Sports Time Radio

Now I think we all understand that the NFL is a quarterback driven league, but I think things are getting a little ridiculous. Now any idiot can do a mock draft and I’ve even tried my hand at a couple, but the last few I’ve seen have been a complete joke. Apparently the first four picks in the upcoming NFL draft are all going to be quarterbacks as these mock drafts have a couple of teams trading up into the top of the draft to take one of these quarterbacks.

In reality it would be really stupid for certain teams to trade up in the draft to take one of these quarterbacks. If you’re a non-playoff team; is adding a quarterback going to make you not only a playoff team, but a Super Bowl contender? In almost every case the answer is no. Now your favorite decides to move u in the draft and take that quarterback. Well look what they’ll have to give away. It’s doubtful that any team holding one of those first four draft picks are going to take any of the players on your current roster with the exception of a Deshaun Watson or a Russell Wilson; so what’s your team giving away? That’s right draft picks. Great; so now you have that quarterback you’ve always wanted and you have no way to put any players around him because you gave away all of your draft capital to get him. How’d that work out for you?

The new thing that also seems to be happening with just about everyone who reports on the NFL is wanting teams t give up on a young quarterback very quickly. Unfortunately not every quarterback is going to step into the NFL and be successful and in some cases it takes a few seasons for them to get comfortable. In other cases it’s the system or coaching staff they end up with, but just because a team made a coaching change doesn’t mean that new head coach needs his team to draft another young quarterback and start all over at that position. There are two cases I can think of right off the top of my head.

The New York Jets hold the second pick in the upcoming draft and apparently they’re supposed to trade Sam Darnold and start all over again with whoever they decide is worthy of that #2 pick.

Darnold was the 3rd pick in the 2018 draft ad has started 38 games over three seasons for the Jets. Now the Jets are just 13-25 in the 38 starts that Darnold has made for them, but can you tell me what weapons he had to work with in that offense in all three of those seasons; yeah I didn’t think so.

Here I’ll help you. In 2018 the Jets leading receiver was Robby Anderson while their leading rusher was Isaiah Crowell; neither player went over 1000 yards. In 2019 the Jets leading receiver was Jamison Crowder while their leading rusher was Le’Veon Bell and again neither player went over 1000 yards. Last season the Jets leading receiver was Crowder again and believe it or not 37 year old Frank Gore was the teams leading rusher. Do you think those are high quality weapons for a young quarterback to work with?

Don’t forget that the same people that are saying it’s time for the Jets to move on from Darnold are the same people that said the Cleveland Browns needed to move on from Baker Mayfield before last season. Well the Browns stuck with their young quarterback and not only made the playoffs, but won a playoff game. Would they have done that with a young inexperienced quarterback?

The other team that I can’t seem to figure out why they think they need to make a change at quarterback is the Miami Dolphins. Last year at this time all of the talk was would the Dolphins have to trade up to get their franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. As it turned out the Dolphins where able to stay at #5 and still land Tagovailoa.

Now it was understood that Tagovailoa had just had hip surgery and it was unclear if he’d be ready to start the regular season. The Dolphins where prepared for that as they had veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick on their roster. As it turned out Fitzpatrick was needed, but Tagovailoa did play in 10 games last season started 9 of those games. The Dolphins went 6-3 in the games that Tagovailoa, but Fitzpatrick did come into a couple of those wins.

Now after seeing Tagovailoa play in just 10 NFL games it’s clear to a lot of people who report on the NFL that the Dolphins need to find another quarterback. Why didn’t they know this last season when they wanted the Dolphins to draft Tagovailoa? Do they not do their do-diligence and watch these guys either in college or at the NFL combine? It seems very odd that they’re ready to give up on Tagovailoa after just 10 NFL games.

The other thing with all of the excitement about teams drafting quarterbacks at the top of the draft and moving up to draft quarterbacks at the top of the draft is; do they really need to?

There have been quite a few quarterbacks that weren’t taking at the top of the draft that have led their teams to Super Bowl victories. Tom Brady is the obvious name here, but don’t forget that Russell Wilson was a 3rd round pick. Aaron Rodgers slipped all the way to the 24th pick of the 2005 NFL draft and not only has he won a Super Bowl, but he was just named league MVP. Don’t forget Nick Foles who was a 3rd round pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

Now these are just four quarterbacks that are starting in the NFL right now, but if you look at the history of teams that won a Super Bowl you’ll find quarterbacks who where drafted in rounds that don’t even exist anymore as well as at least one quarterback who wasn’t even drafted. So ask yourself; is your favorite teams just that quarterback away from going to the Super Bowl? If the answer is no like it is for most of the teams that the experts want to see trade up to get. Would it be worth it to give away what you’d have to give away to get that quarterback? If they did make that trade would they be back in this position in a few years with a new head coach looking for another quarterback?

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