 "Rams Q.B.'s Past and Present"- by
OvisDall(12/31) |
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I'm new to this board, but I have years of Ram memories. I got some
opinions and observations (FWIW) on past and present QBs that I found interesting, and I
would like your thoughts. I can only go back on the games I've observed (and recall) so
here's my take: The Past: Roman Gabriel: Big, strong, tough guy with a great arm. He liked to burrow for first downs in short yardage (<=1 yard). I really liked his toughness. Unfortunately, my only vivid memory I have of him playing for the Rams was not pleasant. Just before halftime in a playoff game with the Vikings (1969), the Rams were at the Viking one-yard line, and Gabriel tried to do one of his famous QB sneaks. The Viking D-line expected this and stuffed him for no gain. He lost most of his mobility later in his career. I remember him unable to bend his knees to pick up his own fumble when he played for the Eagles. John Hadl: Hadl to Jackson! Hadl to Jackson! This was after the relatively unsuccessful stint of Tommy Prothro. Chuck Knox was coach (1974), and the Rams had changed to their now familiar Blue and Gold uniforms. Knox needed a veteran and Hadl was the guy. I still don't know why the Rams didn't want him anymore. James Harris (1975): Big strong QB. Great arm. He was very hot and then very cold, and he fumbled at the most inopportune times. Seem to hold on to the ball too long which got him sacked a lot. In one game he threw 4 TD passes and crushed the opposition, and then the next game he gets sacked 10 times and fumbled against the Niners. Pat Haden: Little guy with great mobility. He was listed as 5-11, but IMO he was shorter than that. Nevertheless, he played a great ball control game, and occasionally surprised the opponent with a long strike. I remember Haden throwing a the bomb to beat the Raiders (when they were champs in 1977) 20-14. The only thing that really bothered me was he had this panicked look with his eyeballs popping out of his face. I bet the coaching staff wasn't sure what he was going to do at times. Vince Ferragamo: Good pocket passer with a better arm than Haden. Only starting Ram QB to be in the Super Bowl (1980). Even though he was a good passer he often made bad decisions. Ferragamo's personality was best summed up by Dennis Harrah: "Vince is dull." Jeff Kemp (1984): Nothing special. Great with handing off to Eric D. I just remember him because he's Jack Kemp's son. Dieter Brock (1985): Nothing special. Great with handing off to Eric D. I just remember him because he was from the CFL, and he was the winning QB when the Rams beat the Niners at Anaheim. Steve Bartkowski (1986): The Rams have a history of signing suspect FA QB's (Joe Namath, Dan Pastorini, Chris Miller etc.), and he was no different in this regard. However, I remember an interview he gave where he described his 'wild' life when he was a 1st rounder by the Falcons in 1975. He was a hot QB with a great arm and tremendous promise, but injuries and lousy Falcon O-lines eroded his abilities and stock. When he signed with the Rams, he hoped to obtain a championship. However, he was soon benched, and a high 1st round rookie QB from Purdue took over. He quietly retired after the end of the season. Jim Everett: For me, he was a brash QB from Purdue with a great arm and a quick release. Physically big (6-5, 212 lbs) he connected with fast, gifted receivers using Ernie Zampese's complicated system. He was a lot like another Zampese QB, Drew Bledsoe. The Rams were fun to watch in the years 1988-89. The game I remember the most was the Rams OT victory (20-17) in New Orleans where Flipper Anderson broke the single game receiving yardage record. Everett was the "cats' meow" in 1989. He was on the cover of GQ magazine. Then the play that, IMO, changed Everett as a winning QB. In the 1989-90 NFC Championship, Everett had been harassed all day by the Niners, but at times he had time to throw. On one play when he did have time, he dove into the ground with no Niners within 3 yards from him. I was stunned with this 'phantom' sack. His mechanics were never stellar, and since that game he developed his reputation for happy feet and throwing off his back foot. After being a FA at New Orleans, and San Diego, he quietly retired, just like his predecessor, Bartkowski. T.J. Rubley (1994): He used to drive Chuck Knox nuts. If you like QBs who ran around like roaches when the lights are turned on, he was the dude. Still, for a young QB, he may have had some promise if developed properly. Who knows. Tony Banks (1996-98): Big strong QB. Great arm. He was very hot and then very cold, and he fumbled at the most inopportune times. Seem to hold on to the ball too long which got him sacked a lot. Oh, I've said this already. The Present: Kurt Warner (1999): After experiencing a plethora of promising QBs and many more unnamed ones I can't remember, I have to say I'm a bit cautious. In my limited experience, the best Ram QBs of the past 30 years are Gabriel and Everett. IMO, one season is not enough to coronate a QB as 'great'. However, I like to indulge in a comparison. I was too young to really evaluate Gabriel, but most recent Ram fans have got a good dose of Everett, who was the last really good Ram QB. This is my evaluation strictly from a perspective of an amateur: Arm strength: I believe Warner throws a more accurate deep ball with 'touch' than Everett. Everett, IMO, had more 'zip' in his deep passes. In the first Niner game when Warner threw long accurately timed TD passes to Bruce and Robinson, it clearly showed to everyone that Warner had a deep ball that was DANGEROUS. Release: Both QBs have very quick releases. Side note: My friends and relatives (some non-Ram fans), who like me are no football gurus, have remarked on watching the Rams this year on how fast this team was. I'm not talking about stop watch fast, but how quickly Warner threw the ball, and how quickly the Rams moved down the field. It was almost eerie. Accuracy: Warner wins here easily. Even at Everett's best, in both stats and observation, Warner is the more consistently accurate QB - at least for one season. Reading Defenses: Everett was very good at reading defenses, and he had great vision. However, it was a different time when sophisticated zone defenses had not blossomed yet. Warner is also quite good, but what really impresses me about him is his adaptability. When defense comes with something different that stops the Rams, he works well with Martz to recognize what needs to be done, then attack. He's one smart, hard working QB. Pocket Awareness: Almost polar opposites. Everett at his best moved around the pocket to find passing lanes and sidestep a pass rush. However, at times he got happy feet and threw prematurely off his back-foot. Warner also moves around in the pocket well, but he waits to the last second, and sometimes waits too long. Mobility: Warner is slightly more mobile than Everett. Both aren't running threats. Mechanics: Both have their problems. Everett had his throwing problems, and Warner doesn't protect the ball as well as he should. Intangibles: Everett never fully regain his form after 1990. At his best in the previous two seasons, he was a leader that had great comebacks. Irv Pankey (LT 1989) said he wouldn't have any other QB than Jim Everett. Then the big test came, and in the eyes of many Everett flunked on national TV. What will Warner do when his turn comes? Their personalities are quite different. Everett was a brash prankster, who in his rookie year actually tried to pick a fight with Randy White. He threw the ball right at White's groin. Warner is a grown man with family responsibilities, and has an amazingly short memory for things that don't help him win football games. His teammates say he's intense, but he doesn't look it. Despite all these observations, they're not perfect predictors of the future. We'll find out. Anyways, thanks for allowing this long post. |
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