Arians: Best QB Class In 15-20 Years

[Jamie Muellers Ghost]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/02/01/bruce-arians-believes-college-qb-crop-may-be-best-in-the-last-15-or-20-years/

 

Bruce Arians believes college QB crop may be “best in the last 15 or 20 years”

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on February 1, 2018, 1:03 AM EST

 

Bruce Arians may not be coaching the Arizona Cardinals anymore, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still invested in the game he coached for 42 years.

 

In an interview with Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com at the Waste Management Open on Wednesday, Arians spoke glowingly about the group of college quarterbacks eligible to be drafted in April.

 

“Oh, I think it’s outstanding,” Arians said. “Maybe the best in 15 or 20 years. The number of quality guys with height, stature, arms, statistics… I really wish I had the chance to meet each and every one and do all the evaluations but I think right now you could be sitting at 14 and get a quarterback. People are going to start trading up and everything but there’s enough quality guys to go around for everybody.

 

Arians’ former team needs a quarterback following the retirement of Carson Palmer after the season. They will certainly be one of the teams pouring time into evaluations of all of the quarterbacks available in the class.

 

Arians said there’s a lot of quarterbacks that have made an impression on him from this year’s crop.

 

“Talent-wise, I mean, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, (Josh) Allen,” he said. “Baker (Mayfield) has that charisma. I love Lamar Jackson. I think he’s got an unbelievable skill set. Mason Rudolph beat my (Virginia Tech) Hokies with that deep ball and he may have the best deep ball of all of them. You could go on and on.”

[Paulus]

Yup, and Rosen will be a bust. 

[KollegeStudnet]

I agree. Think this is the most stacked class in a while. However, you can't really judge that until a few years later. #thatshowitworks

[Doc Brown]

15 to 20 years is an odd range.  I'd go for more the 2004 class of E. Manning, Rivers, and Roethlisberger.  I guess you can argue 1999 was full of good prospects, but only half panned out.

 

 

Hits and misses during those years.

 

1998 - Peyton Manning and Matt Hasselback   Busts:  Ryan Leaf

1999- Donivan Mcnabb and Daunte Culpepper Busts: Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade McNown

2000- Chad Pennington, Mark Bulger, Tom Satan  Busts: Nobody as Pennington only first round pick

2001-  Michael Vick, Drew Brees  Busts:  Nobody as Vick only first round pick

2002 - Davad Garrard   Busts: Carr, Harrington, Ramsey

[pi2000]

I think this class sucks.   A bunch of JP Losmans, Johnny Manziels, Tim Tebows, Brandon Weeden's and Ryan Mallett's.

[Ol Dirty B]

8 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

I think this class sucks.   A bunch of JP Losmans, Johnny Manziels, Tim Tebows, Brandon Weeden's and Ryan Mallett's.

 

What? What else does someone say to this?

[Domdab99]

Someone should tell him that just because there are a lot of QBs, it doesn’t make it a great class.

[Bad Things]

The "Waste Management Open"?  

[eball]

Of course, it stands to reason a bunch of fat slobs on their couches know more about evaluating QBs than a guy who has been coaching for decades.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

4 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

15 to 20 years is an odd range.  I'd go for more the 2004 class of E. Manning, Rivers, and Roethlisberger.  I guess you can argue 1999 was full of good prospects, but only half panned out.

 

 

Hits and misses during those years.

 

1998 - Peyton Manning and Matt Hasselback   Busts:  Ryan Leaf

1999- Donivan Mcnabb and Daunte Culpepper Busts: Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade McNown

2000- Chad Pennington, Mark Bulger, Tom Satan  Busts: Nobody as Pennington only first round pick

2001-  Michael Vick, Drew Brees  Busts:  Nobody as Vick only first round pick

2002 - Davad Garrard   Busts: Carr, Harrington, Ramsey

2018 minis 2004  ...........   14 years....   isn't that less than 15? 

[mjt328]

Take two.

[Green Lightning]

1 hour ago, eball said:

Of course, it stands to reason a bunch of fat slobs on their couches know more about evaluating QBs than a guy who has been coaching for decades.

That's a little harsh. Some of them are slobs in relatively good shape.

[NoSaint]

16 minutes ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

2018 minis 2004  ...........   14 years....   isn't that less than 15? 

 

I think his point was that he shouldn’t have stretched it to 20

 

i think his point ignores the nature of human beings having a conversation and how you sometimes throw out reasonable estimates instead of getting super firm in your details.

