With Josh Freeman getting benched by the Tamp Bay Buccaneers this week and immediately demanding a trade, it’s safe to say that the QB’s from the first round of the 2009 have more or less been disappointing in their tenures. The franchises in discussion, the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Detroit Lions, have been labeled as a few of the NFL’s more dysfunctional franchises and were in need of franchise QB’s after the seasons they came off of (Detroit’s 0-16 the most noteworthy). Let’s take a look back and see how these QB’s performed for their respective teams.
MATTHEW STAFFORD (#1 OVERALL PICK, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, DETROIT LIONS)
Probably the most talented out of the trio, Matt Stafford has put up some impressive numbers, but there have been some questions regarding his durability and his ability to come up in the clutch at times. With a compliment of offensive weapons, most notably Calvin Johnson, Stafford brought some stability to a QB position in Detroit that hasn’t been stable in quite some time. With his gifted tools, there are some times where he throws a high number of picks, which prevents him from being one of the elite QB’s in the league, and in addition to that, he has had a number of injuries, most notably regarding his shoulder. He needs to have consistent regular seasons that lead to playoff appearances and wins, but that more or less falls on Detroit not having a solid defense. If Detroit had a re-do, I honestly think they would still pick Matt Stafford
because of the physical tools that he brings to the table. A solid pick indeed!
MARK SANCHEZ (#5 OVERALL PICK, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK JETS)
Out of the three, Mark Sanchez had the most success coming out of the gate, going to not one but two straight AFC Championship games. With that being said, Mark has been plagued with inconsistent play throughout his career, most notably the past two seasons where he has had the most turnovers than any other QB (And the distinct owner of the Butt Fumble). Most people will agree that while he was a pretty effective game manager and made some big plays during the Jets’ run to the AFC Championship games, he wasn’t the primary reason for their success. There have been times where Sanchez has made mistakes that a seasoned veteran like him shouldn’t make, and this is one of the factors in the decision to draft Geno Smith. After getting hurt in the preseason, the chances of seeing Sanchez play another down for the Jets are pretty slim. If the Jets had a re-do, I think they would go after another player knowing what they got out of
Sanchez.
JOSH FREEMAN (#17 OVERALL PICK, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS)
Now, in my honest opinion, Josh Freeman is the wild card in the bunch. On one hand, he has all of the physical tools to be a great QB, but on the other hands, his progression has been pretty slow to where he makes some pretty boneheaded decisions. He did have his best overall season in 2010, but besides that, has not done a whole lot with the team besides putting up solid stats. Perhaps the best situation for Josh Freeman would have to be on another team that can utilize his skills while at the same time correcting his decision making, for that’ll be the only way that he succeeds in the NFL. If Tampa Bay had a re-do, I think they would take Freeman, but only after much consideration to other positions on the team.
Written By Executive Prodcer Gregory Delaney
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