2/16/10
2010 NFL Draft E-mails – More Todd McShay Bashing
Mcshay just compared Jimmy Clausen to JP Losman. That’s all.
–> Clausen should be thrilled. McShay had Mark Sanchez as a 2nd-round pick and Fili Moala as the first-overall pick, so based on that comparison, I’d say Clausen’s stock went up.
Other than the fact that they are white guys with goofy hair, Clausen and Losman have nothing in common.
I know stats don’t tell the whole story, but let’s look at the junior-year numbers of both quarterbacks for fun:
Quarterback |
Year |
Pass Yards |
TDs |
INTs |
Comp. % |
YPA |
Bowl Teams Played |
Jimmy Clausen |
2009 |
3,722 |
28 |
4 |
68.0 |
8.8 |
8 |
J.P. Losman |
2002 |
2,468 |
19 |
10 |
57.4 |
6.2 |
5 |
Ah yes, the similarities are uncanny. I can see how McShay arrived at this comparison.
Not only are Jimmy Clausen’s stats vastly superior, he played against tougher competition with no offensive line or running game. Oh, and his No. 1 receiver was out for half the year.
Why didn’t we all see this before? JIMMY CLAUSEN IS CLEARLY THE NEXT J.P. LOSMAN! WOW! I’M SOLD! MCSHAY’S THE GREATEST!
In fact, I’m willing to bet that in a couple of years, Clausen will also look like Adam Sandler, prompting me to call him “Jimmy Zohan” or something.
As Emmitt would say, “My minds have been blowed away.”
Just wondering if you watched ESPN this morning. Kiper and McShay debate this years QB class. Kiper actually sticks up for Clausen and says he and Bradford are 1 and 1A on his QB Board, which I can’t argue with. Kiper said all the right things about Clausen: Good arm, pro-style offense, tough guy playing all year with turf toe.
But McShay once again tries to throw Clausen under the bus. He says that Clausen has the greatest risk out of any QB in the draft based on where they will be drafted. I don’t get this. How does a QB coming off an amazing year in a pro-style offense pose a greater risk than a QB coming off a season-ending shoulder injury while playing in a spread offense?
He then states he is worried Clausen has already “peaked” and may not have much room to grow at the next level because he has already played in a pro-style offense. What the hell does that mean?!? So getting experience in a pro-style offense in college is now a bad thing for a player’s draft stock?? And how does McShay arrive at such a conclusion?? Isn’t Clausen like 20 years old? I find it hard to believe that a QB will peak at this age. Favre is peaking at age 40. Peyton is peaking in his 30s.
When was the last time a team didn’t draft a player because they were worried they already peaked??? I can’t see a GM ever saying, “We love the kid. He has great arm strength, precision accuracy, real tough…but I have this feeling in my gut that he has already peaked so we can’t take him. Don’t ask me to defend this decision any further. It’s just a feeling I have. Instead of going with what I see on paper and on film, I’m going with my gut. Sorry”.
McShay is getting paid LOTS of money to do what he does for ESPN. He just has to bring something more concrete to the table than this. That being said, he also states that he doesn’t like Clausen’s “intangibles,” which, to me, is nothing more than a cop out. I am so sick of hearing this. Whenever you don’t like a guy all you have to say to defend yourself is “I don’t like his intangibles” and you are in the clear.
All the facts that Kiper said about Clausen (good arm, tough, pro-style offense experience) are ignored by McShay. He would rather rely on personal vendettas, gut-feelings, and “intangibles” to determine a player’s stock.
And just when I thought I couldn’t have any less respect for this guy, he compared Clausen to J.P. Losman.
–> Sorry you had to endure that nonsensical banter from Todd McShay. I can imagine you and every other view must have lost about 10 billion brain cells in the process.
Mel Kiper actually knows what he’s talking about. Kiper said Saturday on ESPN Radio that Clausen is in contention for the No. 1 pick. If you look in the 2010 NFL Mock Draft Database, almost every single 2010 NFL Mock Draft has Clausen going No. 1 to the Rams, No. 4 to the Redskins or No. 6 to the Seahawks.
