Brady Quinn and Matt Ryan

[Spider-Dan]

I have a question.

Why aren't all the people who bash Cameron/Mueller for passing on Brady Quinn not bashing Parcells for passing on Matt Ryan?

[StL FinFan]

I was wondering that myself the other day.

[MaineDolFan]

Because...

1:  Chad Pennington is doing a great job.  Last time I checked he is a large part of why we're 8-5. 

Chad's line:  12 TDs to 6 picks, 3,062 passing yards and a 93.7 QB rating
Ryan's line:  14 TD's to 7 picks, 2,940 passing yards and a 92.0 QB rating

Had ANYONE that Cameron brought on last season put up something close to Chad's numbers you wouldn't hear about Quinn ever again.

2:  Miami has a rocket armed leader holding a clip board and ready to take over after next season when Chad's contract is up.

Parcells handled the QB situation correctly.  Better than Wanney, Saban or Cameron ever could have dreamed.

[Spider-Dan]

Pennington is also 32 years old, and we don't know anything more about Henne right now than we did about Beck at the start of last season.

I mean, it's not like I don't know the real answer to my own question...

MIA through Week 15 in 2007: 0-13
MIA through Week 15 in 2008: 8-5

But still, I'd like to hear the people who protest loudly about the non-pick of Quinn justify passing on Ryan.

[Dolphin-UK]

Mostly because I don't complain about Cam not drafting Quinn.....

I firmly believe that all the evaluation in the World doesn't guarantee an NFL starting QB, and Matt Ryan playing for Atlanta has resulting in an NFL calibre QB, sure, but if he'd gone to the Lions, would we all be saying he's another overhyped bust?

End of the day you can't evaluate a rookies performance for one team as too indicative of how he would perform in another.

[StL FinFan]

End of the day you can't evaluate a rookies performance for one team as too indicative of how he would perform in another.

Unless he is John Beck. 

[ochizon]

Pennington is also 32 years old, and we don't know anything more about Henne right now than we did about Beck at the start of last season.

I mean, it's not like I don't know the real answer to my own question...

MIA through Week 15 in 2007: 0-13
MIA through Week 15 in 2008: 8-5

But still, I'd like to hear the people who protest loudly about the non-pick of Quinn justify passing on Ryan.

Because Long is a very good pic, and will be a soild part of the line for years.  The thought with quinn was not that we DIDNT pick quinn so much as we picked ginn over him.

Even if the dolphins would have picked Ryan, he would not have played a down all of this season or next, except in Pennington got injured.

[MaineDolFan]

But still, I'd like to hear the people who protest loudly about the non-pick of Quinn justify passing on Ryan.

You are over simplication of the problem leaves this too open ended.

2007 Miami had the 9th pick in the draft and could have taken Quinn, someone forcasted in the top 5 who dropped to 22.  Instead Miami took a WR that was forecasted for the bottom of the 1st or early 2nd in Ginn.

2008 Miami had the first overall pick and Matt Ryan was not the appropriate pick in that slot.

Comparing the two isn't quite fair, is it?

Had Miami had a top five pick in 2007 you wouldn't hear anyone bitching about Brady Quinn.  There was no clear cut top 1-2-3 QB in that draft.  But at #9, with a pressing need and they took Ginn instead? 

Matt Ryan was probably a reach for Atlanta, but they didn't really have much choice did they?  He was a reach for Atlanta and would have screamed desperation as the over all #1.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Pennington is also 32 years old, and we don't know anything more about Henne right now than we did about Beck at the start of last season.

I know enough about Henne and seen enough about Henne in the preseason to know that he's got Beck whipped by a country mile in terms of NFL starting QB capabilities. 

[fyo]

Had Miami had a top five pick in 2007 you wouldn't hear anyone bitching about Brady Quinn.  There was no clear cut top 1-2-3 QB in that draft.  But at #9, with a pressing need and they took Ginn instead? 

