AJ NARASIMHANSAN MARCOS, TX
Rookie NFL quarterbacks have had some level of success in their first year recently, with several taking teams to the playoffs i.e. Matt Ryan, Ben Rothlesberger, Russell Wilson, RG3, whereas in the prior decades, only Dan Marino had a successful rookie campaign. A lot has been made about the college teams going to a spread non-NFL offense which would suggest a lower percentage of success in the transition, however, the stats suggest the opposite. What has made these new rookie's more successful than their predecessors?
Bryan: Coaches have done a better job of adapting to the strengths of their quarterbacks. There was a time in this league where that wasn't the case. Coaches ran their schemes and rookies had to sit and learn. Rookies have also had to play earlier because of free agency you only have some many years to evaluate them, so they have to either sink or swim.
David:Jason Garrett talked about this a little on Thursday, and I thought he made a decent point. For starters, kids in the last 10-to-15 years have spent far more time preparing. Even at the high school level, there is no offseason and good players spend all year honing their crafts. Another point I'd make is that the rules of the game make things easier on quarterbacks. Defenders can't make as much contact with receivers, and they can't impose themselves over the middle of the field. They also can't deck the quarterback the way they used to. It's not fair to say the game is easy, obviously – but I don't think the learning curve is as steep as it used to be.
MORICE WELLINGTON IIIVIRGINIA BEACH, VA
Do you see Dallas signing a DE sometime soon since they only have two healthy edge rushers who are rotational guys at best?
Bryan: At this point, I don't see them adding a pass rusher unless it is Zach Moore or Chris McCain off the practice squad. They could trade for a player later or poach one off a practice squad but Moore and McClain make the most sense now.
David:Moore and McCain represent the best chance at bolstering the pass rush in my eyes. I don't think it's a coincidence that both of these practice squad guys have spent time on 53-man rosters and contributed on game day. I doubt they're going to contribute this weekend, but I wonder if the Cowboys want to see what they can do and possibly bump them to the active roster in the coming weeks.
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