tarusman28
Pro-Bowler
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- Jan 24, 2003
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I understand all his accomplishments in high school and college football. But if Drew Brees was so great coming out of college than why wasn't he picked in #1 in the 2001 draft over Michael Vick? Brees had a better career... Nobody in the NFL at that time saw Drew as the next HOF QB.It was a complementary relationship, but the HOF player was significantly more important to the equation than the coach, as is always the case. Brees won a state title in high school. He pulled a crappy Purdue program out of the ashes, setting two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records and 19 school records. He was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and two-time first team all-conference selection. He won the 2000 Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player. He went to the Pro Bowl in a run-heavy vanilla Marty Schottenheimer offense, for forks' sake. He kicked arse wherever he played, and usually after going to a program/franchise with a poor track record of recent success. Payton's track record pre-Brees absolutely pales in comparison.
I'll repeat: it's a player-driven league. Always has been, always will be. Payton is a great coach and I am thrilled to have him, but his best career accomplishments have come courtesy of a 1st ballot HOF QB under center, period. I understand that our fan base wants to prop up the horse we're still riding, but the reality is that we'll struggle offensively relative to our success under Brees unless and until we find someone near his caliber. Even before the wheels fell off the wagon this year from a personnel perspective, that much was obvious, even with a #1 overall pick taking the snaps. Things would have been better with MT for sure, but it wouldn't have propelled us from the back of the pack to the upper echelon where we were accustomed to being with Brees at QB.
Save this post and we'll revisit in a couple of years.
And between 2001-2003, Drew's record was 10 Wins and 17 Losses with 29 Touchdowns and 31 Interceptions. Also, in 2003 Brees was benched for Doug Flutie. The Chargers drafted Phillip Rivers in 2004 to replace Brees because they didn't see him as their franchise QB.
It sounds like you are making seem like Payton's success with the Saints was because of Drew. If that was the case then why Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill was successful in the saints offense? And why Bridgewater was so bad when he left?
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