Draft question, how the H#ll did Rodgers fall to #24? (1 Viewer)

[bcr8f]

Why did Dan Marino slide to 27?

Rumors were rampant that he liked the Aspen.

And there were rumors here too. Right before the draft is when gossip comes from everywhere and he was sliding badly.

 

[bcr8f]

Another thing to think about is should QB's even play the first year and how much damage can be done getting hammered?

Some like Aikman and Peyton do well but many may not.

 

[John 14:6]

7. Minnesota - quite content with Culpepper-to-Moss, all day, every day. (But then why get Troy Williamson???)

This was right after they traded Moss to the Raiders. (They got this pick and Napoleon Harris in return.) So they wanted a deep threat to replace Moss.I think I'm going to be sick

 

[Ernol]

A week before the draft, Rodgers was pretty much a lock to go #1...but then everyone started to second guess him because he was a Jeff Tedford product. If you remember, Tedford was the guy who mentored Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, Trent Dilfer, David Carr, and Joey Harrington to be top 10 draft selections. Now looking at that list, that is a murderers row of disasterous qb picks, the only one that was close to turning out merely o.k was Dilfer, but you need to remember that Dilfer was a top 10 pick and flamed out in Tampa before winning a Super Bowl.

Essentially, Rodgers had Smith beat on all the physical measurables, but once San Fran decided to go with Smith, virtually everyone else got spooked and down he slid. Being a Packer fan, I vividly remember this day...I remember the excitement I felt when Rodgers was careening down the board, it was plainly obvious that this was what was hapening and thank goodness that TT had the foresight to understand that A.R was physically rated to be the #1 player on the board by many teams before this psychological meltdown occured. I mean, once you get into the mid 20s with your pick, I always think it is worth reaching for the best available talent rather than showhorning a person in who might fit a need.

He also was probably licking his chops knowing that A.R would be able to sit a couple of years behind King Brett and thus have time to get acclimated to NFL living. I am sure a big reason that many of Tedfords qbs did not pan out was not the fact they lacked physical talent, yet they were all thrown to the wolves much too early and had all of their limitations exposed and their confidence destroyed. I mean if you think about it, everyone of those guys (except Boller)went to awful, awful organizations at the time of their drafting.

Making it even better was the fact that the Vikings passed on him twice...what a bunch of idiots!!!!!! A.R falling to the Pack is one of the great mas drafting blunders of all time, simply because he was the #1 rated guy...this is not a case of Brady falling to the sixth or Montana getting picked in the third...those dudes were picked where they should have went at that time and place. A.R falling to the Pack would be similar to if the Colts picked Leaf instead of Manning and then having Manning fall to the bottom of the first, or if Rivers fell that far...overall, it was a great day in Packer history, and we basically have the inept Bucs/Lions/Texans/Bengals organizations to thank for him falling in our laps.

Exactly it.

OUSTANDING post . . .

This is not how I remember it happening, at least locally. Although I was rooting heavily for Rodgers being a Cal alum, I always expected Alex Smith to be taken by the Niners #1 based on what was being discussed locally. Maybe that changed a week before the draft, but I don't recall that. I also don't recall that Jeff Tedford had such a negative effect on Rodgers before the draft. Here are articles I found regarding expectations:

Mel Kiper’s prediction in Feb 2005 – Alex Smith “still looks like the No. 1 pick”

http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story...&id=1987013

SI.Com pick by pick analysis: “The pick everyone expected the Niners to make came to pass”

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...sis1/index.html

Walterfootball April 2005 Mock Draft had Alex Smith #1

http://walterfootball.com/draft2005.php

March 2005 Pro Days: Alex Smith had a spectacular performance. Aaron Rodgers the following day did as well, although not quite as spectacular.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-rodgers031705

 

[Ernol]

Reading the Walterfootball mock draft (link above) about the Niner's negotiation of a contract with Smith.

"However, Smith wants more money than Eli Manning was paid last year, while the 49ers organization is stingier with cash than George Costanza. A deal will probably not be completed, meaning Nolan will have to settle with Rodgers, who is willing to take less money to stay in the Bay Area."

DOH!!!

