2006 Rookie Checkup: QBs
By Jake Bailey,
TheSportsStand.com
With the draft approaching, it was decided to reflect back on the season, and see how the rookies of the 2006 Draft Class fared. This article focuses on the signal callers. Of the 11 rookie QBs drafted, only four saw significant playing time: Vince Young (TEN), Matt Leinart (ARI), Jay Cutler (DEN), and Bruce Gradkowski (TB). I am of the belief that throwing rookies in too quickly is a common mistake that coaches make, especially if you're in the middle of a playoff run (ex. Denver and Jay Cutler, situation to be elaborated on.). Rookies rarely experience a great deal of success in terms of winning, which, in my humble opinion, is the most important. Each of the rookie quarterbacks' teams did not make the playoffs. Coincidence? Here are the recaps, summaries, and rankings of the rookie QBs. This article, however, will concentrate on the top three of the rookie QBs, which also happen to be the first three taken.
1. Vince Yo
ung, Tennessee Titans, College: Texas: Vince Young
had the best success of all the rookies, not just rookie quarterbacks, in
the NFL, winning the Rookie of the Year award. He was the main reason
for the turnaround of the Tennessee Titans in 2006. He was a huge
playmaker. He led quite a few comebacks for the Titans, showing that
he's a competitor. A moment that stands out was his game-winning dash
to beat the Houston Texans in Overtime. Many critics said that Young
wouldn't be a successful NFL QB. Let the stats speak for themselves:
184/357, 51.5% Completion Percentage, 2199 yards, 12 TDs, 13 INTs and an 8-5
record. Not too shabby for a rookie who wasn't supposed to be good.
Now, the success and development of "VY", depends heavily on how and when
the Titans decide to put some actual talent around him. This is why
the next few draft and free agency periods are imperative for Tennessee.
They need to start building around Young and allow him to grow and develop.
If the Titans help him out, VY could become the QB of the future that
Michael Vick never was.
2. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos, College: Vanderbilt: While all the
rookies replaced quarterbacks, the situation with the Denver Broncos was
different: they were in the middle of a playoff hunt. The rest were
not. The Broncos were 7-4 when the decision was made to switch from
Plummer to Cutler. The situation m
ay have been called for, as watching
the offense was like, to be blunt, watching a brutal execution.
However, this was not just the fault of the residing QB, Jake Plummer.
This was a mixture of problems, and when Cutler came in, the problems of a
horrible offensive coordinator (Mike Himerdinger) manifested themselves,
although many chose to ignore it. Cutler played well, using that big
arm that had him so highly touted. His ability to rifle the ball into
tight places and his ability to throw the deep ball at any time gave the
offense a new aspect that was missing with Plummer at the helm. He
made some poor decisions, but they were to be expected. He brought new
life into the Mile High City though, and the future looks bright. The
Denver Broncos look like they are building a great offense around Cutler's
arm. He's got weapons. Receivers like Javon Walker, the always
reliable Rod Smith, and the up and coming Brandon Marshall, and the new
acquisition of TE Daniel Graham from the Patriots, in unison with a strong
run game led by RB Travis Henry and RB Mike Bell, will allow Cutler to
become a great QB in the future. Cutler finished the season with a 2-3
record with statistics of 81/137, 59.1 Completion Percentage, 1001 Yards, 9
TDs, and 5 INTs. He is right up there wi
th the rest of the rookies in
terms of TD passes, despite playing in the least amount of games and had the
best completion percentage of them all. His future looks the brightest
of all the rookies, because his team was in the AFC Championship Game the
year before.
3. Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals, College: USC: Matt Leinart was described by scouts as the best NFL ready QB of the top three rookies. He was criticized for his weak arm. He entered a great situation with many weapons around him. He has two top 10 receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, a nightmare for opposing defenses, as well as a very good RB in Edgerrin James. Why did he seem to struggle at times? Why do the Cardinals still remain at the bottom of the league? The problem the organization fails to address is the offensive line, allowing 35 sacks (18th). This may not seem that bad, but he was constantly hurried, and did not have time to make decisions. Leinart still showed flashes of potential. He finished the season with a 4-7 record. His stats were: 214/377, 56.8 Completion Percentage, 2547 yards, 11 TDs, 12 INTs. His future has potential, becuase of the talent that surrounds him. However, there is something about the Cardinals organization that hinders success...
Copyright TheSportsStand.com 2007 (C)