OldhamA

It's not just the injury risk - it's the style of play. The mini-Mahomes comparison makes me cringe. Mahomes can play that way because he's got a ridiculous arm - that's the only reason those late throws work when he's freelancing. With Young a lot of those are going to be INTs or incompletions - he has an average NFL arm. His best chance of success is to copy Brees imo.

I feel like Young does it because he feels the pressure to make a play every snap and (at least at the College level) he has the instincts and mobility to extend a play.

I think Stroud is the better NFL prospect because size is a skill and the Draft is about projection. I'd argue Young is the better College QB. I'd like them to draft Richardson - just because that would mean they've seen something in the mouldable lump of clay with the highest upside and they're going for broke with their experienced QB staff / Dalton ready to take the reigns early. I think they draft Stroud.

A 45 year old Tom Brady threw for 4,694 yards last year. A less all-time comparison, Goff threw for 4,438 yards last year - which would be a Panthers franchise record. Mobility / off platform throws are a nice to have, but the game is still won from the pocket.

The highest ceiling is clearly Richardson - he has the strongest arm, is the tallest, the heaviest and the fastest of the 'top 4' QBs. I've read Burrow comparisons for Stroud more than once - the combination of processing ability (not quite as good as Burrow), arm strength and accuracy (both better than Burrow) and just enough mobility. If Bryce Young works out the comparison is obviously someone like Brees - although from the games I've seen Brees worked much more to structure than Young did in College - both are shorter than ideal, both have less than ideal arms, but both processed the game so quickly that they beat whatever defence you threw at them. The problem is that Young is even smaller than Brees - and Brees was one in a million. Do you expect lighting to strike twice?

I hope you've put your mortgage on it then if you're so confident.

It jumps out on film - his arm is NFL average.

He's also 20 years old (not 21 like I initially saw reported). It's a big gamble - but no bigger a gamble than expecting Young to succeed as a 5'10", 185lbs QB. They've got a busy month ahead of them.

If Young had a 'wow' arm I'd be more on board. It's just NFL average. His floor is terrifying - and my job isn't even on the line.

Counterpoint, they traded up after the Combine where Young refused to take off his hoodie and participate in any drills 'cos he was carrying 15lbs of water weight...

If we gave up all that capital to move up for Bryce Young and he's broken in half before the end of his rookie contract you have to fire everyone in the building.

Out of interest, do the GMs and HCs of other NFL teams name drop their owner 15 times a press conference too? Like, damn, how big is Tepper's ego / how often is he sat in the room when these discussions are happening?!

I'm sure they were desperate to answer questions about whether Young is too small to play QB for Reich. The Charlotte media really is terrible.

Is it? I've been told it's all about having a franchise QB. Everything else is secondary.

I genuinely hope that move gets him fired. Lovie Smith gifted you the next great QB and you traded away the pick...

He's only generational between the ears (which, yes, is the most important part). He's simply too small to risk two first round picks, two second round picks and your WR1 on. Of the two recent comparisons, both Wilson and Murray were bigger (stockier), more mobile and with better arms. I actually liked Simms' comment (not sure if it was in the Young evaluation or the Richardson one) where he said "his floor is 'he's too small to play in the NFL'". That's terrifying for a GM - that's not something that has blindsided you 6 months after you Draft him, you're picking him knowing it's a distinct possibility.

I'll walk that one back then - I thought he was still the backup in Minnesota.

I think that's kinda the point though, isn't it? I'm by no means fronting for Jones, but for all the 'Fields is a Franchise QB' (that led his team to the #1 overall pick), he's hardly put any distance between himself and the rest of the... field. I can see why a QB evaluator who values throws from the pocket prefers Jones to Fields.

Was he wrong? Mond hasn't been able to beat out Kirk Cousins, but that was expected. Jones has put up better passing stats than Fields so far.

He's also like 4 years older.

Only.

Stroud has the frame to put NFL weight on (if they want to do that to him, which I assume they do). Young doesn't, nor does Tua.

Where the hell have you got Dak Prescott from?!

Or they just think the FA WR class is dogshit.

Can he?