This morning in the Akron Beacon Journal, columnist Terry Pluto writes about Charlie Frye stepping into a better position than former Browns quarterback Tim Couch. One of the main points Pluto features is the headline that was on a Street & Smith's magazine from 1999, before Couch had actually thrown a pass for the Browns. Here's what the headlines read:
and
- Is Akili Smith's right arm the missing piece in Cincinnati?
Obviously, neither situation worked out. Smith never did anything for the Browns, while Couch was all but ousted by the die-hard Browns fans themselves. However, when you consider the situations, Couch never did too bad. Granted, he wasn't "good", as in Carson Palmer "good", but in wasn't "bad", as in Akili Smith "bad". Without question, I hope Couch is able to have another opportunity to play at the NFL level again, but it looks as if his shoulder problems will never allow it.
Pluto mentions that the expectations for No. 1 quarterbacks may be overrated, because history shows that those quarterbacks don't necessarily earn a team a championship eventually. A few years ago, Michael Vick was the first overall pick, and David Carr was the Texans first overall pick in their expansion season. Although the Falcons came close two years ago, at this point, it doesn't look like either quarterback is even close to being good enough to winning a championship. Now, when you look at someone like Tom Brady, who was taken in the sixth round, you see a quarterback with much more poise and the ability to lead a football team. That's where Frye comes in. Despite being taken in the third round, he will probably play better than all of the quarterbacks that were selected ahead of him last year. Yes, I realize that some of those quarterbacks are waiting for people to retire, but you can't leave them on the bench forever.
So, how does Couch being taken in the first round more negative than Frye being taken in the third round? If a team takes a quarterback in the first round, it usually means that they are in a major rebuilding mode. How often do you see a team with the talent of the Colts select a quarterback with the first overall pick? When the Browns took Frye in the third round, it meant that we built talent around the Browns, and then went after a quarterback. That sounds like a much more manageable situation than Couch ever had.