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Arians: Best QB Class In 15-20 Years


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49 minutes ago, SaviorPeterman said:

I like Arians as a coach but he's clueless about this draft class.

 

Sources I trust pretty much believe it's a two man show between Darnold and Rosen, with the rest of the class being the same old story we've seen in recent yaers with a lot of overhyped boom or bust type of guys (i.e. Mayfield, Allen, etc) that will teams will reach for in the 1st round or might not be drafted until round 3 or later.

 

Don't get me wrong though, there are certainly some potential steals and sleepers like Nathan Peterman, especially a guy like Tanner Lee who many scouts and GM's are already enamored with given he has all the prototypical NFL QB traits these guys covet.

Clueless? Because he has a different take on it than you do?  You are getting pretty ridiculous as of late.

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10 hours ago, pi2000 said:

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

 

Well then, I suppose I should tell the former offensive-minded HC who coached for decades that you disagree. He'll be devastated by your expert opinion.

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3 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:

 

I appreciate that. I see a kid who got asked some tough questions and responded honestly. He may be a jerk, or it may be something the media is saying because they don't like his opinions. Everything that has come out of that actual locker room has been positive. I think he is an extremely intelligent guy and is standing up for those less fortunate than him. I loved this quote from Jim Mora, who was his coach. This was after Rosen made comments about college taking advantage of athletes etc.: 

 

"Well, I think it's important to know this about Josh Rosen: He's very, very well respected by his coaches and his teammates because we see on a daily basis his commitment, his work ethic, his attitude, his passion for football. We also know that he's an incredibly intelligent young man that does have opinions. Often times those opinions are conveyed to others because he is trying to bring attention to some that are maybe less fortunate or have less than he does. At times that maybe he feels are taken advantage of. The message to Josh is that it's OK to have opinions. As a 20-year-old, you're going to have opinions now that maybe you don't have when you're 22, 23, 30, 50, 60 that are maybe different than when you were 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. But when you express those opinions in a public forum - and he expressed those opinions way back in the spring. This is not a recent interview. But when you express opinions, you create perceptions. You create controversy. There are those who agree with you and those who won't agree with you. And you have to be willing to live with the consequences."

 

Now I would recommend reading this interview with Bleacher Report where he made some of those comments: 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2722587-josh-rosen-qa-ucla-qb-on-injuries-ncaa-and-post-nfl-goal-to-own-the-world 

 

Here is another interview where the interviewer brings up Trump for some reason: 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/josh-rosen-conor-mcdermott-ucla/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Sept 30 AM&utm_content=Sept 30 AM+CID_cf5de8385d01b4393dd30813efc2329e&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=Everything Under the Sun

 

He was asked about Trump and said this: 

"Well, I think it’s no secret that I’m not a large fan of Donald Trump — from a policy standpoint and from a human-being standpoint. I think it’s cowardly to run a campaign based on demagoguery and bigotry, and to incite fear so you can rally support for personal gain. He’s feeding off of racial tension and a lack of religious understanding, and a lack of sympathy and empathy for people who are different from him. I think it’s sad that he’s not even trying to understand important issues and propose legitimate policies to make the country a better place. It seems like he just wants to be president … so he can be president. There’s so much I don’t like. I don’t like his policy positions, and I really don’t like him making racially charged statements to people who don’t know better or understand what it’s like to come from poverty or different backgrounds."

 

BTW, the other guy in that interview is Conor McDermott, who is on our team and loves Rosen. We have Rosen's teammate at left tackle for two years in our building, so if we want to know what teammates think of Rosen, we can just ask Conor. (I also think he is in the mix at RT this year)

 

I see Rosen as a really intelligent guy who is a little misunderstood (because the general public is really dumb). I think the bad teammate stuff and doesn't love football stuff is nonsense. He's the guy IMO. 

 

And if the Bills hold that kind of faith in him, they should do everything necessary to go get him. And I appreciate the information and links instead of just pounding the table, and I'll say my opinion has softened regarding Rosen, but if the Bills are frugal in FA, I don't see how you can do both. They still have to field an entire team and if they need to give up the farm to go get Rosen, I'm not sure where those players are coming from. 

 

Now, on the other hand, as I mentioned somewhere this morning in one of these threads, Belichick has done a hell of a job finding UDFAs and using them, and if you have guy like Tom Brady (or maybe Rosen for this discussion), you can afford to take risks on UDFAs in the belief that the elite QB will elevate everyone else around them.