Meanwhile, McShay’s alone on an island, and you really have to wonder why. Two possible reasons:
1. He just can’t evaluate talent. Mark Sanchez was a second-round quarterback of his last year. Whoops. Fili Moala was once a No. 1 overall pick of his. D’oh!
2. He just hates Clausen for either personal or financial reasons.
I vote for both possibilities.
And I agree with you – I don’t understand how a quarterback can peak at 20 years old. It seems like he’s just making up excuses now. Think about it – if you really hated a prospect for personal reasons, but there was no way you could degrade him, wouldn’t you make stuff up? That’s what’s happening here, along with talking about Clausen’s “intangibles.”
Wouldn’t it be funny if you could degrade someone based on intangibles in real life? Can you imagine a boss going to an employee and saying, “I’m going to have to let you go. I don’t like your intangibles, and I feel you’ve peaked as a worker.”
Peaking at 20 years old? Give me a break.
Is Mcshay a little bit retarted? I am not a draft expert at all, but even I know that the Bucs wont draft Jason Pierre-Paul over Eric Berry if JPP’s dumpness should come true. I know your stats about top three, but an one-year wonder with brainpower issues over a relatively NFL-ready safety? I just don’t think that the Bucs are that dumb.
–> There’s a very good chance Jason Pierre-Paul busts. In fact, one could say that at his young age, he has peaked already. I kid, I kid.
But in all seriousness, Pierre-Paul, like you said, is a one-year wonder. I hope the Bucs aren’t stupid enough to take him at No. 3 overall, but they may fall in love with his upside. So, as much as McShay is wrong about Jimmy Clausen, I feel as though he could be right about this scenario.
Also, no defensive back has been drafted in the top three since 1997, making an Eric Berry selection somewhat unlikely (though possible).
I was listening to SVP and Russillo on ESPN Radio and they are going to have Todd McShay on. Russillo was talking about McShay’s latest mock and he has Bradford as the first QB going to Buffalo at 9.
Really McShay, both the Rams and Redskins are going to pass on franchise QBs? I forgot though, Clausen is a 2nd-round talent.
As bad as McShay is, he cant be that bad that he thinks Clausen is a 2nd round talent. I know there has to be some kind of agenda.
I heard about Gerald McCoy too and the funny thing is, I just got home and checked your site, and coincidentally you had a mailbag devoted to McDouche. Didn’t realize he was copying Mike Mayock haha. Chances are if he reads what you write about him he will not be copying what you say.
–> I better be careful here. If I accuse Sun Tan Man of copying Mike Mayock again, Sun Tan Man may then copy me by accusing me of copying someone like Mel Kiper – if that makes any sense. This is assuming McShay steps out of the tanning salon long enough to know what’s going on.
Just read the stupidist comment ever in a mock draft. Todd McShay said in pick 14 for Seattle “Clausen is a possibility here, but, we don’t believe he’s a 1st round talent.”
–> I have to wonder, who is this “we” in his analysis? Is his mock draft a group effort? Does he get his buddies at the tanning salon to help him? Is Clausen a 2nd-round prospect because they all happen to be jealous of Clausen’s cool hairdo?
2011 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2011 NFL Draft Mailbag Home
Post-Round 1 E-mail - April 29
Hate Mail Volume 7 - April 10
Crackhead Mail Volume 2 - April 10
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 5 - April 10
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 5 - April 10
Hate Mail Volume 6 - April 3
Crackhead Mail - April 3
Trade and Prospect Speculation - April 3
Hate Mail Volume 5 - March 28
Cam Newton Mailbag - March 28
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 4 - March 28
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 4 - March 28
Hate Mail Volume 4 - March 13
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 3 - March 13
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 3 - March 13
Random Questions and Comments - March 7
Hate Mail Volume 3 - March 7
Combine Questions and Comments - March 7
Combine Hate Mail - March 7
Hate Mail Volume 2 - Feb. 22
Random AFC Questions and Comments Volume 2 - Feb. 22
Random NFC Questions and Comments Volume 2 - Feb. 22
Quarterbacks - Feb. 15
Hate Mail - Feb. 15
Random AFC Questions and Comments - Feb. 15
Random NFC Questions and Comments - Feb. 15
NFL Picks - Dec. 15
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
