After watching the second half of tonight’s National Championship, I can’t say that I’m particularly impressed with Sam Bradford. That interception wasn’t his fault, but he totally choked on his last series. This was the best secondary he faced, and if you ask me he didn’t look like he was ready for the NFL. The main thing I’ve been wanting to see from him is a game-winning or game-clinching clutch drive down the stretch against a great defense. That definitely didn’t happen tonight. I’m just not sold on Bradford. Sorry.
I will also add that I do hate Oklahoma, but I’d take 22 Sooners if that’s what it took to get to the Super Bowl. I’m not being biased here.
As for Tebow, the guy was throwing jump passes and running the option as usual. How can you evaluate that from a pro perspective? There is something that just troubles with me when it comes to the proposition of Tebow, and it’s not just the way he’s been utilized in college. He was homeschooled, he’s a diety down in backwoods community of Gainesville (I used to live in Orlando), he’s spent all of his off time as a missionary. Sometimes I don’t know if he’s ready for the real world and the NFL. He’s obviously got a good head on his shoulders, but he seems a bit sheltered. I’m not saying that he’s Todd Marijuanavich or anything, I’m just saying. Sounds like he might stay in school, so it all might be a moot point.
Addicts, what are your thoughts on Bradford and Tebow?
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Personally, I was really impressed by Bradford. He really displayed a lot of poise in the pocket, granted he has a good o-line, but still. That INT definitely wasn’t his fault, and I don’t know what Stoops was smokin’ to go for the TD when he could have taken the easy field goal. Anyway, I would love to see Bradford in the RED and GOLD next season.
Sounds like you might be prejudiced about Tebow. Have you met him? Have you observed his life closely? I admire your candor but what do you know about his life as a missionary, or being homeschooled? I don’t know enough about his game to say if he is NFL ready. But I resent the fact that you think because he is homeschooled and a missionary that he might be sheltered.
Definition of SHELTERED: “protected from unpleasant or upsetting experiences”. Gosh, you must not know what being sheltered means. Tebow is known for his world travel to help the poor and orphans. He actually has helped perform medical operations on needy children. He’s done Mother Teresa-like exploits in his short life and you say he might be sheltered. (Your comment is embarrassing.)
Worst of all, if Tebow goes on to have a subpar NFL career, people like you will say it’s because he was sheltered in homeschools or something. Shame on you.
I think it was obvious that Bradford is by far the more talented quarterback between the two. His passing skills are extremely impressive. He was also very good at finding his open guy in blitz situations. My concern with him is that he looks like a 17 year old kid, not just physically but also with the way he carries himself. I believe he just needs more game experience, and about another 25 pounds. I think he would have bennifited greatly by another year of school.
Tebow on the other hand is the polar opposite of Bradford. His throwing skills seem a little eratic, but unlike Bradford, I think it is his maturity and fire that make him a good quarterback. I just don’t know if he could pull it off in the NFL. To me his success seems to come from being a man among boys on the field. Adam, I have to disagree with you on the real world stuff. I would argue that he has his head screwed on straighter than 99% of all college kids. He knows what is really important in life, and understands that playing football is a huge privelage. Even in the interviews I’ve been watching, he seems to hold himself more accountable to his team than Bradford does.
I didn’t see anything really from either QB. Bradford looked to me like a decent NFL starter. I don’t know what to take from Tebow, he is definitely a talented football player, but his style doesn’t look like it will translate. Were those really the two best teams in college football?
Stafford is the guy.
Adam:
You are right that the interception was not Bradford’s fault. However, he made a terrible decision with that throw. No time outs, less than 10 seconds left in the quarter and you throw a slant to the two yard line into coverage? Even it if was a completion, the receiver would not have gotten into the end zone and time would have run out before you got a chance to kick a field goal. If you throw a pass short of the end zone, you better be sure the receiver can walk that ball in. For a QB with a reputation of being smart, that was a bad decision.
