How far will Notre Dame QB slide on draft day? Matt Bowen
When Pete Carroll and the Seahawks made the deal Wednesday to bring in Charlie Whitehurst from the Chargers, Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen went from a possibility at No. 6 to Seattle to a chance at free falling down the draft board come April.
Clausen will still have to show his value to pro scouts when he works out at the Irish pro day early next month, but regardless of what type of arm strength he shows on campus to the top of the NFL food chain, he could be a victim of how the draft plays out.
Washington and Mike Shanahan were hot names linked to Clausen, but if the Redskins want to start competing with the rest of the NFC East, it’s hard to see them passing on a talent like Okie State OT Russell Okung at No. 4. Too many holes up front in D.C.
Cleveland? I recently floated the idea of Mike Holmgren taking Clausen off the board at No. 7 — assuming he doesn’t move up to go after Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford — but with Seneca Wallace in town via trade and the two-year deal given to veteran Jake Delhomme, the Browns could go another route and pass on a QB. Florida CB Joe Haden comes to mind — and this is a team that will experience a roster overhaul from the new team president.
The obvious destination? Buffalo at No. 9. Can the Bills and new coach Chan Gailey compete with AFC East QBs Tom Brady, Mark Sanchez and Chad Henne with a training camp competition between Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm? That’s the question they have to ask themselves, but with a new head coach and a new offensive system, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Clausen come off the board here.
However, what if the Bills go with a player like Iowa OT Brian Bulaga? Is this another case of a Notre Dame QB — like Brady Quinn a few years ago — sitting for hours on draft day waiting to hear his name called?
Because after the Bills, we have to speculate about who might take Clausen. The Jaguars draft at No. 10, and depending on how you view David Garrard as the future of that franchise — or the Tim Tebow rumors later in the draft — Clausen could be a surprise pick here.
But after that, we have to really wonder how long it will take for him to come off the board. Arizona could have been a landing spot before the deal for Derek Anderson yesterday, and I have to believe that Clausen could fall all the way to Minnesota at No. 30 — regardless if Favre is back in 2010.
A complete free fall? Possible, if the Bills decide to go in a different direction since that’s where the draft will turn for Clausen. He’s a QB who played in a pro system, was productive and has the resume of a top-10 pick.
But when the draft turns and there’s a run on a certain position group, QBs start to slide out of control. And Clausen might be a victim of the drat-day system.
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Matt, you don't mention the main reasons for Clausen's probable fall - his personality (similar to Jeff George), his skewed sense of entitlement and the fact he's more douche than leader.
You've gotta be kiding Mike. Not accurate? Did you even watch college football at all. He was the most accurate QB in college this past season. a 28-4 TD to INT ratio. Not accurate? 68% completion. Not accurate?
There are 5 teams that need QB in the top 10 and clausen is a top 10 qb. He's not sliding.
Mike J... Jimmy clausen is west coast dog..... you guys are dumb besides jay.... clausen is an amazing player.. came into ND as a cocky DB but he left a SMART, Accurate, PRO READY, QB who has leader skills due to his team sucking bad bad the first couple years... He is a way better qb then bradford... Bradford was a good qb.. but is arm is shot man.... JC7 going #1 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
also.... Forget all golden tate haters.... He is the best in the draft yooooo
Jay - stop talking about facts and statistics. Clausen will slide because he went to Notre Dame. If he played USC last year, he would be considered the top quarterback in the draft.
As far as Charlie Whitehurst, I am not sure a guy how was the third string quarterback on the Chargers for the past four years is going to become a franchise quarterback. If Clausen or Bradford are still around at #6, Seattle will take one of them. Bascially, Seattle is trying to cover themselves for this year if Clausen or Bradford are gone before they pick.
You've gotta be kiding Mike. Not accurate? Did you even watch college football at all. He was the most accurate QB in college this past season. a 28-4 TD to INT ratio. Not accurate? 68% completion. Not accurate?
There are 5 teams that need QB in the top 10 and clausen is a top 10 qb. He's not sliding.
