For those of us who were not alive to see it, how did the class of '83 look out of the gate?

[oldmanfan]

The original question was how the rookie class of 83 looked in 83.  Marino was a stud his rookie year.  Elastic struggled a bit but you could tell he was going to be good.   The others didn't play much.

 

Different times now with all these kids playing early.   But to say this class is better than a class with 3 HOFers is premature to say the least.

[RPbillsfan]

8 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

All of the first rounders except for Baltimore are all starting before mid season is even here...........

 

I realize that this will not be fully know for a few years......but does this look like the greatest QB draft ever?

Elway starting but not playing well, Marino backing up and threw two TD's in mop up role, Blackledge backing up and not playing, O'Brien backing up Richard Todd,  Tony Eason backing up Steve Grogan, Kelly lighting it up for USFL Houston Gamblers

[Tcali]

8 hours ago, BillsEnthusiast said:

This thread stems from the thread asking if this was already the greatest QB class ever. I was not alive in 1983, and I was wondering how some of the quarterbacks looked right out of the gate. I won't count Kelly because of the whole Houston Gamblers thing. But, how did guys like Ken O'Brien or Todd Blackledge look? Did Elway and Marino look like world-beaters from the start? I know Marino sat for a few games, but Elway started immediately. 

Elway was bigger than life to start. Marino was close to bigger than life. Remember that stats were different back then. QBs didnt go 20 for 25.The WRs got roughed up.Dinks and dunks were rare.You could see they were both gonna be great early.O'Brien started slow but you could see the good arm.He didnt have the quickness or vision that Elway and Marino had.Obvious from the beginning.--I would guess the 18 QB class wont match up to 83....-But Goff and Wenz '17---we shall see.

 

I see a similarity in swagger between Allen and kelly. Kelly way more accurate arm and better QB smarts.Allen better athlete. Both with the sports healthy'im superior' attitude

[Rochesterfan]

9 hours ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

Don’t know yet.  Mixed bag from Darnold and Allen.  Baker Mayfield has played one good game.  Rosen played 4 minutes and looked okay.  LJ is at best a gadget player at this point.  We’ll see.  ‘83 was a pretty good class.

 

 

Darnold played well in game one after a pick six on his first throw, but has not looked great in weeks 2 or 3.  I think McCown would give them a better chance to win, but Darnold needs the snaps to grow.

 

Allen looked shaky in Baltimore and the first half against LA, but he showed steady improvement in the second half and against Minn.  Needs to keep getting better.

 

Mayfield played 2.5 quarters and looked excellent against a Jet team that was prepared for TT.  I did not see much adjust from NY and Mayfield picked them apart with throws to spots TT can not (will not) usually throw to.  I look forward to seeing him against teams that game plan for him.

 

Rosen played about 4 minutes and I was very unimpressed.  He threw a pick and a pick six that a penalty wiped out.  It was a no win situation, but he looked no better than Bradford and I thought many of his passes lacked some zip to get where they needed to go.

 

I agree 83 was a good class, but it is way to early for comparisons at this point.  Heck Kelly was not even in the NFL because of the USFL - so very hard to judge.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Rochesterfan

[Fadingpain]

9 hours ago, Skins Malone said:

Well it certainly could turn into something special.  I still wonder about Rosen.  Idk why really but he is the one a wonder about the most.  I just dont see any fire.  He has that Jay Cutler type demeanor to me.  But he could be great who knows.

 

If it does turned into something truly special the Bill's were part of it again...just like we were in the Kelly draft.

The 4 minute or so that he has played were lacking in fire, huh?

 

 

[Wyokid]

9 hours ago, BillsEnthusiast said:

This thread stems from the thread asking if this was already the greatest QB class ever. I was not alive in 1983, and I was wondering how some of the quarterbacks looked right out of the gate. I won't count Kelly because of the whole Houston Gamblers thing. But, how did guys like Ken O'Brien or Todd Blackledge look? Did Elway and Marino look like world-beaters from the start? I know Marino sat for a few games, but Elway started immediately. 

Well I’ve been aBroncos fan for a long time but I was only 12 when Elway was drafted. I can tell you that he was pretty bad. He was also drafted that year by the New York Yankees ( he was that good at baseball too). It got so bad for him that he contemplated leaving football for a baseball career. He was better his second year but still struggled. What saved Elway were the comebacks. He would suck for 57 minutes and then have this ridiculous comeback. In his defense he didn’t have a lot of talent around him but it seemed to click in his 3rd year and the rest is history. 

[SDS]

9 hours ago, mead107 said:

I’m to old to remember.  Over 35 years ago. ?

Nothing is grabbing me.  

 

Is this meant to be funny?

[Albany,n.y.]

