More David Carr Meandering

Here is some more info regarding David Carr and his relative worth amongst current prospects for the 1st pick and past QB prospects.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/content/draft/draft_set.asp

David Carr received as 7.0 grade by Joel Buchsbaum. He was tied with Mike Williams, Brian McKinnie, and Julius Peppers for the highest player grades in this year's draft. So the idea that David Carr doesn't belong in the top tier of overall prospects is being dispelled very quickly.

Michael Vick received a 6.45 grade in last year's evaluations.

The much glorified 1999 quaterback class had Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, and Daunte Culpepper all received a 6.80 grade that year. A lot of posters have been harping how David Carr was only an elite QB prospect with respect to this year's QB class. According to Buchsbaum's evaluations, he receives a higher overall grade than any quarterback in the 4 drafts.

Then again, this is only one person's opinion. But I think Buchsbaum is a very fair, respected, and reputable talent evaluator. It was kind of surprising to see David Carr ranking higher than the 99 class. There seems to be a lot of sentiment that the Texans would be reaching by drafting a QB with the 1st overall pick. I kind of preferred Julius Peppers at the out set. But the likelihood of drafting Peppers appears nonexistant.

Also, am I the only one who is noticing Casserly subtly taking some jabs at Brian McKinnie's game. Every time he's on 610 and McKinnie gets brought up, it doesn't seem as if drafting McKinnie is a possibility. He talks about how McKinnie's a level below Boselli, Ogden, and Pace when they came out. He questions his work ethic, and he thinks his height will hurt him especially considering he doesn't get low enough leverage in his blocking.

Also, I think McKinnie not giving up a sack in his entire football career is not that big of a deal. First off, he hasn't played football that long. Secong, not giving up a sack in high school is a given. If he is 6'8" , 320 lbs right now, that means he was one big ass kid in high school. Of course he is not going to give up a sack.
Plus, other people have had that deceptive honor as I am pretty positive Leonard Davis shared that honor last year of not giving up a sack. I think Mike Williams has given up only one sack his entire career on some fluke play( I read what happen a few months ago, and the circumstances really had no reflection of his ability).

Here are his scouting reports for some QB's:

(A brief report in October about Carr)

At 6-3, 225-235 pounds, Carr has the size the NFL looks for in a quarterback these days. Carr is a very tough and competitive young man who has the ability to elevate those around him.

He sets up well, has a quick delivery and has a quick, live, strong arm that lets him zip the ball down the field and throw the deep sideline routes. He also shows touch on his throws and does not throw a heavy, hard-to-hold-onto ball. He can thread the needle and responds well to pressure. His performance at the end of the Colorado State game was Elway-like.

On the downside, Carr is a semi-sidearm thrower with a lower release point than teams would like. Carr tends to be a little streaky and at times is not quite as accurate as teams would like. However, other times he will really thread the needle. As is the case with most strong-armed young quarterbacks, he’ll force some passes because he has too much confidence in his arm. Perhaps the biggest problem he has is that while he is not slow and can get outside the rush at times, he is not a very shifty, quick-footed, nimble or elusive runner who can buy time behind the line of scrimmage by scrambling around similar to an Elway or Tarkenton. But Carr can throw while sprinting out.

QB Michael Vick
(6-0¼, 215, 4.4 E) Virginia Tech
Notes: Left-handed passer. Redshirted in 1998. Set the college football world on its ear as a second-year freshman, when he completed 90-of-152 passes for 1,840 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions and carried the ball 108 times for 585 yards and eight scores. Named All-Big East while finishing third in the Heisman voting and leading Virginia Tech to a perfect regular season and the right to play Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. In that game, Vick’s team came up short, but he was valiant in defeat, completing 15-29-225-1 and carrying the ball 23-97-1. Was in the running for the Heisman in 2000 until he suffered a high ankle sprain vs. Pittsburgh. Tried to play but was not effective in the Miami (Fla.) game and really struggled until the Gator Bowl, when he won game MVP honors. For the season, Vick completed 87-161-1,234-8-6 and ran 104-617-8.
Positives: Natural leader who other players seem to gravitate to. Great competitor. Wants to be the best and wants to win. May have been the best pure athlete in the country the past two years. Has superior speed and quickness. Outstanding runner and scrambler with a great blend of speed, quickness, power and niftiness. Very difficult to sack. Must be kept inside the pocket because if he gets outside, he can run or throw for big yardage. Has a superquick, no-windup throwing motion and terrific arm strength. Arm is so strong he can throw with great velocity and great distance despite the fact he does not step into his throws. Has exceptional football instincts and vision. Can make the amazing pass or throw at any time. Will literally flick the ball with his wrist and throw a BB 15 yards or throw a perfect arched pass 59 yards down the field. Great improvisor. Can turn any broken play into a big play. A defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare. Could develop into a true franchise player.

