PHILADELPHIA (BASN – STR/ITR): This declaration was first brought up after Michael Vick had just come out the joint as The Mouse was riding their propaganda hobby horse:

“Name me 32 quarterbacks better than Michael Vick!”

I don’t know what reaction I enjoyed more; the look on Tim Hasselbeck’s face (shock & embarrassment after being caught off guard on national television) or Cris Carter sounding off like he had a pair!

Of course, Carter was banished for a few days off the air for making little Timmy look bad, but the point was made. An effort to slam Vick and further devalue him was co-opted by a player whose on-field contributions put a career scrub QB in check, albeit momentarily.

As we come closer to the next edition of the NFL Draft, the gripes started with the B.S. about this new crop being a “weak class” even before a pass is thrown; in large part, because the first QB likely to come off the board is Black (West Virginia’s Geno Smith).

In the search to fill NFL rosters with clipboard-holders or franchise makers, one line item popped up in the midst of the buy and sell; Vince Young writes a letter of apology to his former head coach, Jeff Fisher.

Aside from the nausea that immediately hit me when I saw it, I was more annoyed at the notion of Young feeling he had to apologize! If anything, Fisher should’ve sent Young a ‘thank – you’ note for saving his job!

When Young came off the bench (and Fisher’s doghouse) to save his worthless ass during the 2009 season, the Tennessee Titans started 0-6 and would’ve been 0 – and forget it had owner Bud Adams not flexed on Fisher to start Young. Young’s yeoman efforts almost rescued the Titans into the playoffs, going 8-2 the remainder of the season; yet no one chastised Fisher for his shortsightedness in doing a number on Young – or attempting to deliberately tank the Titans’ season.

After backup stints with Philly and Buffalo, having owners, GMs and talking heads cryin’ the blues about no talent coming in, Young spent the last year in limbo – whether blackballed or not.

Now having said that, the NFL doesn’t owe you a job; but if the requirement is to have the very best player at the position, then the statement needs to be made:

“Name me 96 quarterbacks – right now – better than Vince Young!”

As we begin at the beginning, of the 13 QBs drafted in VY’s rookie year of 2006, only one (Jay Cutler) is a current starter; and his win-loss percentage is inferior to Young’s 61% (31-19 Young, 51-42, 54% for Cutler). Of the remaining only one other QB besides Cutler and Young made a Pro Bowl (Brad Smith, who was fucked royally by the New York Jets, made it as a return specialist); Matt Leinart, after years of trying to alibi for his non-playing ass, is now a confirmed bust. Bruce Gradkowski and Tarvaris Jackson are still treading water.

 

 

 

 

The 2007 QB Draft was so bad (JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Kevin Kolb, John Beck, Drew Stanton, Trent Edwards, Isaiah Stanback, Jeff Rowe, Troy Smith, Jordan Palmer, Tyler Thigpen) that arguably the best thing going that year was the undrafted Matt Moore, although Stanton is serviceable as a backup).

The 2008 Draft brought two bona fide starters (Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco) one Super Bowl winner (Flacco) and potential in talents like Dennis Dixon, Josh Johnson, Matt Flynn and the undrafted Caleb Hanie.

Given the usual premise of three years being a fair barometer for developing talent and given our original premise, now it gets down to:

Name me 64 QBs better than Vince Young!

 

 

In 2009 it was all about Matthew Stafford’s overrated ass (and 17 wins, 28 losses despite having one of the best offensive weapons in the League in Calvin Johnson). Josh Freeman, while talented is likely heading into a “put up / or” season, and Mark Sanchez? After what the Jets did to him – J!-E!-T!-S! Kiss! My! Ass!

 

Fr 2010, Sam Bradford is selected #1 by the St. Louis Rams (and the last of the big bonus contracts) and a shitload of busts – Jimmy Clausen? Rusty Smith? John Skelton? Tim Tebow (yeah I said it; as a QB, he’d make a great H-Back).

Bradford is 15 – 26 – 1 as a starter; and Tebow for the noise and nonsense, is 8-6 as a starter.

When 2011 rolled around, all the bullshit in trying to subvert Cam Newton as #1 pick ceased when Newton was a no-doubt selection for Offensive Rookie of the Year (like Young).

Cincinnati’s pick of Andy Dalton allowed them to rob the Oakland Raiders and get rid of their long – time scrub Carson Palmer. Colin Kaepernick ascended to last year’s Super Bowl as a starter. Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, and T.J. Yates have shown they can play at this level; while Tyrod Taylor absorbed the offense so well in Baltimore his rookie year they only carried two until last year. Overall you can kick out the apparent mistake made by Jacksonville in picking Blaine Gabbert, and it still doesn’t nullify the potential strength of this draft.

Last year football fans were treated to budding talents like Ryan Tannehill (Miami) Nick Foles (Philadelphia) Kirk Cousins (Washington) and Brandon Weeden (Cleveland) and Dominique Davis made the Atlanta Falcons roster as an invited free agent. But the troika of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson put franchise prime – time players in the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, Washington and the Indianapolis Colts.

So, to review – from where Vince Young came in until now; of those drafted that year or after, only two (Ryan and Flacco) have won more games and have a better win percentage.

Add Stafford, Bradford, Dalton, Kaepernick, Ponder, Tannehill, Luck, Griffin III, Wilson; and when you throw in Tom Brady, Ben Roethlispervert, Peyton and Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tony No-mo, Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees and Mike Vick…

When you break it all down and see that a two-time Pro Bowler, with two fourth-quarter comeback victories of 14 points or more in his rookie year whose “intangibles” show up where it matters most – the win column, then you throw down the obvious:

Name me 32 quarterbacks – right now – better than Vince Young!

Always outnumbered – never outgunned.

michaelingram@blackathlete.com/basneditor@basnnewsroom.com

Copyright c 2013 Michael – Louis Ingram all rights reserved.