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3 hours ago, JohnC said:

Where I disagree with the thrust of your response is that I don't necessarily believe that you have to exhaust your draft assets to get one of  the top two prospects when there are maybe three or four high quality prospects. I would rather make a lesser move up the draft board to draft Mayfield at a lower cost than use more of my draft picks to get either Rosen or Darnold. I'll extend that logic even farther. If you believed that both Rudolph or Jackson were high end prospects that needed more development time then I would either stand pat and wait or more preferably take a lesser risk of losing one of them with a lower cost move up deal. 

 

For me the priority is to get a high quality qb prospect in the pipeline this year, a year in which there are a group of very good prospects. Last year the Bills traded out of their spot thus bypassing either Mahomes or Watkins. The waiting game for another season has got to stop. There is no perfect option. Take the best option you can get when the qb pool is deeper than usual. If not now then when? Next year or the year after? You either get it done or you don't. The cycle of futility has to end. 

 

But by that reasoning, it would make more sense to go all the way up to #1 or #2 and get the guy you believe is the future who moves the needle of the franchise. Because otherwise, trading up and giving up Draft capital but not really getting the guy you want is how you continue make mistakes. Because if you trade up in the 1st to get "a guy" but not "the guy", you're still going to need to give him 3 full seasons to determine where he is in his development. So, invest or stay put, JMO

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19 minutes ago, SaviorPeterman said:

 

It's reckless for a former NFL coach to make misleading statements like this and proves he's out of touch with reality.

 

You telling someone they are reckless and out of touch with reality??

 

Pot, meet kettle, he's black too.

1 hour ago, SaviorPeterman said:

I like Arians as a coach but he's clueless about this draft class.

 

Sources I trust pretty much believe it's a two man show between Darnold and Rosen, with the rest of the class being the same old story we've seen in recent yaers with a lot of overhyped boom or bust type of guys (i.e. Mayfield, Allen, etc) that will teams will reach for in the 1st round or might not be drafted until round 3 or later.

 

Don't get me wrong though, there are certainly some potential steals and sleepers like Nathan Peterman, especially a guy like Tanner Lee who many scouts and GM's are already enamored with given he has all the prototypical NFL QB traits these guys covet.

 

 

The voices in your head don't count.

2 minutes ago, klos63 said:

I don't, he was always entertaining in a 'strange kid next door' kind of way, but he's getting pretty nuts lately.

 

Now he's become the crazy 30 something next door living in Mom's basement making pipebombs and dolls from lose strands of hair he collects from the neighbor's trash.

 

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1 hour ago, BigBuff423 said:

 

But by that reasoning, it would make more sense to go all the way up to #1 or #2 and get the guy you believe is the future who moves the needle of the franchise. Because otherwise, trading up and giving up Draft capital but not really getting the guy you want is how you continue make mistakes. Because if you trade up in the 1st to get "a guy" but not "the guy", you're still going to need to give him 3 full seasons to determine where he is in his development. So, invest or stay put, JMO

Again, I respectfully disagree with you. If Mayfield is considered the third ranked qb on the Bills board but is still ranked as a high end prospect I would prefer bypassing the more costly prospects and get a qb whom I still believe would be a good qb in this league. There are no guarantees that the two higher ranked qbs in this draft are going to be better than the third ranked qb. So do a value analysis and make a decision. 

 

With respect to the highlighted segment dealing with development time I have no problem with investing in the time to prepare the prospect. The problem with your line of thinking is that most prospects take time except for the special players. If it takes time it takes time. Let it marinate and when ready play the player. That's how it usually works. The same developmental process occurs for all positions. Some players are ready sooner than others. But there is still a learning curve for most players. It's simply part of the process as it is for most fields of endeavor. 

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5 hours ago, JohnC said:

My fear of a player like Josh Allen is that he fits in with the Blake Bortles syndrome. If you break down the parts he has them in spades, at least on the physical side. But when you watch him play there is a disconnect between the physical talents and production. 

 

When evaluating a specimen such as Allen the best approach is to forget about the tape measure and watch the tape. Trust your eyes! Then come to an evaluation. He's a player I am very much wary of. 

 

Couldn't agree more except with the Bortles comparison.  I'm not saying that I like Bortles very much but he put up fantastic college numbers, even against power conference teams.

 

Of all of the QBs, he's the one that I hope the Bills stay away from.  He's like the Mike Mamula of QBs to me.  I read that he threw 66mph at the Senior Bowl.  Okay cool...he also misses receivers as badly as anyone I have seen.  The Ringer had a good write up about him that covers his deficiencies very thoroughly.  I could be wrong and if the Bills take him then I obviously hope I'm wrong.

