A Cautionary Tale

Continuing my rumblings on JaMarcus Russell of Louisiana State ...

Russell is undoubtedly a physical specimen who can throw, run and do almost everything you ask of him. Some of the general managers have been comparing him with Daunte Culpepper of the Miami Dolphins, another huge quarterback in the size of a linebacker who can easily run over the defenders.

At his best, Culpepper can be a dominant player. He has been named to the Pro Bowl three times and was the NFL's leading passer in 2004 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. His dual-threat (passing and rushing) quality has proven to be a nightmare for a lot of defenders. But lately Culpepper has been hampered by an assortment of injuries (major knee surgeries in 2005 and 2006) and off-the-field incidents (the "Love Boat" scandal) and has been a disappointment since being traded to the Dolphins before the 2006 season.

Meanwhile, some have also compared Russell with Michael Vick. Vick, the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, is a former first overall pick in 2001 and has been one of the biggest stars in the league for his swagger and versatility.

But the flip side of versatility is the fact that, you can do a lot of things but none exceptionally well. Vick's professional career has largely been a disappointment marred by off-the-field incidents. (Who can forget his water bottle with a secret compartment?) Of course he can run very well and elude would-be tacklers like a great running back, but his throwing has always been suspect and erratic, with a career completion rate of a dismal 53%, despite having three first-round wide receivers at his side last year.

And history tells us that the odds aren't on the side of the dual-threat quarterbacks either. None of them has led his team to a Super Bowl victory ever. Meanwhile, almost all the great quarterbacks (Joe Montana, Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning, etc.) are regarded as immobile and one-dimensional. That means they can only throw the ball well and you don't expect them to do any running at all. Running, after all, is the job of the running backs.

My gut feeling is that Brady Quinn, the University of Notre Dame quarterback whose stock has been plummeting in recent weeks amidst concerns over his immobility and below-par big-game performance, will turn out to be yet another Tom Brady or Tony Romo, that is, players without great overall athleticism but gifted with an accurate throwing arm and excellent leadership skills. Bear in mind that Brady was drafted in the sixth round, while Romo an undrafted free agent.

So the writing is on the wall for the teams prepared to let Quinn slip down the draft board: It is going to come back to haunt you.