2021-2022 NFL Season (2 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

I am not thrilled with the Steelers selection, but at least they didn't mortgage the future by trading up in order to take the QB. I would have rather seen them trade down with KC, or take any of the next seven players that went after their pick. Hopefully I am wrong and Pickett is the answer to replacing Big Ben. This is the second straight year I haven't liked Pittsburgh's first round pick.

Pickett the only QB chosen in the first round. Was it a reach? Probably as I think most teams didn't grade one QB as a first round selection.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Pickett the only QB chosen in the first round. Was it a reach? Probably as I think most teams didn't grade one QB as a first round selection.

The last time the 1st QB was taken at #20 or later overall was Jim Drunkenmiller in 1997. That pretty much says it all.

The Steelers could have traded down with KC and still taken a QB - - even if another team took Pickett, Willis still would have been there. Rumor is that it was owner Rooney who was pushing for a QB, and the football people wanted to go in another direction. If that's true, it's a bad sign of things to come in the organization.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This was pretty funny seeing the Rams reaction to the Patriots first round pick.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I found it interesting that so many teams are balking at paying their top WR's during this surge in salaries at the position, and instead are dealing them away for high draft capital. So far, Green Bay, KC, Baltimore and Tennessee have done this, and SF appears to be contemplating doing the same. It was also interesting that only one of those four teams (Titans) used a first round pick to select another WR. This latter phenomenon may be because so many receivers shot off the board early in the round, though.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I found it interesting that so many teams are balking at paying their top WR's during this surge in salaries at the position, and instead are dealing them away for high draft capital. So far, Green Bay, KC, Baltimore and Tennessee have done this, and SF appears to be contemplating doing the same. It was also interesting that only one of those four teams (Titans) used a first round pick to select another WR. This latter phenomenon may be because so many receivers shot off the board early in the round, though.

Again, I think many teams viewed this year's draft class with a limited number of first round grades. If true then just about all of the wide receivers with first round grades were already taken in the first 20 picks of the first round.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I am not thrilled with the Steelers selection, but at least they didn't mortgage the future by trading up in order to take the QB. I would have rather seen them trade down with KC, or take any of the next seven players that went after their pick. Hopefully I am wrong and Pickett is the answer to replacing Big Ben.

Pickett the only QB chosen in the first round. Was it a reach? Probably as I think most teams didn't grade one QB as a first round selection.

Well, I can say everything I have seen of Pickett I have liked. So, maybe he went earlier than he should have but basically once you got down to the 20th pick I think it was fine to take him then.

If the Steelers tried to trade up into the top ten or something that would have been a bit crazy but they stayed in their spot, did not even try to trade with the Chargers (which rumor was the two teams discussed) to move up to 17. So, I think the pick is a good pick and well done by the Steelers.

I gotta be honest here, I know none of these QBs are ranked as high as the guys that came out last year but to me Pickett looks better than Zach Wilson, who a whole bunch of people went crazy over last year. Pickett looks like he is always looking downfield, that he sees the field well, that he has good ball placement, that he is great at throwing on the run, has a decent release, and he is very athletic. Plus the kid only got better every year in college and his college coach said the "hand size" thing is nonsense and the kid did not have an issue with fumbling.

I think he looks like the best QB in this draft and he also looks like the type of QB that is currently succeeding in the NFL. He does not have an arm as big as guys like Allen, Herbert, and Mahomes but he does look like he has a pro arm and can make the throws. Huge difference to me watching Pickett make throws and watching Wilson make throws. Wilson floated a lot of balls and did not zip balls to the outside edges of the field. Pickett seems to throw the ball much better than Wilson (Wilson has a better quick release but Pickett can learn that) and knows what kind of throw he needs to make to get the ball there. To me, and I know this is one of those dangerous things to say, Pickett looks like he can step right onto the field and play. I think he comes in and immediately surpasses Rudolph and can likely take the job from Trubisky before long. Pickett played in a pro style offense and I think probably already sees the field better than Trubisky. He just needs to adapt to the speed of the game and throwing into tighter windows.

I get that Malik Willis is intriguing as a prospect but he is barely 6 feet tall, his stats are not mind blowing, and you have to design an offense around his skills. Plus he is a major project that probably needs a minimum of 2 or 3 years of seasoning before you know what he can be. The thing I like best about Willis is his personality. He is a really good kid and he is smart. However, you have to put all the other things together. Someone will take Willis in round 2 and I hope he goes to a good team where he can sit and learn for a while and get coached up well. I would like to see him succeed. However, to me he seems like he could end up just being a Tyrod Taylor type. A guy that can play and start and that floats around the league a long time but is never more than just OK as a spot starter. Hopefully, I am wrong but he is definitely a kid that needs to go to the right place to develop.

I think the Steelers got the best guy and it will be cool to see what Pickett does there.

