Eric Hansen, who is quickly becoming my favorite Notre Dame beat writer, has a really good article in today’s South Bend Tribune about Quinn and this weekend’s NFL Combine. In it, he gives a very in depth look at the lengths to which Quinn is going in hopes of hearing his named called first in April.
“During his lunch break, Brady Quinn likes to hook himself up to a 3D vision-testing machine that, in theory, sharpens the small muscles in his eyes to give him that much more reaction time to deal with oncoming defensive linemen.”
If only he had a machine he could hook himself up to at Notre Dame that could actually pick up a blitz, maybe none of this Quinn dropping in the draft stuff would be all over the internet. Instead, every blogger on the internet has an opinion of why Quinn should or shouldn’t be dropping in the draft.
Despite all of the rumor mongering going on in the blogosphere, Quinn still really wants to be the #1 pick…
“It’s important for me to be the first pick in the draft. It’s one of the goals I’ve set for myself, and hopefully in the next few weeks, I can position myself to do that. As far as the analysts and people who make predictions, the only thing that bothers me about that is that it bothers my friends and family, because they buy way too much into that. The thing I know is that if I work hard and do what I’m capable of doing, the No. 1 slot should be there for me.”
Hansen also had some great quotes from Frank Coyle of DraftInsiders.com…
“Russell is a monster talent, but he’s going to run into a wall in the NFL. I think Quinn is the better-developed player. This nonsense of juniors coming out off a big bowl game is way overblown. Decisions have to be made off the entire body of work, not the final game. And that’s where Quinn really shines.”
It’s nice to see someone finally state what most Notre Dame fans have felt ever since LSU took Notre Dame to the woodshed in Sugar Bowl. Russell is very talented (and is a pretty smart businessman for coming out now when his stock is as high as it will ever be), but he is a rather large project at the NFL level and is no where near as NFL ready as Quinn is in terms of running a team.
Hopefully Brady impresses because obviously his 69 to 14 TD to interception ratio over the last two years apparently hasn’t impressed enough as Russell’s 43 to 17.
I think the combine will make or break Quinn. I hope he runs the 40, because I think he’ll run a lot faster than people think he will. He’s got surprising mobility that he normally doesn’t get credit for. If he can run in the 4.7 range, I think we’ll see his stock rise right back up.
Good Stat about the Td to int ratio. I think russels release is very odd. He has good strength but he just throws it up and has his wr go get it. True that works in college when the DB’s are sloooow but in the NFL they are all FAST. Unless your playing the Browns. He isnt very fast but is a beast to take down. I dont see him scrambling much. Who knows what will happen because its all about the combine and we will see who does best. Quinn is more ready period. Better stats. Just as good arm. Better feet. More accurate.
GO ND