03’ Quarterback Prospects- "Year of the Lefty"

[BogusTrumper]

By Buffalo Bills Insider Eric Shults
A QB pick is expected to start off this April’s NFL Draft festivities, so what better to place to start my 2003 positional rankings.

www.billsinsider.com (http://www.billsinsider.com)

Everything you need to know about QBs slated for the draft. Does it square with your list?

[EricStratton]

His list is pretty complete and it looks like no QB of significance will be available once we are picking in the late rounds.

If one of the top 6 happens to fall to round 3 then maybe things change.

[BogusTrumper]

I think we're all set for QB but the quality of the this class of QBs could determine who has picks left for the positions we need to shore up in the later rounds.

[EricStratton]

That's a good point BT, having solid QB prospects in the draft puts lots of pressure on teams to pick one even if they have greater needs.

[finsrclowns]

Originally posted by EricStratton
That's a good point BT, having solid QB prospects in the draft puts lots of pressure on teams to pick one even if they have greater needs.

Very true. And it's possible, if Palmer goes top 5 as expected and Leftwich goes to Carolina and Boller to Baltimore, Green Bay could get nervous about getting Grossman and decide to move up. That would improve the Bills chances of getting an impact player at 23.

[BogusTrumper]

Hey! How come my K-State QB is an "other?"

http://www.billsinsider.com/QBProspects.htm

:?:

http://www.billsinsider.com/qbDunn.htm

[Player6600]

Good Job Eric

[MiamiMasterpiece]

I wonder who will take Dorsey, i see him being a big bust in the NFL. Maybe i'm wrong.

[EricStratton]

Originally posted by BogusTrumper
Hey! How come my K-State QB is an "other?"

http://www.billsinsider.com/QBProspects.htm

:?:


Because he went to KState.

[EricStratton]

Originally posted by MiamiMasterpiece
I wonder who will take Dorsey, i see him being a big bust in the NFL. Maybe i'm wrong.

I think you're right.

[BogusTrumper]

Originally posted by MiamiMasterpiece
I wonder who will take Dorsey, i see him being a big bust in the NFL. Maybe i'm wrong.


Dorsey’s an intelligent kid with a great work ethic; he’s a film-room junkie and a meticulous student of the game. "Mr. White" looks like a future coach-type. Dorsey is a geek, for real-and tight assed-thus I like to think of him as "Mr. White". Other nicknames that come to mind are Dorkey, Bones, Cracka, and Stick Boy.

But lets get things clear right off the bat. Despite countless hours of media babble concerning his 38-2 record as a starter at Miami, that means absolutely nothing as far as the draft is concerned. It reflects the fact that "Dorkey" was surrounded by one of the best "support staffs" in college football history.

* * *

Bottom Line: Ken Dorsey is an extremely over-hyped big name college player who doesn’t project well to the next level. I have Dorsey as the eight-rated senior QB prospect coming out this April, and an extremely marginal first-day value. I think he’s late fourth-round material at very best, but it’s not hard to picture some desperate club drafting him higher, maybe somewhere even in the second round. Dorsey will have to prove he can still throw as effectively when facing pressure, and that his anorexic-looking frame will hold up under the heavy pounding he will face. Has the mental makeup, should he boost his arm strength, to eventually become a NFL starter down the line. Personality goes a long way, and Dorkey has very little. I wouldn’t want him in my huddle.

http://www.billsinsider.com/qbDorsey.htm

[BogusTrumper]

Originally posted by EricStratton
His list is pretty complete

Click on the names in the list for a complete analysis

[EricStratton]

One thing I agree with Eric on that the "experts" don't is he thinks Leftwich will be a better pro then Palmer as do I.


I just think Leftwich has all the tools to be a great NFL QB.

[Mouldsie]

great article!

[BLeonard]

Nice article and nice analysis on the QB's available... My only problem is the following:

"Keeping it real, Brown is expendable, and so is Doughboy for that matter. Alex is an adequate veteran backup, but is earning pretty good money for being a second stringer to a very expensive starter in Drew Bledsoe, and has a arm that’s not a great fit for Buffalo’s offense. It would be prudent for the Bills to grab a young QB now to develop, and hasten the eventual departure of Alex Van Pelt."

Obviously, I took parts out reagrding Dinkins and Brown, because I really don't have problem with them. If a third stringer is getting significant snaps, the team is in trouble anyway. My main beef is regarding VanPelt.

I personally don't think that paying $950,000 for a backup like an Alex Van Pelt is that God-Awful much. I think that Alex is one of the best backups in the league, given the economics of today's NFL. As for his "eventual departure," he's signed through 2006, so, barring a move by the Bills, he's not going anywhere, and the contract he's under will likely be the last of his career. As for "has a arm that’s not a great fit for Buffalo’s offense," I think that this season, you'll see a lot less of the going down the field than you saw in 2002, due to the fact that Price is gone and the Bills look as if they will play more of a smashmouth ball control offense than they did last season. Should Bledsoe go down, I think VanPelt would fit in just fine.

While this year's QB class is good, I personally am not too crazy about the Bills drafting a QB in 2003... The reason being is that, assuming Bledsoe is the starter until after the 2006 season (He'll be 34) and VanPelt plays out his contract, the QB that we would draft this season is almost guaranteed no playing time for 3 years, and likely wouldn't have a shot at a starting role until Bledsoe is ready to call it a career. I'd say that the Bills are fine at the QB position until at least the 2005 draft. By then, you could draft a guy that could realistically challenge Van Pelt for at least the backup spot, and would also be capable of taking over for Bledsoe when he's ready to hang it up. By then, the Bills could justify taking a QB in the 2nd or 3rd round, and get a younger, more talented player than they'll get in 2003.

Very well organized article though... Very In-depth and complete.

-Bill

[TigerJ]

Nice work, Eric. A lot of these guys I know nothing about, but it looks like you did your homework. From the looks of things, I don't see Buffalo taking a flyer on anybody in the late rounds of the draft. I wouldn't be surprised if Buffalo signs a guy and sticks him on the practice squad and next spring sends him to NFL Europe (if it's still running). Buffalo doesn't need anyone to make the team this year, so they can afford to wait for a guy with a little potential to mature and get decent coaching.