Merlin, I agree with you. Bradford looked rattled out there. He didn’t look confident.
Dakota Dave, he totally looks like a kid. Then again, so did Eli. I do think Tebow has a solid head on his shoulders and I applaud his character, but I still think he’s a bit sheltered. After all, the NFL is the land of the Pacman Joneses, not Mother Teresas.
Color Red,
He hasn’t been sheltered from experiencing the despair of Third World countries. He’s been a bit sheltered from the real America. After all, the NFL is a pretty ruthless world. There’s just something about him that makes me think he’s in la-la land. If I was starting a charity organization, yeah, he’d be my first pick. For a football team, I’m just not sure.
Larry Bird once said something about drafting players that I liked. He said we’re not looking for milk drinkers. Now, you need to steer clear of the character issue guys, too, but I think I have a legitimate worry here. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” kind of thing. Besides, to each their own.
I never attacked his character, I just questioned whether the real life experiences he had had prepared him for the crazy fast-paced world of the NFL, not to mention the tough times and hardships that young NFL quarterbacks, especially top-draft choices, experience. His life seems like it’s been a cakewalk at every stop thus far. Yeah, he’s handled it EXTREMELY well, but you gotta admit that I have a point here.
I knew I was going to catch flak on this one, but oh well. I’ve never let that hold me back from speaking my mind.
my evaluation is best summarized by using someone elses….so here I echo the comments of “thebryman”:
“I didn’t see anything really from either QB. Bradford looked to me like a decent NFL starter. I don’t know what to take from Tebow, he is definitely a talented football player, but his style doesn’t look like it will translate.”
As far as Tebow’s character, I think, Adam Best, you are not accurately judging the maturity level that he has attained through those charitable exploits he has undertaken….The perspective on life will change completely while doing some of the things he has done….I think it is a positive, by far, that he would see through the trivial things that people like Pacman Jones partake in….Also the NFL is a ruthless world, but mostly in that you have to be extremely disciplined to study your tail off and prepare yourself…I think there is nothing about him that suggests he would not…
Man, I’m an OU fan, but a little more leary of taking Bradford at #3. Last night we got a good close look at what he looks like when things don’t go well. When picking himself up from a sack or int. he just looked like he could cry. Mouth hanging open and all wide eyed like, “Wha? That’s not supposed to happen.” He just came off as very young and immature. And, uhh, in case you haven’t noticed, whoever’s quarterback in KC next year is going to have to deal with a LOT of things that don’t go well.
That being said, I think maturity will come for him. He is darn accurate. He threw a couple of deep balls his receivers should have caught (including 2nd int). If KC is willing to draft him and NOT START HIM with the big-boys right away, but let him mature, then I’m OK with it. But I just don’t see this kid leading a bad NFL team next year. DO YOU???
WOW Adam, long time reader of the site, first time poster!
It seems clear to me that your boy like crush for Crabtree is clouding your judgment. (We see how good drafting the best WR in the 2007 draft did the Lions!) I do concede though that I was far from blown away by Bradford, but his accuracy is what’s impressive and can mature into a far better QB than Thiggy…
With the comment about Tebow you might be totally right and poor Timmy is too sheltered for the big NFL, but something tells me (which you might know living in orlando at one time) that a famous all american college football player at a big organization and the fact of being in Florida, he has seen a fair amount of “corruption” or the “real world” If he ended up in KC, which I wouldn’t be upset, Kansas City would probably be innocent then anything he saw down in Florida at college.
Neither Bradford or Tebow are ready for the NFL. To paraphrase Jerry Glanville the NFL stands for “not for long”. Neither of those two quarterbacks could direct an NFL offense with their current set of skills and level of maturity. If they were given the chance next season it would be “not for long”. Bradford needs to stay in school and get as much playing experience at that level as possible.
