Did the Redskins waste a lot of draft picks to move up from sixth to second in the upcoming draft? ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay might tell you they did.
When asked to compare two of the top quarterbacks in the draft during a conference call with reporters today McShay said, "I don't really believe the difference between Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill is all that big, to be honest."
The Redskins gave up their second-round choice this year and their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 to move up. They will draft Griffin if the Colts, who have the top pick, do what most assume they will do and take Andrew Luck.
Tannehill is likely to be available when the Redskins original pick at sixth overall.
So, what do you think? Is McShay out of his mind? Or could Tanehill be as good as Griffin or have a career that is close enough to RG3’s to make the Redskins wonder why they gave up those three premium draft picks?
One of the biggest reasons RG3 is a great fit for Washington is the Redskins' fan base believes he has an incredibly high ceiling or "upside" due to his extreme athleticism and college performance. This means the team and their fans will be far more patient with RG3 than they would have been with any other QB prospect. This is critical since most highly drafted rookie QBs are terrible their first 2 seasons. In other words, great NFL quarterbacks are DEVELOPED, not simply drafted.
The reason this is relevant is because Tannehill is not perceived this way by the fan base. The fan base would NOT be patient while Tannehill developed/ struggled through his first two or three seasons. For this reason alone RG3 is the correct choice.
The reasons why many people in the NFL talk about Tannehill's tremendous upside:
• 6’4", 220 pounds.
• 3-time ACADEMIC All-American.
* 3,700 yards, 29 TDs this past season.
* Tremendous speed and athleticism. Formerly was Texas A&M's LEADING wide receiver.
* Throws beautifully tight spirals.
* Expert at throwing while on the move.
* Deadly accurate throwing short passes to receivers in stride.
* Tremendous at throwing the ball with pinpoint accuracy into tight spaces.
* Was successful in former Packers Head Coach Mike Sherman’s pro-style offense at Texas A&M. (In other words, he's already proven he's comfortable progressing through a series of reads after the ball is snapped.)
* In Texas A&M’s VICTORY over RG3's Baylor this season Tannehill tossed 6 TDs.
All this being said, I doubt Tannehill will become an NFL "franchise QB." He won't be given anywhere near the patience and number of seasons to develop as this year's two highest drafted QBs. Those MULTIPLE, patient seasons as a team's starter are critical for a franchise QB's development and eventual success.
Quarterback | Year 1 Rating | Year 2 rating
Brees | 77 | 67
E Manning | 55 | 76
Theismann | 58 | 62
Steve Young | 57 | 65
Aikman | 56 | 67
Elway | 55 | 77
Simms | 66 | 59
Plunkett | 69 | 46
Bob Griese | 62 | 76
Fouts | 46 | 61
Bledsoe | 65 | 74
Bradford | 76 | 71
Leinart | 74 | 62
Dilfer | 60 | 65
Pastorini | 44 | 57
Plummer | 73 | 75
Posted by: Billy Crawford | Friday, March 30, 2012 at 05:31 PM
A completely different take on Tannehill:
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Last-word-on-Tannehill.html
Posted by: Billy Crawford | Friday, March 30, 2012 at 06:14 PM