the questions I'm trying to answer (and probably failing) is whether or not this type of skill set can survive the environment of being the first overall pick. When you look at the other quarterbacks with the mobility/accuracy skill set with sack evasiveness and an underrated arm, none of them got on the field prior to age 26. Well, Bradford is going to be 22 next year and I'm guessing that if he gets picked in the top five, they're going to put him out there earlier in his career than Garcia or Romo.

Stafford/Sanchez >>>>> Bradford/Clausen

Is anyone else concerned we're looking at Ryan Leaf 2.0 in Jimmy Clausen?

Ryan Leaf was not dedicated to the game and thus was eternally distracted. From all I've read, Clausen is the opposite: an enthusiastic student of the game.

always a possibility but it would be tough to match Mandarich's bust level. He had to be juiced up to a dangerous degree.

The last o line pick that might be called a bust was Robert Gallery, but he at least earned a starting spot at guard for the raiders, till he was injured. O line prospects rarely are total busts (benched, out of the league, etc.), but some of course aren't as good as their billing. It's one of the safest top 10 picks IMO, if not the safest.

I agree that taking a tackle high is generally safer than taking a QB high. That said, it is not perfectly safe.

But that is not my real argument here. My real argument is that we have sucked for some time, were especially bad last year, and have a new regime. Because of this, perhaps now is the time when we should be least worried about playing things safe. Maybe some draft daring is just what we need. Not stupid picks, of course, but not playing it safe, either.

In other words, why worry too much about what is "safe"? Because otherwise we might finish 3-13 instead of 4-12?

Stafford/Sanchez >>>>> Bradford/ClausenEhhhhhh.

I don't know if I'd go that far. I just don't think there's a guy in that bunch I'd support taking in the top five.

If there was one, it'd be Stafford most likely, but dude has some serious accuracy issues with the football that might prevent him from being anything more than passable.

I had a second round grade on Stafford compared to mid-to-late firsts on both Clausen and Bradford, and a fourth on Sanchez. But if there was one guy I would knowingly overdraft based on intangibles, it'd be Stafford (Detroit might have done just this).

I agree that taking a tackle high is generally safer than taking a QB high. That said, it is not perfectly safe.

But that is not my real argument here. My real argument is that we have sucked for some time, were especially bad last year, and have a new regime. Because of this, perhaps now is the time when we should be least worried about playing things safe. Maybe some draft daring is just what we need. Not stupid picks, of course, but not playing it safe, either.Playing it safe is one way to look at it, but a clear, decisive plan for improvement at our weakest position would be another.

What frustrates me is when people say: let's take a chance on a quarterback. There are a lot of people who have an irrational man crush on Sam Bradford, but at the very least, those people are convinced that if you do get him, the rest will fall into place. And as wrongheaded as I think the logic is, I can respect the sentiment.

If you're "taking a chance" on a guy that high, you're setting your team up for failure, I think. Some people believe the draft is a crapshoot. If the draft is a crapshoot, I don't think a QB at No. 4 can be defensed. You really do have to know what you are getting this high. Which is why, in my mind, taking a chance on Okung is not verbage I'd ever use. I prefer to look at it as finding a way to land the guy who will make us better the fastest.