Originally posted by KRS-1:
Originally posted by 49wyztoscore:
This kid was out throwing pro QB's when he was in high school. He is a gamer he and Tate was the only reason that team was competitive. Are you for real or joking?

If you saw any of the snaps Crist took during the season, you'd see night and day between where he was and where Jimmy was. Crist has great great potential but he was no where as comfortable or in command of the offense as JC was.

Originally posted by abowers1984:
Thats a little extreme... The kid has shown solid improvement every year and proved to be fairly clutch this year while putting up excellent offensive numbers.

Basically if a potential franchise QB fell into our laps like Clausen or Bradford, I'd be quite upset if we passed unless we traded back because of some great offer. Otherwise IMO you take the kid just like we took Crabs. BPA and at the most crucial position. If Alex goes on to succeed and the rook never gets a chance, so be it, but it puts us in a Brees/Rivers situation with some great power in our hands where we could deal either QB for the right price.

And little known fact to some, Clausen embraces competition as he was a big factor in ND landing Dayne Crist (they were childhood friends) as a recruit out of HS (Crist was a top 3 QB in that class) and they both had a shot at being the starter last spring.

I agree with you completely although I am more in favor of trading back or waiting until 17 to pull the trigger because after 13, the only team I think would be interested in Clausen between our 13th and 17th picks is Seatle and maybe Tennesee. If he isnt selected by 13 and no one wishes to trade up for him at our 13th pick, I would say draft the BPA and wait for 17. If hes still around wed have another opportunity to trade down, and if no one wants to trade down I say we take him at 17.

I have been an avid pioneer on the Alex Smith band waggon and it feels like were at a crossroads on the Oregon trail with one path leading us to safety and a super bowl, and the other one will lead us to the Donner Pass durring a long Tahoe winter.

Pros:
As big a believer as some of us are in Alex Smith, we can all admit he still has bust potential. If he doesnt pan out this year, it would be nice having a young QB waiting in the wings and learning the offense instead of starting fresh next year. I know we have Nate Davis developing, but he would benefit from another year or two in the offense and you can never have too much competition at the QB position. I dont like David Carr. Alex Smith only has a one year deal and we currently dont have any Qbs with a starting QB salary. San Diego took a chance very similar to this one and it panned out for them. JC has played with a bad defense, a horrible offensive line, and still managed to keep his team in games and had 4 come back victorys.

Cons:
I really dont want Alex Smith looking over his shoulder again and I dont think Singletary does either but I also dont think hell be able to pass up a potential franchise quarterback at 17. If Alex Smith blows up this year and we almost make super bowl but are a player short well look back on this decision.

Heres a scouting report http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2010jclausen.php
* Strengths:
*Solid size and adequate bulk
* Very good arm strength; can fit balls into tight windows
* Extremely quick, snappy release
* Great accuracy
* Nice hip torque on throws
* Gets rid of ball quickly
* Very decisive with the football
* Takes what defense gives him; doesn't force ball/will throw away
* Elite football IQ
* Great touch
* Well versed in NFL offense
* Good sense of timing
* Will step up/out of pocket
* Knows how to read coverage
* Sees the entire field; great vision
* Very polished for a true junior
* Shown outstanding development from freshman to junior season
* Extremely intelligent
* Ice in his veins; great poise
* Mentally tough; plays through pain
* Big leader
* Confident
* Film room rat
* Elite intangibles
* Good genetics and very well coached
* Spent 3.5 years in a West Coast offense

* Weaknesses:
* Does a poor job of selling play action
* Can get lazy with footwork - but has improved this
* Not a fluid athlete
* Personality might come off as abrasive
* Sometimes gets too much air under fade route
* Lacks a little pocket awareness

Summary: Jimmy Clausen is a franchise quarterback. He has carried the spotlight since he was a teenager and has surpassed the hype. He has an outstanding skill set with the elite intangibles you see in the great quarterbacks. Clausen isn't fazed by tense situations and has great leadership when the game is on the line. He puts in the hours to be a great quarterback and you see it on tape. Clausen will likely be the first quarterback drafted and is a projected top-five draft pick.

Player Comparison: Kurt Warner. Warner and Clausen both exhibit the same three-quarter release, they get the ball out quickly, and are extremely decisive/intelligent quarterbacks. Clausen has a stronger arm.

4/9/10: Jimmy Clausen completed 57-of-59 passes at his Pro Day, with the two misfires coming on fade routes to a relatively slow receiver (should have been Michael Floyd). Clausen is still arguably the top quarterback in this class.

3/11/10: Scored a 23 on his Wonderlic exam. A solid number, but it paled in comparison to Sam Bradford's 36.

2/27/10: Despite speculation that he might measure in at 6-1, Jimmy Clausen was a solid 6-2 1/2, 222 pounds at the Combine - which makes him taller than Mark Sanchez. Poor Todd McShay - now he's going to have to find something else wrong with Clausen. Here's a suggestion from Daniel S. via Facebook: "So what is [McShay] going to hate on next? His cup size?"

I actually hope hes there at 13 to use as leverage to trade back and aquire more picks. I dont want to pick him at 13, but instead pass on him and if hes there at 17 wed get another chance to trade back. I wouldnt be upset if we took this guy at 17, he has the potential to be a franchise quarterback and hes dedicated to his craft and obsessed with perfect throwing mechanics. Reminds me this Drew Brees vs Olympic archer accuracy competition when Brees won due to consistent mechanics.