Now that we have the Number 1 pick

You absolutely must.
You get the opportunity for a top pick very, very rarely (unless you're the Lions), and this a QB driven league. If there's a top guy out there, get him.
If you want a top QB, you have to get lucky with the pick. Established, franchise QB's are not usually available in free agency.
If you have a coach that actually knows what a pass is, you can develop young talent.

Plus, another element here is that the fan base is so poisoned after this year's debacle that we need a new "face of the franchise" player for this team. Something to give us hope.

Seriously, what would get you more excited about next season ?
Andrew Luck and Everette Brown , or Jimmy Clausen and Marcell Darius ?

 

For as much shit as he's taken, Clausen has a real opportunity here. But the fucker has to stay healthy.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jimmy, if healthy, go up against Colt (if healthy) next week. I think JC, if he has the fire in his gut that many of his advocates (Weis, Hurney, etc) say, he'll be salivating to get out there.

I think it's important to realize a few things at this point:

1. Clausen is going to be the starter for the rest of the season, baring injury.

2. Clausen, so long as Hurney is here in 2011, will likely enter the season as the starter.

3. Clausen must, for better or worse, play as many snaps as possible in these last 6 games.

All I want to see is JC do some good things (move the chains, take some chances, keep the eyes downfield, get calibrated with his WR's).

So much of Smith's success was the almost homo-erotic chemistry he built with Jake. It's not that Delhomme was ever great, it's that Jake worked day and night with Smith in practice on things like coming back to the QB when he's in trouble, or the back-shoulder fade, or check signals for the famous smoke screen.

For all of Jake's depreciating talents, he was extremely instinctive. That's how he played, arguably, the best 2nd half in a Super Bowl of any QB in NFL history. I'd like to find that stat line, but beyond the stats, some of the throws and pre-snap reads he made were fucking amazing.

Moore? I'm much less comfortable with him now than I was about 10 months ago, but when the injury bug continues to hit you, and you look like a spazz (and admit as much in the pressers), it doesn't help anyone's confidence.

I don't know the draft board, but I just would not throw my very rare #1 overall pick at a QB until you see if Clausen can play out a very tough stretch, with limited personnel, successfully. If he does, you have to think this team has somewhat of a desperate need for a dominant interior lineman on the defense.

Names?

 

If Clausen establishes himself as the future at QB then maybe you do not take a QB. He will have to show a lot more than he has shown so far to convince me though. Most great QBs had some spectacular plays mixed in with a lot of mistakes during their rookie seasons. I have not see it from Clausen.

Our defense has been pretty good this year. If the offense was holding up its end the I think we would have a top ten defense. Adding a DL prospect would be nice but it does not fill a need or provide the bang for the buck a franchise QB would provide.

 

Worthy of #1 Marcel Dareus (Alabama), possibly Allen Bailey (Miami)
later considerations: Fairley (Auburn)

the first 2 are considerations for the UT/Sapp position should we keep meeks around but Dareus would probably be a better choice for versatility or future scheme changes.

 

going counter to this logic in 02 did work out pretty fuckin' well regardless of anybody's fox hate.

"I have not see it from Clausen."

 

Not saying I disagree with picking Luck, but consider this. Gross is entering the high dollar years of his contract ($10,000,000+), and Otah cant seem to find the field. It wont matter if Manning was behind center, if he doesnt get more than three steps before hes under pressure, QB play will still suck. This is the biggest problem with the offence right now, the line play is as bad as Ive ever seen it in the teams history. Hence more Qb injuries, and very little ground game production. They may have to look for a OT if they cut Gross (decling production, and high salary), or there is more to the Otah injury than we are being told. A great O-line makes an average QB look good, look at the Jets.

 

I take back what I said about not wanting Luck.

 

It is a crap shoot drafting QBs. There is probably a 50-50 shot a QB drafted #1 is going to be a bust. I still think you have to do it though.

Drafting Peppers was the right move in 2002. I think a lot of us thought that Winky was going to be a decent QB at that time though. If we had not gotten lucky by getting Jake the way we did I really doubt we make the playoffs under Fox. It was not happening with Rodney Peete or anyone else he drafted or brought in.

 

Luck can lay a hit too

 

Not just the hit, but impressive that he saw the ball come out and immediately and aggressively went after it to either jump on it or land the hit. Most QBs (especially, say JC) seem to prance and dance when the ball hits the turf like little girls scared of a frog on the ground. They act like they'de like to pick it up, but really puss out in the end and don't want to make much effort.