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Ratings on Dak Prescott/Russell Wilson/Alshon Jeffrey and others... Thoughts?

IT IS WHAT IT IS

IT IS WHAT IT IS

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Overrated: Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is not an elite quarterback. Pete Carroll has created an environment where he encourages individuals to be themselves and also demands his men to be their best and pay attention to details. It’s that setting, as well as a great defense, that has everything to do with the success the Seahawks have had over these last few years. Don’t get me wrong, Wilson has had a hand in this too, but he moves the offense because of the scheme and because they win the field position battle week in and week out. His style of play does not transcend the system. His career could have gone the opposite way elsewhere.
 
Overrated: Colin Kaepernick
He got a lot of credit when his team was winning, but during that timeframe, he had a dominant defense and running game. He hasn’t been the same without that, as is clear by his current role as the No. 2 quarterback behind Blaine Gabbert.
 
Overrated: Drew Brees
Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s no longer capable of carrying his team to wins, and his arm is not as strong as it once was. He’s still putting up 4,000 yards a year, but the problem is that the team isn’t winning. He’s throwing the ball so often because he’s so often playing from behind. A lot of people look at him as being selfish because he’s making the team pay him $24 million. Two of the best quarterbacks of this era, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, didn’t do that. They were on the books for about $18 million. They understood that if you demand $24 million from the franchise, then their teams would have to cut $6 million worth of quality players who would contribute to help winning a championship. I think Drew has to see now that his salary has led to the departure of key players—which has in turn led to him not playing at the high winning level that he has in the past.
 
Overrated: Carson Wentz
People talked about all the winning that he did in college, but he was really only a two-year starter. He sat on the bench for three years, and it’ll be a huge leap from where he was at North Dakota State to where he needs to be as the new starter of the Eagles in 2016. Philly fans are going to be tough on him. How will he handle that adversity? He has a hitch in his delivery where his elbow flares out, and he’s kind of a rigid guy in the pocket—mechanical is the word that comes to mind. Everybody talks about how smart he is, but that doesn’t always translate. Alex Smith is a classic example—as smart as he is, he does not make quick decisions on the field.
 
Overrated: Kirk Cousins
Cousins is one of those guys that would really struggle when you take talent out of the equation, and his QB play is not dynamic enough for them to run away with the division this year. [General manager] Scot McCloughan is an intelligent personnel man. He had some reluctance to pay Kirk—look what happened to the Ravens when they had to pay Joe Flacco after the Super Bowl. They had to let a lot of guys move on. The Falcons put themselves in the same boat with Matt Ryan as soon as they paid him $100 million, with no defense to speak of. So I applaud McCloughan for what he’s doing.
 
Underrated: Dak Prescott
The personnel people in the organization got it right by all accounts with Prescott thus far, and that’s going to be huge. He’s coming from a spread system at Mississippi State, so there were a lot of conversations about how his game was going to translate at a pro level. But he’s been really dynamic. Yes, he had a lot of space throws at Mississippi State when defenders weren’t around, and the windows are tighter in the NFL, and yes, it’s a totally different ballgame once we get into the regular season in terms of effort, physicality and the temperaments that players play with, but the key ingredient here is that Prescott will be able to lean on a strong running game. The Cowboys should be able to stay afloat with him in there.
 
Overrated: Alshon Jeffery
Jeffery is a talented individual, but he doesn’t work at the game the way you should, and that was an issue when he was coming out in 2012. He showed up heavy at the combine and didn’t run as well as what he should. The best ability in football is availability—you’ve got to be on the field. He’s a good player, but he’s not a difference maker. There’s been chatter about the contract, and he feels like he should be paid at the upper echelon. Listen, you performed at a high level for a year. Let's put two, three, or four highly productive years together before you start pouting.
 
Underrated: Jordan Reed
Reed is not yet a household name, but he will be after this upcoming year. He’s one of the toughest matchups in football. He can operate out of the slot and he can even spread out wide and run routes like a receiver. Somebody is going to have to plan for him every week. The West Coast style fits perfectly with him as a short and intermediate specialist. His most dynamic ability is to run after the catch. He becomes a running back downfield.
 

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