Aaron Rodgers vs Alex Smith

[alvinleephd]

Who do you think is the better QB? Personally, I think Aaron is a better QB. Much better arm strength and accuracy, much more polished. Alex Smith seems to have a long way to go in those areas. While Smith is more mobile, I'd say not by much since their 40 times were almost identical, and Smith ran an offense that allowed him to run more. People say Smith is the most intelligent QB in the draft, but I don't think Rodgers is too far off. My point is, watch the Cal-USC game from last year, you'll almost be immediately convinced that Rodgers is the better QB. What do you guys think?

[Lyi]

hes a cal qb lol...no one really wants to take a shot at a cal quarterback. thats like taking a running back out of denver...or a player from the eagles defense lol. alex smith is much more polished then rodgers..i don't know what ur talking about. aaron rodgers only started 22 games in his career...how do u call that polished?

[TD4LT]

i say a.mcpherson is better than both of them
he will probably go to the bears in the top of the second or even dolphins
hes more polished and is a better athete
but i voted for rodgers

[alvinleephd]

Lyi: By polished, I mean by mechanics. Aaron has a better arm and is more accurate. Yes, Alex may have more experience if that's your definition of "polished". But Aaron played much better competition and also played in a pro-style offense, whereas Smith played a shotgun spread offense his entire career. . And about McPherson, wow he looks VERY talented, but he's a gamble. I'd have to agree he is more talented than Rodgers and Smith.

[LTfan4life]

Teams are concerned with Jeff Tedford prospects. Take a look for yourself at the names: Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller. All were 1st rounders, and all have been busts. I'm telling you, they are system Quarterbacks.

[alvinleephd]

Akili Smith, bust, definitely. Harrington, probably. But this is his make or break year. Yeah, they acquired Roy Williams last year in the draft, but Williams was plagued with injuries this year. Boller? Too early to tell. Boller's had nothing to work with. Now that he has Derrick Mason, we'll decide if he's a bust by the end of the year. I mean the same could be said for Drew Brees for his first two years, but look at the QB he's developed into. I think Dan Pompei's article in TSN sums it up pretty well how Tedford nurtured his QBs, but Harrington and Boller still have much to prove.

[LTfan4life]

The Lions think he's so great that they signed Jeff Garcia to compete for the starting job. Boller doesn't make good reads, he misses open receivers, and he is too slow getting the ball out(slow release).

[alvinleephd]

I'll agree with you on that, I never thought they were really that good talent-wise, Tedford's system enabled them to put up big numbers. But to me Rodgers is different. Much quicker release than both of them, stronger arm, more mobile. Just a better overall quarterback. I watched Harrington when he was back at Oregon and Boller when he was at Cal, both didn't impress me much. But Rodgers did. By watching him play you could just tell he was a much better quarterback. Now the only question is, can Rodgers adjust to the NFL without the nurturing Tedford did for him every game? I think he's a great quarterback, but that is the only thing that I worry about for Rodgers really.

[chargertom]

Teams are concerned with Jeff Tedford prospects. Take a look for yourself at the names: Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller. All were 1st rounders, and all have been busts. I'm telling you, they are system Quarterbacks.

Don't count Kyle Boller out just yet. The last 3-4 games last year, a light came on for him, and I think this year he will be lighting it up. Most of his IR guys should be back in the line-up, and Jamal will be out of jail. I think you can count on the Ravens being in the playoffs this year, and thanks alot to Kyle's arm for getting them there.

Go Chargers! :Bolt:

[guimcharger]

Rodgers is going to be a bust and Smith is going to be a hall of famer. I will take smarts over arm strength any day. Ex. Joe Montana, Tom Brady. Both have three SB.

[alvinleephd]

haha, Tom Brady has excellent arm strength, accuracy, and smarts, he was just overlooked. I wouldn't say he's one of those quarterbacks who rely mostly on smarts and have average athletic ability.

[guimcharger]

Brady doesn't have that great of arm strength but smarts go hand in hand with accuracy.

[alvinleephd]

his arm strength isn't average though, he throws perfect deep balls. Of course he might not have Daunte Culpepper's arm, but I'd say it's above average.

[guimcharger]

I think that his WR make him look better when it comes to deep balls. I see them always diving for them or something of that sort to catch the ball.

[jhasley]

i say aaron will be the better qb because. already he has great arm strength and good touch...his throwing motion when he holds the ball at the top near his ear is very weird to watch but very effective. i feel this guy has good enough foot work to make a impact in the west coast offense in san fran

[LTfan4life]

i say aaron will be the better qb because. already he has great arm strength and good touch...his throwing motion when he holds the ball at the top near his ear is very weird to watch but very effective. i feel this guy has good enough foot work to make a impact in the west coast offense in san fran


Smith threw a 70 yard pass flat footed, not moving, standing still.

