I've Got Something to Say

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-21-2015, 12:51 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: 2.) I was wrong about Andy Dalton.  

I always thought that Andy was, at best, average.  I thought he was slightly below average as far as skill set, slightly elevated by experience, intelligence, his weapons, and sheer passing volume.  Translation = I just didn't think he was that good.  Give him great weapons and he could be average or slightly above.  Give average or below and he would give you equal results.  I never saw is ceiling above being in the 12-15 range.  And after last year I thought he belonged in the 17-22 range of QB's.  Not true, as we're seeing now.

While I still don't think he's an elite QB, he certainly is playing elite.  And my opinion is now that he truly deserves to be considered average at worst, but more than likely above average.  My opinion went from average at best to average at worst.  And I now do believe he deserves discussion in the Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo, level QB's.  I'm not saying he's better or worse than any of them, only that IMHO he currently deserved to mentioned in that tier of QB.  And that could change, but right now I think Andy is a probably a legitimate 6-10 range QB from a talent standpoint.  A 6-10 range QB who is actually producing at a top 3 level.

He's earned his contract moving forward.  I was one of a few who hated the deal.  I couldn't have hated it more.  I hated the urgency, I hated the risk.  And you know what?  I was wrong.  I'll say it again:  I was wrong.  I even underlined it for you.  They made the right move.  Hindsight is 20-20, and it's now telling me that they got themselves a nice deal, and their urgency, coupled with frontloading, was a very good decision.

Now, I'm not saying he can't regress.  Nor am I saying that I think he becomes a great postseason QB (he could though, I don't know).  All I'm really saying is that my ceiling and floor levels for him have completely changed.  And no one play can affect this team or inspire confidence more than the QB.  For that reason, Andy Dalton's improvement over previous year has allowed me to change my mind about this team's chances more than anything else.  If he continues to play in that top 10 level of QB then that, more than anything else, is why this year has a good chance to be different.

Props for you for being man enough to admit you had Dalton wrong.  I see him as top 3 of the "next generation" of QBs, with Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, and himself. 

That group will not be able to be compared to the Mannings, Brees, Rogers, and Bradys of the world until they get a few more years under their belt. 

One other thing about Dalton.  You may think he isn't the #1 QB of the "up and comers", but when you factor in their salaries I think he will end up being the best value of them all and it isn't really even close.