NFL Draft Confessions: My Man-Crush On Jimmy Clawesome Is Real

I don’t understand why NFL teams still drool over quarterbacks as #1 picks. For the kind of money they cost at that slot, I don’t believe it’s worth the risk.

But if the Rams are hell-bent on taking a quarterback, why don’t they go ahead and take the RIGHT one?

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford is a fine football player, and could be a NFL player for quite some time. But in no way can he be compared to Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen, hereto after referred to as CLAWESOME.

First and foremost, there is the issue of injuries. This is so patently obvious that I almost don’t believe no one talks about it.

Last year, both Bradford and CLAWESOME suffered injuries serious enough to warrant surgery. The injuries couldn’t have been more different though.

CLAWESOME needed postseason surgery on a toe ligament he injured in the Michigan State game. He missed some of the next game, but returned in the 4th quarter to throw the game-winning touchdown pass with 24 seconds left.

Bradford, meanwhile, injured his THROWING SHOULDER badly enough to play in only 3 games and have AC joint (no idea what that is) surgery in October. I know they can do wonders with surgery these days. But if I were drafting this kid, I would have a full diaper every time I thought about the dump trucks of money I would have to pay him.

That alone is reason enough to not invest a #1 pick on him.

Second, the two played in vastly different systems. Another knock on Bradford is the “Air-Raid” system he ran in college. Some have even suggested it’s a one-read system.

It’s the same system run by Mike Leach, Mark Mangino, and the guys at Kentucky. Jason White won a Heisman at Oklahoma and put up better numbers than Bradford, and he never even got the opportunity to play in the NFL!

What’s the difference between the two? Or, for that matter, Graham Harrell, Andre Ware, Tim Couch, or Josh Huepel?? Those guys and a buck will get you a cup of coffee.

CLAWESOME, meanwhile, played for an incredibly successful NFL offensive coordinator. Say what you will about Weis’ abilities as a head coach, but he was a damn fine offensive coach, both in the NFL and college.

He runs a sophisticated offense, mainly from under center, which requires the quarterback to process lots of information instantly. You know, kinda like they need you to do in the NFL.

And once CLAWESOME stopped being whipped like a rented mule and got some protection, he was incredibly proficient.

His numbers don’t compare to Bradford’s, but then again, neither does his team.

One would think that seeing a college kid run the same offense as Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe, and Phil Simms, and run it so fluidly, would be the icing on all this cake to make CLAWESOME the #1 pick in the draft.

I’m sure the Rams will f**k this up. Much like the Browns in 1999, they’ll be awed by the numbers instead of intangibles.