KingZip Posted February 27, 2005 Report Posted February 27, 2005 Packers may be interested in QB Frye By Dylan B. Tomlinson PackersNews.com INDIANAPOLIS — With Brett Favre’s future in question and three picks in the first two rounds of this year’s NFL draft, there is a strong chance this could be the year when the Green Bay Packers use a high pick on a quarterback. The Packers were ready to take Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman last year but never had the opportunity when the Buffalo Bills jumped three slots ahead of them in the first round to select Losman with the 22nd pick. California’s Aaron Rodgers and Utah’s Alex Smith are rated as the top two quarterbacks in the draft and are both expected to be among the top picks. “They both obviously were outstanding and successful this past season,†Packers General Manager Ted Thompson said. “They both have traits that would lead you to believe that they’re going to have fine careers in the NFL.†But those careers almost certainly won’t be with the Packers. Rodgers is the early favorite to be taken by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 1 overall pick. Smith likely won’t go much later, and might be taken as high as No. 3 by the Cleveland Browns. “You really can’t go wrong with either of them,†Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel said. There isn’t likely to be a can’t-miss quarterback prospect on the board when the Packers pick at No. 24 in the first round. But there are several quarterbacks who might interest the Packers when they’re making their selections in the first and second rounds. Akron’s Charlie Frye might be the most intriguing of those prospects. Frye was named MVP at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month, and was so impressive that week that Oakland Raiders coach Norv Turner, who coached Frye’s North team, said Frye “made himself millions of dollars with that performance.†Frye said the Packers have been one of the teams to show the most interest. He said he would relish the opportunity to learn from Favre and play in Green Bay. “I would love to play for the Packers,†Frye said. “Just to be on the same field with Favre would be a tremendous honor for me.†In the last few years, there almost always seems to be a quarterback who draws the inevitable comparison to Favre. In 2003, it was Florida’s Rex Grossman. Last year, it was Losman. This year, Frye is that guy. While comparing any undrafted, unproven quarterback to a future Hall of Famer such as Favre might seem absurd, the comparison is usually a statement to a quarterback’s toughness and scrappy play rather than an expectation that a player will have a career similar to Favre’s. “He has all of the traits you look for in a quarterback,†Browns General Manager Phil Savage said. “His toughness really stands out.†While Favre has become legendary for his toughness and his ability to play hurt, Frye developed quite the reputation as an iron man while at Akron. In 2002, during his sophomore season, Frye played nine games with a broken thumb, and still managed to complete 65 percent of his passes. Favre played the final nine games of the 2003 regular season with a broken thumb. “When people mention my name in the same sentence as his, I’m almost speechless,†Frye said. “I’ve always wanted to be the type of player he is and I’ve always admired his ability to play hurt.†Frye is just the latest of pro quarterback prospects to come out of the Mid-American Conference. A few years ago, playing at a mid-major could be seen as a knock on a quarterback since he didn’t play against major-level competition. But lately some of the best young NFL quarterbacks have come out of the MAC. Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich both came from Marshall and have had considerable success with the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. Ben Roethlisberger came from Miami of Ohio and was named NFL rookie of the year after going 14-0 as a starter during the regular season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “They’ve erased all of those doubts,†Frye said. “But they’ve also set the bar pretty high for the rest of us.†Quote
Zipsrifle Posted February 28, 2005 Report Posted February 28, 2005 How did we ever land that guy???? Is he playing this thing smart or what! Quote
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