A Revolution: Part 2

As promised, here is the second part of the write up about all the young quarterbacks popping up all over the NFL over the past couple of seasons. Like I mentioned in the earlier post (see below), there are 11 quarterbacks with less than two years starting experience leading their teams right now. Here’s a look at the five I didn’t cover in the last post…

Philip Rivers, San Diego – After a couple of years on the bench, Rivers is quickly showing that he is the best quarterback from his class (a class that includes Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger). Rivers has a strong arm, is accurate (completes 64.4 percent of his passes) and has good vision (16 touchdowns against only six interceptions). The Chargers are the best team in the NFL right now. Of course it helps greatly that he has LaDanian Tomlinson to rely on in the backfield, but Rivers is doing everything asked of him and more. He is on pace to throw for about 3,500 yards and more than 20 touchdowns this season. Those are the kind of numbers that send a quarterback to the Pro Bowl. I wonder if the Giants regret trading Rivers for Manning on draft day just a few years ago. Look for Rivers to make multiple trips to Honolulu during his career.


Alex Smith, San Francisco – Smith has looked a lot better this season than he did during the half a season he started last year. Even still, he doesn’t quite measure up to some of the other young gunslingers around. He arm is average at best and his ability to read a defense leaves something to be desired. He’s thrown 12 interceptions this season (which puts him on pace to throw 16 for the year). He averages 6.55 yards per attempt, which is on the low end. That shows a combination of lacking the ability to make a big play down field and accuracy (completes only 59.9 percent of his passes). Smith probably shouldn’t have been the top overall draft pick in 2005. The 49ers went with need when there wasn’t a top-rated quarterback in the draft. They’ll probably come to regret that in a few years as Smith puts up mediocre numbers for a few more seasons.


Bruce Gradkowsi, Tampa Bay – Gradkowski was thrust into the starting position after Chris Simms ruptured his spleen during a game earlier in the season. Gradkowski has worked hard to keep the Bucs in games, but his future (at least in Tampa) is not as a starter. It is Simms' job when he returns, and Gradkowski will go back to toting a clipboard, which is probably what he should be doing. He’s struggled quite a bit, completing only 54.4 percent of his passes this season and throwing nine interceptions in nine starts. His inability to attack a defense has led to teams filling the box to shut down the running game. Gradkowski could be a serviceable backup in the league, but don’t expect him to pull a Tom Brady or anything like that and be a guy drafted late who blossoms into a top-five quarterback.

Vince Young, Tennessee – While some of the numbers aren’t overly impressive (50.2 percent completion percentage, 10 interceptions), Vince Young is 5-4 as a starter, including three straight wins with the last two in dramatic fashion. His system at Texas was not similar to a pro-style offense, so Young has had much learning to do on the fly this year, and while there are bumps in the road, the guy just knows how to win. He brought the Titans back from a 21-0 deficit with 10 minutes remaining against the Giants a couple of weeks ago and then helping them to kick a last-second field goal to beat the Colts a week ago. Everyone knew it would take Young some time to develop his style to fit the pro game, but no one could’ve expected his development to be this rapid. He should only get better and has the potential to blossom into a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback. He already knows how to win, now his mechanics and ability to find the open receiver need to catch up. Oh, and his legs make him an immensely dangerous quarterback – think more Steve Young or Randall Cunningham than Mike Vick when you think Vince Young.

Jason Campbell, Washington – The Redskins probably went to him too late this year to salvage a playoff run, but Campbell has shown flashes of being a solid NFL quarterback. After two solid starts (four touchdowns, one interception) to begin his career, he struggled last week against Atlanta (18-of-38 with two interceptions). Campbell has a strong arm and is a workaholic. Having played for six different offensive coordinators in six seasons dating back to college probably has slowed his development a bit, but his work ethic should help him overcome that. With only three games under his belt, it’s still a bit early to get a read on him, but he certainly has the size, strength and speed to be a solid NFL quarterback – maybe not just a regular at the Pro Bowl.

Taking into account all 11 quarterbacks, if I had to rate them right now based on long-term potential, here’s how the list would look…

1 – Philip Rivers
2 – Matt Leinart
3 – Vince Young
4 – Tony Romo
5 – Jason Campbell
6 – Jay Cutler
7 – David Garrard
8 – J.P. Losman
9 – Charlie Frye
10 – Alex Smith
11 – Bruce Gradkowski

What do you think? We want to hear from you. Post your comments below or e-mail us (address on the right).

Photo Sources: Scout.com, SportsNetwork.com, Buccaneers.com, NBCSports.com, MSNBC.com