Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

(Mike Triplett)

BATON ROUGE, La. – It sounds like a novel idea in today’s NFL. But if a team is actually willing to draft a quarterback and give him a full year to develop before thrusting him into the starting lineup, then LSU’s Zach Mettenberger might just be their guy.

Six months, at least.

Mettenberger certainly wouldn’t agree with this idea. He’s so adamant to prove that he’ll be NFL-ready as a rookie that he went out and performed a grueling and impressive pro day workout Wednesday just 13 weeks after having surgery to repair a torn ACL.

Mettenberger insisted he’ll be 100 percent by next month’s rookie minicamps and ready to compete for a job by training camp.

Maybe he’s right. It’s hard to doubt him after the grit he showed on Wednesday, throwing roughly 125 passes in a fast-paced workout that many NFL talent evaluators said would have been impressive even without the injury.

But even if Mettenberger and his supporters – including LSU offensive coordinator and longtime former NFL coach Cam Cameron – are being overly optimistic, then Mettenberger could still be worth a second- or third-round pick for a team that believes he has the potential to be a starter in 2015 and beyond.

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski certainly feels that way. He tabbed the strong-armed, 6-foot-5, 224-pounder as the second-best QB prospect in this year’s entire class, behind only Central Florida’s Blake Bortles. Jaworski is one of many who has compared Mettenberger to the Baltimore Ravens’ Joe Flacco – including Cameron, who has coached both of them.

“I think his skill set translates extremely well to that league,” Cameron said. “Some guys want ‘em taller or [some want] more athletic. But the bottom line is a guy’s gotta be tough, football-smart, distribute the ball to everyone on the team under pressure, in tight windows. Zach can do that.

“You can win a world championship with Zach Mettenberger. That I know. And that becomes the final evaluation. You don’t draft a guy unless you think this guy can ultimately lead our organization to the Super Bowl. Not just win games. And he is on par with guys that I’ve known since his age that have won Super Bowls.”

LSU coach Les Miles echoed that confidence, describing Mettenberger as “a guy that can really play in a very high level in the NFL.”

Still, there are some question marks about Mettenberger that have nothing to do with his surgically-repaired left knee.

He only had one great year in a turbulent college career, which required a lot of maturing both on and off the field.

Mettenberger started out at Georgia, but was dismissed from the team after an arrest for two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. After a year in junior college, he transferred to LSU. But he didn’t really shine as a backup his sophomore year or as a starter his junior year. He was sometimes criticized as too laid back, as both a leader and a decision-maker.

Last year, however, Mettenberger showed rapid development in Cameron’s first year on the job. He thrived in a pro-style offense (and throwing to pro-caliber receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry). He threw for 3,082 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions before suffering the injury in LSU’s regular-season finale.

“When he showed up here and really did not play a lot, he was kind of in the background. Not necessarily did we feel his presence,” Miles admitted. “When we turned to him and he became that player, he really stepped into a role of leadership.

“Really, we felt like he needed to take on more of a position of team leader than necessarily quarterback. He did that. He’s one of the toughest guys on our team. He continued to improve through his last snaps.”

Cameron hinted at a similar assessment, saying, “We’re all maturing, hey, to some degree. And he’s no different.”

“It’s been refreshing to me coming back to college and watching how much these guys can mature in six months, a year,” Cameron said. “And remember, Zach’s still a young guy. He’s not even two-thirds the way to where he’s gonna be at some point in time. And I think his game translates extremely well to the NFL.”

Mettenberger said his first two individual workouts with teams are scheduled for this week – the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday and the Detroit Lions on Saturday – with more to come after that.

Cameron said teams have picked his brain, but he said they don’t have too many pressing questions.

“The film speaks for itself,” Cameron said. “The one thing I know about scouts, they’re gonna look at the film first. Theyre gonna look at the game at Georgia or the game at Alabama. The games against quality opponents on the road. Zach obviously played extremely well.

“Some may ask, ‘Is there anything about him we wouldn’t know?’ And I tell them he’s one of the best, if not the best practice players I’ve been around. Just like [Landry and Beckham], because of the standard Les sets here.”

Mettenberger might not be ready to immediately lead his next team into the playoffs as a rookie like fellow big men Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger have done in recent years.

But if his growth in 2013 was a true indication of his potential, then he might well develop into one of the better investments in this year’s draft class.
Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity - New Orleans Saints Blog - ESPN

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Every now and then when its least expected I like to go all in... WTF.. You only live once!

Snag him Loomis and lets put the question of who the successor to Brees will be behind us.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Anyone know about the sexual battery stuff? What happened there? The kid looks promising but that looks kind of creepy.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Grab assin in 2010

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

I REALLY WANT TO SEE HIM IN BLACK AND GOLD! With the way the offseason is going I don't believe it would hurt to pull the trigger in the 3rd. Even a trade back into the 3rd would be ok with me.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

If he's there in the 3rd round take him.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Really? If we waste a draft choice on a QB, I'll chew the sofa like my dog used to!

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

if he's in the third and we don't take him, we will kick ourselves later.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Then we'll have ourselves four quarterbacks, one of whom we signed off the practice squad last year to make sure he stayed with us. WTF? If that boy QB'd for Auburn, this wouldn't even be a discussion right now...

Now a place kicker in third???

