Twenty years of QB hunting

The following is mostly 20 years of quarterbacks that NFL teams were spending high picks on in hopes of finding their new starting QB. it should come down to winning seasons, so how many have been worth the pick and investment?


2000 - #18 Chad Pennington (so much better than that Brady kid from Michigan)

2001 - #1 The Dogkilla, The Brees #32 overall (top of rd 2)

2002 - #1 David Carr! #3 Joey Harrington #32 Patrick Ramsey (Shoowee that’s a stank trio)

2003 - #1 Carson Palmer, #7 Byron Leftwich, #18 Kyle Boller, #22 Rex Grossman yeesh

2004 - #1 Eli, #4 Rivers, #11 Ben, #22 JP Loseman (excluding JP, WOW)

2005 - #1 Alex Smith, #24 Aaron Rodgers, #25 Jason Campbell (pretty good value at 24)

2006 - #3 Vince! #10 Matt Leinart, #11 Jay Cutler (any QB in history streakier than Cutler?)

2007 - #1 JaMarcus Russell, #22 Brady Quinn, #36 Kevin Kolb, #40 John Beck, #42 Drew Stanton (only Leaf out-busts Russell)

2008 - #3 Mattress Ryan, #18 Joe Flake’O (The only two NFL QB’s in this entire draft)

2009 - #1 Stafford, #5 Sancheeze, #17 Josh Freeman (Jets and Bucs, nice job!)

2010 - #1 Bradford, #25 Tebow, (#48 Jimmy Elizabeth Clausen . .. sorry to bring him up)

2011 - #1 Super Cam! #8 Locker, #10 Gabbert, #12 Ponder, #35 Dalton, #36 Kaeperdick

2012 - #1 Luck, #2 RG3, #8 Ryan Tannehill, #22 Brandon Weeden (coulda picked Russ Wilson, or even Foles!)

2013 - #16 EJ Manuel, #39 Geno Smith, and absolutely noone worth a third of a turd . . . crickets

2014 - #3 Bortles, #22 Manziel (#22Brown magic!), #32 Bridgewater, #36 D Carr, & “Game Manager” Garoppolo at #62!

2015 - #1 Jameis, #2 Marcus, and absolutely noone else worth a forth of a turd

2016 - #1 Goff, #2 Wentz, #26 Paxton Lynch, (Pats pick Brissett at #91, Pokes take Prescott at #135, solid starters currently)

2017 - #2 Trubisky, #10 Mahomes, #12 Watson, (Panthers FO sent gift baskets to the 7 teams that passed on CMC)

2018 - #1 Mayfield, #3 Darnold, #7 Allen, #10 Rosen, #32 Jackson, (IMO only Allen, Jackson, will be winning from this crop)

2019 - #1 Murray, #6 Jones, #15 Haskins, #42 Lock, (Jones is probably the only winning starting QB here. Minshew looks intriguing tho)



How many of the above were (or would be) worth signing to lucrative extensions?

Interested in your takes, and not just on Cam.

 

Pennington and palmer being huge what ifs based on health.

 

You left off wilson. In the late rounds 2012, I think.

He deserves lots of cabbage.

If brissett continues to play well and becomes a franchise starter, he's due a decent extension as he's prolly low now.

But I'm an ncsu homer, so...

 

Looking at 4 guys all picked in 2012 along with Andrew Luck (GONE along with about 19 mill in dead $)
Tannehill was picked at #8, Wilson was taken at #75, Foles was #88, and Cousins at #102.

Tannehill is on a bench after getting paid in Miami for mediocrity at close to 25 mill a year
Foles is locked into 4 years at 22 million a year (25.5 with incentives) and may not be back til week 11 or 12 ???
Cousins . .. 3 years of meritocracy at 28 million a year, fully guaranteed!
Wilson is probably the current MVP front runner and therefore EARNING the top $$$, 35 million a year for 4 more years. He is winning and playing in his prime (or at least at a very high level). Who can argue that he deserves it, and the same can be said for a few others like Rodgers. . .. Guys like Tannehill (in Miami) and Cousins . .. nope.

Yes, The "what ifs based on health' suck and make all that money a huge dice roll. No matter what may happen to Cousins he will cost a team crippling 84 million. It looks like Roethlisberger has a 30 million injury guarantee if he does have a Tommy John-like career ender. As well as Bridgewater is playing Brees may be exiting after this season leaving a cap dent too.

So what does the above say about giving Cam an extension and staying all-in with him???
Like Luck he was a #1 overall. A former MVP, a super bowl QB, and proven winner, but how much of the aforementioned positives have to do with current and (and future) Cam? Is Cam Newton still capable of playing to that level? How much of his obvious prior value had to do with his legs and mobility? Once the foot heals will he still be able to consistently avoid pass rush, scramble for big chunks and Super Cam over or through trench piles? Current foot injury aside it's been a while since we've seen that. THAT is what used to make him super. He has never been as accurate as Wilson, or made decisions as well and as quickly as Wilson. Why should he be extended like Wilson, or any of the others above for that matter

Somebody explain to me why it makes since NOT to take the massively less expensive route at this point

 

Ok, if your question is based on all the "other stuff", it's not a simple Cam or Allen. I answered based only on a healthy Cam vs Allen. Salary cap etc wasn't part of my thinking.

Taking the WHOLE picture in, Cam has to be solid to retain long term. But the answer at QB minus a healthy Cam isn't (imho) on the roster.

 

We need to see more of Allen. He'll either sink of swim over the next few games- hell he might get better, I dunno.

I do believe if Allen wins more and more games and doesn't tank, it's gonna be hard to put cam in and expect the crowd and fans not to boo like shit if he plays like shit.

The best case scenario is Allen keeps playing well, gets a few more wins, then a healthy cam comes in and lights it up, making Allen look like a good back up at best (which he likely is).

 

It will be interesting to see what the reaction is IF Allen does not put the ball on the ground and gets another W vs bucs. It will also be very telling how Newton would respond to that . .. hopefully he will want to get back on the field asap (when healthy) and be driven as fuck to get back to winning himself