PDaDdy Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) I was prompted to write this article after reading that Kevin Kolb and John Skelton will be competing for the starting job in Arizona. I started to think about all of the names that keep getting thrown around in Bills forums regarding FA QBs to bring in that they think are better than what we have. History is now showing us that we can't look at the QB position in a vacuum. QB although the most important position on offense is perhaps the position most effected by the talent around them and the system in place. Kevin Kolb and Matt Cassel have been some names that have been thrown around that we should have pursued. We are being shown that these guys were in fact no better than what we have and teams gave up quite a bit to acquire these mediocre QBs in draft picks and contract money. Both of these QBs have TRUE top 10 #1 WRs, some talent around them and have BOTH been outplayed by Fitz. Are there better QBs than Fitz? Sure. Are there a lot worse? Absolutely. It seems that the single mindedness of some are so focused on gambling on the latest flashy name like say a Matt Flynn that they don't stop to consider the team, scheme and the talent these guys were surrounded by prior to their big free agent signings and the first round picks that it cost to get them. Kolb and Cassel came from GREAT organizations in every aspect. They benefited from these situations and went on to underwhelm. This addresses two points in that past performance on one team and in a particular system doesn't necessarily translate to a new team. It also illustrates the importantance of the team, scheme, talent level and support system around a QB and how that can positively or negatively effect how they are perceived. Past performance whether good or bad has to viewed in the light of what situation they were in. I've already used the perfect example of Kurt Warner who at times bagged groceries, obtained stardom and a super bowl victory, failed horribly again and had his future in the NFL questioned only to rise another time and make it to a super bowl. What was the difference? The team, scheme and talent that he was surrounded by. I hate even using the word because nobody can define it but franchise QBs are more made than they are born. Edited February 20, 2012 by PDaDdy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D521646 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Football, perhaps more than any other game, is truly a team sport. No single player, or even collection of players is going to make you great. You need consistency in order to formulate the equations. Like moving variables if you wish. The better one can slow down the moving objects the better one can become at formulating the equation that puts them altogether.. I know it sounds a bit nerdish to say these things (Physics hobbiest) but the reality is that, the more you can define and pin a particular variable, it no longer needs to be controlled for, and you can move on to other, less defined variables. Apply to a football team, or any team, and the job becomes easier for head coaches and GM's. Tim- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Football, perhaps more than any other game, is truly a team sport. No single player, or even collection of players is going to make you great. You need consistency in order to formulate the equations. Like moving variables if you wish. The better one can slow down the moving objects the better one can become at formulating the equation that puts them altogether.. I know it sounds a bit nerdish to say these things (Physics hobbiest) but the reality is that, the more you can define and pin a particular variable, it no longer needs to be controlled for, and you can move on to other, less defined variables. Apply to a football team, or any team, and the job becomes easier for head coaches and GM's. Tim- I certainly get ya. Interesting way to put it. Is it any surprise that these mythical beasts called franchise QBs tend to come from stable organizations, good schemes and have good talent around them? It is one hell of a correlation if not causation. Edited February 20, 2012 by PDaDdy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I totally agree !! I just hope some one reminds Stevie J of Pearless Price & Nate Clements , both of them left a great situation that they fit in for the money & both didn't live up to the contract !! I can see if you aren't being used or sitting the bench like Kolb was & the competitive fires drive you to be a starter but in SJ's place he has what he has always wanted a starting #1 roll & i think he will let greed alone over ride the perfect fit & become just another high priced has been before his time !! That is why too when i here all of these posts about Mario Williams , Vincent Jackson , & we need to draft a 1st round QB like Blain Gabbert last year that we need to look at who's coming out & like you say the scheme we run & the scheme they come from for the best fit . If you find the right click or chemistry the rest is easy pickins or history as they say !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Football, perhaps more than any other game, is truly a team sport. No single player, or even collection of players is going to make you great. You need consistency in order to formulate the equations. Like moving variables if you wish. The better one can slow down the moving objects the better one can become at formulating the equation that puts them altogether.. I know it sounds a bit nerdish to say these things (Physics hobbiest) but the reality is that, the more you can define and pin a particular variable, it no longer needs to be controlled for, and you can move on to other, less defined variables. Apply to a football team, or any team, and the job becomes easier for head coaches and GM's. Tim- This^ No one player can make a football team better. Every position can always be upgraded but the best way to succeed IMO is to collect as much talent as possible and keep the talent you already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 1329758189[/url]' post='2385891']I totally agree !! I just hope some one reminds Stevie J of Pearless Price & Nate Clements , both of them left a great situation that they fit in for the money & both didn't live up to the contract !! I can see if you aren't being used or sitting the bench like Kolb was & the competitive fires drive you to be a starter but in SJ's place he has what he has always wanted a starting #1 roll & i think he will let greed alone over ride the perfect fit & become just another high priced has been before his time !! That is why too when i here all of these posts about Mario Williams , Vincent Jackson , & we need to draft a 1st round QB like Blain Gabbert last year that we need to look at who's coming out & like you say the scheme we run & the scheme they come from for the best fit . If you find the right click or chemistry the rest is easy pickins or history as they say !! So if Stevie signs a contract with another team, that's more lucrative than what the Bills offer him, he's greedy? I agree with a lot of your post P. I agree, some of the QBs people are clamoring for are laughable. Kolb, cassell and Matt Flynn are great examples. What must be said is that some QBs CAN turn around a team around ALMOST by themselves. Marino, elway, P. Manning, Brees, Brady (cassell did it with moss and Welker, Brady did it with David Patton and Troy Brown). I have a hangover, so I'm not in the frame of mind to strain my brain thinking of others, but I'm fairly certain there are, maybe not HoF qbs, but qbs that were able to change the winning tradition of a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 This^ No one player can make a football team better. Every position can always be upgraded but the best way to succeed IMO is to collect as much talent as possible and keep the talent you already have. Without question this has been the winning formula for every winning team in the NFL. All one has to do is look at how the Bills stack up against this philosophy and you can see the reason for our struggles. Sometimes a small market team needs to over pay for talent but over pay for great not mediocre. It's inflated mid level contracts and dead money for players that haven't been contributors in years that are taking away from resigning our good guys and limiting our ability to obtain difference making FAs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 So if Stevie signs a contract with another team, that's more lucrative than what the Bills offer him, he's greedy? I agree with a lot of your post P. I agree, some of the QBs people are clamoring for are laughable. Kolb, cassell and Matt Flynn are great examples. What must be said is that some QBs CAN turn around a team around ALMOST by themselves. Marino, elway, P. Manning, Brees, Brady (cassell did it with moss and Welker, Brady did it with David Patton and Troy Brown). I have a hangover, so I'm not in the frame of mind to strain my brain thinking of others, but I'm fairly certain there are, maybe not HoF qbs, but qbs that were able to change the winning tradition of a team. Oh no doubt some of these guys are out there but we can't ignore where they came from. Aaron Rogers was phenomenal this year but GBs best game from a QB perspective was perhaps the game Matt Flynn started. Does this mean that Flynn is the next Rogers? Does it mean that Flynn is better than Rogers...OR does it mean that GB has a great team, great scheme and is loaded with talent at the WR/TE positions and Flynn benefited from being in the same scheme with the same coaches for a number of years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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