ESPN rates Wilson the 8th best QB

[hawknation2015]

According to ESPN’s Mike Sando, who polled anonymous league insiders, including coaches, general managers and personnel evaluators, Wilson is the 8th best quarterback in the league.

T-1 Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers
T-1 New England Patriots’ Tom Brady
3 Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck
4 Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger
5 Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning
6 New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees
7 San Diego Chargers’ Phillip Rivers

“At the end of the day, the won-lost record of your quarterback and the leadership goes hand-in-hand,” said a former GM. “He has been in the last two Super Bowls. You can say all you want about the defense, but the Bills had a good defense the last two years. What did it get them? Wilson has that late-game magic.”

According to an anonymous head coach, “He is not a 1 [tier]. He cannot win the whole thing. Is that why they are not paying him? I think you could make an argument to put him down as a 3, but I would say he is a 2. The running back and the tight end can help him. If you can make the game one-dimensional for him where he has to be a total pocket passer, it gets tough.”

http://espn.go.com/nfl/insider/story/_/ ... fresh=true

I would have Wilson in the Top 5, myself, perhaps tied with Luck.

1 Rodgers
2 Brady
3 Brees
4 Roethlisberger
T-5 Wilson
T-5 Luck

 

[Hawks46]

8th doesn't sound too out of whack.

I think a lot of this comes down to conventional/historical thinking. There's a lot of GM's and HC's out there who still think a QB has to do it all from the pocket. The question always comes up "can he win with his arm?" when a lot of guys don't realize that most of his come backs were with is arm.

It always seems to be discounted that Wilson is very efficient. It gets held against him that the Seahawks don't ask him to do too much, but what he does, with what he has, combined with the comparatively few attempts he gets. Now, the lack of skill players balances out because of the strong run game, IMO, and not necessarily Wilson's talent making our WRs better.

I also get disappointed when people say Luck doesn't have a lot of help, and Brady doesn't have a lot of help and they make their team better and that's why they're so good. Wilson's WR corps is bottom 20% of the league and our OL is one of the very worst pass blocking OL's in the league. Put Brady behind this OL and our team might not make the playoffs in this division. Hell, he might not last the season.

But look at the guy above Wilson: Rivers. Can we honestly say Wilson is a better QB ? I think the total package with his legs is better than Rivers, but Rivers is a better QB. He's more accurate, he reads the field better and more quickly, and he has a better pocket presence.

Wilson will have an elite target this year for the first time. His stats will go up, and folks will start paying attention. Many are speculating here that Graham's numbers will go down due to the low passing reps we get, but I theorize that he'll make Wilson more accurate, the offense will be more efficient on 3rd downs, and therefor we're going to get more offensive snaps this year. Wilson's numbers WILL go up, and Graham's won't take much of a hit, IMO.

 

[LickMyNuts]

You could argue for him anywhere from 5-9.

Seems fair to me.

 

[Spin Doctor]

This is about where I would rank Wilson. He is a hard QB to peg down due to his unique style. He does so many things well, yet he is sorely lacking in some fundamentals as a passer. He's more of a play maker than a field general, which is not a bad thing by any means. For these reasons I think ESPN was justified giving Wilson the 8th ranking.

 

[hgwellz12]

Three years and they still don't understand what Russ is about.

I love it.

Amen. It's funny because that sounds like something Alex from C.O. (ur avatar) would say in regards to Russ :lol:

 

[hawknation2015]

But look at the guy above Wilson: Rivers. Can we honestly say Wilson is a better QB ? I think the total package with his legs is better than Rivers, but Rivers is a better QB. He's more accurate, he reads the field better and more quickly, and he has a better pocket presence.

I think Wilson has a few advantages over Rivers:

(1) Wins. Rivers has never led his team to a Super Bowl.

(2) Turnovers. Rivers is coming off an 18-INT season.

(3) QB rating. Wilson's career rating of 98.6 is better than Rivers' 95.7.

(4) Running ability. Rivers is not much of a scrambler, especially compared to the league's best running QB.

 

[Cyrus12]

but does he deserve the top money at his position?????

 

[hawknation2015]

but does he deserve the top money at his position?????

Oh no . . . we have like 500 threads on that topic already. :th2thumbs:

But, yes he does, just not 113-136% of what the current highest paid player makes. :stirthepot:

 

[therealsm]

this doesn't answer the ultimate question, though: Is Joe Flacco elite?

 

[hawknation2015]

this doesn't answer the ultimate question, though: Is Joe Flacco elite?

No, LOL. Does that really need answering?

USA Today has Wilson ranked 10th:
http://sportswire.usatoday.com/2015/07/ ... -rankings/

I'm a little surprised people still have Peyton Manning rated so high. I expect him to struggle in what should be his final season.

ACCURACY

Wilson’s lack height can make it difficult for him to hit some targets from the pocket, but the Seahawks coaches do a great job of creating passing lanes for the diminutive passer and he rarely misses the target. Wilson might be the only quarterback in the league whose accuracy improves on the run, making him the most dangerous scrambler in the NFL.