 

[mozzy84]

Making it even better was the fact that the Vikings passed on him twice...what a bunch of idiots!!!!!!

to be fair culpepper was coming off one the best seasons ever for a qb at the time. He would have been MVP had Peyton not broken the TD record. No one thought they needed a qb during that draft. Hindsight is great isn't it....

 

[David Yudkin]

Another thing to think about is should QB's even play the first year and how much damage can be done getting hammered?Some like Aikman and Peyton do well but many may not.

I was thinking about this yesterday but couldn't figure out exactly what my opinion was. Part of the issue for me was trying to figure out who went in each bucket. For example, if someone was drafted as a backup and sat by design, should that count as sitting or not? How about someone that sat most of the year but then started a few games at the end of the season like Tebow or Cutler?Here's a list based on those that didn't play much and those that started most of the season.SATCarson PalmerDaunte CulpepperPhilip RiversTom BradyTony RomoAaron RodgersMatt HasselbeckDavid GarrardChad PenningtonJP LosmanTony RomoChad HenneDrew BreesMatt CasselJamarcus RussellMatt SchaubRex GrossmanJake DelhommeBrady QuinnMark BrunellJon KitnaBrett FavreKurt WarnerTrent GreenSteve McNairTrent DilferBrad JohnsonBrian GrieseJay FiedlerKordell StewartDave BrownAndre WarePLAYEDPeyton MannningSam BradfordVince YoungJoe FlaccoMatt RyanRick MirerByron LeftwichDavid CarrKerry CollinsMark SanchezTim CouchDrew BledsoeJoey HarringtonKyle OrtonTony BanksBen RoethlisbergerJeff GeorgeTony BanksMatt StaffordMatt LeinartJimmy ClausenBruce GradkowskiRyan LeafJeff GeorgeIN THE MIDDLEMichael VickEli ManningAaron BrooksKyle BollerPatrick RamseyAkili SmithCade McNownHeath ShulerQuincy CarterJay CutlerAlex SmithMarc BulgerColt McCoyTrent EdwardsJason CampbellJosh FreemanDonovan McNabbJake PlummerVinny TestaverdeDavid KlinglerTommy MaddoxOn paper, it looks like more guys that sat ended up with better careers, but I am not convinced that BECAUSE they sat they had better careers. For example, several of the QBs sat for quite awhile and then did pretty well (Romo, Cassel, Delhomme, Rodgers, Rivers), but as mentioned earlier were most of those types projected as backups that finally got a chance? I think part of the issue in teams electing to start their first round draft pick QB early on is wanting to reap some rewards from shelling out millions of dollars to unproven players. What team really wants to pay a guy $10-20 million while he holds a clip board?

 

[Biabreakable]

Reading the Walterfootball mock draft (link above) about the Niner's negotiation of a contract with Smith.

"However, Smith wants more money than Eli Manning was paid last year, while the 49ers organization is stingier with cash than George Costanza. A deal will probably not be completed, meaning Nolan will have to settle with Rodgers, who is willing to take less money to stay in the Bay Area."

DOH!!!

From what I remember about this the contract was a big issue for the 49ers and they were actually trying to trade out of the pick. No team valued either QB as worth the money and that is why they couldn't get a trade.

 

[golfguy]

look i like aaron rodgers, but if he went to the 49ers, he wouldn't be half the player he is.

worse coaching, bad line, bad wrs. he wouldn't have had time to be groomed and developed. which is what he needed.

 

[Sabertooth]

look i like aaron rodgers, but if he went to the 49ers, he wouldn't be half the player he is. worse coaching, bad line, bad wrs. he wouldn't have had time to be groomed and developed. which is what he needed.

I agree. Green Bay has been a stable franchise for 20 years. They've had excellent QB coaching with McCarthy. I think Alex Smith would be a much better player if he could have swapped spots with Rodgers.

 

[Eric Stratton]

look i like aaron rodgers, but if he went to the 49ers, he wouldn't be half the player he is. worse coaching, bad line, bad wrs. he wouldn't have had time to be groomed and developed. which is what he needed.

Not to mention those years Rodgers was able to watch one of the best QBs to play the game. Rodgers has a great head on his shoulders and that helps him takes his physical tools to the next level. He likely will be leading the Packers for many more years!

