Get In There, Rookie

Everytime I hear the tune “it’s the most, wonderful time…of the year!” play during a commercial for school supplies, I tend to agree; it is, in fact, a wonderful time, but not because school is around the corner.

It’s a wonderful time because the NFL, NBA, and (hopefully) NHL seasons are around the corner. Today, we stick to football, as preseason slooooowly trickles by, while anticipation for opening night continues to build.

As has been the case for the past several years, we continue to see the evolution of the offensive mindset in the NFL—that is, that the league has become a pass-first league, with teams investing more and more into quarterbacks, specifically in the first round of the Draft. This year, we saw four teams take QB’s in the first round: Indianapolis picked up the highly-touted arm of Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, followed by the Washington Redskins moving up four sports to nab Robert Griffin III before anyone else could. The third quarterback taken in the top 10 was Ryan Tannehill, who was selected by the Miami Dolphins, and finally, in the number 22 slot, the Cleveland Browns completed the revamp of their backfield by taking Brandon Weeden.

Besides all being taken in the first round of the same draft, what do all these rookies have in common? They will all be starting for their respective teams this year. There was a time in the NFL where, unless a rookie was so highly-touted, and picked by a team with no other legitimate options, that the rookie would be “slow-roasted”; left on the bench to marinate and learn under the wing of an established veteran for a few years. The prime example of this these days is Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, who is considered one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league today. He spent four seasons waiting in the wings for Brett Favre to ride off into the sunset, and when he got his chance, he didn’t look back.

But in a sport based on immediate results, it’s become apparent that first-round quarterbacks should be expecting to be thrust directly into action, as the four aforementioned rookies will be doing this season. Let’s take a look at all four, and the expectations they are being entrusted with:

Andrew Luck: 

The Colts got lucky in 1998 when they managed to pick up Peyton Manning after a horrendous year. Manning was considered the most polished passing prospect to come out of college in the history of the game. Now, Manning has moved on, and wouldn’t you know it? The Colts get the chance to select the second coming of Manning in Luck. While common sense suggests Colts fans might have to wait a few years before they return to the glory days of being perennial Super Bowl contenders, they certainly hope that this season isn’t as brutal as the last. Luck has all the tools to be a superstar, and barring a rough baptism-by-fire in his first year, he should be able to carry the Colts to a respectable level: and if they get lucky (no pun intended), they may just be able to sneak into a wild-card spot; but don’t count on it.

Robert Griffin III:

Griffin III skyrocketed up draft boards league-wide after his impressive end to his college career at Baylor, culminating in a Heisman Trophy to cap off a stellar career. The Redskins invested a lot in Griffin, moving up four spots in the draft to secure him, and then immediately handing him the reins of the offense. A blend of accurate passing and electrifying athleticism, Griffin also projects to have a very successful NFL career, and long-suffering Redskins fans hope that he can finally bring some stability and excitement to an offense that has been lacking for a very long time.

Ryan Tannehill:

Every time the Miami Dolphins draft a quarterback, Miami fans pray that he is the second-coming of Dan Marino. The Dolphins have been trying to fill Marino’s shoes for over a decade, and they finally took a shot on a quarterback in the first-round as opposed to waiting for later rounds to pick up players who may or not pan out in the league, let alone as a starter. Tannehill had the least amount of college experience among this group of four, but has the ability and intangibles to be just as good as Luck and Griffin.

Brandon Weeden:

The knock on Weeden was that he’s too old; a former baseball player, he got a late start on college football, and is now 28 years old. That being said, if he pans out, he’ll still be able to get a solid decade of football under his belt. He too has all the tools, and can make all the throws, but the age factor definitely played a role in his dropping down the Draft board. Now Weeden will try to do what seems like the impossible; making the Cleveland Browns relevant again.