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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/13/who-are-the-top-10-nfl-quarterbacks/
Who are the top 10 NFL quarterbacks?
Posted by Mike Florio on September 13, 2015
If every quarterback who believed he is a top 10 NFL quarterback were actually a top 10 NFL quarterback, there would be like 20 top 10 NFL quarterbacks. So who are the top 10?
Albert Breer of NFL Media recently asked a “large number” of NFL decision makers to project the top five quarterbacks as of the end of the season. While that’s not really a current top 10 list, it’s the closest thing we have to one this morning, so work with me on this.
Here we go:
1. Aaron Rodgers;
2. Andrew Luck;
3. Tom Brady;
4. Ben Roethlisberger;
5. Tony Romo;
6. Peyton Manning;
7. Drew Brees;
8. Philip Rivers;
9 (tie). Matt Ryan;
9 (tie). Russell Wilson.
Not making the cut were Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer, and Eli Manning— who didn’t even get one of the 14 spots in Breer’s list.
So what does it mean for today? Not much, unless either or both of the Manning brothers see it and give it any credence. Peyton doesn’t get a spot in the top five, Eli doesn’t even show up on the board.
Flacco also should be a little miffed, since folks in the know apparently regard him as not elite.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...gh-in-aaron-rodgers-andrew-luck-rule-qb-roost
NFL execs weigh in: Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck rule QB roost
By Albert Breer
Tom Clements can't come up with one play to define Aaron Rodgers, but he can think of two.
Both came during the fourth quarter of the Green Bay Packers' 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. The first one didn't necessarily look, to the naked eye, like a great quarterback play. Its brilliance was in the abstract.
"We were at midfield, and we had a pass called, and Pittsburgh brought a secondary blitz," Clements explained. "We'd studied it, and he made the adjustment quickly, hit Jordy (Nelson) on a crossing route, Jordy has room and gets inside the 5, and we score."
That converted a third-and-10, picked up 38 yards, helped push the Packer lead to 28-17, and stemmed the tide of a furious Steeler rally.
The other play, which came on the Packers' next drive and on another third-and-10, is the one everyone remembers: The bullet Rodgers shot past the fingertips of Ike Taylor and into the waiting arms of Greg Jennings to convert another 31 yards and set up a field goal to create the last piece of separation Green Bay needed.
"Probably the best throw I've ever seen a quarterback make," Clements said. "And we needed it."
On the first throw, Rodgers gamed the Steelers with his mental capacity. On the second, he shredded them with his physical ability.
And he's even better now than he was then.
Which is why, when you ask those who know -- those who are paid to know -- there's an overwhelming consensus on who is the best player at the game's most important position.
* * * * *
At the end of August, I posed this question to a large number of NFL decision makers:
Who will be the top five quarterbacks in football at the end of this season?
The purpose was to get a gauge on where the position is going this fall. I asked that they not base their answers on past history, or where the players will be in 2018 or '19. I set the number at five, because I think the word "elite" gets thrown around too liberally, and I wanted to reward those who truly are. And I limited the panel to general managers, vice presidents, directors of player personnel and pro scouting directors -- in other words, guys who need to know the players in question to do their jobs properly.
Rodgers was the runaway winner. The Packers quarterback was first on 18 of 28 ballots, ranked top-three on all but three of them and was the only player to appear on everyone's list. Fourteen players received votes. Here's the rundown:
1) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: 122 points (18 first-place votes)
2) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts: 93 points (7 first-place votes)
3) Tom Brady, New England Patriots: 78 points (2 first-place votes)
4) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: 42 points (1 first-place vote)
5) Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: 18 points
6) Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: 16 points
7) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: 13 points
8) Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: 10 points
T-9) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: 8 points
T-9) Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: 8 points
11) Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: 5 points
12) Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: 4 points
13) Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings: 2 points
14) Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals: 1 point
After tallying up the results, I circled back to get reasoning on the four quarterbacks who received first-place votes from rival execs who ranked them No. 1.
NFC exec on Rodgers: "The thing about him that I see is he's extremely accurate -- and I mean, extremely accurate -- and he's mobile, can make every throw and he's extremely smart. He takes time, surveys the defense before the snap, he knows where he's going and he makes very fast decisions accurately. ... Also, he's got very good competitiveness. ... He's by himself. He's so smart, so accurate, so competitive, such a fast decision maker, and I know it's generic to say a lot of this, but he really is a 10 out of 10 in a lot of categories."
