2012 Quarterback Rankings
- Thread starter Old School
- Start date
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,712
- 599
- 113
- 75
of course we did..
but weren't about to tell Jack..:0003
and my boy from Carolina will be in the top 7 QB's taken in just about every league across the world
Love you fuckers. :0008
I won't be mentioning certain players or teams from here on out. I'll just let their playing ability speak for themselves. :toast:
Mel Kiper Breaks Down The AFC North
In the pay-for-service portion of ESPN, NFL analyst Mel Kiper breaks down the AFC North based on the team's spring and summer acquisitions. ESPN Insider has the story but unless you already or plan to fork over you hard-earned bucks for the right to read this, you will have to rely on the portions we post here on Baltimore Beatdown.
Kiper looks at the draft, free agency, what team's lost and what holes remain in his far from humble opinion. For the Baltimore Ravens, here is what he has to say:
Baltimore Ravens
Help added: The bulk of the additions the Ravens made this offseason came via the draft. Courtney Upshaw fell into the second round and was a steal at No. 35. He is limited as a pass-rusher, but that's not really his main role. He should start immediately. Bernard Pierce can help early behind Ray Rice, and it wouldn't surprise me if Kelechi Osemele is starting at guard before long. He played tackle in college, but I've always said he'd be better inside; I think the Ravens feel the same way.
A quiet addition who shouldn't be overlooked is Vonta Leach at fullback. Baltimore's running success starts up front, but Leach is a seek-and-destroy fullback when it comes to targeting linebackers. With Leach's help, Rice should be able to break off some bigger runs this season.
Questions that remain: There has been something of a misconception regarding the Baltimore pass rush. People talk glowingly about the Ravens and their ability to get to the quarterback, as if the big names and the system make it an inevitability, but it's actually been a weakness in recent years. In 2006, the Ravens got to opposing quarterbacks for a sack, not merely a hit, an incredible 10.2 percent of the time -- an absurdly high rate. But the Ravens hadn't even cracked the top 10 in sack percentage until last season. That rate came because of the brilliant work ofTerrell Suggs. With Suggs trying to work his way back from an Achilles injury, the pass rush is back in focus. Dean Pees has taken over for Chuck Pagano at defensive coordinator, and he has work on his hands. Can Upshaw show pass-rush skills early in his career? Hard to say. He is really a replacement for Jarret Johnson -- an edge-sealer in the 3-4. Can Paul Kruger continue to improve as a pass-rusher? Can Sergio Kindle finally emerge and become the player the Ravens believed they were drafting in 2010?
The Ravens' secondary can be very good, and the offense should be improved if the offensive line jells. Ray Lewis will be Ray Lewis. But they may have to manufacture the pass rush this year unless someone surprises.
Next year's help now: Ricky Wagner, LT, Wisconsin
The Ravens get their left tackle of the future from an offensive lineman breeding ground.
In the pay-for-service portion of ESPN, NFL analyst Mel Kiper breaks down the AFC North based on the team's spring and summer acquisitions. ESPN Insider has the story but unless you already or plan to fork over you hard-earned bucks for the right to read this, you will have to rely on the portions we post here on Baltimore Beatdown.
Kiper looks at the draft, free agency, what team's lost and what holes remain in his far from humble opinion. For the Baltimore Ravens, here is what he has to say:
Baltimore Ravens
Help added: The bulk of the additions the Ravens made this offseason came via the draft. Courtney Upshaw fell into the second round and was a steal at No. 35. He is limited as a pass-rusher, but that's not really his main role. He should start immediately. Bernard Pierce can help early behind Ray Rice, and it wouldn't surprise me if Kelechi Osemele is starting at guard before long. He played tackle in college, but I've always said he'd be better inside; I think the Ravens feel the same way.
A quiet addition who shouldn't be overlooked is Vonta Leach at fullback. Baltimore's running success starts up front, but Leach is a seek-and-destroy fullback when it comes to targeting linebackers. With Leach's help, Rice should be able to break off some bigger runs this season.
