Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

[Ickybaluky]

Must read, IMO.

LINK

Some highlights:

First, the obvious. Of the 17 teams that did not have a winning record (and I don’t consider 8-8 a winning record), all but Seattle are in the front end of the draft and only Dallas and Houston have a quantifiable presence at the quarterback position.

Each is in desperate search for a quarterback with the exception of Denver, Detroit and St. Louis, which have each taken a QB in the first round the last two years. Conclusion: You need a quarterback to win in this league. Brilliant, right?

Next, there were 15 teams last year with winning records of nine or more wins. Of those 15 teams, 13 were led by quarterbacks taken in the first round -- New England, obviously, with Tom Brady and Kansas City with Matt Cassel.

So what do these facts mean? It means you have about a six percent chance of winning in this league without a quarterback that is not selected in the first round. Unfortunately, if you do select a quarterback in the first round you only have about a 50-50 chance of him being worthy of that pick.

The three of us had a common mentor in Bill Walsh.

When I sat down to co-author the book “The Winning Edge” with Bill he made this observation:

“I am not sure, as a coach, taking a QB in the first round is worth the risk. No matter how competent you are at evaluating that position, the variables as to whether a QB will develop adequately, are to a large degree, outside of your control. And, if you are known as an offensive coach, particularly if your reputation is built on working with QB’s, and you miss on a first round pick. I am not sure you can survive that. Not just with that team, but in the industry.”

So having said all that, have at it. Go pick that QB.

[PTI]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

Please take the QB

[Night Train]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

I was so happy to get Todd Collins in Round 2, trade a bunch of good high picks for Rob Johnson & Drew Bledsoe, then trade back into Round 1 for Losman... Trentative in Round 3.. Let's do it again in a weak QB year !

Cue the " Real Men of Genius " music..

[YardRat]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

First, the obvious. Of the 17 teams that did not have a winning record

It's hard to give somebody's opinion any credibility when they can't even count.

[cookie G]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

Of the teams in the front half of the draft, more than half have taken a QB in the first since 2005. The Broncos have done it more than once.

It isn't merely a matter of taking a QB in the first.

Nearly every team has in the last decade.

Its a matter of finding a QB in the first.

[alohabillsfan]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

OMG, I am so sick of single scope of depth investigative articles. It takes a hell of alot more than a QB to make it. Do you really think the Bills make the playoffs last year with P. Manning? Do the Jets go to the superbowl with a better QB than Sanchez? Do they make the playoffs with th Bills defense, hell no. Every year we get a 1st round pick so we dont have to pick one this year. Build the front 7 and a dominate defense.

[Historian]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

And according to Bill Walsh, we had our "quarterback of the future" in Trent Edwards...

[Extremebillsfan247]

Re: Very good article on the value of an NFL QB and the difficulty getting one...

When I read the title I looked curiously, immediately went right to the link provided and found Billick's name attached to it, that about ended it for me. lol This is the same meat head that tried to convince me that Carolina is better off drafting a QB than Buffalo because we already have a QB in Fitzpatrick. There's a reason why he has a blog on fox sports. He's a defunct head coach no one wants, whose claim to fame at QB is Trent Dilfer, and we are suppose to listen to this guy be the voice of reason when it comes to drafting QBs? come on now.