Negatives: On the short side. Is just barely six-feet tall. May have some trouble seeing from the pocket. Only played two years of college football and is not prepared for the NFL. May have a hard time going from everyone’s hero in college to a multimillionaire player whom everyone seems to want a piece of. More of an option-running-type quarterback in college. Has undeveloped throwing mechanics and some bad habits. Does not always hold the ball up like he should. A lot of times, he throws without stepping into the throw, relying solely on pure arm strength. Never has had to do much in the way of reading coverages. Will make some bad decisions with the ball at times. Has small (eight-inch) hands, which could lead to problems holding on to the ball and gripping it in rainy or very cold weather. (Remember Dave Krieg?) Lacks patience. Generally does not go through his progressions and just bolts the pocket if his primary receiver is covered. At times holds on to the ball too long and seems confused. May not know how to really watch game films. Within two weeks of entering his name into the NFL draft pool, he changed agents and supporting cast, which may show instability and immaturity on his part.

Summary: Is not ready for the NFL but may still be the first player picked because he is such a great and magical athlete and has such a remarkable combination of speed, running skills, football instincts, toughness and arm strength. By coming out this early, he has a far greater chance of never fully realizing his potential in the NFL. May be in a position where he has to play right away because of the type of money the top pick in the draft gets. Then the team that drafts him will probably have to just turn him loose and let him continue his schoolyard, spontaneous style of play without learning the correct way to maximize his throwing ability and read coverages.

TIM COUCH
(6-4, 225, had not run as of presstime/4.75e) Kentucky
Notes: High-school All-American and Parade high-school Player of the Year. Regarded as the top football recruit in the country in 1996 and also was considered a top basketball prospect. Signed with Kentucky in ’96 but was really unhappy in Bill Curry’s option offense. Did not fit in and started just two games, completing only 32-of-84 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Came into his own in ’97, when Hal Mumme and his four- and five-receiver passing game came to town. Hit on 363-547-3,884-37-19 and led the nation in passes attempted, completions, yards per game and completion percentage. Continued to improve in ’98, when he hit on 400-553-4,275-36-15, won All-Southeastern Conference honors, made many All-America teams and finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Was healthy at the Scouting Combine but did not test, throw or run as a result of the advice he received from the group representing him.
Positives: Loves the game. Good work ethic. Solid intangibles. Seems to have command of the game. Reads the field extremely well. Has almost uncanny ability to quickly get his body into good throwing positions. Excellent size. Good, high release. Holds the ball high and can flick the ball quickly with just his wrist when he has to. Fine athlete. Handles bad snaps in the shotgun well. Good feet. Can dash off when he is in trouble and throw on the move. Shows some ability to scramble, avoid the rush and improvise. Nice, soft touch. Throws a very catchable ball. Extremely accurate short passer. Can put the ball in nearly perfect places for his receiver to catch it. Completed 72.3 percent of his passes in ’98. Has enough arm to throw the longer patterns. Has become better every year and improved by leaps and bounds.

Negatives: Played in a four- and five-receiver offense in which he generally threw a lot of short passes. System helps build great stats and is somewhat similar to the University of Houston’s run-and-shoot, which hid the shortcomings of Andre Ware and David Klingler from the pros. In the system Couch has played in, they wanted him to throw passes of under 20 yards and very few passes in the 20- to 30-yard range. Thus, he has very little experience throwing those types of passes. Does not have a great John Elway/Dan Marino-type arm. Ball will flutter at times, and he rarely drives the ball, but at times he does show he can drill the ball 20 yards on a line. Needs a lot of work on his deep passing and must adjust to the fact that NFL defensive backs will break on the ball a lot faster than the college players he generally faced. Usually lined up in the shotgun. Only played three years of college ball, and his first year was pretty much a washout. Aside from his freshman year in college, has known nothing but great success and could have a hard time if he goes to a bad team and is thrown to the wolves.

Summary: Will probably be the first player taken in the draft and is potentially a special quarterback. Physically, he is a more mobile and athletic Peyton Manning, but Manning played four — not three — years of college ball and was in an offense that was more similar to what NFL teams use.