 

[Robert Crawford]

So only one QB in the first round, none in the 2nd round and I think three were taken in the 3rd round which tells us all we need to know about this QB draft class.

 

[Johnny Angell]

So only one QB in the first round, none in the 2nd round and I think three were taken in the 3rd round which tells us all we need to know about this QB draft class.

It tells us what the pros think of this class. Results on the playing field will tell us more.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It tells us what the pros think of this class. Results on the playing field will tell us more.

Duh!

 

[Malcolm R]

Yep. No one thought anything of Tom Brady until the 6th round, while they put the likes of Daniel Jones, Ryan Leaf, and Sam Darnold at the top of the board.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yep. No one thought anything of Tom Brady until the 6th round, while they put the likes of Daniel Jones, Ryan Leaf, and Sam Darnold at the top of the board.

Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas and the list goes on. If these GMs and HCs were so good at their jobs when choosing players then there wouldn't be a 25% changeover each offseason.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Yep. No one thought anything of Tom Brady until the 6th round, while they put the likes of Daniel Jones, Ryan Leaf, and Sam Darnold at the top of the board.

The Brady example is getting old. It's been 23 years since Brady was drafted in the 6th round. Has any QB since then made any type of a significant mark as a later round draft pick -- or undrafted like Kurt Warner (it's been 28 years since he went undrafted)? Guys like Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, etc. are even more ancient history.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Well, I can say everything I have seen of Pickett I have liked. So, maybe he went earlier than he should have but basically once you got down to the 20th pick I think it was fine to take him then.

My biggest concern regarding Pickett's noted weaknesses is his penchant for hanging onto the ball too long. I read somewhere where he was third-worst among starting QB's in the FBS last year in this stat. It demonstrates an inability to read a defense quickly and make quick decisions, which is essential for a starting QB in the NFL. Any QB unable to do that will fail, and it's a difficult skill to develop once a player reaches the NFL.

Considering how much all the other QB's fell, it's obvious that the Steelers drafted Pickett earlier than they needed to. He was a reach by an owner who pushed his front office to take a QB earlier than they should have. When owners start making football decisions, bad things happen.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The Brady example is getting old. It's been 23 years since Brady was drafted in the 6th round. Has any QB since then made any type of a significant mark as a later round draft pick -- or undrafted like Kurt Warner (it's been 28 years since he went undrafted)? Guys like Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, etc. are even more ancient history.

Most of the recent such QBs that have not been drafted in the 1st round have been picked in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

 

[Malcolm R]

I imagine the death of Dwayne Haskins might have changed the Steelers' plan for the draft. If Haskins hadn't died they may not have looked at QB's, at least not in the first round. But if you've decided to select one, you may as well use a higher pick to get the one you want rather than waiting and taking chances with what the leftovers are in later rounds.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Out of curiosity, I checked when each Super Bowl starting QB was drafted, starting with Brady's first SB appearance:

• Super Bowl XXXVI
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
  • Kurt Warner | St. Louis Rams - undrafted
• Super Bowl XXXVII
  • Brad Johnson | Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 9th round
  • Rich Gannon | Oakland Raiders - 4th round
• Super Bowl XXXVIII
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
  • Jake Delhomme | Carolina Panthers - undrafted
• Super Bowl XXXIX
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
  • Donovan McNabb | Philadelphia Eagles - 1st round
• Super Bowl XL
  • Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh Steelers - 1st round
  • Matt Hasselbeck | Seattle Seahawks - 6th round
• Super Bowl XLI
  • Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts - 1st round
  • Rex Grossman | Chicago Bears - 1st round
• Super Bowl XLII
  • Eli Manning | New York Giants - 1st round
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
• Super Bowl XLIII
  • Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh Steelers - 1st round
  • Kurt Warner | Arizona Cardinals - undrafted
• Super Bowl XLIV
  • Drew Brees | New Orleans Saints - 2nd round
  • Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts - 1st round
• Super Bowl XLV
  • Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers - 1st round
  • Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh Steelers - 1st round
• Super Bowl XLVI
  • Eli Manning | New York Giants - 1st round
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
• Super Bowl XLVII
  • Joe Flacco | Baltimore Ravens - 1st round
  • Colin Kaepernick | San Francisco 49ers - 2nd round
• Super Bowl XLVIII
  • Russell Wilson | Seattle Seahawks - 3rd round
  • Peyton Manning | Denver Broncos - 1st round
• Super Bowl XLIX
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
  • Russell Wilson | Seattle Seahawks - 3rd round
• Super Bowl L
  • Peyton Manning | Denver Broncos - 1st round
  • Cam Newton | Carolina Panthers - 1st round
• Super Bowl LI
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
  • Matt Ryan | Atlanta Falcons - 1st round
• Super Bowl LII
  • Nick Foles | Philadelphia Eagles - 3rd round
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
• Super Bowl LIII
  • Tom Brady | New England Patriots - 6th round
  • Jared Goff | Los Angeles Rams - 1st round
• Super Bowl LIV
  • Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs - 1st round
  • Jimmy Garoppolo | San Francisco 49ers - 2nd round
• Super Bowl LV
  • Tom Brady | Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 6th round
  • Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs - 1st round
• Super Bowl LVI
  • Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals - 1st round
  • Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams - 1st round

