Some thoughts on what is developing into an interesting era for the NFL. The changing of the guard is in full effect.
Players like Favre, Brady, Manning, Palmer, McNabb, Hasselbeck, and Kerry Collins are either retired or will be... sooner rather than later. All of these QB's have been highly productive, some of them have Superbowl rings, and a few will eventually land in Canton.
So what will come of the the new breed of signal callers and how will they measure up to their predecessors?
Lets look at Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Mathew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow.
The success of any QB in this league has to a lot to with the players that surround them. All of these newbies have very talented supporting casts around them, except maybe Tebow. So, they all have a shot at being something special.
If we start with Collins, he has been the real journeymen of the group. He is a proven winner and even led the Giants to a Superbowl birth. If any of the young QB's has the potential to become a floater I think it's Mathew Stafford.
He is an excellent young player with great mechanics and a lot of moxie. But, he is injury prone. The Lions are going places, but they will only have limited patience dealing with a #1 draft pick who is a major drain on their salary cap, and can only stay upright for 6 or 7 games a year. His skills are undeniable, so I could see him playing musical teams in years to come if he can't stay healthy.
Palmer was a blue-chip #1 pick from USC who had a cannon arm and all the intangibles. All of the millions he has been paid has bought the Bengals fans ZERO playoff wins. Some people may be shocked to hear that. I wonder if Matt Ryan may end up as the player from this group who ends up with that jinx. He has an amazing coach, so I hope he and Mike Smith eventually get their first playoff win. Maybe one day they will even have 4... like Rex and Mark.
Brady is a product of a brilliant coaching staff and a great front office. The run the Patriots went on drafting outstanding players to accompany Tom Terrific is legendary. The ice water in Brady's veins was chilled by playing in the AFC East and some of the most bloody battles the league has ever witnessed. After watching the head-to-head match ups between Brady and Mark Sanchez (which for the record is 3-2 overall, and 1-0 in the playoffs in favor of #6) we must wonder if he is following a similar path... developing into a champion like that douche from New England.
There is a reason why he was the top recruited QB coming out of high school. There is a reason why he was a starter @ USC (back when that was a good thing) and there is also a reason why he came out early and was a top 5 pick in the draft. He has been a starter from day 1, and has come up with two AFC Championship births in his first two years in the league. Thats what QB's are paid for... playoff wins and eventually a championship. He has unquestionably earned his money more than any other name on this list... so far.
Matt Hasselbeck was never a very impressive QB to me. He is smart and is a proven winner, but he is just easy to forget. Thats why he fits Seattle so well. I compare Josh Freeman to him. I think he will win some playoff games in his career, but he plays for the second most forgotten team in the league Tampa Bay. I could see Josh playing in a Superbowl one day, but I don't ever see him winning one just like the prematurely bald passer from the Pacific Northwest.
I think McNabb owes his success to a marriage with one of the most solid coaches of the past decade in Reid. Andy provided a solid foundation and continuity for Donavan. He came into the league with the arm, and Andy helped him learn how to make the right decisions with the ball. I think the Joe Flacco/ Harbaugh partnership will be equally as fruitful. They have already had some playoff runs, the big question is will they be able to close the deal in a way that Reid and McNabb never could. The REAL question in Baltimore is can they win now? Reed and Lewis only have a small window left. Without them, you have to start all over. Flacco is young, but 2011 may be his best chance to land a ring.
Favre has all the records and is a first ballot HOF'er. No QB has had a better rookie campaign than Sam Bradford. He has truly amazed me. From the day he stepped behind center in a real NFL game he has shown he was born to do this, much like #4 when he finally got his first chance to play in his second year. If any of the newbies has a shot at big stats and breaking records he would be the logical choice. The big difference is that Brett was surrounded by some of the best offensive minds of his time. Holmgren, Mariucci and Gruden were Favre's teachers in his early years. Bradford has McDaniels now, it's scary to think of what he can achieve in year two. The lockout won't help his development, but it will probably just be remembered as a bump in the road.
That leaves us with Peyton. No one is anything like Manning or compares to him... most especially Tim Teabow. So thats where the comparison ends.
If there is anyone on earth who believes there is no one who will ever replace John Elway in Denver... it's John Elway. My prediction is that Elway puts the former Gator on a short leash and dumps him as early as 2012. John didn't draft him, so he's not his problem. I saw nothing out of Tebow that makes me think he can play QB at this level. His future in Denver will be decided within the first few weeks of the 2011 season. He would need to jump light years from year one to year two in order to have a chance to become the long term answer. Because of the lockout he has had little to no chance to grow or develop in the past 6 months.
Obviously my hope is that Mark Sanchez will end up as the guy from this group with the most rings when it's all over. #6 won't break any passing records or win any MVP's, but thats not why he was drafted.