DAUNTE CULPEPPER
(6-4, 247, 4.68) Central Florida
Notes: His mother was a troubled teen, and Culpepper was adopted when he was an infant by then-62-year-old widow Emma Culpepper, who had taken in 15 children over the years. Had a 1.5 grade-point average going into his senior year in high school (needed 2.0 to avoid being a Prop 48) but raised his GPA so much as a senior that he was able to qualify. Although a premier high-school athlete, Culpepper was not heavily recruited by anyone but Central Florida assistant coach Paul Lounsbury until he got his GPA up, so he remained loyal to the one school and man who had literally taken out his calculator and come up with a game plan that showed Culpepper how he could make himself eligible. Also was a top high-school basketball and baseball player who was drafted by the New York Yankees. Four-year starter at Central Florida. Completed 168-of-294 passes for 2,071 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and ran 85 times for a net of 17 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman in ’95. Completed 187-314-2,565-19-15 and ran 94-102-2 in ’96. Completed 238-381-3,086-25-10 and ran 136-438-5 in ’97. Completed 296-402-3,690-28-7 and ran 141-463-12 as a senior. Completed an NCAA-record 73.6 percent of his passes as a senior.
Positives: Tremendous athlete with rare size. Can see from the pocket and has been very durable. Powerful runner who can shake off rushers and tacklers. Can improvise and scramble. Has a very strong arm. Has improved accuracy and touch over the course of his career. Can throw all types of passes and will allow the team that drafts him to draw its pass routes on longer paper. Literally put the Central Florida program on the football map and helped it make the jump to Division I-A. Completed 24-35-318-1-1 vs. Nebraska as a junior. Was coached by former NFL QB Mike Kruczek in college, ran a pro-type offense and was taught how to read progressions.

Negatives: Worst game of his senior year, and perhaps even his career, came against Auburn, which threw more complex coverages and more tight man-on-man coverage against him than he had seen before, leading to four interceptions. Has a tendency to put too much touch and air under some of his throws and to underestimate how quickly major-school defensive backs can break on his ball if they are playing tight man coverage as Auburn did. Very inconsistent release point and seems to get a lot of passes batted at the line for somebody his size. Tends to get too heavy. At times, leaves you with the feeling that all the parts are there, yet something is missing. I would like to see a little more emotion from him on the field. Seems to be almost too low-key for a leadership position.

Summary: Looks like a bigger Steve McNair with more touch and accuracy from the pocket and not quite as much mobility or running ability.

DONOVAN McNABB
(6-2 1/8, 225, 4.62) Syracuse
Notes: High-school All-America football player from Illinois who came to Syracuse because he fit the veer-freeze option offense and liked the coaches and school. Also was a star basketball player in high school and was a backup guard on the Syracuse basketball team until his senior year, when he concentrated on football. Football redshirt in 1994 and has started the past four years. Was named the Big East’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in ’95 and the Big East’s Offensive Player or co-Offensive Player of the Year the past three seasons. Was third in the nation in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman in ’95, when he completed 128-of-207 passes for 1,991 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran 123 times for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Big East co-Offensive Player in ’96, when he hit on 118-215-1,776-19-9 and ran 97-458-3. Was ninth in the nation in passing efficiency in ’97, when he was true on 145-265-2,488-20-6 and ran 110-404-6. Had his best season in ’98, completing 157-251-2,134-22-5 and rushing 135-438-8. Was superb vs. Michigan and made the big plays in the clutch against an exceptional Virginia Tech defense. Finished fifth in the Heisman voting.
Positives: Comes from a good, supportive family. Is very tough and competitive. Has been extremely durable in college. Super athlete with nice size, outstanding quick feet and great ability to avoid the rush. Is very elusive in the pocket. Sees the field well and, unlike most option, scrambling-type quarterbacks, stays focused on the field when he scrambles and is looking to pass first. Has an NFL arm and can zip the ball. Looks like Warren Moon throwing the ball when he gets into a good groove. Worked hard to improve his throwing accuracy after he gave up basketball, and, at times, it showed in ’98. Has a quick arm and can unload the ball quickly when he has to. Can throw on the move without setting his feet. Shows a remarkable ability to improvise and make plays when nothing seems to be there. Turns busted plays into big plays. Has started four years at a fine football school and faced many outstanding teams before packed houses. Handles pressure and will often come up very big in the clutch (see West Virginia). Very fine runner who can run for positive yardage. Made tremendous progress during practices at the Senior Bowl and then interviewed very well at the Scouting Combine.

Negatives: Played in a freeze-option offense, which means he faced mostly man-on-man coverage and did not have to do that much reading of defenses. Generally, when he did have to read defenses, he just had to read half the field. Can still be a streaky and erratic passer. Needs work on his drop-back techniques. Still must improve timing, touch and anticipation of receiver. Tends to hold on to the ball too long and must learn when to unload. Gets sloppy with the ball at times and is very sloppy when he comes up under center to handle the exchange, leading to unnecessary fumbles. Played in a domed stadium in college and has not had to play in a lot of bad weather. Needs to work on his deep passing. May not be tough enough with his teammates and may be too nice of a guy.

Summary: A great athlete who has always been a play maker and a winner. Needs a lot of work to convert from an option quarterback to an NFL quarterback, but he has the tools to work with and the desire to be the best. Fits the new, more mobile mold of NFL quarterback with his size, mobility and ability to improvise, and he should have a bright future if he gets with a team that will gear its offense to his skills.

For the rest of the 1999 class, here's the link:

http://archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/draft_1998/quarterbacks.asp