Stafford….have you lost your mind? Matt Stafford is coming out of college as a junior and as I stated in a previous post, Stafford is being considered as a first round draft pick by the Detroit Lions. I personally don’t feel Stafford is ready for the NFL, but he wasn’t going to risk being taken in the 345th round in the 2010 NFL draft in the middle of what could be one of the best quarterback classes ever. But unless he knows something about the 2009 NFL draft that we don’t, this move just does not make any sense.
How has this worked out in the past for others that have skipped the combine? Well, you need look no further than Brady Quinn, as he waited several hours before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd overall pick, and Matt Leinart, the Heisman Trophy winner, who waited in agony before finally being picked 10th overall. Both skipped the combine, and both went surprisingly low in the draft.
Now I never played football at an elite level, but I played for eight years and anybody who has ever played the game knows that it’s all about the hard work and effort you’re willing to put in. It’s all about dedication, and being able to perform when called upon. Matt Stafford is simply not going to answer the bell. All of the NFL head coaches, scouts, and trainers show up to evaluate the talent available ( for millions of dollars ) for the upcoming draft, and you decide to tell them, “No thanks. I’m not gonna show you sh*t! You can go out of your way yet again to see me at pro day – on my schedule.” Ok then, that’s gonna really go over well.
Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz stated in a recent article:
“You want to see guys who have that confidence to go out there. I know a lot of quarterbacks typically haven’t thrown, simply because they want to throw to familiar receivers. But it does speak a little bit to a coach that a guy has the confidence to go out and throw at 7 in the morning or throw at midnight, ‘whenever you want it coach, I’ll do it.’ “
A recent blog post I read by a Georgia Bulldog Fan in response to coach Schwartz’s statement:
“I am going to have to respectfully disagree. First of all, if you have something that they want, do it on your terms not their’s. Schwartz knows this and is basically just giving the ajc a soundbite. You really think he gives a shit if Stafford is throwing today or March 19 in Athens? NO, he doesn’t. Stafford does not need to prove what people already know about him.”
Well, to this Georgia Bulldog fan, I must say I respectfully disagree. Now I’m not gonna come down hard on ya or anything, cuz I doubt your opinion is well thought-out and hardcore on the matter. But I must ask – does he really want to come into the league with a chubby little belly, as an underclassman, with a shot at being a top pick in the draft, and not do everything he can to show he’s worth the tens of millions they’re willing to pay for a future star? Do you really think the combine doesn’t matter – that the coaches already know everything they need to know – and they’re just doing it to get away from their wives? I’m pretty sure it means something to them. If you were a coach and you arranged to see somebody and they couldn’t be bothered, you’d notice – and you’d care.
Why won’t he throw or lift weights? Cuz he’s not very strong? Cuz he’s not comfortable with the pressure? Cuz he’s not throwing to his own receivers? Cuz he thinks he’s so super amazing that he doesn’t need to? Let me ask ya – where do you think he would rank in the 2010 NFL draft when thrown in with the likes of Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Graham Harrell, and Tim Tebow? How about a very distant 5th. If I were Stafford, I would have come out early, too. There’s no way I would want to compete in the draft against two Heisman Trophy winners, and possibly a two-time winner, or even three Heisman Trophy winners – depending on who wins it next year. No way!
Well, time will tell how this all works out. But I’m dying to see where Stafford goes in the draft – and more importantly – how he does if thrown into the NFL fire in 2010.
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Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Graham Harrell, and Tim Tebow all played behind the 4 best offensive lines in all of college football. My fat ass could throw the ball behind the Sooners offensive line. Matthew Stafford played behind an injury riddled and depth challenged offensive line his entire career. I would love to see any of those QBs, ANY OF THEM play behind Georgia’s glass made O-line.
How many Heisman Trophy Winners in the last 20 years have done anything in the NFL? The Heisman doesn’t even matter anymore. Let me ask you something in 1982 Herschel Walker beat out John Elway for the Heisman Trophy. Who had the better pro career? See, it doesn’t matter. In 91 Garrison Hearst and Marshal Faulk(both multiple Pro Bowlers) finished 3rd and 2nd to Miami’s Gino Torreta. You could go on forever with this list. Only two Heisman winners, Carson Palmer and Charles Woodson, have made a decent career for the themselves. The Heisman Trophy does not mean anything.
You might be right he could be a total bust in the pros. I disagree but it really doesn’t matter. Besides the combine isn’t even about how well does in the Pros, its about where he gets drafted. JaMarcus Russell didn’t throw at the combine and he still was drafted number 1. Brady Quinn didn’t beat a single team worth a crap his entire college career. His greatest victory was a comeback victory against Michigan State. Losing to SC on national TV is not the same as beating them.
By the way I was not insulting Schwartz I was more trying to insult the Atlanta paper which sucks on a regular basis for going out their way to trash our QB by quoting Schwartz. Schwartz just gave the typical coach speak quote. I mean come on, what else is supposed to say to that question. If he acts like he doesn’t care or tips his hand the agents of Stafford or Sanchez will make him pay more.
This past year in Atlanta, I saw first hand Matt Ryan win 10 games behind an offensive line(and the entire team for that matter) that was described by SI’s Peter King as the worst in the NFL eight months prior. I would gladly trade Roddy White for Calvin Johnson any day of the week. They got a pick winner eventually.
Read this article on Schwartz- its pretty good.
http://smartfootball.blogspot.com/2009/01/lions-new-coach-jim-schwartz-football.html
As a UK-based Falcons fan, I found your blog on google and read a few of your other Falcons posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.