Congratulations to Sam Bradford, Charlie Casserly's top QB of the past four drafts

So if you were watching Path to the Draft this evening, you know the NFL Network asked Charlie Casserly to rank top prospect Blaine Gabbert versus the other successful 1st round QBs who have come out of the past 3 drafts. Charlie combined all the first rounders from 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 and came up with the following rankings.

1. Sam Bradford, Rams 2010
2. Matt Ryan, Falcons 2008
3. Matt Stafford, Lions 2009
4. Blaine Gabbert, ???? 2011
5. Mark Sanchez, Jets 2009
6. Joe Flacco, Ravens 2008
7. Josh Freeman 2009.

There you have it folks, Charlie says Sam is the best pro-prospect QB of the past four seasons. How about 'dem apples? You can watch the video here.

Why Sam? One word: Accuracy. I had a hunch he was going to say that. Casserly makes no bones about it when he says that throwing accuracy is the most important talent/skill a quarterback can possibly have. As Troy Aikman says, all the size, strength, speed, and toughness in the world won't do a QB any good if he can't put the football where it has to go on any given play. Charlie says Sam is way more accurate that any other guy on that list.

The one quibble I had with his ranking system is the position of Josh Freeman at #7. Although I have not said much about it, I am very bullish on the future of the Bucs. I think they are looking like a fundamentally solid team on offense. They need some additional work on defense, but I think they will make the playoffs and give some people fits in 2011... if there is a 2011.

Certainly, Freeman is the key to their success. Tampa won some very close games last season, not the least of which was their battle with my Rams. That had a hell of a lot to do with the clutch drives and clutch plays Josh Freeman made late in the game.

I am extremely partial to clutch players. If you are a QB with fantastic comeback ability, you will score thousands of extra credit points in my book. The Unitases, Staubachs, Elways, and Roethlisbergers of this world rank at or near the top of my all-time great list because of their incredible clutch play.

Josh Freeman has already shown that he can turn the tide of battle in the clutch moments of the game. Personally, I would put him no lower than 3 on the list.

In Charlie's defense, it seemed that he was ranking these young QBs as prospects. That is, based on their pre-draft scouting reports. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that some of their pro play leaked into his report, though. I will grant you that Josh Freeman surprised many of us with his clutch play. I don't know about you, but I didn't see that in the tea leaves.

Quick thoughts about the pre-season

So the month of August is winding down to an end, and I realize that I have only blogged some 5 times during this month. It has been an incredibly busy time. I have been working late every night on a major project at work involving WPF, I took advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program, and I am preparing to buy my first shogun and townhome. Wow... that is a lot of stuff in just one month.

Item #1: Bulger breaks his right pinking finger. Well, here we go again. It has often been said Buger is a china doll. How many QBs have busted the pinkie finger on their passing hands taking snaps from a Pro-Bowl center? This is not a good sign. Our guys have not mastered the West Coast, and now we are loosing precious practice time necessary to get it right.

Item #2: Coach Cable busts his assistant's jaw. Well what can I say about this? The scuttlebutt says that Defensive assistant Randy Hanson is Al Davis's personal snitch. This is the dude who reported all of Lane Kiffen's sayings to Al Davis. Rumor has it that Mr. Hanson was continuing in this role under the Cable administration. Cable found out about the leak and busted Hanson's jaw. The X-Rays show a clean fracture. Yesterday, it was reported that Hanson is cooperating with the police and the police intend to question Cable about this incident. Wow... I do have a new found respect for Cable. This is a man's man. He's don't take no shit from his subordinates. Gotta feel bad for the Raider fans. Just as they appear to be getting it together, it seems to be coming unglued again.

Item #3: Tom Brady looks like shit in his return from the IR. The NFL Network showed split screen side-by-side comparisons of Brady throwing during his historical 2007 season and during the 2009 preseason. It is clear that Brady's movement and comfort level are not the same. Specifically, he is not planting and stepping into his throws correctly. Why? Because it hurts like hell, that's why. The results have been some wildly off-course throws sailing well over the head of Randy Moss.

Item #4: Brett Farve looks like shit in his first outting with the Vikings. Well... what can you say about this? He looks like a dead man walking. He looks like a guy with about 1,000 injuries. The debut was last Friday night at the Metrodome. It was terrible. On Saturday night, the Packers played the Panthers at home in Green Bay. The cheese-heads in the stands were waving signs saying "Cash for clunkers: The Vikings are paying Brett Farve." Rumor has it that there is now an insurgency in the locker room. Some Viks want Tavaris to be the QB.

Item #5: Kyle Orton looks like shit in his first two outings with the Broncos. I suppose owner Pat Bowlen will come to Shannahan on bent knee asking him to take his old job back at the end of the 2009 season. Orton looks obnoxiously bad. I mean he sunk up the joint like a dead skunk. Phil Simms son Chris should be the man for the Broncos this year.

Item #6: Tony Romo looks pretty damn fine in the Texas opener. I have to say that the Cowboys looked pretty damn fine destroying the Titans 30-10 in the grand opening of the new Taj Mahal of professional football. On the opening drive, the Cowboy starters jammed the football right down the throat of a starting Titan defense that was absolutely determined to stop them. The Titans weren't fooling around either. Dallas just knocked them off the line of scrimmage on running plays, and Romo made some tremendous throws in the passing game.

Item #7: Stafford is struggling a bit. I really like Matt Stafford. I really hope he will be the solution for the long suffering Lion fans. There is nothing I would like better than the Lions and the Rams to be the Miami and Atlanta of this 2009 season {except maybe for the Cardinals to win SB44}. May the meek inherit the NFL. Still, Matt is struggling right now. He's doing exactly what Mike Mayock said he was prone to do. He makes one sensational throw that takes your breath away. He then makes one bone-headed decision which results in an Interception. Matt Stafford may become the new Brett Farve. Detroit will accept that and embrace that if it happens. Brett Farve is better than anything they have had in 50 or 60 years.

Item #8: Sanchez looks pretty good: Sanchez has already been declared the opening day starter. I think it is a good decision. The Jets have one of the finest offensive lines in football. Mangold, Faneca, and Ferguson are the best left side of a line since Dalby, Upshaw and Shell. Sanchez's ass is covered. Let him learn how to play and prosper.

Item #7: It looks like Packers vs Dolphins in the Super Bowl.

If we look hard at the preseason results, the most outstanding teams early have been the Packers and the Dolphins. A strong nod should be given to the Colts and the Saints also. We know preseason football is largely meaningless because of the number of scrubs playing. However, 1-vs-1, these four teams have looked superior. If I was to call it I would say that the Saints face the Packers in the NFC Championship, and the Dolphins face the Colts in the AFC Championship.

Item #5: Ocho Cinco kicks pretty good. We know the Bengals occupy one of the smallest markets in the NFL. They might well also be in the poorest of the 32 NFL cities. I think the Bengals should save money and improve their special teams by letting Chad kick all the time.