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43 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Again, I respectfully disagree with you. If Mayfield is considered the third ranked qb on the Bills board but is still ranked as a high end prospect I would prefer bypassing the more costly prospects and get a qb whom I still believe would be a good qb in this league. There are no guarantees that the two higher ranked qbs in this draft are going to be better than the third ranked qb. So do a value analysis and make a decision. 

 

With respect to the highlighted segment dealing with development time I have no problem with investing in the time to prepare the prospect. The problem with your line of thinking is that most prospects take time except for the special players. If it takes time it takes time. Let it marinate and when ready play the player. That's how it usually works. The same developmental process occurs for all positions. Some players are ready sooner than others. But there is still a learning curve for most players. It's simply part of the process as it is for most fields of endeavor. 

 

The problem is that, if you're taking a QB with a lower rating simply to save a few Draft slots, it will take at least 3 years (usually) to determine whether or not the QB has "it"....as you said there are rare special occasions when you know immediately and the results bare out over time. But normally, if a team drafts a QB in the 1st round, no matter how abysmal the first year, he gets a second, and if ANY improvement even in the smallest amount is seen, they usually get a 3rd...and rightfully so....but the point is if you're trading up for a QB, but you're NOT taking THE QB you think will be the premiere player, then you're wasting a pick and approximately 3 years of development to find out. That's the point...either go all in, or just go home. 

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7 minutes ago, OrtonHearsaWho said:

 

Couldn't agree more except with the Bortles comparison.  I'm not saying that I like Bortles very much but he put up fantastic college numbers, even against power conference teams.

 

Of all of the QBs, he's the one that I hope the Bills stay away from.  He's like the Mike Mamula of QBs to me.  I read that he threw 66mph at the Senior Bowl.  Okay cool...he also misses receivers as badly as anyone I have seen.  The Ringer had a good write up about him that covers his deficiencies very thoroughly.  I could be wrong and if the Bills take him then I obviously hope I'm wrong.

The Mamula example is a smart and appropriate analogy.( Most of the youngster here have no idea who he is.)He killed it at the combine. He was a physical freak who aced all the tests. He came from being off the radar to being the biggest target on the radar. The biggest trap for scouts is overvaluing performances at the combine. If you want to learn the makeup of a player it is through the interview and background checks and watching how a player actually plays. 

 

Without a doubt the qb position is the hardest to evaluate. A qb can have all the tools but if he lacks vision and an intuitive ability to react on the field he will not succeed. I would prefer a qb such as Lamar Jackson compared to Allen who although is a raw prospect has shown, inconsistently for sure, an ability to play the position at a level that will translate to the pro ranks. 

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3 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The Mamula example is a smart and appropriate analogy.( Most of the youngster here have no idea who he is.)He killed it at the combine. He was a physical freak who aced all the tests. He came from being off the radar to being the biggest target on the radar. The biggest trap for scouts is overvaluing performances at the combine. If you want to learn the makeup of a player it is through the interview and background checks and watching how a player actually plays. 

 

Without a doubt the qb position is the hardest to evaluate. A qb can have all the tools but if he lacks vision and an intuitive ability to react on the field he will not succeed. I would prefer a qb such as Lamar Jackson compared to Allen who although is a raw prospect has shown, inconsistently for sure, an ability to play the position at a level that will translate to the pro ranks. 

 

Dang it, now I feel old!

 

I usually hate sports cliches but one that I agree with at the QB position is "he's a winner".  It's not just some magical quality...a QB ends up being a winner because he's accurate, can anticipate throws and can read a defense.  There are obviously exceptions to that but I would absolutely prefer a "winner" like Mayfield or Jackson over Allen.  I swear that he doesn't owe me money or anything, I just don't think he will do well in the league.

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3 minutes ago, BigBuff423 said:

 

The problem is that, if you're taking a QB with a lower rating simply to save a few Draft slots, it will take at least 3 years (usually) to determine whether or not the QB has "it"....as you said there are rare special occasions when you know immediately and the results bare out over time. But normally, if a team drafts a QB in the 1st round, no matter how abysmal the first year, he gets a second, and if ANY improvement even in the smallest amount is seen, they usually get a 3rd...and rightfully so....but the point is if you're trading up for a QB, but you're NOT taking THE QB you think will be the premiere player, then you're wasting a pick and approximately 3 years of development to find out. That's the point...either go all in, or just go home.