Questions that remain: There has been something of a misconception regarding the Baltimore pass rush. People talk glowingly about the Ravens and their ability to get to the quarterback, as if the big names and the system make it an inevitability, but it's actually been a weakness in recent years. In 2006, the Ravens got to opposing quarterbacks for a sack, not merely a hit, an incredible 10.2 percent of the time -- an absurdly high rate. But the Ravens hadn't even cracked the top 10 in sack percentage until last season. That rate came because of the brilliant work ofTerrell Suggs. With Suggs trying to work his way back from an Achilles injury, the pass rush is back in focus. Dean Pees has taken over for Chuck Pagano at defensive coordinator, and he has work on his hands. Can Upshaw show pass-rush skills early in his career? Hard to say. He is really a replacement for Jarret Johnson -- an edge-sealer in the 3-4. Can Paul Kruger continue to improve as a pass-rusher? Can Sergio Kindle finally emerge and become the player the Ravens believed they were drafting in 2010?
The Ravens' secondary can be very good, and the offense should be improved if the offensive line jells. Ray Lewis will be Ray Lewis. But they may have to manufacture the pass rush this year unless someone surprises.
Next year's help now: Ricky Wagner, LT, Wisconsin
The Ravens get their left tackle of the future from an offensive lineman breeding ground.
Who Will Back Up Ravens' Joe Flacco?
At first it seems the easy answer to the story title's question would be the incumbent, Tyrod Taylor. The question of who will end up being the backup to Baltimore Ravens starting QB Joe Flacco could very well end up being a mute point for the fifth straight season.
Since becoming the Ravens starter virtually by default in his 2008 rookie season, Flacco has started every game, totaling 64 regular season games,....and counting. Flacco's potential substitute has ranged from Kyle Boller to Troy Smith to John Beck to Marc Bulger to Tyrod Taylor.
The one thing they all have in common is that none of them have ever been called on to start a real game in a Ravens uniform since Flacco first took the field. The list of backups around the league who have been forced into starting roles for various reasons is too numerous and would require significant research to post. The point is that while other teams have had to adjust to different QB styles over the years, the Ravens QB is fast becoming the next athlete in Baltimore to be know as the "Iron Man," after the Baltimore Orioles' Hall of Fame SS/3B, Cal Ripken.
Tyrod Taylor's view of his competition, led by former Indianapolis Colts QB, Curtis Painter. Painter started eight games for the Colts last season and has a close relationship with new Ravens QB coach and former Colts head coach, Jim Caldwell.
However, Taylor knows the Ravens playbook better than Painter and while Curtis has a lot more NFL game experience than Tyrod, he wasn't exactly successful in his opportunities. Hopefully, the past trend will continue and the ultimate winner in the competition to back up the guy who might just be the most durable NFL QB could end up being just the chance to wear a baseball cap and carry a clipboard on the sidelines as Joe leads the Ravens to another playoff berth again in 2012.
At first it seems the easy answer to the story title's question would be the incumbent, Tyrod Taylor. The question of who will end up being the backup to Baltimore Ravens starting QB Joe Flacco could very well end up being a mute point for the fifth straight season.
Since becoming the Ravens starter virtually by default in his 2008 rookie season, Flacco has started every game, totaling 64 regular season games,....and counting. Flacco's potential substitute has ranged from Kyle Boller to Troy Smith to John Beck to Marc Bulger to Tyrod Taylor.
The one thing they all have in common is that none of them have ever been called on to start a real game in a Ravens uniform since Flacco first took the field. The list of backups around the league who have been forced into starting roles for various reasons is too numerous and would require significant research to post. The point is that while other teams have had to adjust to different QB styles over the years, the Ravens QB is fast becoming the next athlete in Baltimore to be know as the "Iron Man," after the Baltimore Orioles' Hall of Fame SS/3B, Cal Ripken.
Tyrod Taylor's view of his competition, led by former Indianapolis Colts QB, Curtis Painter. Painter started eight games for the Colts last season and has a close relationship with new Ravens QB coach and former Colts head coach, Jim Caldwell.
