2.27.2006
Bush, Leinhart, or Young?
With olympic hockey over its time to start thinking about the upcoming NFL season. If I were the Texans (and all things considered I'm glad I'm not) I don't know what I'd do with the first pick of the draft. Bush seems to be the most sure bet, but he's also a running back. This is detrimental since it means that his contributing years will likely be significantly less than a QB, and the position is also more vulnerable to injury. However, Leinhart and Young are both QB's which is scarry since a good transition to the pro's is less likely than with a RB (Ryan Leaf anyone?). Both positions require a good O-line, but I think that the QB position does less than the RB position (though David Carr will likely disagree). I think with everything on the line I would take the guarentee though it may bring with it a shorter term payoff.
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4 comments:
That line of thinking seems good to me; I know Carr recently got an extension/restructuring of his contract, so he seems to be the long-term choice (at least for now) of the Texans. With that taken care of, Leinart and Young are obviously out of the picture for them.
Honestly, I could see passing Bush up for a treasure-trove of later picks, since the Texans have so many needs on both sides of the line. If I were they, barring a fantastic workout at the combine, I might trade down. Of course, there's always the risk of passing up the next Walter Payton, but the likelihood of Bush being unpredictably mind-blowing at the next level is slim. One could reasonably bet on getting the same results from DeAngelo Williams at this point.
I think the next four picks in the draft are equally interesting. Thoughts?
i don't know if you want leinart or young. one guy used to be fat and cross-eyed and the other has trouble with things like months and other basic problems generally solved by fourth or fifth graders (see vince young and the wonderlic test). go with the sure thing in reggie bush. although i have to disagree with jon. the QB is by far the most important position. yes, you can win the superbowl with serviceable QB's but name a superbowl in which the RB actually won the game for the team.
Rob, I think you misunderstood me. I agree that the QB is the most important position. What I think the QB position does less is need a good O-line, when compared with the RB position. Young's IQ score is scarry. The first reports were that he received a 6 out of 50, but it may be as high as a 16. Either way, check out how easy these questions are:
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228test.html
Trent, I totally agree with trading down. I was putting that option off to the side. I think trading down is the thing to do for perhaps the entire first round -- you get some crazy compensation!
Yeah, the Wonderlic test is ridiculously easy. I can't believe that some "adults" struggle with this thing.
On the subject of QBs, I'm calling this now: don't be surprised if Young AND Leinart get passed up by Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler. I'm an SEC watcher here in Kentucky, and this guy can play at the next level, no question. He has impressed the hell out of scouts thus far.
Jon, I've got a bit of a philosophical disagreement with you when it comes to the OL's importance for QBs and RBs. Consider that running backs such as Marcus Allen and Barry Sanders consistently moved the ball well (unbelievably in Sanders' case) with below-average line protection. Consider also that most QBs in the NFL require pass protection; while a team might consistently get away with protection breakdowns even at the collegiate 1-A level, you would be hard-pressed to find a successful NFL quarterback with bad pass protection. Of course, the OL is important to both positions, but I would argue that it's more important for quarterbacks in the NFL to be well-protected than for running backs to have a good line.
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