Guest Ranter Sean Kelly  -  April 19, 2005

Over the last 15 years the number one pick overall has been used on 8 QBs, 4 DE/DT, 1 WR (Keyshawn), 1 RB (Ki-jana Carter) and 1 OL (Orlando Pace). Among the quarterbacks we have seen the proven (Michael Vick, Peyton Manning), the yet unproven ( Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, David Carr) and the "what did they prove?" (Jeff George, Drew Bledsoe, Tim Couch).

For awhile I thought the Niners were stupid for picking a QB with the first pick.  One, the overall track record shows that 1st round (not just 1st overall) QBs are a mix.  For example, six were taken early in the "famed" 1983 QB draft.  3 turned out to be great.  3 turned out to be medicore at best.  In addition, you have to examine in the Tedford factor.  5 of his former QBs are in the NFL.  As a group, they each have a career QB rating of under 80.  Three are under 70.  They have thrown 230 INTs vs 202 TDs.  The lone success being the Super Bowl win by Santa Cruz's own Trent Dilfer.  But find me three people in the NFL (past or present) who credit Trent for the Lombardi Trophy.  Baltimore fans one-and-all know that one of the most successful defenses in NFL history was the real reason.  Hell, the best thing said about Trent during that run was "he avoided mistakes". That is a backhanded compliment in my book.

I hope that at the combine (or at private work outs) the Niner brass brought a couple of mafia-style goons and beat the shit out of Rodgers, Smith and Frye.  Better to know how each will handle themselves once the Niner O-line gets done "protecting" them.  David Carr found out the painful/hard way how many ceiling tiles were used in the new Houston stadium.

The real questions are:

Did you really give Rattay a chance?  You dumped Garcia for him.  Why not get him a decent o-line and find out what he is really worth?
Or is his injury problem too bad to ignore?

If you decide to scrap this year and get a QB... and give him a year "under fire"... then who?  do you go for the Tedford guy?  the Utah guy?  or the trendy (Mid-major) guy?  Personally, I think the only "sure" thing is that there is another hard-to-watch season ahead for Niner fans.  And I'll be there watching it with 'em...

Good luck