Chris Mortensen
 

"Let's get something straight right off the mark. This is not a knock against Matt Leinart or Vince Young. This also is not a knock against my colleague and friend Mel Kiper Jr., our ESPN draft scout, who does a terrific job.

However, this I'm pretty sure about: Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt is the best quarterback available for the NFL draft come April.

I am not alone. A bunch of NFL scouts are whispering the same thing during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala. Some of those even will put out some "negatives" on Cutler deliberately in hopes that he'll drop a little in the draft. It's not going to work.
"

I agree with Chris a lot of times but not on this.

RE: Chris Mortensen
 

You never know... anything can happen. I'm pretty sure he's had a lot of time to personally scout and breakdown the three qb's. He could be right. I'll still go with Leinart no matter how much Cutler's stock is rising... Leinart has the better track record and is a proven winner. Cutler until this year was relatively unknown... who knows, he could be the next Akili Smith (one year wonder).

RE: Chris Mortensen
 

Cutler is a great qb...he was talked about last year but the problem was he was playing for Vandy, this year he was still at Vandy, but they started the season 4-0...Vandy got a little more press in the southeast this year for that reason

RE: Chris Mortensen
 

I disagree with Chris on this one too. Cutler is good, but he's not THAT good, and I think that showed in the Senior Bowl. I just don't think that there is any way Cutler would ever be drafted ahead of Leinart and Young, I just don't see it. His accuracy problems are just too much of a problem for him to be seriously considered as a #2 pick.

.. in one hand you have Manning-Leaf, in the other you have Manning-Rivers-Roethlisberger...

..for all the hype that Leaf got as being as good or better than Manning, he was a bust...
... for all the drama that went down in the 2004 draft between Eli-Chargers-Rivers-Giants, Big Ben is in the show 2 years later, while the other two, one is a bench warmer and the other is starting because he's making too much money and the Giants don't have a backup..

..you never know...

Re: RE: Chris Mortensen
 

I don't think anyone thinks or even said that Cutler will be DRAFTED ahead of Leinart or Young. I just think that he says Cutler is more talented than the two of them, and he's not the first to say something to that effect. I personally think Cutler is more talented than Leinart, but Leinart is the better pick for us. Why??? Talent isn't all that GMs look at when they draft players. They look at star power and things that will effect the bottom line of the franchise, such as how marketable the player is. We need Leinart because he's a very talented QB AND he's easily recognized and will put more butts in the seats than a Cutler. The things that will keep Cutler from being drafted ahead of Leinart or Young is his relative lack of exposure and marketablitly. Fans will say "since i never heard of him, there's no way he can be good". Unfortunately a few GMs will say this too. Many experts say if Cutler was at USC he would have put up as good or better numbers than Leinart. Of course that didn't happen so Cutler will go third in the order.


But he didn't say that Cutler could possibly go before Leinart or Young. I think everyone knows better.

I can honestly say I posted the exact same thing Tobias... but I deleted it. 8)

i like ben. i just like that type of qb. he is tough and good. i think eli will be fine though. he had some tough times at the end of the season but i would take the guy in a heart beat. i thik he will be fine.

If the Giants ever get tired of Eli just send him our way..

my thoughts exactly LTF