The Saints and their history of drafting QBs (1 Viewer)

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This isn't something that ever really dawned on me before.....but I was looking on Wikipedia at a listing of the Saints's starting QBs going back to 1967, and unless I'm completely overlooking something....we only drafted ONE starting QB (Archie) who the consensus would agree was effective.

Bobby Hebert? Free agent from the USFL

John Fourcade? Free agent

Aaron Brooks? Traded to the Saints from Green Bay

Drew Brees? Greatest Free Agent ever.

Throw in other non-Saints drafted names such as Jim Everett, Heath Shuler, Kerry Collins, the Billy Joes, Jeff Blake.......and it appears to me that the Saints, as an organization, prefer to buy used models at QB.
 
Maybe we'll see something difference for Brees's successor considering the recent trend of drafting starting first rounder QB's. I'd prefer that he had time to learn behind Brees but who knows. Getting a FA QB seems like the better idea to me because many take years to develop and are a heavy investment to have sit on the bench if drafted really high.
 
We did take one in a supplemental draft, I think he was out of Illinois, I can see his face but cannot recall his name.
 
I think this is the case for virtually every team in the NFL. You're much more likely to draft a bust at quarterback--even in the top 10 of the draft--than you are likely to draft a true franchise quarterback.
 
And then there was one. This year marks the 40th anniversary and 41st draft in which they won’t take a quarterback. Who dat? Who dat? Dat be da Saints. In what seems like a near-impossibility, the Saints haven’t taken a quarterback in the first round since Archie Manning in 1971. The ’70s most certainly weren’t groovy for the elder Manning, as he routinely took a beating for years in the Big Easy. Since then, the Saints were one of, if not the, worst historical franchises in NFL history. No fans wore paper bags more than in New Orleans. As embarrassing as the franchise was, the Saints have never dipped their toe back into the first-round quarterback waters since.

Scout.com: The history of the first-round quarterback



A couple years old but still interesting read. The Saints have gone longer than any team in NFL history without drafting a QB in the first round.
 
With a list that includes, Mike Buck, Doug Nussmeier, Adrian Mcpherson, Sean Canfield, JT O'Sullivan, and Danny Wuerffel, I think we should just stick with free agent quarterbacks. :grin: The Mora, Ditka, Haslett, and even Payton regime is represented on that list. Granted, the QB position hasn't been a priority for the Saints, so I don't know how much you can read into the Canfield pick. Maybe Ryan Griffin will be the QB version of Marques Colston and Pierre Thomas.
 
A good QB doesn't have to be drafted always, he just needs to be found by the right team and taught the right things.

So, I hope we find Brees replacement this way, the right guy, either draft or UDFA, and mentored by him.

That would be Ideal.
 
Well, also to be fair, we've never drafted a first or second round QB with Loomis and Payton.

Any of our prior history pretty much doesn't count. This team did few things right before this time (other than Defense)
 
This isn't something that ever really dawned on me before.....but I was looking on Wikipedia at a listing of the Saints's starting QBs going back to 1967, and unless I'm completely overlooking something....we only drafted ONE starting QB (Archie) who the consensus would agree was effective.

Bobby Hebert? Free agent from the USFL

John Fourcade? Free agent

Aaron Brooks? Traded to the Saints from Green Bay

Drew Brees? Greatest Free Agent ever.

Throw in other non-Saints drafted names such as Jim Everett, Heath Shuler, Kerry Collins, the Billy Joes, Jeff Blake.......and it appears to me that the Saints, as an organization, prefer to buy used models at QB.

Yeah, we haven't drafted many world beaters at QB. But to be fair, we didn't draft many good players at any position for long stretches in our history.
 
Interesting point, OP.

Dave Wilson and Steve Walsh were supplemental picks. Wilson was okay, Walsh not so much.

We also drafted Marc Bulger who had a good career for another team. :hihi:
 
in all fairness...... how many franchises can honestly say they they have drafted numerous Pro-Bowl type QBs? really? you would have to be extremely lucky to hit on more than a couple..... i mean really, its hard to hit on great QB after great QB after great QB. it just doesnt happen. you get one, then you spend years struggling to find the next. just ask Kansas City. they havent won a game that was started by a QB they drafted themselves since the 70s. franchise QBs just dont come along every day. Indianapolis has gotten pretty lucky. San Fran had to trade for Young. i like this Griffin kid. i dont know much about him except for what i found on Youtube. i know we technically didnt draft him, but im going to talk about him anyway. i hope he works out. from the little i did see, i liked. and Brees and Payton are both extremely high on this kid and its fun to hear them talk about him. i hope he works out and we dont have to worry about drafting a 1st round QB for another 10-15 years
 

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