Grade: 9

ARM STRENGTH

Arm strength is typically associated with big quarterbacks, but Wilson has no problem putting zip on the ball. And like his accuracy, the velocity on his throws remains intact while on the move.

Grade: 9

ATHLETICISM

Wilson is the most elusive quarterback in the NFL — and maybe in league history — but his athleticism is not confined to running the ball. It also allows him to make solid throws on the run. His footwork on throws outside of the pocket is impressive. Playing infield during his baseball career likely helped in that regard.

Grade: 10

POCKET PRESENCE

Operating from the pocket is Wilson’s biggest weakness, and his height plays a big factor. He rarely steps up and sets up too deep for his offensive line to create a nice pocket. He’s also quick to abandon the pocket at even the slightest hint of pressure. Seattle’s offensive line gets a bad rap, but blocking for a passer as unique as Wilson is difficult.

Grade: 7

FIELD VISION

Wilson’s lack of patience in the pocket makes it difficult for him to see the field. If his first option isn’t open, he typical goes into scramble mode. This can cause him to miss some open guys, but that is easily outweighed by his ability to make big plays out of structure. And there’s still time for him to develop this part of his game.

Grade: 7

PRE-SNAP

Wilson is excellent at picking out targets before the snap, but he needs to do a better job of recognizing blitzes and fixing the protection to handle them. The Seahawks do ask Wilson to make a lot of pre-snap decisions with their packaged plays, but that’s life for a franchise player.

Grade: 7

http://sportswire.usatoday.com/2015/07/ ... ll-wilson/

 

[WilsonMVP]

I will never understand how Luck is rated so freaking high on these things. His first 2 regular seasons were ok at best. He had 47TD/27INT. Last year he had 40TD but he also had 16INT and still didnt get above a 100 QB rating. Something Wilson has done twice.

Then you want to get into playoff details....... :lol:

3-3 Record, 56% completion, 9TD/12INT 70.8 rating.

So hold up...you are telling me...in 6 playoffs games so far a guy who is barely above a 70 QB rating is the 3rd best QB in the entire league

 

[King Dog]

Sounds about right.

 

[JustTheTip]

So then that means he should be good with accepting 8th best QB money, right?

 

[SnoCoHawk]

Has anyone ever actually managed to shut down the run game, trap him in the pocket and make him one-dimensional...and if so, did he crumple like a cheap beer can? Or is that just a theory people like to throw around as if it's fact?

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Three years and they still don't understand what Russ is about.

I love it.

I don't if he actually wants what his agent is posturing for. I don't think that is the case but the dance is a bit tiring. Then again as long as these fools think Luck is top 5 while playing against nothing and doing his best to be Peyton when it matters maybe Russ has a point and should make the Seahawks pay for being stupid.

Just pay the man and watch him carry this team and franchise into the history books along with Pete and John already.

 

[cheese22]

I hate to say it, but if you transplanted this team in New York, Wilson would easily be ranked in the top 5 and this team would be considered a dynasty. And all the things that Wilson is ridiculed for would be the same reasons these know-it-alls would glorify him for.
BTW-Exactly how do these guys rate a QB for his pre-snap reads? Are they so f'ing smart that they can read a QB's thought processes? And for a guy who is known for his hours of film room time and his brains, they gave him a 7?!
It's kind of hard to take this crap too seriously.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

This is about where I would rank Wilson. He is a hard QB to peg down due to his unique style. He does so many things well, yet he is sorely lacking in some fundamentals as a passer. He's more of a play maker than a field general, which is not a bad thing by any means. For these reasons I think ESPN was justified giving Wilson the 8th ranking.

Sorely lacking in what 'fundamentals,' pray tell. Good gawd.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

but does he deserve the top money at his position?????

Not the 'top money' he's trying to get. Latest update is he wants 75M guaranteed. That's not merely wanting 'pay based on play.' That's a straight-up ego trip.

 

[kf3339]

I agree with him being rated as the 8th best QB, and had him in the second level at the position. It is also why I think the team is having trouble with his contract negotiations. You can understand how this may be playing out badly for any deal until the end of this season at the earliest. The sides are at odds on his value to the team. At least that is how it looks to me.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Lists and rankings have become so popular with the emergence of technology and the internet. I remember way back in the day when I would rank players with friends at school, now people make livings ranking players on twitter, blogs, internet, etc.

There isn't a right or wrong answer, but 8 seems about right. I will say that Wilson is probably one of the hardest QB's to rank. He plays on such a dominant team. How would he fair without the league's top RB and run game? How would he fair without the best defense behind him? Obviously both the run game and defense benefit RW, but people often knock Wilson for it. It's not RW's fault that he plays on the Seahawks. But I understand the skepticism. He is also an unconventional QB. Most these rankings focus on pure passing. RW is a dual threat QB. Last I checked he ran for over 800 yards last year (ranked #16), led the NFL in yards per rush attempt, and ranked 7th with 8 runs of 20 yards or more.

All I know is that RW is probably the best fit for the Seahawks. Only other QB who could probably do the job better on our team is Aaron Rodgers, and that's because I think he could be the greatest QB of all time. Put Peyton or Brady behind our Oline and they would be getting sacked at a very high rate.