 

[bcr8f]

Another thing to think about is should QB's even play the first year and how much damage can be done getting hammered?Some like Aikman and Peyton do well but many may not.

I was thinking about this yesterday but couldn't figure out exactly what my opinion was. Part of the issue for me was trying to figure out who went in each bucket. For example, if someone was drafted as a backup and sat by design, should that count as sitting or not? How about someone that sat most of the year but then started a few games at the end of the season like Tebow or Cutler?Here's a list based on those that didn't play much and those that started most of the season.SATCarson PalmerDaunte CulpepperPhilip RiversTom BradyTony RomoAaron RodgersMatt HasselbeckDavid GarrardChad PenningtonJP LosmanTony RomoChad HenneDrew BreesMatt CasselJamarcus RussellMatt SchaubRex GrossmanJake DelhommeBrady QuinnMark BrunellJon KitnaBrett FavreKurt WarnerTrent GreenSteve McNairTrent DilferBrad JohnsonBrian GrieseJay FiedlerKordell StewartDave BrownAndre WarePLAYEDPeyton MannningSam BradfordVince YoungJoe FlaccoMatt RyanRick MirerByron LeftwichDavid CarrKerry CollinsMark SanchezTim CouchDrew BledsoeJoey HarringtonKyle OrtonTony BanksBen RoethlisbergerJeff GeorgeTony BanksMatt StaffordMatt LeinartJimmy ClausenBruce GradkowskiRyan LeafJeff GeorgeIN THE MIDDLEMichael VickEli ManningAaron BrooksKyle BollerPatrick RamseyAkili SmithCade McNownHeath ShulerQuincy CarterJay CutlerAlex SmithMarc BulgerColt McCoyTrent EdwardsJason CampbellJosh FreemanDonovan McNabbJake PlummerVinny TestaverdeDavid KlinglerTommy MaddoxOn paper, it looks like more guys that sat ended up with better careers, but I am not convinced that BECAUSE they sat they had better careers. For example, several of the QBs sat for quite awhile and then did pretty well (Romo, Cassel, Delhomme, Rodgers, Rivers), but as mentioned earlier were most of those types projected as backups that finally got a chance? I think part of the issue in teams electing to start their first round draft pick QB early on is wanting to reap some rewards from shelling out millions of dollars to unproven players. What team really wants to pay a guy $10-20 million while he holds a clip board?

Thanks. These days if you spend all that money you usually want something early on. What the Bengals did with Palmer(sitting one year) may be the best way to go.

 

[TommyGilmore]

IN THE MIDDLEAaron BrooksMarc BulgerTommy Maddox

Brooks sat for a full year in Green Bay before going to New Orleans. Bulger sat for 2 years behind Kurt Warner. And I think Maddox falls into a grey area, since he only started as an temporary-replacement for Elway (and went back to the bench once Elway returned).

 

[David Yudkin]

IN THE MIDDLEAaron BrooksMarc BulgerTommy Maddox

Brooks sat for a full year in Green Bay before going to New Orleans. Bulger sat for 2 years behind Kurt Warner. And I think Maddox falls into a grey area, since he only started as an temporary-replacement for Elway (and went back to the bench once Elway returned).

Weird. When I submitted a query on ROOKIE QBs, both seasons with actual game time for Brooks and Bulger were included (when they shouldn't have been).

 

[Da Guru]

We may be saying the same thing about "How did Josh Freeman fall" in a couple of years.

 

[CalBear]

We may be saying the same thing about "How did Josh Freeman fall" in a couple of years.

I don't think Josh Freeman was in the green room.

 

[Sabertooth]

We may be saying the same thing about "How did Josh Freeman fall" in a couple of years.

He's good. That's for sure. He already looks like the best QB in that class.

 

[duaneok66]

We may be saying the same thing about "How did Josh Freeman fall" in a couple of years.

bad comparison - Freeman was never projected anywhere the near the top of the draft . . .

 

[Black]

A week before the draft, Rodgers was pretty much a lock to go #1...but then everyone started to second guess him because he was a Jeff Tedford product. If you remember, Tedford was the guy who mentored Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, Trent Dilfer, David Carr, and Joey Harrington to be top 10 draft selections. ...

Man, sweet writeup. I never knew.

 

[Illegal Pants Downfield]

Green Bay having the snarts to take him alos turned out to be huge.

