Leinart or Young?

Slimdust

If you were the Saints with the Second pic, who would you pick?

Both have won championships already. But Leinart has a year ahead of him.

Im not sure who I would pick to be honest, I like both. You cant go wrong with either one. I might give the edge to Young, just cause he can scramble better.

Freak

Leinart is the sure thing at QB, a guy who's been a consistent leader, and has had the most consistent success at the college level. He doesn't have a big arm, and some feel his knees are suspect, but it seems like he is a lock to be an above average quarterback in the NFL. He's also got a ton of charisma, is a good-looking guy, and can be the face of a franchise. I somehow don't think he'll live up to all the hype he's gotten, especially everything last summer, but that's only because he's not a real physical specimen as a football player.

Young is still a huge question mark as far as NFL QBs go. Until this year he struggled as a pocket quarterback (though he was the top-rated passer this year, I believe), and he still doesn't throw the long ball as well as a lot of other guys. He's obviously dynamic as hell, and has shown an ability to work the field in the short passing game. Like Leinart, he is a tremendous leader, and is also the kind of guy you could market a franchise around. He probably has the best upside of the two, and could also be a good WR if he doesn't pan out otherwise.

I'd be more excited as a fan to land Young, but ultimately I think Leinart is a better pick.

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

Well, I think this is more of a debate then people will give it credit for. Most people I've seen on ESPN and the like have basically said that Leinart should be the 1st QB taken in the draft.

I'm not sure if I agree. Keep in mind that I've been a big Vince Young mark from day one, but if I were the Saints that's the dirction I'd go.

Leinhart will most likely be the better of the two right away. Young will have to change up his mechanics a bit, learn a real offense, etc..

However, the Saints are a franchise desperately in need of an idenity. It was bad enough to be them and then Katrina hits and it gets a 1000 times worse to be part of that franchise. Young could do so much for them in the marketing area, much like Vick did for Atlanta, that even if he never becomes a great QB, he'll have helped the franchise in ways Leinhart couldn't. Leinhart would have to lead them to a superbowl to generate as much interest as Young would.

Young also has the potential to be something like the NFL has nevr seen.

Freak

As marketing goes though, Blitz, I don't know if you're necessarily right. Obviously the Young hype machine is out of control right now, and he does have a Vick-like appeal to him; basically, wherever he goes, people will pay to see how he does.

But with Leinart, it was less than a year ago that I think the hype was just about equal to what we're seeing now. People saying he was a lock to win the Heisman, maybe the greatest college quarterback ever, a sure-fire #1 overall pick in the NFL; that just proves to me that Matt Leinart can definitely generate some excitement in the NFL as well, wherever he goes. He's not the kind of athlete Young is, which a lot of people pay to see, but if you market him like a Tom Brady, I think he could be just as good to a franchise -- off the field, that is.

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

I don't disagree that you can market Leinhart, but I'm guessing this franchise stays in New Orleans right? I haven't heard or read much lately about it. I don't want to make this a race or cultural issue, but it seems to me a place like New Orleans, which is prodiminately African-American, would be more excited to have the flashy black QB then the pocket-passing white boy from southern Cal.

Sure they'd be excited to have either, I'm just thinking jersey sales.. everything. The impact of Young could be very much Vick-esque.

With all that said, if the Saints scouts and coaching staff find in their readings that Leinhart is projected to have a much more succesful career as an NFL QB, then they owe it to their fans to select Matt. Winning should always be #1. What I'm saying is if they really don't see much difference in the long-term I think they'd be more succesful marketing Young.

There's no doubt in my mind that the hype of Young has overshadowed what Leinhart's accomplished in his college career. Lots of fans DO seem to be forgetting about this guy.

DMW

I think Leinart (no 'h') is the clear cut choice. The shotgun/improv/read offense Young ran at Texas is not going to work in the NFL. The defenders will be much faster and much better tacklers. In my opinion he needs to become much more of a passing threat for him to be a successful scrambler at the next level. Look at Vick. While he's still a succesful scrambler, he's not doing near the kind of stuff he pulled off in college.

I don't think either of these guys will be that great in the pros. I think Reggie Bush will end of being the best of the top 3 picks by far. Leinart is a less mobile, weaker-armed Carson Palmer, although he's probably a better decision maker than Palmer. Like Freak said, he's a lock to be a slightly above average QB, but unlikely to be much more than that. Young may turn out to be great, but I'm predicting that he'll have a Randall Cunnigham-esque career.

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

Yeah, well that's the problem with Young. Nobody knows for sure what he'll be capable of in the pros. Do I think he'll be running over linebackers on his way to a 200 yard rushing performance? Hell no. I do think he has a chance to be very good, where Leinart has a chance to be just good. That's my take. The potential to be great is with Young.

I just think of franchise like the Saints would be better off taking the risk on Young instead of the "sure thing" in Leinart.

Slimdust

Ive heard some something on the Saints might be going to L.A.

So if thats true, then it would be best for Matt to go to the Saints, cause he would be with his crowd in L.A