I agree. We are still without receivers. We'd have ruined Ryan's career.

 

I agree with Clayton. Ryan isn't so much about right now, but in say 2 years. Long is good now, but by his 4th or 5th year will be static or on the decline.

 

Why do you say that? Look how long guys like Ogden and Pace have played. Jake, if he stays healthy (and he always has been) could be in the league for over 10 years.

But, it's Clayton's opinion. We got Jake Long AND Chad Henne in that draft. So if Henne's career is anywhere near what Matt Ryan's becomes, we made the right choice IMO.

 

Clayton must be bored. We nailed our first overall pick no questions. Ask the raiders how well it went taking a QB first overall in recent drafts.

 

No way. By his 4th or 5th year he'll be at the peak of his career.
But I think Ryan would have been a great pick too.

 

It's a reasonable opinion. If Henne turns out great it won't matter.

 

If we had taken Ryan, then us rather than the Falcons would have probably traded back up into the lower 1st to take Sam Baker. So, IMO, if we'd have taken Ryan, we would have lost out on both Jake Long and Phil Merling. Would you rather have Henne and Jake, or Ryan and Baker? I'll stick with the pair we have, thanks.

 

Or we could've just stuck with Carey and drafted Michael Oher last year.

Either way, we would've been fine. The key is Henne

 

I completely disagree with this. Why do you think he'll decline?

 

Just wear and tear on the body, and everyone misses that I said STATIC (which means doesn't get better). Matt Ryan on the other hand, could become the next Peyton Manning.

 

Matt Ryan wasn't much better than Chad Henne this year, and Jake Long is better at his job than Matt Ryan is at his.

Collectively, Chad Henne and Jake Long were leaps and bounds better than Matt Ryan and Sam Baker, and ultimately that duo cost as significant amount more.

 

As I recall, going into the '08 draft, Carey was the only OT with experience remaining on our roster. If we'd have kept him at LT by drafting Ryan, then if not getting Baker, we'd have needed to draft a starting RT. So now today, we'd have either Long and Carey as bookends for Henne, or Carey and Baker or whomever in front of Ryan. Say, if we had not traded back into the 20s to take Baker or maybe Duane Brown who went 26th, the next OT taken after pick 32 was John Greco who was as much a G as a T and he went at pick 65. Between 26 and 65, not one OT was taken. So, with the Henne pick we could have taken Greco or with the Langford pick we could have taken the next OT to be drafted, which was Chad Rinehart who went 96th and is now a backup G on an awful line, or Oniel Cousins who went 99th and is now a backup OT for Baltimore. Baker and Brown have been marginal at best pass blocking LTs, but maybe would have done better on the right side. Greco, Rinehart and Cousins have started a combined 11 games in 2 seasons.
As for drafting Oher last year, he went before we picked, and who knows if we could have traded up to get him. We could have taken Eben Britton instead of Vontae though, or Phil Loadholt or William Beatty at 44.

So, when looking today of what we have, Jake and Vernon as Henne's bookends, I see no scenario of another tackle combined with Vernon, had we taken Ryan, that would make me feel warm and fuzzy inside as bookends for Ryan. Certainly nothing that makes me question whether or not we made the right choice.

 

I understand what static means but you said static OR decline. Even if he remains static then he will remain a top 3 left tackle in the NFL, which we can certainly deal with. Left tackles can play a long time in this league and I doubt there will be too much wear and tear on a 27 year old Jake Long.

 

Jake Long was the right pick. Everyone knows that.

 

I disagree with Clayton. I don't see Ryan as having much greater upside than Henne. I think they can both be top 10 QBs. I don't see Ryan as having much chance to be the next Manning. I do see a bit more upside in Ryan, but not much.

I also think that LT is a core position and the hardest one to fill in the NFL. If we had drafted Ryan then we're probably still be looking for a LT since no elite ones made it to the 2nd round that year. And I see no reason to believe that Long won't be an elite LT for the next 10 more years.

 

We took a damn good OT in Long and are developing a young QB now so who really cares

 

and who would protect Ryan? Jake Long is a top 3 LT in the NFL.

Henne may very well be a an excellent QB, we just need weapons for him.

 

Look at Clayton. I doubt if he ever played football. If he did I would bet the house he was the guy that was always picked last. Do you really care what this clown thinks?

 

Ryan was a 1-year wonder at BC, and even then, after his 1st game, he was an interception machine. With the exception of being juked by Gholston (of all players), Jake was money for 4 years. We made not only the conservative pick, but the right pick based on available information. Last year, the game tapes somewhat caught up to Ryan. I gotta believe that if Henne was in his place with the ATL weapons Matty Ice had in 08, he'd have fared as well if not better.

 

I was one of the biggest proponents of drafting Matt Ryan. But if we drafted him, we might not have picked up Pennington, and might not have won the division in 2008. Now that doesn't mean much if Ryan eventually develops into the franchise QB that he could very well develop into. The problem is, Henne could also develop into a franchise QB and is on pace after a strong first season. Too early to say. If Ryan becomes a QB of the caliber of Brady / Manning / Brees and Henne doesn't then Clayton will be right.