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

We have more pressing needs.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

If its gonna take him 3 or 4 years to be ready, then maybe.

But no one takes that long to become an NFL starter anymore.

We should start looking in 2016.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Hey look over there, it's Ben Worthlessburger. No wait a minute that's just Mettenberger.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

His last name is too long to be a Saints player.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Anyone taking odds on how soon someone is serving the Metten-burger with cheese if he ever dawns the B&G?

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Hell no. He sucked except for his last year under Cam. He also had star receivers and a great running game. The players around him made him look better than he is. I want someone who makes the players around him better.
We have Griffin as a backup and I think that's all Mettenburger will ever be. We will find Drews replacement next year. We have to many more pressing needs this year.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Uh, you realize both Landry and Beckham weren't anything special prior to Cam setting foot on campus either right?

Besides our running game, which is always a constant, they were all underachievers. So how could you say Mettenberger's production was a result of having star receivers? Was Mettenberger not throwing them the football? He played a big part in them both having 1,000 yard seasons.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

I don't have a problem snagging him in the mid to late rounds.

My only thing is that we don't reach for him.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

I like him but not going to happen. No more picks on QB's and RB's.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

No offense to anyone here, but I seriously doubt we're having this conversation if he hadn't played for LSU.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Amen... You homers are crazy.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

This offseason has filled a lot of holes. A backup QB is a big need. To steal a great QB in the 3rd would be fine with me.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

We have two backup QB's right now... The same guys we had last year. If Loomis wasted our 3rd round pick on a QB then I'd be convinced that the pressure of always trying to get under the salary had finally gotten to him and he's snapped.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Probably not... but he did. It's no different from any other prospect that comes out of LSU every year. Nothing wrong with supporting the local talent. I don't think that makes some of us homers, it makes us fans.

homer - A sports fan who picks his/her team to win, despite objective evidence to the contrary.


I always try to keep my objectivity.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Hey, I'm the biggest home of 'em all. I just don't think he's that good. What I mean is had he played for USC last year, assuming it was identical to his last year with LSU, nobody here would be of the mind that we should draft him, late round or otherwise.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

I don't think he's that good either... but I see the potential there for him to possibly become a pretty good starter down the road. I don't want him here but I really hope he succeeds wherever he ends up.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

The question, with Mettenberger or any QB, is...

Is he an improvement over Griffin and if so, is the improvement enough to justify the loss of the draft pick it would take to get him.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

It certainly isn't worth burning a 1st rounder on a guy who will probably leave for another team after a couple seasons.

It might be worth a 6th or 7th though.

Personally I wouldn't burn a pick on a QB at all. Invite a 3 or 4 year project QB into camp to compete with Griffin.

IMO: Ryan Griffin is that 3 to 4 year project.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Annooother backup QB is a big need?

Dayamn, I love this time of the year!

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Brett Favre is right there in Mississppi...
Ask him to be a back up

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

If we do draft a QB, I hope it is Aaron Murray.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

I still have the feeling that Drews replacement isn't even in college yet.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Agreed, and do we really think some QB drafted now is gonna wait 4 or 5 years to start?

Roders was the last of that breed, and by most accounts he was probably ready to go in year 2, definitely year 3 had Favre stopped un-retiring.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Probably not, but they should. Judging by their performance, the majority of these kids just aren't ready to lead a franchise. Geno Smith, EJ Manuel, Mike Glennon, etc. More teams need to go the Aaron Rodgers route and develop their next franchise quarterback imo. They aren't doing these kids any favor coming into an unstable situation with the constant changing of coaches/system and just shattering their confidence throwing them into the fire.

At the end of the day it really doesn't matter what some drafted QB wants to do... it's really not their call.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

There isn't 1 piece of anything purple in my home... No tigers either.

Not even accidentally.

And since I started it in this thread ....
Lots of incorrect assumption.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

+1, agreed.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

I disagree that they should be viewed or treated like kids.

@ 18 an American soldier is given a job that means life or death. About $18k/year. By the time a US Soldier sees the battle field he has been through at least 3 leaders/managers and Units.
@ 23 College graduates go out and get their first job and thrown to the wolves varies from $30k-$$180k/year. This cat has multiple bosses.

These men are making big boy money and allowed to act like spring break college students with zero recourse. Go tell your boss you have 2 DUIs and was just arrested at an airport because of a bomb threat and see how long you are gainfully employed. Make sure you bring those things up at your next interview as well and see how quickly you are hired.

Even more important that the previous examples, a great many of these rookies have had the responsibility of raising their own children...

23 years old and can raise a child but not handle a group of grown men?

They are not children when they enter the NFL but they are handled and treated like children which seems to have zero benefit other than to delay them manning the fk up.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

You're making this way more serious than it is. I don't even see why it has to even go that route. I'm actually a little disgusted we're even comparing American soldiers to football players.

There's nothing wrong with working your way up the food chain.

Hey, you just graduated college with limited work experience. You want to be the CEO of our company?

Hey, you just got drafted. Here's the keys to our billion dollar franchise. I hope you're ready!

Not the same concepts need to be applied to every single situation in life the same. There's not just one way to do everything.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

No thank you, he is NOT our future.

Re: Zach Mettenberger marvels with maturity
 

You good sir, just won "post of the year".