Favre on Austin Davis: "He can be the next Brady or Warner"

[dieterbrock]

$16.5M is a lot of coin for a backup QB with a glass knee.

Right.
Look at Seattle and San Fran. They've been able to stock up on talent becasue they are paying bargain basement price for QB.
The Rams have been the polar opposite of that.
In the last 14 starts by Clemens/Davis, the Rams are 6-8, with several of those losses due to defensive deficiency.
Doesnt need superstar QB, just needs game manager (Which so far Davis is doing)
Spend those valuable cap $$ elsewhere

 

[LesBaker]

Right.
Look at Seattle and San Fran. They've been able to stock up on talent becasue they are paying bargain basement price for QB.
The Rams have been the polar opposite of that.
In the last 14 starts by Clemens/Davis, the Rams are 6-8, with several of those losses due to defensive deficiency.
Doesnt need superstar QB, just needs game manager (Which so far Davis is doing)
Spend those valuable cap $$ elsewhere

I think labeling Davis as a game manager is selling him short.

 

[fearsomefour]

I agree ... and if our Defense hadn't put him into such bad positions late in games... his Int #'s would probably be a lot different

If Davis can last a whole season and put together a good season vs. Arizona twice, Seattle twice, SF twice, SD, Denver, KC and the rest our "toughest" schedule....well, it makes it very difficult to see the benefit of bringing Bradford back. I am a Bradford guy. But, the rubber is meeting the road.

 

[fearsomefour]

Yes the QB is partly to blame as well, but obviously there's less pressure in the first place if Joseph isn't on the field

It goes both ways. The last couple of years in SF Kaperdoodle was the main cause of SF giving up so many sacks....this year it is their line.
The Rams line has gotten better the last couple of weeks but I think Davis is getting better too.

 

[blue4]

I said back when Bradford got hurt that one of the reasons I felt sorry for his situation was that he finally had NFL ready talent on his football team, and now his backup (Hill) was going to look great playing with them. Along with all the "if only Bradford was more like Hill, look how much better we are" type stuff. The only thing I had wrong was the backups name. I like Austin Davis, and I think he can be a starter in the NFL. But there's no doubt in my mind that with Quick's breakout and schotty's improved playcalling that we'd be talking about Bradford going to the Pro Bowl this year.

 

[LesBaker]

Just had an exchange on another board and a poster made an excellent point.

If Davis had been selected in the first round of this past draft fans and the media would be all over him and the central theme would be "the Rams have their guy and they are set at QB, the future looks bright"........

Lifted from another thread on that board are some interesting numbers worth looking at. He's played in 6 NFL games, keep saying that to yourself because it is important to remember that.

- has a QB rating of 122.2 on 3rd downs
- has a QB rating of 117.5 in the red zone
- is 13th in the league in QB rating
- is 18th in the league in QBR
- has the 11th best INT% in the league
- is 9th in completion %
- is rated 15th among 36 starting QBs in the NFL by FootballOutsiders

 

[badnews]

I said back when Bradford got hurt that one of the reasons I felt sorry for his situation was that he finally had NFL ready talent on his football team, and now his backup (Hill) was going to look great playing with them. Along with all the "if only Bradford was more like Hill, look how much better we are" type stuff. The only thing I had wrong was the backups name. I like Austin Davis, and I think he can be a starter in the NFL. But there's no doubt in my mind that with Quick's breakout and schotty's improved playcalling that we'd be talking about Bradford going to the Pro Bowl this year.

I completely agree.

The problem is availability trumps ability.
Sam has all the ability a person could ask for.
Unfortunately, he isn't available to show us.

I'll take a healthy good QB over a great one on the sidelines any time.
Don't get me wrong, in a perfect world we will have both next season, with Sam's contract being offset by Davis' low salary.

 

[Athos]

If Davis can last a whole season and put together a good season vs. Arizona twice, Seattle twice, SF twice, SD, Denver, KC and the rest our "toughest" schedule....well, it makes it very difficult to see the benefit of bringing Bradford back. I am a Bradford guy. But, the rubber is meeting the road.

If he plays pretty well against, imo, one of the toughest remaining schedules, if not toughest stretch of games, in the NFL, I don't think we should worry about the QB position (outside of backups) anymore. You don't get fluky numbers/performances against that kind of competition. You do well in those games, you're a damn good QB.

And I qualify that with him being protected as well. Our O-line still needs a lot of improvement imo.

 

[blue4]

I completely agree.

The problem is availability trumps ability.
Sam has all the ability a person could ask for.
Unfortunately, he isn't available to show us.

I'll take a healthy good QB over a great one on the sidelines any time.
Don't get me wrong, in a perfect world we will have both next season, with Sam's contract being offset by Davis' low salary.

Oh I agree, his luck is awful. But I think Davis will be more likely to stay on the Rams than Bradford next year. Too much money, too many injuries.

 

[dieterbrock]

I think labeling Davis as a game manager is selling him short.

Why? Cutting down on mistakes is key in his development.
I love the swashbuckler attitude, and it works as the back up, but the starter on a Jeff Fisher team needs to be a solid game manager.
He hasnt been that yet consistantly, and thats not a knock on him

 

[dieterbrock]

If Davis had been selected in the first round of this past draft fans and the media would be all over him and the central theme would be "the Rams have their guy and they are set at QB, the future looks bright"........

But this is Davis 3rd year in the league. I dont think for 1 second that if he played as a rookie, he'd be playing any where near this level

 

[theramsruleUK]

What if Davis gets hurt?