However, Taylor knows the Ravens playbook better than Painter and while Curtis has a lot more NFL game experience than Tyrod, he wasn't exactly successful in his opportunities. Hopefully, the past trend will continue and the ultimate winner in the competition to back up the guy who might just be the most durable NFL QB could end up being just the chance to wear a baseball cap and carry a clipboard on the sidelines as Joe leads the Ravens to another playoff berth again in 2012.
opcorn2Joe Flacco's Overrated Arm Doesn't Make Him Elite NFL QB
Just because your team won a bunch of games and you've made it past the first round of the playoffs a couple of times doesn't mean you're an elite NFL quarterback.
It could possibly mean that, but it also could mean a variety of other things. It could mean that your defense is one of the best in the league every year. It could mean you have a good supporting cast. It could also mean that you play in the same division as the Browns and the Bengals, which, for the last several years, has provided quite a bit of win-padding on the schedule.
Some say that to be considered elite, you just need to get your team enough wins to get to the playoffs consistently. That's something Joe Flacco has been able to do in each year he's been in the league, which is certainly impressive. But he still hasn't won the game that matters the most because he's never had an opportunity to get there; in fact, he's never been able to get past the conference championship.
And in conference championship games is where he's tended to run into the real elites. Ben Roethlisberger in the '08 season. Tom Brady in '11.
Both of those guys have been to the big game a few times. Both of them have even won it a couple of times. So has Eli Manning.
Flacco hasn't even been there.
It's true that there's a way to establish yourself as an elite quarterback without winning a Super Bowl, but Flacco?at 27?certainly hasn't done it yet. Can he get there? Sure, eventually. But he's not there now.
Flacco made headlines this week when, in the midst of long-term extension negotiations with the Ravens, he told Baltimore radio station WNST that he believes he's the best quarterback in the NFL:
I assume everybody thinks they're a top-five quarterback. I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top-five, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'd be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way. I mean, c'mon? That's not really too tough of a question. But that doesn't mean that things are gonna work out that way. It just means that that's the way it is, that's the way I feel it is, and that's the way I feel it should be.
The wee Manning, too, made a similar claim about a year ago. But Manning has been able to back it up with a couple of rings. It's hard to fault him for running his mouth; he's officially earned the right to do so.
What does Flacco have to show for his claims, other than a 44-20 regular-season record that he can hardly take full credit for, since it's been critically bolstered by a defense that consistently ranks among the best in the NFL?
It's impossible to look at his stats, particularly from this season, and say that Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback.
Let's look at the last five weeks of the 2011 season. Against the Colts in Week 14 (a challenging opponent, no doubt), he posted a 74.2 completion percentage, throwing for 227 yards and two TDs. Good enough.
But the week prior, against the Browns, his completion percentage was 43.5. His quarterback rating was 66.9. He threw zero touchdowns. After the Colts game came another decent week?two touchdowns and 226 yards, nevertheless in a loss versus the Chargers. But then again, in Week 16 against the Browns, he posted a 45.8 completion percentage with just 132 yards and a 73.6 QB rating.
It's a small sample size, but the point is implicit: For the majority of his career, he's been too inconsistent to be considered elite.
Elite quarterbacks amp it up at the end of the season as the playoffs grow closer; Flacco's late-season numbers were all over the place, and he threw four picks in the last four games.
It's also worth nothing that Flacco?Mr. Top Five?didn't finish among the top five in passer rating in 2011. Among those guys?Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Romo, Stafford?are the true elites.
Could you say that he's in the midst of a slump? Possibly.
But it's impossible to tell whether Flacco is truly an elite quarterback until after he successfully emerges from that slump. I'd like to see how many wins Flacco could post on a team like the Browns, the Raiders or the Dolphins.
When he does, we'll know he's elite. Or maybe when he takes down one of the true elites when it matters most?in the playoffs?we'll really know.
http://youtu.be/liXqCwVHqaw
Just because your team won a bunch of games and you've made it past the first round of the playoffs a couple of times doesn't mean you're an elite NFL quarterback.
It could possibly mean that, but it also could mean a variety of other things. It could mean that your defense is one of the best in the league every year. It could mean you have a good supporting cast. It could also mean that you play in the same division as the Browns and the Bengals, which, for the last several years, has provided quite a bit of win-padding on the schedule.
Some say that to be considered elite, you just need to get your team enough wins to get to the playoffs consistently. That's something Joe Flacco has been able to do in each year he's been in the league, which is certainly impressive. But he still hasn't won the game that matters the most because he's never had an opportunity to get there; in fact, he's never been able to get past the conference championship.