 

It seems to me guys like Bill Polian know what they're doing when charged with building a team.
The year before drafting Peyton Manning, the Colts drafted LT Tarik Glenn as well as RT Adam Meadows.
If you don't give a young QB some protection, he loses his confidence and never develops.

 

Im sorry, which Chad Henne are you talking about? The one that threw 14 INts over 12 Tds, or some other Chad Henne? On any other team we'd probably be laughing at Henne.

Sean Salisbury is that you? :pointlol:

Pro bowl left tackles are awesome but not necessary. I think the position is very very important, but still highly overrated.

Jermon Bushrod.
Max Starks.
David Diehl (converted Guard that year)
Tarik Glenn (decent, but was not elite)
Marvel Smith (again, good not great)

We could have won with Vernon Carey on the left side.

 

You think this is the last year Jake will improve?

That he'll have plateaued by age 26?

How many games did Joel Buchsbaum play? Is Edwin Pope a moron?

Why do we always go to the looks/ability thing to discredit someone?

Doug Blevins had cerebral palsy. He can't even walk. And yet Adam Vinatieri and Olindo Mare became the best of the best under him.

Clayton's opinion is just that; his opinion. He can disagree and it doesn't automatically make him an idiot.

 

Hey Clayton, I think Michael Vick should have stayed off the weed and not gotten involved in dog fighting, and then Ryan would not have had to be picked by the Falcons.

You see how easy it is to look back and look like a genius???? Long is the best O-lineman we have had since Vernon Carey, and he may up being a Hall of Famer when everything is said and done.

 

I could be wrong but I think he's talking about the Henne who threw for over 300 yds in 3 of his last 5 games, despite having to play catchup thanks to the holes his defense put him in, digging out of holes that the Pat White put him in, lacking legitimate game-breaking primary receivers, lining up behind an injury-riddled patchwork OL, having 2 of his 3 best RBs down with the remaining one running on empty, and a TE with the dropsies. Did I mention this is the same Henne who was executing the fossil Henning's offensive plays? Perhaps this perspective will prove helpful :up:

 

No idea where you're coming from with those.

Being behind makes it easier to rack up yardage, and Pat White himself didn't put us in any holes.

 

Go look up what Matt Ryan did this season and get back to me.

 

I'd take Joe Flacco before Matt Ryan. And after next season I'll have Henne up there with both of these guys.

 

Turn back the clock: With the #1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select...Matt Ryan.

During training camp, Chad Pennington is released by the Jets after acquiring Favre. The trifecta quickly sign Penny to avoid going into the season off 1-15, starting a rookie qb. The rest is history as Miami wins the AFC East behind Pennington.

Penny gets hurt in the 3rd game of the season, and in comes Ryan. Miami probably finishes around 7-9, having surrounded Ryan with Bess, Ginn, Fasano, and Camarillo.

Today, Clayton is writing about how Miami would have been better off selecting St Louis Rams' pro bowl LT Jake Long, or trading back and picking Flacco.

John Clayton is a tool.

 

and without a cornerstone LT.....they have the guy, now they got to get some weapons....good LT's are hard to find, and so are good QB...however LT is a safer pick IMO especially at 1, and given Long's career at Michigan, it was a no brainer..

 

THIS. :lol:

 

All very fine mitigating factor. But they are just that, mitigating factors. You don't have to mitigate fine play. :up:

 

Lead his team to a 9-5 record as a starter, threw for more TDs then Ints, played last three games through a turf toe injury, and blasted 3 teams for wins (ok they only blasted the Jets 10-7, the Jet's last loss until the AFC Championship game ... yeah I know the Colts laid up).

EDIT: TO be fully fair, Ryan didn't play much in the game he started and got injured, so it's an 8-5 winning record.

 

As opposed to everyone here who played in the Superbowl? Give me a break.....I'm willing to bet the house that 90% of the people here never put the pads on yet talk as if they're football gurus. Like I said, give me a break....

 

Tell that to Archie Manning

 

Whoa there Poindexter. I am simply stating that I have very little respect for his football opinion. If you do then congratulations I am very happy for you. Clayton is fine when it comes to reporting news but thats about where I draw the line with him.

As for 90% of people here not having put on pads here that point is completely irrelevant. You will never see me start a thread saying something like "Vaark thinks we should have went with M. Ryan" if and only when I (or someone else) do does that point become relevant.

If you think he is the end all be all when it comes to evaluating NFL talent then fine. I have no problem with that. My 'Opinion' of the man still stands.

 

No reason to get bent here bro. :lol:

There are plenty of reporters out there that are good at their job. They have their sources and report the news very well. Clayton is among them. In fact I hold him in a much higher regard than I do Pope or Armando to be honest. This doesnt mean however that I value their opinion when it comes to evaluating talent.

 

i think that with the improved OL and a real go to WR, Henne will be just what the doctor ordered for the next 10 years ....