AFC exec on Luck: "He's the prototypical NFL pocket-passing quarterback who adds the physical skill you ideally want with the mental ability and intelligence it takes to play at a high level. He has the ability to make every throw, and he can extend plays with his feet. And his personality, too -- he's selfless and that's required to be a good leader. And when you observe him in football situations, he looks like a competitor, he appears to be a guy that loves the game. ... He elevates the personnel around him, makes them better, from the line on down. ... You see this with Brady, too -- he throws it 30 times, six or seven dudes are gonna get the ball."
NFC exec on Brady: "I think he's coming back with a chip on his shoulder, like he did after they lost a couple games early last year. He's such a competitor -- no one like him -- and he's got the proven track record. And I think what I'd based it on is, of all these guys, I sure don't want to be playing against him. ... (He's older, but) he never had a rocket arm anyway. His anticipation, his accuracy has never dropped off, even when there's not a lot of talent around him. ... Going by what I've seen the last 15, 16 years, I don't think he'll lose that all at once."
AFC exec on Roethlisberger: "(Martavis) Bryant is down -- that's a loss. And not having (Le'Veon) Bell hurts. But when they're back, they're gonna be extremely hard to defend. ... They're gonna throw the hell out of the ball. The only issue is him getting hurt -- he takes a pounding. I just think he's poised for a big year, that he's part of a modern-day 'Triplets' with (Antonio) Brown and Bell, and now with Bryant when he comes back. ... The other thing, too, and this becomes a factor with quarterbacks, their defense isn't very good. They'll give up points, and because of that, they're gonna throw it even more."
* * * * *
At the end of this process, one of the shot-callers who voted called me back. He'd voted for Luck, but was hedging after watching an off-balance throw Rodgers made to Nelson in the preseason.
He ended up sticking with Luck. But it wasn't easy to go against the other No. 12, in large part because there's almost nothing the Packers quarterback doesn't do well. Just ask his play caller.
"He can do everything," Clements said. "He has great arm talent, great accuracy, and the thing that gives him an advantage is his movement in the pocket, his ability to extend plays. And beyond that, he's so intelligent. He understands the system, has great recall, always makes the quick decision to get us into what's appropriate. ... He's the complete package."
The last game Clements coached in before that started to become apparent to everyone was the 2008Pro Bowl. The current assistant head coach in Green Bay said it stuck out to the Packers staff there that, as they went through practices, their backup back home had all the ability the quarterbacks invited to Hawaii did.
In the time since, he's proven to have all anyone would ever want at the position.
Who are the top 10 NFL quarterbacks?
Posted by Mike Florio on September 13, 2015
If every quarterback who believed he is a top 10 NFL quarterback were actually a top 10 NFL quarterback, there would be like 20 top 10 NFL quarterbacks. So who are the top 10?
Albert Breer of NFL Media recently asked a “large number” of NFL decision makers to project the top five quarterbacks as of the end of the season. While that’s not really a current top 10 list, it’s the closest thing we have to one this morning, so work with me on this.
Here we go:
1. Aaron Rodgers;
2. Andrew Luck;
3. Tom Brady;
4. Ben Roethlisberger;
5. Tony Romo;
6. Peyton Manning;
7. Drew Brees;
8. Philip Rivers;
9 (tie). Matt Ryan;
9 (tie). Russell Wilson.
Not making the cut were Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer, and Eli Manning— who didn’t even get one of the 14 spots in Breer’s list.
So what does it mean for today? Not much, unless either or both of the Manning brothers see it and give it any credence. Peyton doesn’t get a spot in the top five, Eli doesn’t even show up on the board.
Flacco also should be a little miffed, since folks in the know apparently regard him as not elite.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...gh-in-aaron-rodgers-andrew-luck-rule-qb-roost
NFL execs weigh in: Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck rule QB roost
By Albert Breer
Tom Clements can't come up with one play to define Aaron Rodgers, but he can think of two.
Both came during the fourth quarter of the Green Bay Packers' 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. The first one didn't necessarily look, to the naked eye, like a great quarterback play. Its brilliance was in the abstract.
"We were at midfield, and we had a pass called, and Pittsburgh brought a secondary blitz," Clements explained. "We'd studied it, and he made the adjustment quickly, hit Jordy (Nelson) on a crossing route, Jordy has room and gets inside the 5, and we score."
That converted a third-and-10, picked up 38 yards, helped push the Packer lead to 28-17, and stemmed the tide of a furious Steeler rally.
The other play, which came on the Packers' next drive and on another third-and-10, is the one everyone remembers: The bullet Rodgers shot past the fingertips of Ike Taylor and into the waiting arms of Greg Jennings to convert another 31 yards and set up a field goal to create the last piece of separation Green Bay needed.
"Probably the best throw I've ever seen a quarterback make," Clements said. "And we needed it."