I would have to agree with the earlier post – the comments about Tebow and him being protected are embarrassing. You sit at a computer and judge a person who has done countless good things for other people? Perhaps sticking to football and performance on the field might be a better path for you? My hunch is the “walls” the NFL can put up in front of a person like Tebow would be easily put in their place as trivial…one can only imagine the human horror he has been exposed to.
The lesson to be learned from the previous posts is do not insinuate that Tebow is less than Mother Teresa.
Florida was able to move the ball consistently once they realized what got them there: run it with Tebow. His reads are terrible. He has lightning quick receivers to throw and hand off too. He made a big time throw fitting it into a tight spot on 3rd down across the middle, but that’s a very inconsistent throw from him. Bradford never had any pressure on him this year until this game, and we see how that went. I agree he looked adequate and even impressive at times, but at the end I felt dissatisfied with his performance. He is deadly accurate, but made poor decisions with the ball under pressure.
With that said, we go DEFENSE with the 3rd pick and get Curry, a consensus top 5 pick. Bradford will be tempting but I don’t think the new regime wants to start its drafting with a boom or bust pick.
While i may not agree completely with the “homeschooling missionary take” I think you may have fallen victim to a little hyperbole there Red. “He’s done Mother Teresa-like exploits in his short life.” Comparing Tebow’s deeds to that of a women who dedicated almost 50 years to fighting poverty and sickness throughout the 3rd world, is a stretch to say the least. Does he seem to have his priorities straight? Most would say yes. But even if he can walk on water, if he can’t translate his athleticism into success in the pro game then all his humanitarian work is moot to the football world.
On a side note I just wanted to thank all who contribute to this, my favorite Chiefs site. Keep up the good work and again thanks for making my days at work less soul crushing.
BucktheFroncos,
That made my day, man. That’s the very reason I do what I do. Or at least try to…lol…
By the way, this Mother Teresa of Calcutta stuff (thanks, bryman) has got to stop. He’s not Gandhi or MLK, he’s a football player who knows he has a reputation to uphold. Does that take away from what he’s done? No. He seems like a great kid who’s done some solid charity work. But let’s try and keep some perspective on this. I knew people would get all bent out of shape and think that I was attacking his morals and/or religion — I wasn’t. All I was saying is that homeboy might be a little sheltered.
And saying that expressing my honest opinion about Tebow possibly being sheltered is “embarrassing” is embarrassing. What happened to freedom of speech and press in this country? Besides, garyh and Co., who am I to judge him? Well, when he gets to his Pro Day and the Combine that’s all people will do. I’m not judging him as a person, I’m evaluating him as a prospect. That’s fair game in the big leagues.
idk why we are even considering drafting a QB….unless we are just talking about what we thought of them
Thiggy is our guy, unless we land Cassel there shouldnt be anybody else behind center in 2009
tebow has a great love for the game but is just insane sometimes
bradford has a great O-line, you cant expect him to shine on a team like the chiefs that has a horrible line
maybe if you put him on a already successful team, yknow the lions are gonna draft him #1 and he will do nothing but sink
We already have a guy who looks like Bbradford and Tebow, his name is Tyler thigpen, (with a slightly weaker arm and less accuracy which will improve in time). Tyler is only going to get better; should we stay in the same offense.
No Qb in first round if we stick with Gailey as Off. Cordinator, that is what I think, for what its worth….not much…lol.
I agree with both of you guys — no first round QB. I think Cassel-Thiggy would totally be the way to go if we could make it happen.
i don’t want either one. draft defense in the first and second rounds then a qb in 3,4, or 5. give thiggy and chan another year and blow the d staff up. no qb in first round period! no no no
I totally agree with not spending mega bucks for a top 3 quarterback pick. Lets help our porous defense with a top pick (ala Neil Smith) and draft a quarterback in the later rounds. Give Thigpen his chance, he’s earned it, and see what he can do in only his second year as a starter.
