12-09-2019, 12:59 PM
I think that it's worth taking a look at some of the better arguments against taking Burrow in order to gauge whether or not the risk/reward balances out.
1. He's a one year wonder. He doesn't have enough experience or production to justify his draft stock.
Programs like OSU just aren't set up to crown a franchise QB who can run a pro offense for a decade or more. They're set up to keep athletes who are doing well enough in the drivers seat. Shorter periods of time, watered down schemes, inertia for win/loss totals and experience are all factors. Once given a chance to start, he was never bad.
2. He'll be beaten down and ruined by the environment in Cincinnati.
There's nothing that says that you have to throw a QB into action before they're ready. The quality of the line or the coaches really have nothing to do with JB9 as a prospect in a void. This seems to be a very defeatist line of thinking that strives for the comfort of 8-8 type of seasons rather than championship potential.
3. He's not a premium athlete with elite attributes.
Maybe he doesn't have the cannon or the elite speed of some prospects. What he does appear to have are requisite tools to work with as far as arm strength and mobility. His anticipation, accuracy, and mental processing speeds DO appear to be elite at the collegiate level. Those attributes should be able to translate at the next level better than raw freak athleticism.
4. The team has more pressing needs than a QB.
Isn't QB a need at this point? Couldn't a great prospect at QB potentially instill some confidence and gusto into the organization? Might Burrow not give everyone a greater sense of light at the end of the tunnel?
5. A trade down will net more potential starters.
Sure. What happens when you're good enough to beat the bad teams and you still need a QB? Finding the needle in the haystack QB who falls isn't very likely. Trading up to the top of the first costs a lot of draft capital. Free agent QBs demand a lot of cap space.
6. LSU's staff and roster are why Burrow has been so good.
This one is hard to disprove, because they revamped their offense just as Burrow arrived. Maybe Joe Brady and Justin Jefferson have done more of the heavy lifting than people realize. It is hard to discount just how absurdly accurate he has been this season. The numbers bear out that he's in the very least putting the ball in the right spots at the right times at a freakishly efficient level.
None of them seem like particularly good arguments compared to the arguments that are in favor of taking Burrow imo.
1. He's a one year wonder. He doesn't have enough experience or production to justify his draft stock.
Programs like OSU just aren't set up to crown a franchise QB who can run a pro offense for a decade or more. They're set up to keep athletes who are doing well enough in the drivers seat. Shorter periods of time, watered down schemes, inertia for win/loss totals and experience are all factors. Once given a chance to start, he was never bad.
2. He'll be beaten down and ruined by the environment in Cincinnati.
There's nothing that says that you have to throw a QB into action before they're ready. The quality of the line or the coaches really have nothing to do with JB9 as a prospect in a void. This seems to be a very defeatist line of thinking that strives for the comfort of 8-8 type of seasons rather than championship potential.
3. He's not a premium athlete with elite attributes.
Maybe he doesn't have the cannon or the elite speed of some prospects. What he does appear to have are requisite tools to work with as far as arm strength and mobility. His anticipation, accuracy, and mental processing speeds DO appear to be elite at the collegiate level. Those attributes should be able to translate at the next level better than raw freak athleticism.
4. The team has more pressing needs than a QB.
Isn't QB a need at this point? Couldn't a great prospect at QB potentially instill some confidence and gusto into the organization? Might Burrow not give everyone a greater sense of light at the end of the tunnel?
5. A trade down will net more potential starters.
Sure. What happens when you're good enough to beat the bad teams and you still need a QB? Finding the needle in the haystack QB who falls isn't very likely. Trading up to the top of the first costs a lot of draft capital. Free agent QBs demand a lot of cap space.
6. LSU's staff and roster are why Burrow has been so good.
This one is hard to disprove, because they revamped their offense just as Burrow arrived. Maybe Joe Brady and Justin Jefferson have done more of the heavy lifting than people realize. It is hard to discount just how absurdly accurate he has been this season. The numbers bear out that he's in the very least putting the ball in the right spots at the right times at a freakishly efficient level.
None of them seem like particularly good arguments compared to the arguments that are in favor of taking Burrow imo.