Bradford won't be there for Seattle, but if Clausen is there Carroll takes him. Whitehurst will make a nice backup, Wallace is gone, Hasselbeck may tolerate enough painkillers to make it through part of the season, but the franchise needs a franchise QB. Hasselbeck isn't that guy any more. Clausen might be, which is why Seattle picks him.
I agree with Jay. This is a not a stong class for QB, a lot of teams need a QB in the top ten, and despite the mixed opinions on Clausen he's a top prospect at the position and very talented.
I think Washington should draft OL at 4, but Cleveland, Buffalo and Jacksonville are all teams that should be interested in Clausen (so should Oakland but that's a different story). I think Cleveland should take him. You can spin Delhomme and Wallace all you want, but really you still need your franchise QB. Delhomme is definately starting this year due to the contract he signed, but Wallace looks like an insurance policy/long-term backup and Clausen can be next years starter after sitting for a year. They have aquired a slew of picks for this years draft to fill out other needs.
Buffalo arguably has the worst QB situation in the league and need to give their fan base something to look forward to. Jacksonville can't be happy with Gerrard's play the last two years, and even if they like Tebow does that mean you would pass if Clausen is available.
Other teams that could be interested in Clausen are Denver (fits the system, plus Orton-Quin combo doesn't inspire confidence), San Fran (2 first round picks, Smith is on his last chance to prove himself and Carr is Carr), Cincy (Sleeper pick, Plamer declined badly last year), and Minny. If Clausen slides past Denver, I see Cleveland moving up to take him middle-late in the first round. They have the picks to do it.
I find it interesting to see how everyone seems to think that Bradford is the better QB here. Not sure use Jay's stats here that he mentions above, but Clausen did run a pro style system, very well for that matter without having a great team around him...yes Golden Tate is a good WR, but beyond that, didn't have great talent around him. Bradford has not run anything close to a pro-style system, is clearly injury prone, and is coming from an Oklahoma QB program that has been less than stellar when making the transition to the NFL. Now, I'm not comparing Jason White to Bradford, but both are Heisman winners at OK and one just happens to be potentially the #1 overall pick and the other, I believe, went undrafted? Just saying...Bradford has not proven to me that he is worthy of a the #1 overall pick, let alone being the better pick than Clausen.
I find it interesting to see how everyone seems to think that Bradford is the better QB here. Not sure use Jay's stats here that he mentions above, but Clausen did run a pro style system, very well for that matter without having a great team around him...yes Golden Tate is a good WR, but beyond that, didn't have great talent around him. Bradford has not run anything close to a pro-style system, is clearly injury prone, and is coming from an Oklahoma QB program that has been less than stellar when making the transition to the NFL. Now, I'm not comparing Jason White to Bradford, but both are Heisman winners at OK and one just happens to be potentially the #1 overall pick and the other, I believe, went undrafted? Just saying...Bradford has not proven to me that he is worthy of a the #1 overall pick, let alone being the better pick than Clausen.
MY CALL OF THE DRAFT: BRADFORD FADES
Nice article but we all get by now that almost no sports talk idiots or internet gurus like Clausen. They didn't like him when he passed up the beloved USC, to go to the irrelevant and hated ND, and they really hate the arrogant Charlie Weis who dared come into a top college school with some swagger and a weight problem. It continues to amaze me how this hatred keeps dogging Clausen, who ON PAPER AND ON FILM is the best qb in the draft.
As many have said, please STOP talking about Clausen being inaccurate. It's factually untrue based on numbers and based on tape. Did anyone that says that actually watch Clausen play this year? Even a few minutes of youtube? And I wish others would please STOP saying that Clausen was only accurate because of his great offensive line (or Golden Tate who refused to come back to ND when Clausen announced he was leaving). Again did anyone that says ND's OL was good ever watch them play this year? (Here's a stat, thier OL starters collectively gave up the most sacks in FBS over three years and set the NCAA record in 2007 with 55 on Clausen).