[TD4LT]

arm strenght isnt as huge as it seems in the nfl
every qb can throw the deep ball
heck tim couch threw 75 yards on his knees
p.rivers didnt do so well
but i bet every team would go for rivers right now
acuracy over power every time

[greenhornet]

Neither are deserving of the #1 pick. I was listening to the radio, 1090am the other day and Darren Smitha and philly Billy had some guy on who writes and scouts players (sorry, don't recall his name.) Anyway, he said if these guys (Rodgers and Smith) were coming out in last yeards draft, both would have gone in the late first rounder and possibly in the 2nd round.

Rodgers will have the Tedford curse.

Smith, a lot of upside yes, but needs a lot of work. A project.

If I had too, I'd choose Smith.

[JoeMcRugby]

Don't blame Tedford
Failures of other QBs are no reflection on Rodgers
April 19, 2005
Jeffri Chadiha, SI.com

One of my least favorite aspects of the NFL Draft is the over-analysis. There's so much microscopic scrutiny of pro prospects that it's easy to see how perceived red flags about a player could somehow morph into bona fide questions. I bring all this up because I'm tired of hearing about an issue that has been stapled to the backside of Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers: The Jeff Tedford factor. It's the most ridiculous concern I've heard about a player's potential.

If you've been following Rodgers's story over the last few months, you've certainly heard this theory. It focuses on the notion that Rodgers, one of the top two available quarterbacks this year, might not become an impressive NFL player because he played under Tedford at Cal. See, there's a history here. Tedford has coached five other quarterbacks who have become first-round picks since 1994: Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller and David Carr (although Carr played only as a freshman under Tedford at Fresno State). None of those players has made a significant impact on the NFL thus far. One, Smith, the third pick in the 1999 draft, wasn't even in the league for the last two seasons after being the third overall pick in the 1999 draft.

As a result, Rodgers has faced questions about his future. The thinking is that those players haven't significantly improved since leaving Tedford so it's fair to wonder if Rodgers will be any different. Now comes my reaction: How does that make sense? Aside from being a fascinating coincidence, I'm not buying into the idea that there's any substance to this trend. Quarterbacks disappoint in the NFL all the time for all sorts of reasons. Who they played for in college rarely seems to be a major factor.

I could understand if Tedford ran the run-and-shoot, a system that didn't allow busts like the University of Houston's Andre Ware and David Klingler to learn the necessary fundamentals to succeed at the pro level. But that isn't the case here. If anything, Tedford does everything to get his quarterbacks ready for the NFL. He's the kind of coach who works endless hours to prepare game plans for a quarterback-friendly system that turns signal-callers into stars. He's a master at honing mechanics and making quarterbacks comfortable in his offense. In short, he does what a good coach is supposed to do -- he gets the most out of the talent he's given.

Rodgers is another example of that. Scouts rave about his textbook fundamentals, particularly the smoothness of his delivery, his exceptional footwork and the ease with which he looks off defensive backs. Though 49ers head coach Mike Nolan reportedly is leaning towards selecting Utah quarterback Alex Smith with the first pick in the draft, Nolan recently noted that Rodgers was more polished at this stage of his career than Smith. This all comes back to the coaching Rodgers received from Tedford during his two years at Cal.

Does this mean Rodgers is going to be a great pro? No. It does mean he has a good shot because Tedford nurtured the guy's talent. That's how people should be looking at this. It's no reflection on Tedford if a player falls apart at the next level. In fact, if we're going to wonder if Rodgers has already played his best ball, let's really look at all the other Tedford pupils to see what's happened to their careers.

Dilfer was a disaster in Tampa Bay but he earned a Super Bowl ring in Baltimore. Smith's problems in Cincinnati had more to do with his work ethic than anything else. As for the other three, it's still too early to designate them as busts. Carr is starting to look more comfortable in Houston, especially with a Pro Bowl receiver such as Andre Johnson to catch his passes. Harrington -- and I know this will chafe skeptical Lions fans -- deserves to be judged by how he does with a healthy Roy Williams and Charles Rogers on the field together. And Boller is only entering his third year on a team that has yet to have a consistently productive quarterback under head coach Brian Billick.

The truth is most of these players weren't cursed because they played for Tedford. They were hurt because they wound up on lousy teams. Several NFL quarterbacks have never recovered from that, which brings me to one aspect of this issue that tends to get overlooked: NFL coaches get paid to make these guys better. If they can't do it, that's their fault. If anything, people should be heaping more praise on Tedford for the job he's done with these players instead of wondering if he's producing robots. Boller, for one, looked like a candidate for the Arena League until Tedford coached him as a senior at Cal.

