Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: Philosophers on April 02, 2025, 11:26:49 AMBob - NFL teams did wowful due diligence on Leaf.  With talent like his, he does not make his high school's Hall of Fame, there is something wrong about his attitude, maturity or something mentally.  That should have been a red flag.

Phil: I never heard that item of info about Leaf.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Also I amended my post after you copied it, so maybe you also want to comment on the extra paragraph.

Bob

Quote from: Bob In PA on April 02, 2025, 11:21:51 AMAll fair points.

I won't be angry if they take, although I would not do it, especially if Carter and/or Hunter are there.

Why? Because picking a QB is always a crap shoot. For example, there was certainly no unanimity among the so-called experts that Ryan Leaf would turn out to be a world-class bust. IMO the most difficult decision in all of off-field NFL football is drafting a QB, because the stakes are so very high.

Bob

Bob - NFL teams did wowful due diligence on Leaf.  With talent like his, he does not make his high school's Hall of Fame, there is something wrong about his attitude, maturity or something mentally.  That should have been a red flag.

I think the Vonn Miller comp is better.  Parsons to me has more of an LT "I'll go through you" aggressive mindset whereas Carter's skill is more about going around blockers.

All fair points.   I won't be angry if they take, although I would not do it, especially if Carter and/or Hunter are there.

Why? Because picking a QB is always a crap shoot. For example, there was certainly no unanimity among the so-called experts that Ryan Leaf would turn out to be a world-class bust. IMO the most difficult decision in all of off-field NFL football is drafting a QB, because the stakes are so very high.

I should also say my "best" reason to draft him is because we can be more certain than usual that he can handle the "bright lights" of playing for the Giants. The comparison of Shadeur/Deion to Eli/Archie (both the good and bad of it) is clearly imperfect because Deion was not an NFL QB, but IMO it's close enough to rely upon.

Bob

Via college football insider Bruce Feldman (he projects the Giants taking Sanders at 3)

3. New York Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Giants have a big need at quarterback. Sanders, the son of football legend Deion Sanders, is a polarizing prospect. He and his dad arrived at Colorado two years ago and revived a program that had been left for dead. They, along with fellow Jackson State transfer Travis Hunter, made the Buffaloes nationally relevant immediately. The younger Sanders sparked the Buffs to a season-opening road win at TCU, a team that played in the national title game the previous season. In 2024, the Buffs improved from 4-8 to 9-4 and finished in the Top 25.

In two seasons, despite playing behind a woeful O-line, Sanders amassed a 64-to-13 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

"I think he has good arm talent and really good poise," a Big 12 defensive coordinator said. "I think he's almost too cocky, at least at the college level, where he would take some really bad sacks. Decision-making-wise, I think he thinks he's better than everybody else, and that does help him elevate his game, but it also gets him into some bad situations. And if he doesn't shake that, he's gonna take way too many sacks in the NFL."

At 6-1 1/2, 212 pounds, Sanders does not have his dad's remarkable athleticism. Rival coaches estimate Sanders is probably a high 4.7, low 4.8 (40) guy.

"Even though he's not fast, he was pretty elusive," the Big 12 defensive coordinator said. "What I thought he does very well is when plays broke down, that was a strength. Once the first read wasn't there and he broke the pocket, he kept his eyes downfield and really had a nice touch and was accurate. Especially when he's on the run, that's when he's most dangerous. I don't know if he has any elite physical traits, but I do think he has elite processing and feel for the game."

One former NFL coach who watched a lot of Sanders was reminded of when Mac Jones came out of college, wondering whether he has any elite traits.

"Yeah, he's smooth, and he operates well," the coach said, "but if he operates so well, why does he take so many sacks? I know his O-line is awful, and I get that to an extent, but I'm watching him, and like 40 percent of the sacks are on him. Dude, just throw the ball!"

But that coach also believes Sanders is very accurate.

"He throws a very catchable ball," the coach said, "and knows what kind of ball to throw, and his pocket movement is good, and those things do translate, but his clock is way too slow. It might be because he always thinks he has to make a play, but that's not gonna go well in the NFL."

Said a Big 12 secondary coach, "I think he really understands football and is very smart, and their OC did a good job of playing to his strengths. I don't think he's gonna be a bust."

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6246631/2025/04/02/nfl-mock-draft-2025-bruce-feldman/?source=user_shared_article

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on April 01, 2025, 05:13:53 PMI actually don't like this change. I hated the really old rule, where a FG won it in sudden death, making the coin toss a massively important thing.

While I didn't like that, if a team is able to go for and score a TD when they get the ball, I'm fine with ending it right there. I think the rule is just fine as it is. Making this adjustment will lead to more ties over the long haul, and I don't think fairness is an issue if you can't keep the other team out of the end zone on their first possession.

DB: Yeah, but the longer the game, the more hot dogs, T-shirts and commercials you can sell. 

Quote from: MightyGiants on April 02, 2025, 08:48:15 AMBobby Skinner (or maybe Nick or Dan) made this comparison.  They appreciate that the two players compared are high comparisons, but the point is that it's a good comparison in terms of relative talent and position played.

So, if you had a choice between getting Parsons or Williams (to add to the team), which would you pick?

Rich: It's hard to make those types of comparisons, but in this case I almost agree.

I believe Graham will prove to be a better pass rusher than Williams, so the analogy is not perfect.

All things considered, IMO this year's choice is a lot more difficult than Parsons v. Williams, and it's even more so for the Giants because there's a VERY good chance both will be there for Schoen.

Bob

A great bunch of replies. Excellent thread so far. Bob

Excellent observations, but note... some can't be determined until after the guy is on your roster.

If you want to rely on those that can't be determined before the draft, then (1) the player must have been playing in an offense in college that is quite similar to yours; and (3) you still must consider the overall general talent level of his college opposition.

My point: drafting a QB is probably the most difficult task (off-field) in professional football.

Bob