I'm not sure that sneeze-farts have any place in this discussion...

 

[football fan]

A week before the draft, Rodgers was pretty much a lock to go #1...but then everyone started to second guess him because he was a Jeff Tedford product. If you remember, Tedford was the guy who mentored Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, Trent Dilfer, David Carr, and Joey Harrington to be top 10 draft selections. Now looking at that list, that is a murderers row of disasterous qb picks, the only one that was close to turning out merely o.k was Dilfer, but you need to remember that Dilfer was a top 10 pick and flamed out in Tampa before winning a Super Bowl.

Essentially, Rodgers had Smith beat on all the physical measurables, but once San Fran decided to go with Smith, virtually everyone else got spooked and down he slid. Being a Packer fan, I vividly remember this day...I remember the excitement I felt when Rodgers was careening down the board, it was plainly obvious that this was what was hapening and thank goodness that TT had the foresight to understand that A.R was physically rated to be the #1 player on the board by many teams before this psychological meltdown occured. I mean, once you get into the mid 20s with your pick, I always think it is worth reaching for the best available talent rather than showhorning a person in who might fit a need.

He also was probably licking his chops knowing that A.R would be able to sit a couple of years behind King Brett and thus have time to get acclimated to NFL living. I am sure a big reason that many of Tedfords qbs did not pan out was not the fact they lacked physical talent, yet they were all thrown to the wolves much too early and had all of their limitations exposed and their confidence destroyed. I mean if you think about it, everyone of those guys (except Boller)went to awful, awful organizations at the time of their drafting.

Making it even better was the fact that the Vikings passed on him twice...what a bunch of idiots!!!!!! A.R falling to the Pack is one of the great mas drafting blunders of all time, simply because he was the #1 rated guy...this is not a case of Brady falling to the sixth or Montana getting picked in the third...those dudes were picked where they should have went at that time and place. A.R falling to the Pack would be similar to if the Colts picked Leaf instead of Manning and then having Manning fall to the bottom of the first, or if Rivers fell that far...overall, it was a great day in Packer history, and we basically have the inept Bucs/Lions/Texans/Bengals organizations to thank for him falling in our laps.

That isn't completely accurate. Rodgers slid - once SF passed on him - in large part because the teams picking from 2-23 didn't have a strong need for a developmental QB. In fact, there was talk during the draft that if Rodgers didn't get picked #1, there were good odds that he would fall to the Redskins at pick 25, because nobody else wanted to pay 1st round $$$$ for a QB. So yeah, the reasons you mention above are why SF picked A Smith. But that is not why Rodgers fell to 24. The nuanced story is important here.

Before the draft, there were questions about if college QBs that were developed by Jeff Tedford could successfully translate their skills to the NFL level and perform well.

I do remember the announcers watching Aaron Rodgers on draft day sitting off stage waiting to be drafted, and they were making a huge point of where will he fall. There were a few runs in the first round that most teams did not have a major need at QB. I did remember the announcers stating that the next 6 to 8 teams drafting do not need a QB, so the earliest Rodgers would probably be drafted is at the packers with the 24th pick.

 

[Da Guru]

We may be saying the same thing about "How did Josh Freeman fall" in a couple of years.

bad comparison - Freeman was never projected anywhere the near the top of the draft . . .

That is what makes it worse. How could the pundits be so far off? I remember even when TB took him the so called experts were calling it a reach. Right now Freeman is looking like a Big Ben type of QB.

 

[CalBear]

We may be saying the same thing about "How did Josh Freeman fall" in a couple of years.

bad comparison - Freeman was never projected anywhere the near the top of the draft . . .

That is what makes it worse. How could the pundits be so far off? I remember even when TB took him the so called experts were calling it a reach. Right now Freeman is looking like a Big Ben type of QB.

Freeman completed less than 60% of his passes in college (58.6% senior year) for 7.0 yards/attempt, and never threw for more than 20 TDs, while leading Kansas State to a 5-7 record, 2-6 in the Big 12. Rodgers had 63.8% completions (66.1% senior year) for 8.2 yards/attempt, and threw for 24 TDs senior year while leading the Bears to a 10-2 record. Freeman just didn't have stud QB pedigree.