Quarterbacks Yesterday and Today, and the one who began the movement

Think back to 2002, the year the expansion Houston Texans became the 32^nd team in the NFL. They were awarded the #1 overall pick in the draft. Their selection: David Carr, quarterback, Fresno State. Carr was the decided guy to lead the new team and provide them stability and success. However, after an opening night win against the Dallas Cowboys, Carr’s career went down, just like he did with sack after sack. It wasn’t all Carr’s fault. Clearly he didn’t have the offensive line or other offensive pieces to have a realistic chance at winning. But when you think about it, who could they have gone to? Below is a list of names of the Quarterbacks of 2002 and today:

                2002                                  2011                                  2002                       2011

NY Jets – Chad Pennington                 Mark Sanchez                       Phil – Donovan McNabb     Michael Vick

NE – Tom Brady                                                                                    NY Giants – Kerry Collins    Eli Manning

Miami – Jay Fiedler              Chad Henne                                          Wash – Patrick Ramsey       Rex Grossman

Buffalo – Drew Bledsoe      Ryan Fitzpatrick                                    Dall – Quincy Carter            Tony Romo

Pitt – Tommy Maddox         Ben Roethlisberger                               G.B. – Brett Favre                 Aaron Rodgers

Clev – Tim Couch                 Colt McCoy                                            Minn – Daunte Culpepper McNabb

Balt – Jeff Blake                    Joe Flacco                                              Chi – Jim Miller                     Jay Cutler

Cincy – Jon Kitna                  Andy Dalton                                          Det – Joey Harrington         Matthew Stafford

Tenn – Steve McNair           Matt Hasselbeck                                   T.B. – Brad Johnson             Josh Freeman

Indy – Peyton Manning                                                                       ATL – Michael Vick              Matt Ryan

Jax – Mark Brunell               Luke McCown                                       N.O. – Aaron Brooks            Brees

Hou – Carr                             Matt Schaub                                         Car – Rodney Peete            Cam Newton

Oak – Rich Gannon              Jason Campbell                                    S.F. – Jeff Garcia                   Alex Smith

Den – Brian Griese              Kyle Orton                                             Sea – Matt Hasselbeck        Tavaris Jackson

K.C. – Trent Green               Matt Cassel                                           St.L. – Marc Bulger              Sam Bradford

S.D. – Drew Brees                Phillip Rivers                                          Ari – Jake Plummer             Kevin Kolb

Overall, there are some good names, some bad names and some names where the jury’s still out. Here is a list of names you, as a GM, would likely want for your Houston Texans in 2002:

Brady, Bledsoe, McNair, Manning, Brunell, Gannon, McNabb, Collins, Favre, Vick. Total – 10 QBs

I know what some of you are thinking that I left off some good names. Remember, however, that Drew Brees in 2002 wasn’t the Drew Brees of today, Hasselbeck had yet to prove anything, Daunte Culpepper had some good seasons but he was very inexperienced at that time, and Garcia was not the one to lead a franchise into the future.

Now let’s count the names under the 2011 list of QBs that you would want for your team as an expansion franchise:

Sanchez, Brady, Roethlisberger, Flacco, Peyton Manning, Schaub, Cassel, Rivers, Vick, Eli Manning, Romo, Rodgers, Cutler, Stafford, Freeman, Ryan, Brees, Newton, Bradford. Total – 19 QBs

What does that show? Number one, the NFL is now more than ever a passing league. The quarterback position has never been so important and you just can’t win a championship without an upper echelon signal caller. Number two, the Houston Texans should have looked to trade. Oh yeah, they did, acquiring Matt Schaub, who now leads them into a promising 2011.

Who was the number one pick in the 2011 draft? Some kid named Cam Newton. Let me say that I am not anointing him as the next John Elway. However, it looks like the Carolina Panthers have the quarterback of the future, which is vastly needed in a division with QBs like Brees, Ryan and Freeman. But let’s flat out say it, albeit in a losing effort, Cam Newton had a game for the ages in his debut. It’s worth noting that his 422 yards doubled the record for a QB in his debut. Whose record did he break? Some guy named Peyton Manning.

This leads us to perhaps the story of the day or weekend. Some people believe that Manning will go down as arguably the best overall quarterback in NFL history. But think about this for a minute, has Peyton Manning ever looked better than week on? The Colts have made the playoffs in each of the last nine seasons, including winning at least ten games in each of those seasons, two Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl 41. Take away Peyton Manning in week one? The Colts get shellacked. Take away Manning for 2-3 months? You hear talk of a dismal season for Indy. Take away Manning forever? I’m sure Colts fans are beginning to wonder. Remember this, Tom Brady missed all of the 2008 season. Matt Cassel stepped in and led the Patriots to 11 wins. You have seen Donovan McNabb go down in multiple seasons, yet the Eagles still stayed on track and made the playoffs whether it was Jeff Garcia filling in or even Koy Detmer. Brees goes to New Orleans and San Diego still charges on with Phillip Rivers and the makes the playoffs four of the last five seasons. I could go on and on with plenty of examples.

Yes I know it’s only week one, but it does look like tough times ahead. Why do the Colts look so bad? The answer is simple. No quarterback has ever meant more to their team than Peyton Manning, and that should be his legacy. With his 3^rd neck surgery in 2 years, it’s possible that #18 may never suit up again. So when I say that Manning has never looked better than Sunday, I mean look at what his team has done or project what his team will do without him. We have heard so many times, ‘well Manning has only one Super Bowl, he’s no Brady.’ ‘Heck, even Big Ben has won more rings.’ But Peyton Manning has never had a coach like Bill Belichick. He definitely has never had a defense like the Steelers. No one in the NFL can do it alone; it is still a team sport. However, Peyton Manning will start to get more praise and more recognition, and that should tell you he belongs in the short list of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.