What does that have to do with it? If he's good enough to start he starts, and use the first rounds of the draft to protect him...draft a QB as a backup, or keep case Keenum
Providing Davis is good enough that is, if he's not, than draft a 1st round QB

 

[AZRamsFan93]

What does that have to do with it? If he's good enough to start he starts, and use the first rounds of the draft to protect him...draft a QB as a backup, or keep case Keenum
Providing Davis is good enough that is, if he's not, than draft a 1st round QB

I just don't understand the "we don't need more talent at the most important position on the team" position, but to each his own.

The only time in history where the Rams have been ultimately successful (win the Super Bowl) is when we had the top QB in the game. I see a strong correlation. I don't think Davis will prove he is the top QB in the game by year end, so let's keep trying to find one. IMHO.

 

[Boffo97]

IMO it would be irresponsible for this FO to keep Bradford at his current contract even WITHOUT the Davis wrinkle in the mix. You can't pay a guy who still has not proven himself in the league and has been unavailable for half of the games he got paid for that much cheddar. It's foolhardy to tie up that kind of money because you can get a pro bowl player and a decent starter for less than that much.

How much better are the Rams if Davis doesn't improve but stays exactly as he is and they add a pro bowler and a solid starter at two areas of need versus the same roster with Bradford?

It's no contest and the decision IMO is pretty obvious.

While I wouldn't put Bradford in terms quite THAT harsh, I agree. That's why I laugh when people claim the Bradford thing isn't about the money... up until now, it wasn't. Now, he's basically set to be paid at near franchise player tender levels for next year, and he hasn't justified that.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I think labeling Davis as a game manager is selling him short.

Personally, I don't like the term, 'Game Manager', isn't that what a Good QB is supposed to do!!?!

 

[theramsruleUK]

I just don't understand the "we don't need more talent at the most important position on the team" position, but to each his own.

The only time in history where the Rams have been ultimately successful (win the Super Bowl) is when we had the top QB in the game. I see a strong correlation. I don't think Davis will prove he is the top QB in the game by year end, so let's keep trying to find one. IMHO.

I don't think we need an "elite" QB to do well, sure it helps but it's not essential. I wouldn't call Eli manning, flacco, Big Ben and Wilson as elite QB's but they do a decent job. Won superbowls etc

 

[LesBaker]

Personally, I don't like the term, 'Game Manager', isn't that what a Good QB is supposed to do!!?!

To me it's a term that carries with it the connotation that a guy isn't that good and has to follow a strict set of guidelines and isn't allowed to throw the ball a lot because he isn't all that good at it. Like Dilfer, ASmith and others, limited ability so limited responsibility and so on. Like the coach sends them in and says "don't fuck it up just do this or that".

Davis isn't in that category for me. To date he's been a play maker. Perfect? Nope. But very good and getting better. He's going to have a bad game coming up with the brutal schedule and we can talk about it when it happens. If it doesn't happen then it's clear the Rams just caught lightning in a bottle for the second time.

 

[dieterbrock]

To me it's a term that carries with it the connotation that a guy isn't that good and has to follow a strict set of guidelines and isn't allowed to throw the ball a lot because he isn't all that good at it. Like Dilfer, ASmith and others, limited ability so limited responsibility and so on. Like the coach sends them in and says "don't freak it up just do this or that".

Davis isn't in that category for me. To date he's been a play maker. Perfect? Nope. But very good and getting better. He's going to have a bad game coming up with the brutal schedule and we can talk about it when it happens. If it doesn't happen then it's clear the Rams just caught lightning in a bottle for the second time.

Now I understand why you thought I was selling him short.
I think game manager is a crucial stage for a QB, to be ultimately successfull, he has to prove effective game manager. Look at Brady. Outside of being a total doosh he is a pretty terrific QB. But when he first started? Manager.
I dont expect that to be Davis ceiling, but I think its all he needs to prove to be ready to be the starter in 2015.
And IMO, he just needs to cut down on the crucial mistkes he has made this season

So many labels on QB.
I'm curious, what do we call the QB between "Game Manager" and "Elite"?? Lol

 

[Yamahopper]

Just had an exchange on another board and a poster made an excellent point.

If Davis had been selected in the first round of this past draft fans and the media would be all over him and the central theme would be "the Rams have their guy and they are set at QB, the future looks bright"........

Lifted from another thread on that board are some interesting numbers worth looking at. He's played in 6 NFL games, keep saying that to yourself because it is important to remember that.

- has a QB rating of 122.2 on 3rd downs
- has a QB rating of 117.5 in the red zone
- is 13th in the league in QB rating
- is 18th in the league in QBR
- has the 11th best INT% in the league
- is 9th in completion %
- is rated 15th among 36 starting QBs in the NFL by FootballOutsiders

Those are eye opening. As he gets more experience those numbers will improve.
He gets in top ten he's going to get Bradford like money after next year. Good for the guy.

 

[LesBaker]

Now I understand why you thought I was selling him short.
I think game manager is a crucial stage for a QB, to be ultimately successfull, he has to prove effective game manager. Look at Brady. Outside of being a total doosh he is a pretty terrific QB. But when he first started? Manager.
I dont expect that to be Davis ceiling, but I think its all he needs to prove to be ready to be the starter in 2015.
And IMO, he just needs to cut down on the crucial mistkes he has made this season

So many labels on QB.
I'm curious, what do we call the QB between "Game Manager" and "Elite"?? Lol

The INT's were bad, but in that situation the guy was trying to make plays. The fumbles are maybe on him and the protection. Much of the issue with his play has been holding the ball a bit too long waiting for something down field. I see what you are saying now and why you used that term but I think he is already past the point where they are limiting him.

In other words the training wheels are off of Austin Davis.