RG III

I can't find it anymore, but in among the ignorant, cliched, dumb posts I found a real gem by a kindred spirit. He talked about a rule that might be applied to evaluate prospective NFL quarterbacks:

This involved their score on the wonderlick test, the number of college games they'd started (experience), and...either their completion percentage or TD-to-interception ratio.

Experience and percentage-wise, this wasn't the first I'd heard of it. Pat Kirwin on NFL Radio talks about it a lot. Junior quarterbacks don't generally do well. Seniors--or at least guys with at least 18-20 college starts under their belts, do much better than inexperienced quarterbacks.

Cam Newton is an exception to this rule, but you can find few others.

Anyway, this poster was a real dogged researcher, ala Terry Pluto. He listed all the guys who fulfilled this experience/wonderlick/accuracy rule on one side, and all those who had not on the other. The difference was stunning, and damn near universal. The guys not making the cut were variously mediocre or downright putrid. The guys who made it varied from pretty good to Hall-of-Famers.

No-no--not all quarterbacks drafted in every round. He was referring to the 2-4 quarterbacks atop their respective drafts; those believed to have starting NFL talent, ok? A guy without that kind of ability can have all the brains and experience in the world, and it won't matter.

After Mike Mayock and Solomon Wilcots pounded the table about Robert Griffin the 3rd, I jumped on the trade-up-for-him bandwagon, and boy does that posted rule back it up! He completed over 72% of his passes for over 10 yards-per-catch. A 5:1 TD/Int ratio. He graduated highschool and college early, and he'll have a post-grad degree in May. I'm guessing he'll do okay on the Wonderlick. And he started since he was a rookie.

Another article recommending the trade-up was both smart and moronic. He persisted in Micheal Vick comparisons throughout. Vick never had Griffin's touch or accuracy. Vick was a running quarterback. Grif is a quarterback who can run; a pocket passer first. Griffin is more mature and refined than Vick was.

A much more valid comparison--if I haven't mentioned it before--is Randall Cunningham. Randall was also a quarterback first.

Guys like this work extra-hard to be quarterbacks, because it's so very easy for them to take off and just run the ball. They have to override their own fight-or-flight impulses in order to stand in there with the world collapsing around them, looking for their target. It says a great deal about their willpower and determination.

My, uh...brother in law I'll call him--he's almost as smart about the Browns as my humble Da Vinci-like self, and he thinks Griffin is a dice-roll, and wouldn't make the trade.

His guy at four, in fact, is super-cornerback Morris Claiborne. Haden and this guy would turn this into an awesome secondary instantly and really mess up enemy passing attacks, even in the pass-happy NFL.

I hear that. If they allowed the fifth fewest points in the NFL last season, what might they do with two shut-down corners and suddenly great depth in the secondary, maybe with Brown at free safety? Wow.

But damn--how often will the Browns be this close to such a promising stud quarterback? I mean, anybody can fail, and half the high first round quarterbacks drafted DO fail, and set their organizations back years.

I get that. But listen to Wilcotts and Mayock, who KNOW what they're looking at! This guy is just as close to "can't-miss" as Andrew Luck is! Luck is just a couple inches taller, and has more pro-style experience, for crying out loud! I personally think the two inches mean more to these guys than the college sytem.

And if you need a sure thing before you make or call a bet, I want to play poker with you, because you will never, ever win.

I don't take anything back that I said of Colt McCoy. He'll be a good quarterback; a starter--a playoff quarterback--once he has a little more time, and recievers who get open and don't drop balls.

But Griffin is from another planet. His arm and speed make his cieling much higher.

McCoy incidentally didn't meet the 27 (I believe) threshhold in the Wonderlick. I take it with a grain of salt--I'm sure he's plenty smart. But Griffin either works very much harder, or is a freaking genius, or both. I'll take either--there's nothing he can't learn in one off-season.

We're talking about a starting point trade of both the Browns first-round picks. Some have cited a long list of historical examples of more massive trades, but conveniently ignored the fact that we're talking about TWO SLOTS here, and the fact that the Rams could still get the guy they want most when the dust settles. (I think it's Kalil).

Washington and Miami will probably fight over Matt Ryan, and Miami has the inside track. Kalil won't be there at the Skins' 6, and the Rams would rather have both their first rounders THIS season, don't you think?

Understand this: the Rams have their quarterback entering his third season, along with some solid parts and pieces. They took a step back last season when they changed coaches and systems, but they can be competitive in their division this season with a little help as young players mature.

Washington would have to offer their 2013 first rounder along with this year's first and at least a third.

No, I think the two firsts and maybe Massequoi or the lower 4th-rounder could do it.

BUB, is that so bad?

We got so many other holes to fill? See my previous post on free agents, all of which I listed are 26 years old or younger this season, and should be affordable.

Also, as usual, much is overstated. Like, it's not the right SIDE of the offensive line, but right tackle. How do you KNOW last season's rookie left guard isn't this years fair-to-middling right tackle? Pinkston was a LEFT tackle in college, you know!

They don't need two wide recievers. They need ONE. They HAVE linebacker DEPTH. They just need a weakside backer and a rush right DE, and I want to give Benard his shot there! I'll bet on him!

Luvao had zero experience, and might be a solid right guard this season. Or Pinkston, if he's not a good enough tackle. Steinbach's return, and the natural growth of these youngsters, could fix everything--possibly even right tackle!

Some of the best linebackers, cornerbacks, running backs, and right tackles in the NFL were middle/low-round draft picks, and the defense was pretty good LAST season.

The Browns would still have a high second, third, and fourth rounder. In other words they'd still have a complete draft. And Robert Griffin. AND Colt McCoy, so who CARES who starts game one?

If the two ones are what it takes, or those and a fourth--I say DO IT. Take the stud QB. Let Colt and Robert have a fair fight, and start the winner. It would be better to let Griffin sit and watch at first anyway.

Finally, due to over-abuse, I have to confiscate these words and phrases: Extremely, At Best. They will be returned to you when you show that you can use them appropriately.