Is the QB the only thing anyone cares about anymore?

[psyburn21]

I care about the other positions as well (getting healthy on the offensive line and at RB, watching Gettis and Lafell develop more at WR and getting the ball to Steve Smith), but QB is the most glaring need on the team and we do own the 1st overall pick in the draft. Andrew Luck is a once every 10 years prospect if he comes out, so there's no surprise that all the talk is directed at QB.

[Dpantherman]

Define Franchise?

Clausen was our franchise QB this year. No

Garrard is Jacksonville's franchise QB. NO

McCoy is the Browns franchise QB. not yet

Schaub is Houston's franchise QB. yep

Rivers is SD's franchise QB. of course

How much time do you have?

Come on dude, don't play dumb. You know what a franchise QB is.

Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning etc... QB that can lead the franchise to winning for 10+ years. Break down the Franchise QBs down to elite QBs and you get about 5 or 6. 11 of the 12 teams in the playoffs have franchise QBs

[mav1234]

The term Elite gets thrown around too much though. There are maybe 5-6 Elite QBs in the NFL and the rest are just good/okay that depend on the team around them to be successful, in other words, game managers.

There are many, many levels of quarterback play though and simply labeling them elite or game manager is still; even an "elite, good, game manager, bad" is too simplistic, as we've seen from past discussions.

The bottom line is that in order to succeed and have a team *consistently* win, one of the major pieces is good or better quarterback play... and yes, they still will need help from their supporting cast occasionally.

[Udogg]

Look I never personally thought Jake was a scrub. I love Jake to death, but that's how many did see him, especially prior to his run with our franchise. My point was, the idea you have to have a top draft QB in order to be successful has always been over exaggerated.

The team around your QB has just as much to do with weather or not your QB becomes elite as the QB himself. One only need to look at Tom Brady to see this, and the team that's created a dynasty the last 10 years. They did it by being a great TEAM, all the way through, from coach to QB to kicker.

That's what gets you consistency.

And a big part of the reason Jake reached that level, and went from a nobody to somebody, was because of the support he had around him.

No it's not exaggerated. The patriots started a great team, with a ok to good QB. However Tom Brady has been good to great the last 10 years and they have been riding him ever since. Their Defense hasn't been up to that same level since 06, but the offense has been hitting on all cylinders ever since Brady took over. That allows Belichek to say F you to anyone who tries to get off the reservation or stop drinking the Kool Aid. Look at the team now, Welker off sugery, edleman, branch etc. There is a reason those guys look like scrubs on other teams. Same for Peyton, on that team guys off the street look like veterans. Same way Tampa won 10 games with Freeman and rookie WR's are looking great. Matt Ryan has put together the most consistent run in Falcon history. Roddy White was almost considered a bust before Ryan.

With a good QB you only have to get a respectable defense to win consistently.

With a bad QB you have to have an all time great defense to win consistently.

[TheRealDeal]

There are many, many levels of quarterback play though and simply labeling them elite or game manager is still; even an "elite, good, game manager, bad" is too simplistic, as we've seen from past discussions.

The bottom line is that in order to succeed and have a team *consistently* win, one of the major pieces is good or better quarterback play... and yes, they still will need help from their supporting cast occasionally.

100% correct. There is a range of elite QBs, a range of good QBs, a range of game managing QBs, and a range of bad QBs.

I just get mad when people use franchise and elite as interchangeable because they mean completely different things. We need an upgrade in QB play, we don't necessarily need a franchise QB because we have one of those

[Davidson Deac II]

No it's not exaggerated. The patriots started a great team, with a ok to good QB. However Tom Brady has been good to great the last 10 years and they have been riding him ever since. Their Defense hasn't been up to that same level since 06, but the offense has been hitting on all cylinders ever since Brady took over. That allows Belichek to say F you to anyone who tries to get off the reservation or stop drinking the Kool Aid. Look at the team now, Welker off sugery, edleman, branch etc. There is a reason those guys look like scrubs on other teams. Same for Peyton, on that team guys off the street look like veterans. Same way Tampa won 10 games with Freeman and rookie WR's are looking great. Matt Ryan has put together the most consistent run in Falcon history. Roddy White was almost considered a bust before Ryan.

With a good QB you only have to get a respectable defense to win consistently.

With a bad QB you have to have an all time great defense to win consistently.

The Patriots were pretty good the year Brady was out with injury. In fact, they finished with a better record in 08 without Brady than they did in 09 with him.

[psyburn21]

The term Elite gets thrown around too much though. There are maybe 5-6 Elite QBs in the NFL and the rest are just good/okay that depend on the team around them to be successful, in other words, game managers.

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Bres, Aaron Rodgers, and Philip Rivers are the ones I'd consider truly elite with Matt Ryan right there on the line.

[TheRealDeal]

No it's not exaggerated. The patriots started a great team, with a ok to good QB. However Tom Brady has been good to great the last 10 years and they have been riding him ever since. Their Defense hasn't been up to that same level since 06, but the offense has been hitting on all cylinders ever since Brady took over. That allows Belichek to say F you to anyone who tries to get off the reservation or stop drinking the Kool Aid. Look at the team now, Welker off sugery, edleman, branch etc. There is a reason those guys look like scrubs on other teams. Same for Peyton, on that team guys off the street look like veterans. Same way Tampa won 10 games with Freeman and rookie WR's are looking great. Matt Ryan has put together the most consistent run in Falcon history. Roddy White was almost considered a bust before Ryan.

With a good QB you only have to get a respectable defense to win consistently.

With a bad QB you have to have an all time great defense to win consistently.

Please don't put Ryan in the same category as Manning and Brady.

Ryan has the added benefit of one of the better rushing attacks in the NFL, the other two do not. Matty "Ice" isn't as cold blooded as everyone thinks.

[TheRealDeal]

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Bres, Aaron Rodgers, and Philip Rivers are the ones I'd consider truly elite with Matt Ryan right there on the line.

Ryan isn't close. Vick, Big Ben, Schaub are all better and closer to that level than Ryan.

[PantherFanForLife]

I guess that answers my question cause this thread turned into more QB talk.

lol.

Carry on.

[psyburn21]

The Patriots were pretty good the year Brady was out with injury. In fact, they finished with a better record in 08 without Brady than they did in 09 with him.

The thing with that is they still had good QB play with Matt Cassell. It just wasn't enough that year to make the playoffs.

[Taom82]

The thing with that is they still had good QB play with Matt Cassell. It just wasn't enough that year to make the playoffs.

NO

Cassell was put into an offense that was well built and stocked with experience to help him along the way.

As far as our 09 offense goes, not even close.

[psyburn21]

Ryan isn't close. Vick, Big Ben, Schaub are all better and closer to that level than Ryan.

That's where it get subjective. Some feel Matt Ryan is close while others don't.

[psyburn21]

NO

Cassell was put into an offense that was well built and stocked with experience to help him along the way.

As far as our 09 offense goes, not even close.

And he still played well that year in New England and is playing well in Kansas City. Your only discounting him because the team was so good. If he would have played poorly that year, they wouldn't have had a winning record.