Charlie Whitehurst Could Have A Better Career Than Sam Bradford
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Chris Sprow of ESPN.com has an interesting opinion about Charlie Whitehurst, the newest quarterback in Seattle. Sprow thinks that Charlie Whitehurst could have a better career than Sam Bradford.
From the article at ESPN.com:
"Whitehurst is a strong-armed, long-haired Green Bay native who last threw a regular-season pass in 2005 … as a senior at Clemson. He threw 11 TDs against 10 INTs that year, after throwing seven TDs and 17 INTs the year before. He never made first-team All-ACC.There is also good reason to believe that, among all the QBs associated with the 2010 NFL draft (Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen included), Whitehurst will have the best pro career."
Wait, what? Whitehurst, who many Seattle fans have already appropriately nicknamed “Clipboard Jesus”, will have a better pro career than any of the quarterbacks available in this year’s draft? Even Sam Bradford, who is expected to be drafted first overall?
"Of the 128 quarterbacks drafted since 2000, 43 got their first start in their first season in the NFL. This data – courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information – shows that among this large group, the longer a QB waits to start, the better he performs once he does. In fact, completion percentage, TD/INT ratio and yards per attempt all rise over the course of his career the longer a QB sits to begin it.Drafted QBs who didn’t get to start until their third or even fourth years have TD/INT rates nearly 50 percent better, and complete passes at a rate a full five percent better than rookie starters. But that’s not just in the first season; that’s for their careers."
Sprow continues to compare Whitehurst with quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, and Aaron Rodgers. All of the preceding names waited at least a full season before becoming a starting quarterback in the National Football League.
A very interesting read, especially for the optimistic bunch who trust the judgment of the new front office and believe Whitehurst could develop into the next capable starting quarterback in Seattle.
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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