Best QB in the draft 2014

[Dr Z]

Houston sports writer John McClain writes the Texans are considering all three.

Fell free to explain your pick below.

This selection could be important to the Browns, as they may have the same selection, one way or another, and are thought to be considering picking a QB.

[GP1]

I voted for Bortles because I like guys who don't go to the BCS schools and have the world handed to them. It toughens the mind and body. He is also very talented in every way that matters....and he has a really hot girlfriend. Imagine the tail he can pull when he has millions and graduates from that busted Daytona stripper he has been seeing.

The other two are very talented in their own way. Manziel is like a Wilson (Seattle) without the challenges of succeeding at two separate colleges and the experience of professional baseball. I like to watch him, but I'd stay away if I was an NFL team. I don't think the fundamentals are there.

Bridgewater is also very talented and well coached. Destroyed some bad teams and periodically struggled against good team. Great fundamentals.

[Balsy]

Bortles. Bortles, Bortles, Bortles. I don't think he's a guy you can plug in immidiately, but I think he's got all the right stuff and the fundamentals to work with.

I don't know why, but I absolutely don't like Johnny Manziel. Something with him just doesn't sit right with me, I don't think he'll be able to handle NFL defenses. I can be proven wrong of course, but I just don't see him succeeding in the NFL. If the Browns were to pick him, I feel like they'd be reliving the Colt McCoy years, just part II.

[zippy5]

If there's one thing I'm sure on - it's that the Browns will pick the wrong one. Bortles seems like a good QB, but he might be falling victim to the hype. Before the BCS game and combine, I don't think he had nearly the expectations that he does now. Teddy Bridgewater has played with the high expectations and thrived, I think he is the best bet, but maybe not the best potential.

[GP1]

If the Browns were to pick him, I feel like they'd be reliving the Colt McCoy years, just part II.

Just about every year since the Browns came back can be described as one part of the McCoy years. They draft a QB then spend two years ruining him before drafting another and starting the two year building process of destroying him.

[Balsy]

Mark my words: The Cleveland Browns will not pick a QB with No. 4 overall. That franchise is about to take flight again, despite the seeming continuous circus that surrounds it.

And if it doesn't...well at least the Zips are improving!

[GP1]

That franchise is about to take flight again

I agree that it is going to take flight again. However, when I think of the Browns taking flight again, I think of this video. The only difference is the flight lasts two years and the guy ejecting at the end is the QB if he is lucky.

[Dr Z]

Of the three, I like Blake. I have only watched a few games of his, and listened to one on the radio, so I'm no expert. I've watched enough of Manziel to realize, I don't want him anywhere near the offense that I design from week to week. I've watched a few games of Teddy's, and I'm not sold. I'm shocked the Steelers sent scouts to watch one of his games this year. If I'm the Browns, I don't draft a QB at number four. I wait for my (QB) guy to fall, and then put some picks together and come back and get him if he is there. Hopefully at 15, but probably 7.

[zippy5]

If I'm the Browns, I take Watkins and ask questions later. Watkins and Gordon would be an absolute nightmare. They'd make a lot of QBs look pretty good.

[GP1]

If I'm the Browns, I take Watkins and ask questions later. Watkins and Gordon would be an absolute nightmare. They'd make a lot of QBs look pretty good.

How are they going to get the ball to them?

Last year (source) the Browns had the #1 rated left tackle in the league and the #18 offensive line as a group. The rest of the OL has to be horrible to move the average that low after having the #1 left tackle. It is incredibly hard to throw the ball from your back.

Mark my words. If the Browns draft a QB #1, they will destroy him within two years just like they do every other QB they draft high and expect him to be the savior.

[Dave in Green]

You can build a nice house on a weak foundation, but the house is likely to develop lots of problems if the foundation fails to properly support it. The offensive line is the foundation of the offense.

[Hilltopper]

When you have a QB who has no ability to read a defense and stands in the pocket too long it makes the O-line look really bad. Before Hoyer got injured the O-line looked pretty good. He knew when and where to throw the ball.

[LZIp]

Bridgewater. Manziel has the most potential, but I could also see him being a huge bust. I dont see Bortles being better than Teddy.

[Dr Z]

You can build a nice house on a weak foundation, but the house is likely to develop lots of problems if the foundation fails to properly support it. The offensive line is the foundation of the offense.

Cleveland has had a better offensive line than Pittsburgh for a decade.

[Dave in Green]

If the Browns' offensive line is better than the Steelers', then all the Bowns would need to have a better offense than the Steelers would be a comparable QB, receivers, running game and offensive game plan. Piece of cake. Of course, there's that little matter of defense that would also be required to make the Browns a better overall team than the Steelers. Hilltopper has a point that the Browns' offensive line looked pretty good with Hoyer at QB. If the Browns have a shot at one of the top 3 QBs in the draft without giving away too much, they should go for it. I think Bortles has the biggest upside.

