2010 NFL Draft QB Class: Why It May Be the Worst of All Time

I'd like to introduce every FDF fan to the newest writer to join the site, actually the only other writer ever to be posted on the site.  I have decided to not be so narcissistic and allow one of my best friends, James Simon, to join the team  or at least get a trial run at it.  After reading his column below I think you'll agree that it's definitely of Favre Dollar Footlongs-caliber and politically incorrectness.

- Gene Zarnick

If you listened to Jon QB Guru-den’s assessment of “The Big Four” prior to the NFL Draft, you might have been convinced that all four of these guys were going to be selected in the first round.  I’d like to think the Favre Dollar fan base is too intelligent to buy into such a notion, but honestly when are people ever as intelligent as you hope they are?  Well the draft came and went and these four didn’t all get picked in the sacred first round; not even all in the second round.  If you think about, it’s pretty remarkable that 24 went by after the Rams selected Sam Bradford, without a team selecting a QB.  I for one think there’s a very good reason for such a phenomenon.  When you take a step back from all the hype and look at these players individually, there is plenty of reason for concern.

Sam Bradford:  Bradford is by far the most likeable and talented prospect of the group.  After turning down guaranteed millions in the 2009 Draft, he admirably chose to finish his work at Oklahoma in hopes of a national title; if that doesn’t display the heart of a champion than I don’t what does.  At the end of the day, I think the decision to stay the extra year might have resulted in the demise of his pro career.  If he came out last year, he likely would not have been the first overall pick and he would have had a much better chance at being drafted by a team with an ounce of talent.  Instead, he stayed at Oklahoma, shattered his shoulder and still managed to be the first pick overall this year. What is his reward? At least a five year stint with a franchise that is doomed (sorry Rams fans).  Don’t feel too sorry though, as he can always wipe away his tears with a cool $50 million guaranteed.  Certainly there are other concerns with Bradford; most notably coming from a star-studded spread offense and that little shoulder thing that no one seems to be talking about.  His biggest obstacle, however, will undoubtedly be fighting for his life on a horrid Rams offense.  If you can name more than five players on the Rams offense, you probably watch too much football.  And in case you don’t watch football, here’s what he has look forward to…

• Rather than having time to adjust to the pro game after coming out of the spread in college, he’ll be forced to start as he’s mentored by savvy mentor, A.J. Feely.
• He’ll enjoy throwing to likes of Donnie Avery, Danny Amendola and Mardy Gilyard.
• He’ll be protected by a suspect offensive line.
• His team seems certain to have a change of ownership which will only add to the instability of the franchise.

On the bright side, he can always hand off to S. Jax.  Ultimately, that won’t be enough.  This kid is going to a drastically different situation than Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez or even Matthew Stafford, who at least has Calvin Johnson to throw to.

Tim Tebow:  I have to be honest; this kid really just gets under my skin.  Maybe it’s because he’d rather spend his Spring Breaks catering to the foreskins of impoverished Philippino boys, or the fact that he rocks Bible verses on his eye black.  Maybe it’s just because the media portrays him as an infallible herculean type hero that lays a golden egg every time he drops a deuce.  That being said, I actually think he has the best chance of success out of the group.  Denver is far better than St. Louis, Carolina and Cleveland.  More importantly, he won’t see the field as a starting quarterback, which for a kid with an unconventional motion coming from a simplistic offense is crucial. That’s not to say that he won’t see the field at all however.  I imagine McDaniels and company will find plenty of ways to mix Tebow into their “Wild Horses” formation; which is by far the worst moniker for the single-wing formation to date.  There’s plenty of young talent on that offense that will grow along with Tebow such as Eddie Royal, Knowshon Moreno, and we’ll have to wait and see about newly drafted Demaryius Thomas.  You have to wonder if the whole Brandon Marshall saga was the reason they didn’t choose Dez Bryant.   I kind of wish they would have paired Bryant and Tebow together.  Just think: Tebow could’ve started a Hugs not Drugs campaign with the Bryant family, and that offense would’ve pulled more tricks then Mrs. Bryant ever did on the street.  Either way, Tebow has some upside. In a few years he might just be ready to take the reigns and succeed, but if I was a Broncos fan I wouldn’t start counting Lombardi’s just yet.

Jimmy Clausen: Wow, this kid fell harder than a sorority girl after her fifth game of dizzy bat at a Notre Dame tailgate.  There’s something about Notre Dame that is so polarizing.  It seems that people either love ‘em or hate ‘em, and the end result is that it’s pretty much impossible to get an unbiased opinion on any Irish draft prospect.  That being said, let me qualify my esteemed opinion by letting you know I’m completely impartial when it comes to the Golden Domers.  Plenty of people seemed to be enamored with his talent.  After Clausen’s pro day, Pete Carroll told reporters he loved Clausen so much he had to change his pants; twice.  Well, apparently Carroll loved him enough to pass on the kid three times, opting for Charlie Whitehurst to be the face of the future in Seattle.  It just serves as an indication of how conflicting reports are when it comes to Clausen.  His supporters rave about how “pro-ready” he is after coming from Charlie Weis’ offense.  Well, so was Brady Quinn and you can ask any Browns fan how well that worked out.  Then you have all of those character concerns that everyone was talking about.  I can’t speak much about it because I don’t know him, but in the legendary words of T.O.: “If he looks like a rat, and he smells like a rat; well, he’s probably a rat.”

Colt McCoy: As a diehard Browns fan it pains me to say this, but realistically I can’t foresee McCoy's pro career being anything other than lackluster.  He faces many of the same obstacles as Bradford; playing on a bad team, coming from a spread offense and likely having to start way too early.  I know that Mike Holmgren and Eric Mangini have said he won’t see the field this year, but with Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace in front of him, the smart money has McCoy on the field before year’s end.  When he does make it to the field, he doesn’t have much else waiting for him.  The number one receiver is currently Mohammed Massaquoi, who likely wouldn’t be a second receiver on most teams. Unlike Bradford, however, McCoy does not have a workhorse back to offer some relief.  In my mind, it is still unclear whether Jerome Harrison can carry the load for this team.  For McCoy's sake, Harrison better be able to do it, because the only way McCoy has an ounce of success is if he can hand it off 40 times and stick to short routes on passing downs.

Add it all up and the forecast for “The Big Four” looks like Katrina, with a chance of Haiti.  The ghosts of Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch and Akili Smith applaud as they desperately wait for new friends in the land of QB draft busts.