Debate: Let the QB play right away or wait?

[samikeyp]

If you have a quarterback that you have drafted to be your future, do you start him right away or do you prefer he sit and learn?

QB's like Troy Aikman, John Elway and Peyton Manning started from day one. They took their lumps but turned out to be Hall of Famers (well, potentially in Peyton's case) David Carr is another one...his team is struggling but he is having a great year. However for every Aikman, Manning and Carr there is a Tim Couch, Ryan Leaf or Akili Smith. In this day in age of win now, can a franchise afford to let the young man learn or must they take their chances?

Personally I think if you have the luxury of letting a young QB learn behind a veteran, you should. Unfortunately, if you are drafting a top flight QB, it usually means you are on a bad team and probably do not have a successful veteran to learn from. I say let them play.

Discuss.

[jalbre6]

I don't like the approach of not letting them see the field all year like Kitna-Palmer. I also don't like getting a poor kid punished like David Carr was as a rookie. If possible, put the kid in two or three series a game at first, much like what's done fairly often at the NCAA level with underclassmen. Then depending on his progress, adjust his number of snaps. At the very least, let him hold for field goals...just get him on the field.

Aikman, Manning, and Elway took some serious lumps, but all were #1 overall picks going to complete dog clubs (yeah, Denver was crappy too, just not as crappy as Baltimore was that season) where there wasn't any veteran better to lead them. To a degree, same with Carr. Couch was the first overall pick of an expansion franchise, much like Carr. He showed flashes of brillance at times, much like Carr. Really, since this is only season three for Carr, the jury is still out. I like him and I think he's a gamer, so I hope he works out. The difference between these four and the other two were a heightened maturity level.

Akili and Ryan Leaf were just two guys not ready for the league mentally. Arizona traded the pick to San Diego for Leaf, maybe the smartest thing that franchise has don't since going to the desert. Leaf couldn't handle pressure, whether it was on the field, through the media, or via the fans. Akili had only one season as the starter at Oregon, '98, but it was a doozy. Smith was a Juco transfer, and he only started two or three games the season before. He had a criminal record with assault and DUI highlighting. It was said repeatedly that when he was in the game for Cincy, they could only tun about 25% of the playbook becaus the rest was over his head. Worst part was, the Vikings took Daunte Culpepper at 11 when Akili was drafted third.

If this thread is about Eli Manning, Warner played so well that an old-school coach like Coughlin wanted to stick with the vet. Everyone in NY wanted Eli to play more, but they also didn't think that the Giants had a chance to be decent. Once the wheels fell off Warner's bandwagon, Eli was thrown the keys. If it's about Henson, an approach like what I listed above might be better. When the team is 3-6 behind your 41 year old QB, it doesn't matter that Drew hasn't been in a game situation in three years. He can't do much worse.

[samikeyp]

actually it is not specifically about Eli but with him starting now and the clamor for Henson...it inspired the thread. I agree about Henson. If Dallas loses to Baltimore, which I see happening, I think Henson stars against the Bears. I figure either he has what it takes and can show it and you can build on him next year, or he doesn't have it and you can plan your off-season accordingly.

[jalbre6]

Agreed. What I've wondered is if the Cowboy braintrust is kicking themselves for not grabbing JP Losman with the pick they sent to the Bills.

Henson is under an eight year deal as well, remember.

[samikeyp]

supposedly Henson is the shiznitt. Alot of scouts were saying if he had not gone for baseball he could have been drafted high...some said even ahead of Carr. But three years off is alot. I will believe it when I see it. Hopefully he is not godawful like Hutchinson.

[jalbre6]

Henson challenged Tom Brady for his starting job when Drew was a sop re and Brady was a senior at Michigan, and look how well Brady came out. Cowboy fans should hope for the same.

[DrRich]

JP Losman is definitely not the answer. The guy was a decent QB on a very mediocre Tulane team. Highly overrated IMO.

Hensen needs to get some playing time ASAP. Vinny was brought in to tutor him. Unfortunately, all he's teaching Drew right now is how to throw INT's by throwing into double coverage(ex: 101 yrd int return in 4th quarter)

[PeterBurns]

After the Chad Hutchinson project, I am still puzzled that the Cowboys went in this direction.

[DrRich]

Drew Henson was a starter on a legit College football team. Hutch was barely a college QB at all. Had Henson stayed at Michigan, he would have been a first round QB.

[AlamoSpursFan]

Agreed. What I've wondered is if the Cowboy braintrust is kicking themselves for not grabbing JP Losman with the pick they sent to the Bills.

Looking at the Bills current record, I doubt they're kicking themselves very hard...

[rr2418]

Hensen needs to get some playing time ASAP. Vinny was brought in to tutor him. Unfortunately, all he's teaching Drew right now is how to throw INT's by throwing into double coverage(ex: 101 yrd int return in 4th quarter)

DrRich,

Vinnie is playing well right now. Because of a weak defense, I think Vinnie is forcing the issue, trying to create things. I guess it's the compe ivness in him. Replacing Vinnie is not going to make the defense suddenly play better.

[King]

After the Chad Hutchinson project, I am still puzzled that the Cowboys went in this direction.

Because, when you remove their baseball past, Drew Henson and Chad Hutchinson are polar opposites.

[Duff McCartney]

Looking at the Bills current record, I doubt they're kicking themselves very hard...

Well it's not like JP Losman is actually sniffing the football.

[samikeyp]

He got in against New England.

[AlamoSpursFan]

Well it's not like JP Losman is actually sniffing the football.

I wasn't referring to Losman's performance (or lack thereof). I meant that Parcells is probably jerking himself raw at the thought of 2 top ten picks in next year's draft.

[jalbre6]

JP Losman is definitely not the answer. The guy was a decent QB on a very mediocre Tulane team.

I think Losman's going to be good. Tulane's last three long-term QB's are all in the NFL, Shaun King, Patrick Ramsey, and Losman.

[DrRich]

I didn't say he doesn't deserve to be in the NFL. I'm just saying he isn't going to lead any team to the SUper Bowl.

rr, are you watching the same games the rest of us are? VInnie is playing horribly. But then again he may be playing as well as a 41 year old QB can.

[jalbre6]

I'm just saying he isn't going to lead any team to the SUper Bowl.

Normally, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but look at some of the QB's that have gotten to the big game the last few years. Jake Delhomme? Trent Dilfer?

Getting to the Super Bowl nowadays is about having the team buy into a team concept. Most teams don't need a gamebreaker under center anymore, they just need a guy who won't up, more of a football custodian than a playmaker.

That, and I think that coaching is more of an art now than it used to be. Even ten years ago, handing the ball off to Emmitt 30 times, then making sure Aikman could convert 3rd-and-short pass plays resulted in Super Bowls. Now, there's situational players for virtually every play, and coaching is more about masking weaknesses and altering the game accordingly rather than exploiting them in other teams. That only flies in college ball these days.