[GP1]

Interesting. Didn't know where else to put it.

[Dr Z]

Interesting read by Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel.

Still, Manziel barely won a Journal Sentinel poll of 17 personnel people with national orientation asking each to name the five best players. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second was worth four and so on. Here were the first-place votes: Manziel, eight; Blake Bortles, four; Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr, two; and Zach Mettenberger, one.Here were the point totals: Manziel, 68; Bortles, 61; Carr, 49; Bridgewater, 41; Jimmy Garappolo, 16; Mettenberger, six; A.J. McCarron and Aaron Murray, five; Tom Savage, three; and Logan Thomas, one."People think these guys are going to be saviors," one scout said. "The Manziels, the Bortles, the Bridgewaters, the Carrs, they're not franchise quarterbacks. They're just starters, at best.

"The Andrew Lucks don't come along but once every 10 years."

I don't expect the Browns to take a QB with either of their first round picks.

I like Wenning in the 5th.

[Dr Z]

Glazer says no Johnny Football in the Factory of Sadness.

It may surprise you who has the biggest hands of the three supposed top picks.

Manziel – 5’11 and ¾, 207 with 9 7/8 hands

Bridgewater – 6’2 1/8, 214 with 9 ¼ hands

Bortles – 6’5, 232 with 9 3/8 hands

AJ McCarron and Keith Wenning have bigger hands than all three, and will get drafted after them. I still like Wenning in a west coast offense. Incase you were wondering, more than a dozen teams played some form of a "west coast" offense last season. Guess what Kyle Shanahan runs?

[Balsy]

I agree with that. I don't think the Browns will take QB at #4. I don't know what it is, but I don't like Manziel. I don't like his style of play; though it is exciting. I know everyone is all the rave of Johnny Manziel, I'm not. I like QBs with a chip on their shoulder.

[Dr Z]

This selection could be important to the Browns, as they may have the same selection, one way or another, and are thought to be considering picking a QB.

Tony Grossi reports that one team wanted to take Teddy Bridgewater, but something changed their mind, and they went with Johnny football. Hard to make this stuff up, they should make a movie about it. I can't remember, does art imitating life, or life imitating art?

"A source told me that the card prepared to be given to Commissioner Roger Goodell for the official announcement in Radio City Music Hall originally had Bridgewater’s name on it. Then with 10 seconds to go, a new card replaced it with the name of Johnny Manziel, as a result of owner Jimmy Haslam’s order." --Tony Grossi

[Dr Z]

Anything to get make the storyline more intriguing, and get an exclusive piece of the report.

The Vikings had Teddy and Johnny football ranked evenly but both were a stretch with the 8th pick. Teddy confesses that he didn't want to be drafted by the Browns.

While not as intriguing as an owner changing a teams pick for a first round QB at the last minute, here is some more intrigue. The Browns took the Steelers guy they were targeting at 15, and the Steelers took the Cowboys pick that they were targeting at 16.

A little off topic...How Accurate are NFL Mock drafts. I have read people complain about Bleacher Report, but it sure seems like their NFL draft lead writer seems to have an idea of what's going on.

[Dr Z]

The Browns reportedly spent $100,000 on an analytic study of all of this year's draftable quarterbacks, and it came back with Teddy Brigewater's, and not Manziel's, name at the top.

Kirk Cousins almost joined Johnny football. According CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora, general manager Ray Farmer offered a fourth-round pick to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Kirk Cousins after drafting Johnny football.

[Dr Z]

Per Cleveland quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains, a text Johnny Football sent results in him getting picked in the first round!?!?! Jerry Jones Haslam said, 'Pull the trigger. We're trading up to go get this guy.'" I have yet to see the movie Draft Day, but I can't believe it's as good as this. If Haslam can pull off the HBO Hard Knocks deal, no owner will have had a better marketing year. He is going to make back his millions he stole in fuel rebates quick! Per the linked article, I didn't realize it's still possible he gets convicted, I thought he was in the clear?

Edit: I just watched the movie Draft Day, wait until it comes out on cable. Very predictable. I was right, the real Browns drama on this years draft day was much more entertaining.

[LZIp]

It's too bad Bortles isn't good enough to beat out a stellar QB such as Chad Henne

[Dr Z]

It's too bad Bortles isn't good enough to beat out a stellar QB such as Chad Henne

I remember on a Steeler forum back in 2004 some posters were arguing about Ben being worth the number 10 overall pick. One poster wrote "if he's so good, why can't he even beat out Tommy Maddox." The poster replied, "write that down on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, date it ten years from now, open it at the proper time, read it back to yourself" I think about that post from time to time.

Vikings also waiting for the right time.