But that isn't the Jeff Tedford factor we will hear about this week. When Rodgers's name is called, sometime early in the first round, you can bet some analyst will mention this topic again on Saturday morning. My response to that: Pay it no mind. The future success of Aaron Rodgers will be determined by his supporting cast, his coaching and his dedication and desire. He has a shot to live out his dream. If that's what comes with being a Tedford guy, then Rodgers is as lucky as everybody else who's come before him.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/jeffri_chadiha/04/19/chadiha.tedford/index.html

[LTfan4life]

I've got a four letter word for Aaron Rodgers...B-U-S-T

[SinCityBoltFan]

Let me sum up all the analysis

Arron Rodgers was part of the West Coast offense at Cal. He would be a better fit for the 49ers.
Overall I like Alex Smith. Good mix of versatility. Plus he is from Helix High School there in San Diego. Former teamate with Reggie Bush even.
A. McPherson is better than the both of these guys. The only problem is his being arrested. Other than that, strength, accuracy, and mechanics, McPherson is the best prospect

[LTfan4life]

When it's all said and done, McPherson will be the best QB out of this class. He will be a great QB; something like D-Mcnabb.

[SinCityBoltFan]

I agree. But whether or not a team is willing to take a chance on him is the big question

[JoeMcRugby]

Let me sum up all the analysis

Arron Rodgers was part of the West Coast offense at Cal. He would be a better fit for the 49ers.
Overall I like Alex Smith. Good mix of versatility. Plus he is from Helix High School there in San Diego. Former teamate with Reggie Bush even.
A. McPherson is better than the both of these guys. The only problem is his being arrested. Other than that, strength, accuracy, and mechanics, McPherson is the best prospect

The only problem with McPherson is that he couldn't beat out Chris Rix at FSU. And Rix won't be selected in this year's draft.

Think really hard about that one. It goes beyond McPerson's only problem "is being arrested".

[Chargeroo]

I have a feeling that Rogers is better than he gets credit for. The Cal team lost their top three WR's to injury last year and his numbers declined dramatically after that so his year ending stats aren't real great. Look at him in some early season games when he had all of his WR's an he looks real good. I haven't seen either of them a lot but I think they both will need some time on the bench before they can contribute much.

[jess89]

aaron rodgers.........

[lightningstrike]

I think alex smith will be better.




:Helmet: GOOOOOOOOOO CHARGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tomlinson21]

Neither will...I think it's between Purdue's Kyle Orton (I hope he turns out to be another Brees) and Jason Campbell form Auburn (but I think jason is like 3rd on the depth chart this year).

[jue21wisc]

well as the preseason went on, rogers progressed.
he has beaten out craig nall for the second spot here in packer country.

[Guff]

MODERATORS!

In the interest of being consistent, can you please move this thread where you moved the Flutie thread?

I understand that this section is only to talk about current Charger quarterbacks and therefore, this thread is upsetting me.

Thank you for your attention.

[lchingon]

Who is Aaron Rodgers?

[vendetta07]

Alex Smith b/c he is from San Diego :Bolt:

[The-Beast]

Both of these teams will be bad for years so in turn both of the quaterbacks will be busts. San Fran is living in the past they havent been good since the former owner got arrested in the gambling ring, then his ownership transfered to his sister and husband who turned that organization into penny pinching *******s charging players for socks and such. green bay what can you say about them except yuck no run no defense they are dying and bret farve cant will them back as much as he would like to its just not in the cards for either of these qb's.

[daygostyle619ph]

i dunno about either 1....if philip rivers would of came out in that draft class he would of been taken 1st.....rodgers is a CAL-tedford system quarterback....and we all now how they have turned out (see boller, harrington, akili smith)...so im not betting the farm on him.....alex smith on the other hand just plays for the niners and there in real bad shape on offense.....he has no weapons to use.....u cant have a gun and expect to win a shoot out with no bullets......he has brandon lloyd and thats about it.........no run game....no nada......if the owners up in frisco stop clinching there wallets with a vise grip and spend sum loot on the open market for talent and they draft well these next 2 years then we will see........but as of right now there even
hey we bolt fans have been thru the lean years, its about time the Friscos and Green bays pay there due at the bottom:D

SHOW ME YOUR LIGHTNING BOLT:Bolt: :Bolt: :Bolt:

[Gadzooks]

I watched a ton of Cal games last year and only saw Smith's Bowl game. From my observations I'd go with Smith.

[alvinleephd]

Well how about that? Rodgers showed some moxie and played pretty well last night. Almost rallied them back too..

It's only one game, but the future looks bright for green bay at QB.

[AirCro]

Im taking rodgers. He looked great last night against a very good opponent.

[CBO]

hard to tell. Smith has been through a new OC every year he has been in the NFL and no one to learn from. Rogers has been in a more steady system and has not been forced into action except for last night. He has also had one of the best to learn from.

[Rivers_owns]

Neither have done too much thus far, but if given the choice - id take Rodgers.

[turbo]

Im telling you... AR is going to be a superstar QB for the packers. he can do anything.. run, throw well, completes alot of his passes, knows how to throw the ball well.

Packers are one bloody good young side -

QB - Rodgers
HB - Grant
WR 1 - Jennings
WE 2 - Jones
TE - Lee

and then in the defence they have people like AJ Hawk, Barnett etc. They are going to be a quality side for a very long time

[CrazyBolt]

i saw how he played. AR is like philip.he has been a benchwarmer but next season he will start and suprise. as for alex smith, david carr and ryan leaf can say, "Welcome to the club"