Brandt says we should take Newton

[rayzor]

What do we have to lose by screwing up the number one pick? A lot. Quite possibly years of setback.

I'd rather go the veteran route.

i don't buy this at all. QB isn't more risky than most positions. there really isn't any safe position at all worth drafting that early. DTs bust as much or more than QBs. QB isnt' the safest, but it is by no means the most risky.

about that years of setback...your plan has more of a long term setback than drafting newton. your plan...picking up a vet stop gap while clausen learns for a year or two will put us a year or two away from him getting on the field and letting us see if he can do the job or not. and then how long do you give him to let us see? another year or two? and then what? pick up another vet stop gap while we draft some other prospect? this is a cycle that could go on forever. in those rare occassions where it has been tried, it hasn't fared all that well. do we hope that one of the guys available next year is a future stud and miraculously falls into our lap? and then what, do we wait another year or two with a stop gap QB before we see if he can play?

sorry, i'd rather daft newton and get him in the game as early as possible and let him learn on the job...the same way that those teams who have started rookie QBs and done well in the past few years have done it. it will maybe take 2-3 years before we see that he can't do the job then we try again.

both ways have risks, but your way has us spinnning in circles playing the waiting game for years. i just don't see how that way is any better than my way.

If I thought Newton, Gabbert or anyone else was worth the #1, I'd be all for it. I don't. The team may or may not have a different opinion. If they do, I hope they're right rather than me.

What I'm not going to do is fall into the old "bait and switch" trap, which is what I see a lot of folks doing. We all want the quarterback position fixed, and we all believed it would be up until January 7th. Now you've got a schism between folks who want it fixed the right way vs folks who want it fixed right now. For my part, I think the members of the "right now" crowd are doing dome big time rationalizing.

One or the other of our respective groups is making a mistake. We'll find out who...eventually.

thats awfully pompous of you to say that. i love your insights on so many things in here and always look forward to your postings, but on this i think you are way off base.

what makes your way the "right way" more than ours? the fact that you are saying it? sorry, not nearly good enough a reason.

you also hink that those who are wanting to draft newton or someone else this year are acting on emotion, but you will find plenty of well rationalized opinions from us and from daftniks and scouts who think that newton is the real deal.

i think that those of you wanting to put off the QB selection are working on emotion as well...fear. fear of making a mistake. fear of becoming a laughing stock. fear of being wrong about your perception of someone like newton and you're doing all you can to justify your reluctance todraft someone.

you don't like that? i'm not a fan of having my opinion so easily dismissed as a impulsive emotional decision either.

It isn't at all choosing the right way versus right now. It is those who realize the reality of the situation and the fact that this is the first top 10 pick we have had since 2002 and the chance may not come by any time soon. We realize that the time to get our franchise QB is now instead of putting it off hoping Clausen is the one and getting by in the meantime. There is a good chance we don't get a top 10 pick next year so then what?? What if Clausen is not good but not terrible?? We likely pass again next year. We have seen both Atlanta and Tampa Bay transform their franchise with a first rounder in the past 4 years and wonder why we don't do the same.

I understand that people don't like Newton and have concerns, I am just tired of playing safe which translates to a lack of a franchise quarterback and settling for average or below veterans. I am ready to find our franchise guy for the best decade and think Newton is the guy.

agreed 100%

well said.