What you are not acknowledging is that if you prefer the top two that doesn't mean you will be able to put yourself in the position to get your preferred qbs. If Cleveland and the Giants want their respective qbs they are going to get their prospect no matter what you are willing to offer. And it is certainly not inconceivable that your ranking of players can be so close to the point that it isn't worth giving up assets to get your preferred qb. You do a value analysis and you make a judgment.

 

In this draft there might not be a big difference in ranking between the top three qbs. Without a doubt there is a major difference between the top three and the six to 10 next ranked qbs. The reality in the draft is that you make the best of your situation. If option A is not available then option B might be a reasonable fallback position to take. As the saying goes: Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. 

5 minutes ago, OrtonHearsaWho said:

 

Dang it, now I feel old!

 

I usually hate sports cliches but one that I agree with at the QB position is "he's a winner".  It's not just some magical quality...a QB ends up being a winner because he's accurate, can anticipate throws and can read a defense.  There are obviously exceptions to that but I would absolutely prefer a "winner" like Mayfield or Jackson over Allen.  I swear that he doesn't owe me money or anything, I just don't think he will do well in the league.

You are not old. You are just more experienced than most. :D

 

For me the most intriguing qb in this draft is Mayfield. I followed him as much as possible this past season. He is dynamic and captivating. I would have no qualms taking him over any other qb in this draft. As far as Jackson he is another qb that I wouldn't mind in the fold. My bottom line is that there is simply no excuse for us to come out of this draft without a high end qb prospect in this draft. 

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11 hours ago, Bad Things said:

The "Waste Management Open"?  

Golf tournament. Sadly, they've done away with the Saturday Caddie races, always one of the  highlights of the PGA season. Wednesday must have been the pro-Am.

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How does an NFL coach find time during the season to scout college football QBs?   I thought all the scouting in the Fall was done by the scouts, with the coaches getting involved after the season ends.  

 

I think these are the comments of fan.   Like, "Mason Rudolph is great!  I saw him though a long touchdown pass."    Now, that's some real in depth scouting.   

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On 2/1/2018 at 11:39 AM, GunnerBill said:

 

And the transition to speed, YAC guys for Cam has failed.  Big targets with big catch radius' for guys who want to throw down the field but have a tendency to get a little bit high.  I stand by my view if I was drafting Rudolph I'd be going big on the outside and at tight end.  

I just see a guy like him benefiting from a speedy underneath guy who can get away from corners and find the open spaces.  Big guys have a tough time with that. 

On 2/1/2018 at 11:44 AM, Mat68 said:

I believe that was more a change in philosophy from Beane and Gettleman to there current GM.  Beane seems to have the Parcells philosophy there is a finite amount of large men in the world so try to get as many as you can.  You cant teach size or speed.  Everyone in the NFL is fast not every is big and fast.   Hopkins has the largest hands in the league and has made the most contested catches since entering the league.  He plays much larger than his frame.  

I like having a tall receiver but I also think an underneath guy is necessary who is fast and a solid route runner who can get space from his defenders on quick patterns.  Carolina kept funchess and has Olsen but they got rid of Benjamin and added some fast underneath guys.  Mccaffrey certainly helped Cam this year.  They need more talent at the wide receiver position. I think you need to have a balance or speedy guys and underneath guys but every team needs to have that underneath route runner who has speed and can get open.  Tom Brady collects them.  Antonio Brown does this.  Quick separation on underneath patterns kills defenses.  Like I said, a balance is necessary in my opinion but the underneath guy is more just as important.  Get a really good slot receiver and a young QB will have a much easier time.  

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13 minutes ago, Buffalo30 said:

I just see a guy like him benefiting from a speedy underneath guy who can get away from corners and find the open spaces.  Big guys have a tough time with that. 

I like having a tall receiver but I also think an underneath guy is necessary who is fast and a solid route runner who can get space from his defenders on quick patterns.  Carolina kept funchess and has Olsen but they got rid of Benjamin and added some fast underneath guys.  Mccaffrey certainly helped Cam this year.  They need more talent at the wide receiver position. I think you need to have a balance or speedy guys and underneath guys but every team needs to have that underneath route runner who has speed and can get open.  Tom Brady collects them.  Antonio Brown does this.  Quick separation on underneath patterns kills defenses.  Like I said, a balance is necessary in my opinion but the underneath guy is more just as important.  Get a really good slot receiver and a young QB will have a much easier time.  

 

Obviously ideally you need a balance.  But my priority for Rudolph with tendency to get high when under pressure would be big guys and I think they have been essential to Cam's success in the NFL.  