And in conference championship games is where he's tended to run into the real elites. Ben Roethlisberger in the '08 season. Tom Brady in '11.
Both of those guys have been to the big game a few times. Both of them have even won it a couple of times. So has Eli Manning.
Flacco hasn't even been there.
It's true that there's a way to establish yourself as an elite quarterback without winning a Super Bowl, but Flacco?at 27?certainly hasn't done it yet. Can he get there? Sure, eventually. But he's not there now.
Flacco made headlines this week when, in the midst of long-term extension negotiations with the Ravens, he told Baltimore radio station WNST that he believes he's the best quarterback in the NFL:
I assume everybody thinks they're a top-five quarterback. I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top-five, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'd be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way. I mean, c'mon? That's not really too tough of a question. But that doesn't mean that things are gonna work out that way. It just means that that's the way it is, that's the way I feel it is, and that's the way I feel it should be.
The wee Manning, too, made a similar claim about a year ago. But Manning has been able to back it up with a couple of rings. It's hard to fault him for running his mouth; he's officially earned the right to do so.
What does Flacco have to show for his claims, other than a 44-20 regular-season record that he can hardly take full credit for, since it's been critically bolstered by a defense that consistently ranks among the best in the NFL?
It's impossible to look at his stats, particularly from this season, and say that Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback.
Let's look at the last five weeks of the 2011 season. Against the Colts in Week 14 (a challenging opponent, no doubt), he posted a 74.2 completion percentage, throwing for 227 yards and two TDs. Good enough.
But the week prior, against the Browns, his completion percentage was 43.5. His quarterback rating was 66.9. He threw zero touchdowns. After the Colts game came another decent week?two touchdowns and 226 yards, nevertheless in a loss versus the Chargers. But then again, in Week 16 against the Browns, he posted a 45.8 completion percentage with just 132 yards and a 73.6 QB rating.
It's a small sample size, but the point is implicit: For the majority of his career, he's been too inconsistent to be considered elite.
Elite quarterbacks amp it up at the end of the season as the playoffs grow closer; Flacco's late-season numbers were all over the place, and he threw four picks in the last four games.
It's also worth nothing that Flacco?Mr. Top Five?didn't finish among the top five in passer rating in 2011. Among those guys?Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Romo, Stafford?are the true elites.
Could you say that he's in the midst of a slump? Possibly.
But it's impossible to tell whether Flacco is truly an elite quarterback until after he successfully emerges from that slump. I'd like to see how many wins Flacco could post on a team like the Browns, the Raiders or the Dolphins.
When he does, we'll know he's elite. Or maybe when he takes down one of the true elites when it matters most?in the playoffs?we'll really know.
http://youtu.be/liXqCwVHqaw
Baltimore Ravens
Odds: 16/1
If these odds were released back in March, they would seem criminally low.
However, now that the Ravens are without a multitude of key starters from last year, including Terrell Suggs, Jarret Johnson and Ben Grubbs, it is difficult to envision them making it back to the AFC title game, never mind winning the whole thing.
They still have enough talent to make a run at the division, but they will only go as far as Joe Flacco takes them. After suffering so many losses on both sides of the ball, the Ravens could easily take a step back this year.
...............................................................
I hope Jack dont see this.
I have a question. If a straight up trade for Joe Flacco for Robert Griffin III could be done before the start of the season.
would the Ravens do it ?
Odds: 16/1
If these odds were released back in March, they would seem criminally low.
However, now that the Ravens are without a multitude of key starters from last year, including Terrell Suggs, Jarret Johnson and Ben Grubbs, it is difficult to envision them making it back to the AFC title game, never mind winning the whole thing.
They still have enough talent to make a run at the division, but they will only go as far as Joe Flacco takes them. After suffering so many losses on both sides of the ball, the Ravens could easily take a step back this year.
...............................................................
I hope Jack dont see this.
I have a question. If a straight up trade for Joe Flacco for Robert Griffin III could be done before the start of the season.
would the Ravens do it ?
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,712
- 599
- 113
- 75
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,712
- 599
- 113
- 75