[GunnerBill]

I think it is probably somewhere close to 2004.  What I would say is different is that the 2004 guys were not as contrasting in style.  Yes Big Ben is different to Eli and Rivers is maybe a bit in between the two but there were all in essence pocket guys. The college game has changed and I think a lot of the evaluation of these guys is going to involve looking at system fits and what you need to put around them to let them have success early.  

 

If I am drafting Josh Rosen I want to make sure my offensive line is really sound and I have speed on the outside.  If I am drafting Sam Darnold I want to make sure that I have a running game that can take the pressure off him to throw every down in his rookie year and receivers that can get separation.  If I draft Baker Mayfield I want to ensure I have an offensive coordinator with experience working with a Quarterback who does much of his best work out of the pocket and receivers who can get YAC. If Rudolph I want big guys on the outside and a run game that can be varied and dynamic.  

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

5 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

 

I think his point was that he shouldn’t have stretched it to 20

 

i think his point ignores the nature of human beings having a conversation and how you sometimes throw out reasonable estimates instead of getting super firm in your details.

Best class in a while should have sufficed imo.   

 

I was trying to not be overly sarcastic and say something like 

 

Taylor is the best QB we've had this century 

[PaattMaann]

2 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

I think it is probably somewhere close to 2004.  What I would say is different is that the 2004 guys were not as contrasting in style.  Yes Big Ben is different to Eli and Rivers is maybe a bit in between the two but there were all in essence pocket guys. The college game has changed and I think a lot of the evaluation of these guys is going to involve looking at system fits and what you need to put around them to let them have success early.  

 

If I am drafting Josh Rosen I want to make sure my offensive line is really sound and I have speed on the outside.  If I am drafting Sam Darnold I want to make sure that I have a running game that can take the pressure off him to throw every down in his rookie year and receivers that can get separation.  If I draft Baker Mayfield I want to ensure I have an offensive coordinator with experience working with a Quarterback who does much of his best work out of the pocket and receivers who can get YAC. If Rudolph I want big guys on the outside and a run game that can be varied and dynamic.  

 

 

 

Agree with all of this bold. And for the Bills, seems like Darnold and Mayfield would be good fits here. However, I just can't envision us pulling off that blockbuster deal to get up there and get one. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

5 minutes ago, PaattMaann said:

 

Agree with all of this bold. And for the Bills, seems like Darnold and Mayfield would be good fits here. However, I just can't envision us pulling off that blockbuster deal to get up there and get one. 

I just can't see Mayfield going that high. He has nothing GMs drool over. Even Manziel fell like a rock until the Browns bit the bullet. 

 

[BigBuff423]

Of course only time will tell whether Arians' statement proves to be true, like the 2004 and 1983 Draft class, but when you look at history, it does suggest this year is a year in which the Draft is "due" for a great QB class. Also, since we have no way of knowing the future (unless you're Dunkirk Don) there is no "sure thing", no guarantee. Heck, even Luck was a "sure thing" and while he was amazing for a few years, injuries and coaching have sidetracked his trajectory, but not derailed it.

 

So, I like Rudolph where the Bills are and Mike White for their choice in 3rd round should he last that long. Honestly, Darnold may evolve into something fantastic, Rosen may be the "chosen one" and Josh Allen might very well be the next John Elway (based on arm strength alone) as Jackson might be the next Vick. But, trading UP in a class with a breadth of talent and not necessarily a single elite talent, does not make sense to me and it gives away the Bills' strength this Draft: quantity. 

 

Bills should make that quantity work for them and utilize all of those Draft choices to re-make the roster AND get their QB. You just don't trade up....and in THIS class, I don't think you need to unless 5 QBs go in the top 10....which is possible, but unlikely. One thing us fans should keep in mind, the Draft NEVER, EVER goes the way everyone *thinks* it will and prospects fall and slide. 

[oldmanfan]

I don't see it myself, but Arians does have a little more experience in the field.

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, BigBuff423 said:

Bills should make that quantity work for them and utilize all of those Draft choices to re-make the roster AND get their QB. You just don't trade up....and in THIS class, I don't think you need to unless 5 QBs go in the top 10....which is possible, but unlikely. One thing us fans should keep in mind, the Draft NEVER, EVER goes the way everyone *thinks* it will and prospects fall and slide. 

 

The problem with that approach is I don't think there is that much quality depth in this draft at other positions.  It is not a great draft to rely on to remake your roster.  We could do some things with the LB corps and there is some DT talent and running back talent that helps... but if you are looking at this draft and thinking you remake your WR room or your pass rushing stable from it I think you are in for a rude awakening.