It looks like most of you are either too young or didn't follow the USFL.  Kelly played 2 of the 3 USFL seasons.  He didn't sign in time to play the 1st season and ended up signing with the expansion Houston Gamblers.  He played for the Gamblers both of their 2 seasons.  He lit it up but took a lot of sacks running the run and shoot offense.  I'll give you an example of Kelly's toughness even in the USFL:  I was listening to a NJ Generals/Gamblers game (I was living in the NY metro area in the 3 USFL seasons) on my way home from Queens to Suffolk County.  In the 1st half Kelly went out with a knee injury.  The announcers were feeling bad for Houston because they speculated that Kelly would be lost for weeks.  The 2nd half starts and to the announcers amazement Kelly returns to the game. That was my introduction to the toughness of Jim Kelly.    

After the 3rd USFL season in spring 1985 it was announced there would be a move to the fall in  1986. One aspect of that move was the merger of Houston into the Generals.  The Generals already had Doug Flutie at QB but everyone knew Kelly would be the Generals QB .  The Generals actually had a camp where Flutie and Kelly were shown in photos throwing side by side. After the league ended up with the $3 verdict the league eventually suspended operations letting the p!ayers go to the NFL.  By that time a number had already left for the NFL with some leaving after the spring of 1985 and playing the fall 1985 NFL season.  The suspension eventually became the folding of the USFL.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Albany,n.y.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

As long as Allen becomes a Hall of Famer is all that I care about.

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Buffalo Barbarian

[Dadonkadonk]

Marino was great. Elway was terrible. Blackledge even worse - could not even beat out a journeyman QB.  I think Eason sat behind Grogan most of the year. O’Brien sat behind Todd.  Eason had a few good seasons, O’Brien too. Elway got better.

[BuffaloBillsGospel]

14 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

All of the first rounders except for Baltimore are all starting before mid season is even here...........

 

I realize that this will not be fully know for a few years......but does this look like the greatest QB draft ever?

 

There was 3 HOF QB's in that draft (Elway.Marino, Kelly), this class would have to produce 4 HOF QB's, the odds are unlikely but not impossible. 

[DefenseWins]

8 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Kelly played really well in the USFL as well, he and Steve Young played what anyone who ever watched it claims to be the best game of football ever played. 

 

The best game never seen, I think they called it. Kelly eeked our the win in the end. 

 

EDIT: “greatest game no one saw.” 

 

And the two QB's (Kelly and Steve Young) later had the famous "No Punt" game out in San Francisco in 1992 (9-13-92)

[26CornerBlitz]

8 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Kelly played really well in the USFL as well, he and Steve Young played what anyone who ever watched it claims to be the best game of football ever played. 

 

The best game never seen, I think they called it. Kelly eeked our the win in the end. 

 

EDIT: “greatest game no one saw.” 

 

 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

17 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Strongly disagree.  3 games is a strong sample size.  This is the best qb class ever and I don’t think it’s close. 

 

...according to the TBD Rules Book, three games defines a career for analytical purposes......................

[NoSaint]

17 hours ago, Sky Diver said:

 

Rosen isn’t very mobile and he doesn’t throw well while on the move.

 

Plus he has that saban voodoo hex on him

[billsfan1959]

15 hours ago, ShadyBillsFan said:

That’s an insult to the HoFers. 

 

A career backup lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. 

 

Ironically, Hostetler was in the right place at the right time because Simms was injured during the Bills/Giants game a month earlier...

[PlayoffsPlease]

18 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

All of the first rounders except for Baltimore are all starting before mid season is even here...........

 

I realize that this will not be fully know for a few years......but does this look like the greatest QB draft ever?

No . it is not close to the 1983 draft class. The odds of multiple hall of famers being in the 2018 class is very small. 

[BuffaloRush]

Sometimes it takes more than a season or two to determine how good a QB is going to be.  Look at an RG3 who had a breakout rookie year but was never the same after teams caught onto him and after his injury.

 

Also, I was around for this but Ken O’Brien has a breakout 2nd year, made it to the Pro Bowl and helped the Jets to the playoffs.  But after that he was largely an average QB.  

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

19 hours ago, Like A Mofo said:

I think the evaluation process was so different then. Blackledge especially, I have been a PSU fan since 1981 and I don't remember him being all that good, he was a good QB in college on a stacked team. I think scouts etc back then valued wins and team success in college more then they do now.

 

I'd be really shocked to hear that was the case, however I think these days with all the computer analysis and other data available today, it's much easier to separate a players success out from a teams success.  Back then it was more blurry so they got sucked into thinking the player had more to do with it than he really did.

 

Kelly was in the USFL for was it 2 or 3 seasons, and Marino didn't start the first few games so trying to make anykind of meaningful argument after 3 weeks is a complete waste of time.

[Augie]

19 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Strongly disagree.  3 games is a strong sample size.  This is the best qb class ever and I don’t think it’s close. 

 

But some of these guys didn’t play right out of the gate. Be fair - give them two more quarters! 

 

I get the original question....how did the ‘83 class look early on. To be honest, it’s hard for me to say. Kelly wasn’t with us yet, and you didn’t have the same level of coverage. No Sunday Ticket, etc. Just a paragraph on each team in the USA Today once a week. Odd how times have changed SO MUCH!