Let's switch gears for a moment and talk about who should have been the subject of this article: Sam Bradford (aka media darling). Let's put away the bias for a second (even if we keep pretending that his 2009 season and stats did not happen) and think about him as a #1 pick. Matthew Stafford was GUARANTEED $47 million by the Lions last year. Are the Rams after watching this guy throw a few balls on his home turf going to GUARANTEE him $50 million when he could still have a glass shoulder? How could they possibly do the homework necessary to spend that kind of money sight unseen? Remember St. Louis isn't picking #1 becaues they have the best OL in football, unlike Oklahoma in 2007 and 2008. If I were a pro scout, I would assume that Bradford's 2009 OU team is most similar to the experience he can expect from a top team in the draft. If I were the Rams, I would bring Suh to Okalahoma and run some nutcracker drills with Bradford to see how that shoulder holds up against a real life DT that has his own claim to the top pick.
I see Bradford becoming the Brady Quinn surprise of this draft, although I doubt he will fall from the top 10 because this draft class is short of good QB's. Although I could be wrong given that the same media that annointed him Heisman are pulling out all the stops to convince us he's #1. (I must have blinked or something at the combine and missed his awesome performance that rocketed him up the mocks).
Fred,
Matt is one of those "idiots" for writing this? I am pretty sure he said Clausen is top ten talent, but the system could get him.
Next time, read more than the headline.
Quinn slid, but from the looks of things he still got drafted too high. Brohm slid, turns out he got drafted way too high. Rodgers slid... and maybe he's the exception that proves the rule? Just saying, I'm not going to get "alarmed" about a QB sliding until another one proves that the scouts missed.
Northwoods Tom,
Sorry that I can't get over the title with "Clausen" and "Free Fall". It's the same old bias.
I'm still waiting for the "free fall" article for the guy who hasn't played a full game in a year and a half and has an untested surgically repaired throwing shoulder and zero pro-system experience. What a crazy idea it would be to think he would be the over-hyped one.
The major Clausen story before this one at NFP, I tried to place a pic for the story. Your spam filter stopped me. It was those BK commercials, the guy with little hands, trynna eat that big burger. The commercial segment where he won't try catching a football, much less eat a hamburger...
"Here, I'll hold that for you."
Carrol had John David Booty as a quarterback? How important is that to his system? If a team needing a young passer lets him slide, it could be quite a fall. He better go in round one mid to early just from a comparison standpoint.
Actually, I didn't see much accuracy out of Jimmy. I saw a lot of WR adjustments to passes thrown off-target.
He has to put his whole body behind anything but a short throw.
"I keep reading that Clausen is going to go in the top 10 but I've yet to hear any scout/coach/exec tell me they have him rated that high."
Former scout Daniel Jeremiah
Just my opinion, everyone has one on quarterbacks.
Remember, he was playing most of the season with a foot injury which prevented him from comfortably planting on all of his throws.
Of all positions that should fear "position runs" during the draft, a projected top-10 (arguable #1) QB has the least to worry about. There is no doubt that many teams view Clausen as a franchise QB. Therefore, someone will be willing to pay top-5 money for him in the draft.
EVERYONE had a shot at Brady Quinn during his free fall, but it became clear that the NFL did not view him as a franchise QB. That's what makes these two situations totally different, and only comparable because both players went to Notre Dame.
Thanks Mike J, I was going to say the same thing. 68% completion is a nice stat but you have to put it in context. Colt McCoy completed 70% last year and 77% the year before but obviously a lot of those were screens. Clausen completed 68% in a pro-style offense but frequently relied on his receivers to go up and get 'em. Saying either is an accurate QB based on the completion percentage alone doesn't wash.
I'm a Seahawks fan and as so remember the #2 draft choice the Hawks wasted on former N.D. QB, Rick Mirer. What a Slug!
Notre Dame may produce Quality players but we in the Seattle will be happy to allow other teams to try you're QB's. Been there, done that, lost too many games!
Clausen's gonna be a huge bust. No I'm not taking off my USC homer glasses either.
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Mar 18, 2010
07:01 AM
I am no scout, but I posted a month ago somewhere that I wouldn't use a first round pick on Clause. He doesn't have an NFL arm, & isn't accurate enough for a West Coast.