drafting cam at 1 would put us in the exact same position next year

[Mr. Scot]

Whatever plan we have for this draft. None of it should have anything to do with Andrew Luck. That ship has sailed guys. We have got to move on.

I wouldn't say it's sailed, but it's definitely been untied from the pier.

Yeah, it's hard to imagine us having a shot at Luck next year, but technically it is possible.

(not the kind of thing you can count on, though)

[Wither]

yeah my tenses are a disaster and it's a major failing i have that requires rigorous self editing on my part that im just not in the mood for

Seemed like a run-on there.

[KillerKat]

I don't like making a decision now based on something that MIGHT happen later. If someone has a time machine I would feel more comfortable knowing if we can get Luck next year or not. But since those haven't been invented yet, I don't think we should assume we'd be in any sort of position of picking him next year.

[rodeo]

I can live without that brand of "awesome" :(

come on Scot, live a little! where's your sense of adventure?

[rodeo]

i didn't really like what i saw from Newton in the SEC championship or any other time i've seen him throw. but i'm so ardent against spending the #1 pick on defense when we have the worst offense in the league that i'd much rather take him than Peterson or a DT. my first choice would be Green.

[KaseKlosed]

come on Scot, live a little! where's your sense of adventure?

Mr Scot is the epitome of

[Mr. Scot]

come on Scot, live a little! where's your sense of adventure?

Last season crushed it to death.

[panthers55]

If all you say is true and due to an improved defense we go 5-11 and miss the opportunity to draft Luck or any other top notch QB in the top of the first round, then we are screwed royally are far worse off than we would be if we draft Newton who will have 1 year in the system and be ready to become our franchise guy.

Read this analysis and tell me who we are talking about.

Analysis

Positives: Tall frame with a solid build. Arm strength allows him to make all of the NFL throws and attack the deep half. Stands tall, will step up in the pocket, keep his eyes downfield and deliver the ball to secondary target. Good, not great, quickness on release. Keeps the ball low over the middle, away from defenders. Can be accurate on fades and corner routes, although he needs a bit more air under the ball. Good straight-ahead runner with long strides and deceptive speed, can shed arm tackles and uses his tall frame to get extra yards after contact.

Negatives: Must improve his footwork. His height makes him take long strides in his drop. Fails to step into his throws or square his shoulders at times, relies on his arm strength too often. Inconsistent accuracy from the pocket and throwing on the run. Needs to anticipate downfield throws better, sometimes getting the ball to his receiver a second early or late. Prone to turnovers, makes poor decisions trying to make plays that aren't there. Does not feel backside pressure. Lacks touch on shorter throws. Ball comes out of his hands poorly at times, negating his arm strength. Sometimes pats the ball before the throws. Loose with the ball in the pocket and as a runner. Doesn't move the pile as you'd expect in short-yardage situations, but his height allows him to be effective.

With such a weak draft class at this position, he could be the third quarterback chosen in the first round.

So tell me again how much better Freeman was than Newton coming out of college.

[frash.exe]

IMO we already addressed defense with the hiring of Rivera, McDermott and Meeks in the secondary. Those guys at work with each other could offer more improvement for the defense than any top prospect you can think of.

we have to make a concerted effort to fix the passing game we're hurting so badly. So our only good options are to take a top QB or a WR in an effort to surround Clausen with so many weapons he literally has no excuse for playing like poo next year and we can see what we've got in him, which will probably be nothing.

Still it's very easy to lose out on Andrew. It hasn't happened in a while where the same team held the no.1 pick for consecutive years

[Stumpy]

IMO we already addressed defense with the hiring of Rivera, McDermott and Meeks in the secondary.

So is that going to be our 3-man rotation at DT?

[frash.exe]

rivera could make nick hayden look like merlin olsen

[communist]

im not reading a walter football article

whats so bad about walterfootball?

[rodeo]

rivera could make nick hayden look like merlin olsen

this is what needs to be hammered into people who are so upset about our DTs. look at who Rivera had starting last year on the #1 defense in the league. a journeyman 6th rounder.

[Marguide]

We have to forget Luck. Anything could happen, including him deciding to stay at Stanford. He could have a bad year, he could get hurt, he could decide he would rather design stadiums than play in them.

If we draft Newton, or Gabbert for that matter, they will probably spend a significant part of the year watching from the sidelines with a vet taking the majority of the snaps. So their immediate impact on our record will probably be minimal.

But playing along...let's say we take Newton this year, but between him and a vet, we still end up with the 1st pick. And we'll assume Luck is still a superstar and does indeed declare. If Newton looks as bad or worse than Clausen, screw it, take Luke and start him day 1 in 2012 . Who cares if we get called out in the press, etc. We will not have paid big money due to the wage scale, so you do what's best for the team.

If Newton looks really promising and will be ready to start in 2012, great. You either trade the first pick for a king's ransom, or go ahead and take Luck and trade him post-draft.

But we have to fix the QB position, and waiting cures nothing.