My problem isn't that they passed on Quinn. They had Beck and Quinn equal, so why overspend if they thought they could get the other later. I'm fine with that, even if it turns out to be wrong.

I don't understand picking Ginn, however.

It's the very definition of a reach. Even if he turns out to be good, he could probably have been gotten 10-15, maybe even 20 slots later. That's a reach. Plain and simple.

Considering we went 1-15, it's painfully obvious that there were a lot of needs. I would have been fine with any of the next 5+ players selected, except for Marshawn Lynch (we didn't need a running back).

[Spider-Dan]

2008 Miami had the first overall pick and Matt Ryan was not the appropriate pick in that slot.

Based on what?

Clearly not based on his performance so far, which speaks for itself.  As for expectations, Pro Football Weekly seemed to think that Parcells was going to take Ryan at #1.  It's easy to say in hindsight that the safe pick (J.Long) was the only one, but it was far from certain beforehand.

Had Miami had a top five pick in 2007 you wouldn't hear anyone bitching about Brady Quinn.  There was no clear cut top 1-2-3 QB in that draft.

Um, you just said that Quinn was "forecasted in the top 5," so if MIA had a top 5 pick and we didn't take him, then yes, there still would have been bitching.

As for no clear-cut top QB pick: the pre-draft debate was all about Quinn vs. Russell, and Quinn definitely had his fair share of people predicting him over Russell.  I'd compare it to the 2005 draft, where Smith vs. Rodgers was hotly debated before the draft, Smith was picked, and Rodgers went into an unexpected freefall.  (I wonder if there are Bears or Lions fans that still complain about passing on Rodgers in 2005?)

Matt Ryan was probably a reach for Atlanta, but they didn't really have much choice did they?  He was a reach for Atlanta and would have screamed desperation as the over all #1.

Ryan would have been less of a reach than Alex Smith.  In fact, I'd argue that out of Ryan, Quinn, Russell, Smith, and Rodgers (five potential #1s), based on collegiate awards, Ryan and Quinn would have been the least questionable as a #1 overall pick.

[MaineDolFan]

...and I am still in the dark as to what your point is?

We have a QB that is better, statistically, than Ryan.  On draft day we had a gaping need on the offensive line.  Randall Cunningham via 1985 wouldn't survive behind Miami's line last year.  You build from the ground up.

Again - had Miami taken an offensive lineman last year instead of Ginn you would not have heard many people chirpin' about Quinn.  It was due to the player selected being Ginn.  As long as you are reaching for a guy like that, might as well reach on a guy like Quinn.  Look at what Miami went into camp with, QB wise, in 2007 and that should answer your question all on it's own.  Had Pennington come here and fallen flat on his face I am sure you would hear the same chirpin' about Ryan as you did Quinn.

[Brian Fein]

What makes Pennington any different than Trent Green?  Both are retread, past-their-prime QB's with a history of injury problems.  The only difference is that Green dropped after 3 weeks and Pennington is still going. 

We went into last season with Trent Green starting at QB.  We needed a WR more-so than a QB.  You guys forget that they had plans (hopes) to make Trent the QB for the next 2-3 years before he got hurt, and perhaps didn't like Quinn's skills and hoped Beck would pan out as a gem based on combine workouts, and maybe still pickup another QB next year while Green holds down the fort.

WR was (and still is) a position of need.  Ginn was a reach, yes, but don't forget 21 other teams also passed on Quinn.  That's over 65% of the entire league!  Its not like he was a no-brainer in that 9 spot...

[Tepop84]

Who cares, atleast the Dolphins didn't draft Vernon Gholston. lol.

[Tepop84]

WR was (and still is) a position of need.  Ginn was a reach, yes, but don't forget 21 other teams also passed on Quinn.  That's over 65% of the entire league!  Its not like he was a no-brainer in that 9 spot...

He was for the Dolphins with no qb.  We have already gone over that.  The other teams passed on him because they didn't need a qb.  Why pay first round money for something you don't need.