You need look no further than down I-95 in DC to see how a franchise can reboot in a hurry – the Commanders have new ownership and just hired a GM, and now, that GM will hire a coach and likely draft their possible franchise QB at No. 2.
Sometimes, when multiple QBs go in the top few picks, the choice at No. 1 can make or break a franchise – see also Peyton Manning vs.
Ryan Leaf – or is the best one (like, say, Trevor Lawrence over Zach Wilson and Trey Lance) of a group. And sometimes, like with the other Manning brother, any choice is a good one, or so we’ll say in a few years when Eli, Philip Rivers, and Big Ben are all in the Hall.
And then there’s last year’s class, where the No. 2 pick is likely the offensive ROY while No. 1 was kind of a dud – but either way, XXX says, the chance at a guy like C.J. Stroud is why teams tank.
“When people talk about the draft and quarterbacks, and how it’s just such a crap shoot, we don’t know,” Gio said. “You look at all these quarterbacks that come out and are nothing, guys here like Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson, and guys like in the past like Akili Smith and Jamarcus Russell, and wonder why you tank – and the why you think about this and this conversation comes up every year is because there is a CJ Stroud out there, and there's probably gonna be another one this year.”
Hindsight is 20/20, of course, so maybe Bryce Young would be a star on the Texans and Stroud would’ve had the worst record in the league in Carolina, so it’s all about fit – but if you get it right, like Houston seems to have, and Indianapolis did twice at No. 1,
“They're out there and they change your franchise immediately,” Gio said. “No other position in sports – maybe the NBA, but even those guys take a little bit longer to kind of mature – but no one else can completely change the trajectory of your franchise, from a football and a business standpoint, like a guy like that playing quarterback.”
“What about like Josh Allen? Look at what he did for the Buffalo Bills. It took a little while because he was rambunctious, and he still is, he still plays on the edge, but he’s built for any sort of weather, much like Patrick Mahomes,” Boomer replied.
Some, lie Stroud, turn a franchise around instantly, some like Allen take time…and some learn from the best how to be the best.
“You know, the interesting thing about Jordan Love and Patrick Mahomes is that they got to sit and they got to watch professionals in front of them,” Boomer said. “Love throws the ball just like Aaron Rodgers does; I mean, it looks the same often, and everybody does their games, they show you how many times he's up with both feet off the ground and he's throwing it. He's got such a strong arm that he's got the capability of doing that, but that comes from watching Aaron Rodgers for three years.”
Stroud didn’t have that luxury, but he was able to turn the Texans from also-ran to division champion in one season, while Bryce Young made the Panthers worse.
“When you see CJ Stroud on the field – and this still drives me crazy about Carolina, I don't know what the hell they were looking at physically – but Stroud looks like he belongs,” Boomer said. “When you watch Bryce Young play in Carolina, this kid looks like he should still be in high school, or playing behind the best offensive line in college at Alabama, because he is not physically ready to play in the NFL.”
Boomer is hopeful Young will have a Tua-like turnaround, but right now, it looks like Carolina missed, and their loss is Houston’s gain as Stroud has his team in the final eight.
“This kid is as impressive a rookie quarterback as we've seen in the last number of years,” Gio said.
“The amazing thing is the trade that they made with the Browns for Deshaun Watson, and the just the return that they got on that trade – and they still have the Browns first round pick this year and think of it,” Boomer replied. “But they’re missing Tank Dell, one of their best receivers, but they are going to be loaded now for the next four or five years, and they could probably concentrate mainly on defense now in the draft, and maybe they bring in a couple more offensive linemen to protect him.”