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7 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Obviously ideally you need a balance.  But my priority for Rudolph with tendency to get high when under pressure would be big guys and I think they have been essential to Cam's success in the NFL.  

Fair enough.  Whoever is QB next year can definitely use a healthy Benjamin that's for sure.  Hoping we get a speedster though in the draft at some point that can get open.  I think Zay will have a better year as well.  If Buffalo were to add a WR in the draft, who are your preferences?

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Just now, Buffalo30 said:

Fair enough.  Whoever is QB next year can definitely use a healthy Benjamin that's for sure.  Hoping we get a speedster though in the draft at some point that can get open.  I think Zay will have a better year as well.  If Buffalo were to add a WR in the draft, who are your preferences?

 

I really am not a huge fan of this WR class.... to be honest of this draft class beyond a few positions.  I liked Courtland Sutton as a fit here when it looked like he might come out last year but that was before the Bills traded for KB.  I still think he is probably my favourite WR in the draft but not necessarily sure I'd spend a 1st on him and you might want someone who is more of a polished route runner opposite Benjamin. I think Calvin Ridley is going to go a lot higher than I'd take him and Washington probably will too.  I liked what I saw from the Colorado St kid at the Senior Bowl and he is one on my list to go back to.  Last year's receiver class had some really good depth and a whole host of guys I'd have considered in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th.  This one.... not so much.  I actually think in Reilly and Dupre the Bills have two candidates on their roster already to make a run at the 53 come pre-season.  

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4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I really am not a huge fan of this WR class.... to be honest of this draft class beyond a few positions.  I liked Courtland Sutton as a fit here when it looked like he might come out last year but that was before the Bills traded for KB.  I still think he is probably my favourite WR in the draft but not necessarily sure I'd spend a 1st on him and you might want someone who is more of a polished route runner opposite Benjamin. I think Calvin Ridley is going to go a lot higher than I'd take him and Washington probably will too.  I liked what I saw from the Colorado St kid at the Senior Bowl and he is one on my list to go back to.  Last year's receiver class had some really good depth and a whole host of guys I'd have considered in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th.  This one.... not so much.  I actually think in Reilly and Dupre the Bills have two candidates on their roster already to make a run at the 53 come pre-season.  

If Ridley were there with one of our first round picks, I'd have a tough time saying no if we got our QB too.  He's be a great weapon for whoever our new QB is.  One of my favorite wide receivers in this class is DJ Moore.  Is a 5'11" 215 and plays big.  His quickness and cutting abilities both with and without the ball are impressive.  I think he will go in the second round.  He improved every year in college.  Gallup and Allen Lazard have also caught my eye at points.  There's a lot of potential guys that are tall in this class but none of them are sure things by any means. If we get a young QB, I'd have a tough time not getting him another weapon this year.  Try to surround him with more talent to help him out.  But with so many needs, this need might be pushed aside pushed aside in the draft and we may look to find a guy in free agency.  

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21 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

How does an NFL coach find time during the season to scout college football QBs?   I thought all the scouting in the Fall was done by the scouts, with the coaches getting involved after the season ends.  

 

I think these are the comments of fan.   Like, "Mason Rudolph is great!  I saw him though a long touchdown pass."    Now, that's some real in depth scouting.   

 

NFL coaches do not have the time to scout college QBs during the season.

 

you are exactly right

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54 minutes ago, Buffalo30 said:

But with so many needs, this need might be pushed aside pushed aside in the draft and we may look to find a guy in free agency.  

 

I would go the free agency route I think. Might take a later flier on a WR I would not be taking one with one of my top 4 picks in this draft with our needs and the relative abilities of the WR draft class.  

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On 2/1/2018 at 6:18 AM, 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.

 

If Arians was such a great judge of QBs coming out of college, why didn't he ever find one for his own team?   Arians became the Cards' HC in 2013, and since that time, the Cards have drafted exactly 1 QB: Logan Thomas in the fourth round in 2014 despite the fact that the Cards could have taken Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014 and that Carson Palmer had been in the league for more than 10 years at that time, and has been more susceptible to serious injuries than many other QBs.  Sometimes there's no good QBs available when a team needs one, but there were better candidates than Thomas available in 2014, and Cards passed on them. 

 

Maybe Arians didn't have a lot of input in whom the Cards drafted, but I wouldn't have a lot of faith in Arians' evaluation of collegiate QBs based on his being a HC.   Not all good HCs are good talent evaluators, especially when judging players playing in systems different from the ones they're familiar with.

 

 

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