I don't know how the board feels about maturity being the key deciding factor in placing the future of a franchise on a QB, but here are a few scouting reports on some of the QBs who we all know quite well. Obviously, there is not perfect metric to determine success in the pros, but what do folks think about that being a factor in deciding who to pick?Scouting report on Tom Brady: Notes: Baseball catcher and football quarterback in high school who was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round of the June 1995 baseball draft. Opted for football and redshirted at Michigan in '95. Saw limited action in '96 and '97 and started the past two years. Completed 3 of 5 passes for 26 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in '96, 12-15-103-0-0 in '97, 214-350-2,636-15-12 in '98 and 180-295-2,216-16-6 in '99, when he often shared time with super sophomore Drew Henson. Went all the way against Alabama in the Orange Bowl and completed 34-46-369-4. Unlike many Michigan quarterbacks, Brady is a pocket-type passer who plays best in a dropback-type system.Tom Brady Positives: Good height to see the field. Very poised and composed. Smart and alert. Can read coverages. Good accuracy and touch. Produces in big spots and in big games. Has some Brian Griese in him and is a gamer. Generally plays within himself. Team leader.Negatives: Poor build. Very skinny and narrow. Ended the '99 season weighing 195 pounds and still looks like a rail at 211. Looks a little frail and lacks great physical stature and strength. Can get pushed down more easily than you'd like. Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush. Lacks a really strong arm. Can't drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. System-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib and do things on his own.Summary: Is not what you're looking for in terms of physical stature, strength, arm strength and mobility, but he has the intangibles, maturity and production and showed great Griese-like improvement as a senior. Could make it in the right system but will not be for everyone.Scouting report on Ryan LeafRyan Leaf: Leaf appears to be the hot QB in this draft, and he led WSU to a storybook season...He is a physically imposing QB with great size and strength....he is very sturdy and durable in the pocket, and is a surprisingly good athlete for his size...He has a strong arm and shows good touch, and can change up the speed on his passes...He has good feet, but is not really a scrambler. However, he can stand in and take the big hits....He is a very naturally gifted player, but could improve on his throwing mechanics, although it is not a major problem....There are no physical or athletic limitations to hold Leaf back from becoming a great NFL QB. However, there appears to be some minor nagging questions in the area of maturity and his mental approach to the game. He is perceived as not always an easy guy to work with, and he tends to beat to his own drummer...As good as he is, he can have some streaks on the field where he looks like he has forgotten everything he has been taught...There seems to be a nagging question here that something might be missing, but it may be hard to verbalize it...However, Leaf made all the right moves at the end of his season when he declared for the NFL draft...Unless he turns some teams off in individual interviews between now and the draft, he should have no problems....Nobody will question his physical abilities, and it is not outlandish to think that he could be the first pick of the draft, instead of Peyton Manning....There is a huge upside with Leaf, and it is conceivable that he could be one of the best young QB’s in the game in 2-3 years...His ability to play as physical as he does and take the hits that will obviously come, when playing for a team that obviously doesn’t have a very good OL, will help him get over the tough times as a team builds around him.Scouting report on Peyton Manning: Manning is probably the most prepared QB to enter the NFL draft in several years.. He has had a storybook college career, and has been in a top level program with excellent coaching, and he has maturity and great intangibles to go along with his natural skills.. He should be able to pick up the mental aspects of the game early on the NFL level, and should play very quickly. He has great overall field vision. He is a fierce competitor, and all of his mechanics are very solid. He has good arm strength, but not necessarily a “gun” that you might expect from a QB at the top of the draft.. He has adequate mobility and good overall AA, although he is not a scrambler by nature. He has done an excellent job of getting the most out of his abilities, but he is not quite as natural a player as Leaf. One question that some NFL scouts have is the question “will he get any better?”. At times he gives the appearance of being a self-made player, and sometimes those types of players don’t always go on to great NFL careers. In Manning’s case, he may be a solid and productive NFL QB, but he may not have Hall of Fame type skills, but it certainly won’t be for lack of effort.. He has probably been the most scouted player in the draft in recent years, and because that NFL teams tend to look too much at potential flaws, instead of accepting him for what he is, a great college QB that is on his way to an outstanding NFL career.Jamarcus RussellJaMarcus Russell Proves That Football Character Is Just As Important As Physical AbilityFriday, May 7th, 2010 Al Davis finally decided to cut his losses with JaMarcus Russell. The Raiders’ owner does not like to admit his mistakes, but the 2007 number one overall pick’s production was awful. Oakland paid Russell 39 million dollars for a 52% passer with 18 touchdown passes, 23 interceptions, a bunch of fumbles and absolutely no leadership in three years of employment. That is not much of a return on their investment.Russell’s colossal failure highlights the importance of football character. The former LSU standout was a lazy and unmotivated quarterback. He relied on his god-given gifts of tremendous size and a howitzer for an arm and thought that would be enough. The warning signs were there right from the start. Russell was not chomping at the bit to play quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and did not sign his rookie contract until almost mid-September. His rookie season was basically a wash because of the extended holdout. This contrasts sharply with how Mark Sanchez was so eager to be the Jets quarterback that he ordered his agent to make sure he was in training camp on time. Sanchez gained valuable experience during his rookie season and is on his way to being a quality starter at the game’s most important position.Russell simply did not have the work ethic or drive to study film and speed up his decision-making process. It became very clear in his 3rd season that Russell had little appetite for the game (food was a different story). The Raiders were not an ideal situation for him to go to, but Russell deserves much of the blame. Oakland had no chance of winning when their “franchise” quarterback had such a lackadaisical approach to the game.