Adam, the reason your suggestion that Tebow might be sheltered is embarrassing is based only on what you said: homeschooling + missionary work = being sheltered. That is a hugely simplistic and judgmental conclusion. Any of us can have any varying range of experiences that prepare us for the real world, but you believe that homeschooling and being a missionary apparently shelter a person from enough of these critical experiences. Working with orphans and the world’s poor actually would not be a sheltering, but a revealing experience to some of the worst experience on this planet. So by definition, he sure wasn’t sheltered. But let me ask you: what objective information do you have about Tim Tebow’s life that demonstrates that he hasn’t critically considered or faced experiences that could aptly prepare a young adult for life in the NFL or elsewhere? Don’t give me prejudiced opinion because you have a certain impression of homeschooling and missionary work, but give me actual objective information. What objectively do you know about Tim Tebow’s life? Why don’t you research it and get back to us, or don’t load this site with your prejudice.
And yes, he in his short life has done “Mother-Teresa like exploits”. I didn’t say something stupid like he has done as much work as MT, or gone to the places that MT went, I said he has done Mother-Teresa like exploits. He has worked with orphans in the Philippines and that is like the work that Mother Teresa spent her lifetime doing.
Tebow does a lot of things very well, but the one thing he does very very well on the football field is win. He is not the prototypical NFL QB, everyone agrees with that, but a guy with his leadership qualities on any football team is worth it’s weight in gold. Did you see how he went after the DB that tweaked Harvins ankle? OSUs big mistake was making Tebow mad. He is not a first or probably second round pick as a QB, but he will be a steal for whatever team takes a gamble on him. And I don’t like the Gators or the SEC.
Now onto the Sheltered comment…. Anyone who thinks that homeschooling or missionary work in any way translates to being sheltered has a lot of homework to do. Most college recruiters are looking for Homeschooled kids because they are ust the opposite. The kids in public school are the ones who, as a rule, are sheltered and not ready for the next level. There are exceptions to every rule, and society tends to focus on the homeschooling exceptions. The kids that do not get an education or who are stuck in a cult like religious experience by their parents. But if yo look at the numbers and do the math homeschoolers as a demographic are far more prepared for life and more successful than public or private school kids. Folks also want to focus on the big successes of the public and private schools kids which are statistically the exception once again. In Chicago only 18% of 8th graders in the public school system can read at an 8th grade level. I gaurantee you that in Chicago more than 18% of the homeschooled kids in the 8th grade can read at their level and probably well beyond it.
Missionary work speaks for itself. Most people who have been on a mission trips abroad or even domestically will tell you it is a lifetime memory. what they learn about the world and themselves is unbelievable.
Adam, you have the right to say or type whatever you want. But you have to deal with the consequences of your actions. In this case the statement makes you look ill-informed, immature and bigoted. Other also have the right to disagree with you and state their opinions. Don’t attack or retreat into a shell because someone disagrees with you. If that is your opinion you could at least provide some insight, reason, personal experience, study, data, facts or whatever in defense. I haven’t seen it yet.
Disclaimer, just to avoid speculation – We homeschooled our 4 kids for 7 years, they were public school prior to that and all will actually graduate from public school. They have all been very successful at school and while homeschooled. Once put back in school they were tutors and mentors for their classmates, at the teachers request. The real key to education is parental involvement regardless of the venue.
Can we get back to football on this thread?
Gatorchomp penalties – very mature. /sarcasm off
Unless Mother Teresa can put on a helmet, stand in the pocket, make good reads, throw tight spirals, and take NFL hits, she’s not much help on the franchise QB front.
Reality check – there are no Matt Ryans in this year’s draft class. There could be a Joe Flacco, but that’s a tough thing to predict. Is there a mid-to-late round gem? Probably but who that might be is anybody’s guess.
Bradford is not ready for the NFL. Stafford falls under the heading “Not For Long.”
When/if we go to select a QB, we need to be thinking later rounds – Sanchez, Freeman, Cantwell, etc.