In summary, over the last 13 Super Bowls, other than Brady, there has been three 2nd round picks (Garoppolo, Kaepernick and Brees) and two 3rd round picks (Wilson and Foles) who have started. All the rest were first rounders. In the 8 Super Bowls before that, things were a little different: one 4th round pick (Gannon), two 6th round picks (Brady and Hassleback), one 9th round pick (Brad Johnson), and two undrafted (Warner, Delhomme). All the rest were first rounders.

Basically, over the last 15 Super Bowls, everyone except Brady and Warner were first round picks, except for 5 guys taken in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Out of curiosity, I checked when each Super Bowl starting QB was drafted, starting with Brady's first SB appearance:



In summary, over the last 13 Super Bowls, other than Brady, there has been three 2nd round picks (Garoppolo, Kaepernick and Brees) and two 3rd round picks (Wilson and Foles) who have started. All the rest were first rounders. In the 8 Super Bowls before that, things were a little different: one 4th round pick (Gannon), two 6th round picks (Brady and Hassleback), one 9th round pick (Brad Johnson), and two undrafted (Warner, Delhomme). All the rest were first rounders.

Basically, over the last 15 Super Bowls, everyone except Brady and Warner were first round picks, except for 5 guys taken in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

I think in this current era of pro football where passing is a real key to success and throwing the ball has been made easier through rules changes the QB has become even more important in getting into the playoffs and having a shot at the Super Bowl.

Brady is a really interesting case study. I think that he ended up in the perfect situation and was a seriously hard worker that put in the hours to go from probably a mediocre to poor prospect to now having the rep as the greatest to ever play the game. He is not the greatest to ever play in terms of pure QB skill and talent, however, he won a lot and learned how to win and how to operate at the highest level. Lots of QBs though have been better throwers of the football than Brady. Same goes for Joe Montana, Brady's idol, not the most talented or best QB but he knew how to win and was surrounded by everything he needed to do so.

Plenty of not great QBs have made it to the big game because they were on team that was really good or hit the playoffs and overperformed.

I think we can still see that, Garoppolo is not a great QB but the 49ers were a talent loaded team with a good coach that got him to the big game.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

On the Foles front, since Scott mentioned him, he has been released by the Bears and so will be a back-up somewhere else. He is a former Super Bowl MVP and not long ago signed a contract worth $88 million with Jacksonville, I think, before he moved to the Bears. He was a solid back-up for a long time and was quite good at coming into a game cold off the bench. A skill or talent not a lot of guys seem to master.

 

[Johnny Angell]

On the Foles front, since Scott mentioned him, he has been released by the Bears and so will be a back-up somewhere else. He is a former Super Bowl MVP and not long ago signed a contract worth $88 million with Jacksonville, I think, before he moved to the Bears. He was a solid back-up for a long time and was quite good at coming into a game cold off the bench. A skill or talent not a lot of guys seem to master.

What happens when a player is released and he has a contract like that. Does he still get paid?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

What happens when a player is released and he has a contract like that. Does he still get paid?

If he is released and the money was guaranteed the team that releases him has to pay him the money. The team that signs him does not owe him the money. So, like with Baker Mayfield he is owed almost $19 million of guaranteed money for the 2022 season. If the Browns release him, which is starting to look likely, they owe him $19 million. The team that picks him up can sign him for whatever amount of money they agree on and he still also gets $19 million from the Browns.

I don't know if any of Foles 2022 salary was guaranteed (it looks like the Bears had to pay him $7.6 million) but if it was, the Bears have to pay him. The team that signs Foles can cut whatever deal they agree on. So, if a team wants Foles they can now get him on a friendly deal.

This is why it was a mess that the Browns did not trade Mayfield. If they cut him they pay him the full $19 million. If they traded him the team that trades for him owes him the $19 million...this is supposedly why nobody traded for him. The teams that were talking about trading for him wanted the Browns to pay some of the $19 million, which at first the Browns said no to. Then when they could not move him the Browns said they would agree to pay some of the salary. Not sure how much they were willing to pay but the word is other teams played hardball and wanted the Browns to pay most of the $19 million. The Browns balked at this and so still no deal.

Basically, the Browns are holding no cards in this deal. If they cut Baker, they get nothing and pay his full salary. If they traded him for anything at all, a player, a pick, whatever, and paid some or most of his salary, they would have at least got something and saved some money.

Now even the Seahawks, who appeared the one team with an interest, has decided they will not trade for him and will sit and wait to see if/when the Browns release Baker.