Why should we draft Leftwich

I was never really big on Lefty until around the end of the college season, saw a report on him somewhere...can't really remember what show.
The biggest reason I see to draft him is his heart. As was said earlier at the bigging of the year he was pretty much the number one pick in the draft to most scouts. Fast forward to mid seaseon (I can't remember the exact game, someone help me out) the game in which he fractured his leg......he did not want to come out of the game. His coach told him he wasn't stepping out on the field until he got his leg checked out.....so what does he do?? Hops in a car runs to the hospital gets it checked and hauls ass back to the stadium. He finished the damn game!!! How many players, knowing that they are a high first round pick, would risk serious damage to his pro-stock to help his team win??? I don't think very many.
Thats the kinda guy I want wearing a Panther's uniform.

 

He was injured in the first quarter against Akron.

 

Same thing everybody else has said. Big heart, true leader, and as one scouting report said: "Has an unbelievable arm. Can throw any pass that has ever been thrown, and any pass that will ever be thrown."

 

I watch very little college football, I dont like the bowl system. Most of what I know about these guys comes from what I read on the net. He sounds like he might be a franchise type QB. I guess the biggest problem I have is that most guy like him have about a 50-50 shot at even being a long term starter. Almost every year you get two guys who come out and are suppose to be franchise QBs but one of them washes out. I will still rather soidfy the OL and run with what we have. Going for a QB is rolling the dice. If we do draft him I will get behind him and hope he is the answer. I like the fact that he has a strong arm and is a good pocket passer. That is something I think can not be made up for even with mobility. I think all of this is a moot point though. I can not imagine both the Cowboys and Cards passing him up. They both have huge needs at QB. I could see the cowboys taking Sims in the second but the Cards will be hard pressed to let him go bye with Blake as the starter.

 

Why should we draft Leftwich?
Well, I don't think we should...I'd rather have Boller, just as experienced but more mobile. Both can make all the throws, don't really see much difference between the two.
The one difference is the continued skepticism of Lefty's health. I've never been that high on him anyway. If we draft him...fine. If we don't, it's just as well in my book.

 

Leftwich's Stock Could Drop - From Redzone

Byron Leftwich will work out for pro scouts on Monday. The workout is expected to be well attended because of the broken leg Leftwich sustained during the season. Leftwich showed some real grit by finishing the season despite the hairline fracture. But there seems to be a lingering question about how honest Leftwich was about the injury.

Leftwich concealed the injury until the NFL Combine. The fracture showed up in X-rays taken after the injury but it was announced that they came back negative. "We didn't want anyone to know it was broken, because I knew someone would try to take me out," Leftwich said. Nonetheless, NFL scouts are a little skeptical about why the injury was concealed after the season ended.
According to Len Pasquarelli of ESPN, all thirty two NFL teams received a letter from renowned Birmingham , Ala. , orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who has examined Leftwich several times in recent months. In the letter, Andrews says Leftwich is cleared to perform "all drills" and that he has experienced "no leg pain." He further says there will be "no further removal" of surgical hardware from Leftwich's left leg, which has been broken twice in the past two seasons.

The broken leg has kept Leftwich from any other workouts. Despite the injury, Leftwich led the nation in total offense at nearly 366 yards per game, threw for over 4,000 yards and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. At 6 feet 6 and weighing 240 pounds, Leftwich has a great arm but the workout tomorrow may go along way in determining where he is drafted.

Despite the “clean bill of health” letter there is still concern regarding Leftwich among NFL personnel men. Leftwich has been projected to go in the top 12 of the draft but it is likely that he may fall out of the first round. Beside the questions about his left leg, some skeptics question the level of competition Leftwich faced in the Mid-American Conference and his lack of mobility as concerns.

 

OPINIONS DIFFER ON LEFTWICH LEG - From PFT

When Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich works out for NFL scouts on Monday, all eyes will be focused not on his arm, but on his leg.

Leftwich's run for the Heisman was interrupted by a fracture sustained on November 2. Leftwich hid the fact that he'd suffered a broken bone until the February scouting combine. Since then, the buzz has been that Byron could slide through the first round of the draft.

Some are comparing the injury to the broken ankle suffered by former Texas defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who went from being a top five pick to a second-rounder in 2001. (Rogers, of course, rebounded nicely, starting all 16 games as a rookie.)

Likewise, some believe that Leftwich will require surgery immediately after the draft to remove a pin or a plate that was inserted to assist the healing process.

As a result, at least one G.M. predicts that Leftwich will fall to the second round -- just like Rogers did two years ago.

In contrast, ESPN.com's Len Pastabelli reports that renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews has sent a letter to all 32 teams regarding Leftwich's status. Andrews says that Leftwich is cleared to participate in all drills, and that there will be "no further removal of surgical hardware."

The "no further removal of surgical hardware" phrase implies that some removal of surgical hardware already has occurred.

Still, the fact that Leftwich concealed the nature of last season's injury until late February rightly should raise/fuel concerns. Leftwich claims that he previously said nothing about the injury because he didn't want opponents to target the leg. Even if Lefwtich genuinely believes that teams weren't already targeting his gimped-up wheel, he played his last game in late December.

So why did he need to keep it secret at a time when he no longer needed to keep it safe?

Even if Leftwich makes it through his Monday workout without any limps or hops or hiccups, questions will continue to swirl regarding his health unless and until each team has a chance to examine the leg thoroughly and completely. And if Leftwich hesitates at all in this regard, it'll confirm that he's merely engaged in a high-stakes bluff intended to get him paid like a top ten guy in 2003 . . . even if he won't be able to play until 2004.

 

I can't believe anyone has any reservations in drafting Leftwich. No one seemed to have a hard time with Marino and his slowness. If the Panthers have the opportunity to draft Leftwich and pass, it could easily go down as the Panthers biggest draft day blunder since the Eddie George/Biakabutuka or Vonnie Holliday/Jason Peter debocle. Draft Leftwich and come out looking like a genious

 

I'm with you, PantherPaul. You don't get that many chances to draft a franchise quarterback, and I just have this good feeling about Leftwich. If he makes it to #9 and we pass on him, it'll be a huge mistake. Besides, we may have a perfect situation to develop him. He can adjust from the shotgun to being a drop back QB while Peete/Delhomme start for a year or two. If his leg is as healthy as Dr. Andrews says, I'd even trade up for him. I just can't shake the feeling he's going to be a difference maker.