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Brady Quinn is the 2007 version of Matt Leinart. Like Leinart from a
year ago, Quinn’s game is liked by some and hated by others.Is it
because he is a pretty boy? Maybe. Is it because every one hates Notre
Dame like they hate the plague? Probably.
To me there is no debate. Quinn can and should be a perennial
Pro-Bowler when all is said and done. Who wouldn’t want a 6-4,
225-pound QB with a good arm and good feet? Evidently a lot of people
do not as some think Quinn is a middle of Round One talent, like
Leinart a year ago.
Let us not forget Quinn started all four years at the most scunritized
school in the country. He was under pressure to excel in every game.
He did not win a ton of big games but he won enough and broke almost
every school record imaginable. Some pretty good QB’s have come out of
South Bend so that is no easy task.
His senior year alone he threw 37 TD’s with only 7 INT’s. Yes he had
some talented playmakers around him in Jeff Samardzija, Rhema McKnight
and Darius Walker. But what QB at a big time school does not have
playmakers? That is why they are considered big time schools.
But Quinn is getting penalized just like Leinart did last year when he
got to play catch with Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith and hand the
ball to Reggie Bush and LenDale White.
Is it fair? No. Is it a legit gripe? Sure.
Another positive for Quinn is he played two years under the mastermind
known as Charlie Weiss. So he is already familiar with a lot of pro
style formations, which should ease his transition into the NFL.
The bottom line is Quinn
possesses all the necessary tools to excel at the next level. Does it
mean he will definitely be a stud? Of course not. But that's what the
NFL draft is for. To determine who will be the next Peyton Manning or
the next Ryan Leaf. But chances are he will be closer to the next
Manning and deserves going in the top 5 of the draft.
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When I look
at Brady Quinn, I see a player that is rated as a top five player
primarily because of where he went to school. Quinn performed
admirably at Notre Dame, but this was in a passing based offense
coached by an offensive mastermind that has had success in the NFL.
Many of Quinn’s statistics were the result of playing inferior teams.
Quinn struggled against top defenses, as he was unable to avoid the
rush and forced passes.
Quinn has
acceptable mechanics and the knowledge he learned from Weis is
certainly helpful, but that will not counter act the “happy feet” that
Quinn exhibited in games against USC and LSU. When he gets to the NFL,
he will find himself under pressure often, especially because he is
likely to be drafted by a team with an inferior offensive line. Brady
Quinn has never showed that he succeed when being pressured.
For a player
that is being talked about as a top three pick, Quinn does not possess
one “elite” attribute for being an NFL Quarterback. His arm strength
is acceptable, but not outstanding. His accuracy is below average for
a prospect of that caliber, especially when under pressure. He is a
passable athlete at QB, but he is not going to harm a team with his
feet.
If you examine
Quinn’s stats against the top five defenses he played in 2006, he had
less then a 55% completion percentage and threw five of his seven
interceptions. Once he is placed under pressure, by the opposing
defense or because of the score, Quinn press too much and forces
throws, resulting in his accuracy decreasing even further which leads
to turnovers.
Quinn is not
a bad prospect, though his ceiling may be limited by a lack of the
pure physical talent of many of the elite NFL quarterbacks, but he
does not deserve to be a Top Five draft pick as many are claiming he
should be.
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