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Gregg Rosenthal: 2018 NFL QB Index - Ranking QBs from the Last Four Drafts


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QB Index, Week 1: Aaron Rodgers Poised for MVP run

 

This is the sixth straight year I've written the QB Index. The initial idea was to track the vaunted quarterback class of 2012, which was headlined at the time by Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Nick Foles and Russell Wilson. That group has experienced every up and down imaginable over the last six years, from Super Bowls to benchings, from getting cut to suffering career-changing injuries. Luck, Griffin and Tannehill all are embarking on comebacks of various levels of visibility and difficulty this season, while Foles is trying to write a sequel to perhaps the most unlikely playoff run by a quarterback in NFL history.
 
A lot can change in six years, including the format of a column that I don't want to get stale. There will be a complete ranking of every starting quarterback every four weeks, including the one below. Change will be the only constant.
 
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3 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

Peterman played well in the preseason but didn’t do squat in the regular season last year.   While we hope he builds on his preseason success, where would you fairly and realistically rank him right now?

 

I can’t say Rosenthal’s wrong just yet.

Yes, even the effort in the snow was saved by one fantastic catch by Deonte Thompson. (from J WEbb)  BTW, Dallas cut him....why isn't he back?  Oh well, couple of rookies instead?  Thompson can catch the ball, Robert Foster, not so much!  (yes, Benjamin showed heart catching a TD in the first half on a bad knee)

 

Anyhow, the ranking is justified until performance shows otherwise.

Edited by bigK14094
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Just now, bigK14094 said:

Yes, even the effort in the snow was saved by one fantastic catch by Deonte Thompson.  BTW, Dallas cut him....why isn't he back?  Oh well, could of rookies instead?  Thompson can catch the ball, Robert Foster, not so much!

 

Because he re-signed with Dallas.

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NFL QB Power Rankings Week 1: Which young QBs will leap into elite category this year?

 

 
We don't have enough heavily-debated lists floating around the Internet in the year 2018. The world needs more of them. Which is why we're going cutting edge on you guys and dropping a weekly breakdown of all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks.
 
For this inaugural list, the basic rule is simple: who would I want for the 2018 season? I'm grouping them in chunks of quarterbacks based on my personal preference for these guys heading into the 2018 season. I'm not starting a franchise, I'm trying to win a Super Bowl this year.
 
I'm also only listing starters, so there's no Carson Wentz here (yet) and no Baker Mayfield here (yet?). Don't get hot and bothered by it -- if someone is literally a placeholder, they're going to be very far down the list.
 
We'll adjust this every week based on how guys are performing throughout the season. If Tom Brady stinks the joint up for three or four games, he's going to get knocked down a peg. That doesn't change where he sits historically in the pantheon of quarterbacks or how I view him from a career perspective, but it does change how he sits in these rankings. 
 
PLACEHOLDERS
 
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We know the Chargers weren't his only regular season action before anyone else points that out.
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The five interception half is going to rear its ugly head for a long time to come.  Between that, Peterman's lowly draft position and very small body of NFL work outside the 5 interception half, and I can see why he's ranked so low.  Otherwise, how could you reconcile "He was almost perfect" in the preseason with a second from the worst ranking.  If the Bills can win some games in this murderers row to open the season, and Peterman looks competent at the helm, his ranking has the potential to shoot up quickly.

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QB Index, Week 2: Russell Wilson short on support

 

Sam Darnold was the only rookie quarterback to start in Week 1, but his head start on the rest of his classmates didn't last long. Josh Allen has already been elevated to the starting job in Buffalo after Nathan Peterman's rough outing in Baltimore, and the events of opening weekend show how difficult it will be to keep Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen on the bench. If Sam Bradford once again fails to lead the Cardinals to points for three straight quarters and Tyrod Taylor struggles with decisiveness and accuracy, why stick with the veterans?
 
It's only a matter of time before this season is defined, in part, by the class of 2018. However, the larger question is whether each young quarterback has the support he needs.
 
Lost in Darnold's terrific debut was how much help he was given. The Jetsprotected Darnold well against the Lions' lackluster front seven. The Jets' running game was responsible for big plays and advantageous down-and-distance situations. The Jets are a different team when rugged receiver Quincy Enunwa is healthy, and New York's diverse receiving crew made plays for Darnold. The team's defense and special teams provided insane field position all game, not to mention points.
 
Darnold can't expect that type of assistance every week, but Monday night provided a blueprint that many great rookie-quarterback seasons have followed. Less is more. Don't do too much and know what you don't know. Darnold showed off his sensational ability to throw on the move, making four to five key plays while fitting into the Jets' larger team framework.
 
It's hard to imagine Allen getting that type of help when he suits up Sunday against the Chargers. Buffalo's lackluster offensive line and overcomplicated play-calling were on display last week in Baltimore, whether it was Peterman or Allen (who entered the game early in the third quarter) behind center. Perhaps the switch to Allen as the starter will help simplify things for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but the Bills aren't suddenly going to unearth quality linemen or wideouts.
 
Rookies aren't the only players who need help around them, though. With the next full set of QB rankings still a few weeks away, the rest of this week's QB Index will focus on quarterbacks who are saddled with the most concerning supporting casts.
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