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Message: [QUOTE="RF2044, post: 1997989, member: 40"] Two other things to consider: first, not all QBs are franchise caliber. Some years, you get Andrew Luck or the Manning's at the top, who are no-brainer #1 picks. Other years you get JaMarcus Russell, or even worse--the top QBs in the class are EJ Manuel / Geno Davis like in 2013, who don't belong anywhere near the top. Teams often select unworthy QBs far higher than they should go, but it doesn't happen every year if the QBs available to be picked aren't good enough. Think about last year's crop. Carson Wentz [#2 pick overall] started out last year strongly, but faded significantly after teams got film on him. Jared Goff [#1 overall pick] looks shaky as hell, and every bit the reach that he was. Meanwhile, I'd be willing to bet that if the draft could get a do-over, that both the Rams and Eagles would take Dak Prescott--who went in the fourth round--over those QBs that they were so eager to mortgage their future in draft picks away to obtain. Second, the reason that Cleveland, the Jets, etc. are lousy teams is not just due to not having a QB--it's because they've spent years drafting LOUSY QB prospects who bust. And squandering high draft picks hoping to catch lightning in a bottle can set a franchise back years. Cleveland alone has invested 4 first round picks on QBs since the franchise returned in 1999 -- not one of them has connected [including #1 overall pick Tim Couch, widely considered the biggest bust in NFL history]. The Jets have taken a different approach, selecting every 2nd and 3rd round guy who falls to them, to no avail. The lesson from both examples: trying to fix your QB problem with sh-t doesn't work; it only works if the QB you're drafting is good enough to stabilize the position for you. The reason that a team like the Raiders--who sucked for nearly two straight decades--is no longer included in the list above is that they were smart, and got their QB at the top of the 2nd round, and he panned out. Ditto a team like Cincinnati. And ditto New Orleans [via San Diego] with Drew Brees. For the record, I am not disagreeing with the tendency for teams to overdraft QBs higher in the first round, or the importance of having a franchise QB. Problem is, most of these guys aren't franchise QBs, and yet they go in the first round. And this is one of those years where there are no stand outs who automatically will move to the top of the draft. You'll see that shake out as we get into the off-season / combine results start shifting draft boards around. McShay is annoying, but he correctly pegged how this will unfold, IMO, due to the draft class of 2017's QBs being generally subpar. [/QUOTE]

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