On the first throw, Rodgers gamed the Steelers with his mental capacity. On the second, he shredded them with his physical ability.
And he's even better now than he was then.
Which is why, when you ask those who know -- those who are paid to know -- there's an overwhelming consensus on who is the best player at the game's most important position.
* * * * *
At the end of August, I posed this question to a large number of NFL decision makers:
Who will be the top five quarterbacks in football at the end of this season?
The purpose was to get a gauge on where the position is going this fall. I asked that they not base their answers on past history, or where the players will be in 2018 or '19. I set the number at five, because I think the word "elite" gets thrown around too liberally, and I wanted to reward those who truly are. And I limited the panel to general managers, vice presidents, directors of player personnel and pro scouting directors -- in other words, guys who need to know the players in question to do their jobs properly.
Rodgers was the runaway winner. The Packers quarterback was first on 18 of 28 ballots, ranked top-three on all but three of them and was the only player to appear on everyone's list. Fourteen players received votes. Here's the rundown:
1) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: 122 points (18 first-place votes)
2) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts: 93 points (7 first-place votes)
3) Tom Brady, New England Patriots: 78 points (2 first-place votes)
4) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: 42 points (1 first-place vote)
5) Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: 18 points
6) Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: 16 points
7) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: 13 points
8) Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: 10 points
T-9) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: 8 points
T-9) Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: 8 points
11) Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: 5 points
12) Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: 4 points
13) Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings: 2 points
14) Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals: 1 point
After tallying up the results, I circled back to get reasoning on the four quarterbacks who received first-place votes from rival execs who ranked them No. 1.
NFC exec on Rodgers: "The thing about him that I see is he's extremely accurate -- and I mean, extremely accurate -- and he's mobile, can make every throw and he's extremely smart. He takes time, surveys the defense before the snap, he knows where he's going and he makes very fast decisions accurately. ... Also, he's got very good competitiveness. ... He's by himself. He's so smart, so accurate, so competitive, such a fast decision maker, and I know it's generic to say a lot of this, but he really is a 10 out of 10 in a lot of categories."
AFC exec on Luck: "He's the prototypical NFL pocket-passing quarterback who adds the physical skill you ideally want with the mental ability and intelligence it takes to play at a high level. He has the ability to make every throw, and he can extend plays with his feet. And his personality, too -- he's selfless and that's required to be a good leader. And when you observe him in football situations, he looks like a competitor, he appears to be a guy that loves the game. ... He elevates the personnel around him, makes them better, from the line on down. ... You see this with Brady, too -- he throws it 30 times, six or seven dudes are gonna get the ball."
NFC exec on Brady: "I think he's coming back with a chip on his shoulder, like he did after they lost a couple games early last year. He's such a competitor -- no one like him -- and he's got the proven track record. And I think what I'd based it on is, of all these guys, I sure don't want to be playing against him. ... (He's older, but) he never had a rocket arm anyway. His anticipation, his accuracy has never dropped off, even when there's not a lot of talent around him. ... Going by what I've seen the last 15, 16 years, I don't think he'll lose that all at once."
AFC exec on Roethlisberger: "(Martavis) Bryant is down -- that's a loss. And not having (Le'Veon) Bell hurts. But when they're back, they're gonna be extremely hard to defend. ... They're gonna throw the hell out of the ball. The only issue is him getting hurt -- he takes a pounding. I just think he's poised for a big year, that he's part of a modern-day 'Triplets' with (Antonio) Brown and Bell, and now with Bryant when he comes back. ... The other thing, too, and this becomes a factor with quarterbacks, their defense isn't very good. They'll give up points, and because of that, they're gonna throw it even more."
* * * * *
At the end of this process, one of the shot-callers who voted called me back. He'd voted for Luck, but was hedging after watching an off-balance throw Rodgers made to Nelson in the preseason.
He ended up sticking with Luck. But it wasn't easy to go against the other No. 12, in large part because there's almost nothing the Packers quarterback doesn't do well. Just ask his play caller.
"He can do everything," Clements said. "He has great arm talent, great accuracy, and the thing that gives him an advantage is his movement in the pocket, his ability to extend plays. And beyond that, he's so intelligent. He understands the system, has great recall, always makes the quick decision to get us into what's appropriate. ... He's the complete package."
The last game Clements coached in before that started to become apparent to everyone was the 2008Pro Bowl. The current assistant head coach in Green Bay said it stuck out to the Packers staff there that, as they went through practices, their backup back home had all the ability the quarterbacks invited to Hawaii did.
In the time since, he's proven to have all anyone would ever want at the position.
