QB Forum: The ’09 Draft Class (Pt. 3)
By Patrik Nohe
Today is the final installment of our QB Forum. For the past two days (starting Friday) we’ve been analyzing the quarterback class of 2009 and comparing the three young guns selected in the first round of that year’s draft. Zac Snyder of SideLion Report and Marc Greenberg of The Jet Press (both FanSided blogs) and I look to the future in the final segment of our forum. We look at who has the brightest NFL future based on their first two seasons as well as who has been the best value up to this point. It probably gets trite listening to me talk about how good Josh Freeman is, so it’s not listening to a couple of non-aligned bloggers admit as much.
Who has the brightest future?
Zac Synder (Lions)
"This is a really hard question to answer considering there are so many unanswered questions with Matthew Stafford. Those that haven’t watched him much might be quick to dismiss him in this case but he was drafted number one overall for a reason. We’ve seen flashes of it in Detroit but there is certainly no guarantee that he will stay healthy enough for his start to shine to its potential. Josh Freeman is my safe pick and Matthew Stafford is my pick on the condition that his injury problems are a thing of the past."
Marc Greenberg (Jets)
"Brightest future has to go to Sanchez. Two seasons, two AFC championships? he could be the next McNabb. (wait, that may not be a good thing)."
Patrik Nohe (Bucs)- I’m obligated to say Freeman because he could be the first franchise QB in the Buccaneers history and I really do think he has all the tools to be elite. But if I’m really honest, any of the three could become a top-tier passer. Stafford may have the best attributes of them all if he can stay healthy, Sanchez should have a chance to win for the next few years and Freeman is on a loaded young team himself. They’re all in good positions to have big futures.
Who has been the best value so far?
Zac Snyder (Lions)
"Josh Freeman. He has and advantage in this category built into his game because he was the last of the three drafted but he has done enough to prove that he is not a step down in talent. Getting as much with less is a perfect recipe for value. Freeman also took a much bigger step forward developmentally than Sanchez did and Stafford hasn’t played enough to make his case."
Marc Greenberg (Jets)
"Tough question here. Sanchez has played in every game his first two seasons. Freeman has played 1.5 and stafford is at below 1 season. Freeman signed a contract with 10 million in guarantees to Sanchez’s 28 million guaranteed. To Woody Johnson and the Jets, that was money well spent. Sanchez is a franchise QB who hopefully will be the Jets starting QB for the next 8 years."
Patrik Nohe (Bucs)- Freeman, just by virtue of salary and production. It’s really not much more than that, because of where he went Freeman earns considerably less money than both Stafford and Sanchez and he produces at the same level.