Shep,
You do bring up some very good points. I agree largely with the article. It is a good article.
But when you start bring up information to support yourself, one good way to bring even more credibility to your postulation, is to also note the information that does not conform to your postulate.
For example, if you added a paragraph about the anomaly of the Ravens and how they haven't had QB stability for almost the entirety of this decade, and yet have remained a very good team that consistently competes at top playoff level, and went on to explain why it was an anomaly, then your stance would be heard better.
But instead, we'll spend about 2 pages of this thread arguing about whether you are full of shit or not because you didn't mention the Ravens (or any of another 2 or 3 teams that might also be considered anomalies).
Just saying.
Also, and some may argue that it isn't true and wouldn't have mattered, but with a decent line or at least one receiver or at least one RB who could get 75 yards a game, Couch may have turned out to be a pretty good QB. Problem is, he didn't have a line to help, no receivers or running backs to help. He got killed and had a hard time doing anything... Yet, didn't he throw for over 20k yards?
You can't build a team from scratch around a rookie QB you plan to start right away, no matter how good he is.
Even Dallas with Aikman, Denver with Elway, and Indianapolis with Manning did not do well the first year or two of the QB's career. But they had some help. Perhaps not an all pro line or a 1200 yard back or receiver, yet. But they had enough help that they didn't get killed or lose confidence before the rest could be built around them.
The Browns in 1999, didn't have the luxury of a pre-built team to help Couch, even a little. It was a mismatch of throw-away veterans, and rookies. No matter how good your QB is, you can't succeed if the QB doesn't have some help.
I'd wager that you could pick any and all great QB's from NFL history, put them on the Browns 1999 team, and they would suck, get killed, lose confidence, and be out of the league 2 or 3 years after.
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