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[Russ Smith]

Man... this is frustrating... I'll simple leave it at this... For all you guys who continue to toss up names of other QB's who have dabbled in off the field adventures - the difference is that they were never hyped anywhere close to Matt, and they went on to accomplish great things.
For now, Matt has a tremendous amout of expectation to reach. Sure, what he does off the field means squat. I agree with that! But since he is not yet signed, and has not done a dam thing on an NFL field, what he does on and off the field will be up for debate and discussion.
Right now - the combination of his Hollywood lifestyle and his hold out does not play well for Matty... He already had HUGE, probably unrealistic expectations to hit prior to the draft, placing a great amount of pressure on his shoulders. I believe he is only adding to that pressure...
Time will tell and again, I hope I'm wrong - but I see Cutler going to out-perform Matt, and another Brady (Quinn that is), coming out next year and eventually surpassing both Leinart and Culter!

Speaking just for me, I don't understand why the amount of "hype" is so significant to you? Do you think hype = pressure on Matt and that somehow his off field stuff is going to be an outlet for that pressure and get him in trouble? OBviously it's a different era with ESPN and the internet but in HIS day Namath was pretty hyped too, if not for injuries he held up pretty well under it and he played in NY where there is a LOT more pressure than there is for matt in Arizona.

I have doubts about Matt but they're all physical, his elbow, his shoulder, his concussions. I have no doubts about matt's mental makeup or maturity, Matt is the most NFL ready QB I've seen since Peyton Manning, and unlike Peyton, Matt generally came up big in big games in college.

Not putting him in the HOF yet or anything that serious, I just think the Matty Hollywood stuff is a bit off base, Matt's a VERY intelligent player. And coming from a hardcore UCLA fan like myself that's not easy to admit.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Speaking just for me, I don't understand why the amount of "hype" is so significant to you? Do you think hype = pressure on Matt and that somehow his off field stuff is going to be an outlet for that pressure and get him in trouble? OBviously it's a different era with ESPN and the internet but in HIS day Namath was pretty hyped too, if not for injuries he held up pretty well under it and he played in NY where there is a LOT more pressure than there is for matt in Arizona.

I have doubts about Matt but they're all physical, his elbow, his shoulder, his concussions. I have no doubts about matt's mental makeup or maturity, Matt is the most NFL ready QB I've seen since Peyton Manning, and unlike Peyton, Matt generally came up big in big games in college.

Not putting him in the HOF yet or anything that serious, I just think the Matty Hollywood stuff is a bit off base, Matt's a VERY intelligent player. And coming from a hardcore UCLA fan like myself that's not easy to admit.

Matt has been mentored like no other college QB ever has... That's not even debatable. At the same time, Matt played on a team that was as loaded with player talent and coaching talent as some NFL teams! (ok maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but as far as college programs go, he was surrounded by talent at the player and coaching level like no other QB ever had been).
I believe he has a good football mind (although the final 2 minutes of the Texas game were interesting...). He has the size and skill for sure. But like you, I do have questions about his ability to perform at this level.
And yes, Joe Namath did have a ton of pressure coming into New York. But the expectations of him were not nearly what they are for Matt. And if the expectations of Namath were even close to thos eof Leinart, it was only because Joe himself put them there. Meaning, he was confident enough to bring that sort of attention upon himself. Matt - by no fault of his own, has received way more attention from across the football world without ever uttering a word, or ever stepping foot onto a NFL field. That is a whole different sort of pressure from what Namath brought upon himself!

 

[joeshmo]

Right now - the combination of his Hollywood lifestyle and his hold out does not play well for Matty...

A question you have still yet to answer.

How is this so called Hollywood lifestyle not play well for him.

A lifestyle I might add that is way overblown.

He lived off campus miles away from that scene while at USC. He bought a home in Awhatukee(sp?) when everyone was telling him to get a house in Scottsdale. Any time off he has he sleeps in at his parents spare room to get away from it all. Since being drafting till the time camp started he was at the training facility throwing balls and watching film with Todd Watkins and Pope. When training camp started and his throwing partners left he packed up and went to stay at his parents house. His lifestyle is way over blown to begin with a lifestyle that is no more Hollywood then Tom Brady, or the so called thug Miami trick daddy lifestyle of the EDGE.

So again why would a Hollywood lifestyle not play well for him, an over blown lifestyle that has yet to be a problem to this point.

He is no more Hollywood or any other extreme lifestyle then 99% of any other star player. you only notice more becuase he is in the worlds largest and noticable fish bowl. In a town that treats USC like a NFL team. I would say him being able to ahndle that as the star player in that situation coming out clean and from all reports, from everywhere, grounded, as a huge plus on his character.
Call him overratted, to much pressure or hype, what ever. But this whole Hollywood stuff just doesnt hold any water and screams of the old saying, "reaching for straws"

 

[Russ Smith]

Matt has been mentored like no other college QB ever has... That's not even debatable. At the same time, Matt played on a team that was as loaded with player talent and coaching talent as some NFL teams! (ok maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but as far as college programs go, he was surrounded by talent at the player and coaching level like no other QB ever had been).
I believe he has a good football mind (although the final 2 minutes of the Texas game were interesting...). He has the size and skill for sure. But like you, I do have questions about his ability to perform at this level.
And yes, Joe Namath did have a ton of pressure coming into New York. But the expectations of him were not nearly what they are for Matt. And if the expectations of Namath were even close to thos eof Leinart, it was only because Joe himself put them there. Meaning, he was confident enough to bring that sort of attention upon himself. Matt - by no fault of his own, has received way more attention from across the football world without ever uttering a word, or ever stepping foot onto a NFL field. That is a whole different sort of pressure from what Namath brought upon himself!

Agree about the talent he had around him in college, that will be a clear adjustment for him in the NFL, guys aren't open by 5 yards consistently in the NFl like they were at USC. I can see some similarities in expectations for Matt to what jake inherited, but Matt wasn't a local hero in college, and Jake didn't walk into an offense that had Quan, Fitz and Edge. And personally I think Matt is a much more intelligent player than Jake was at the same stage of his career.

I was reading a story on Cutler today where the Denver coaches elevated him to 2nd string saying he's way ahead of where they expect him to be. Literally a week ago they'd said he probably wouldn't supplant Van Pelt until midseason, but he's catching on so fast they're thrilled. The coaches are saying they've never seen a young player grasp what Denver does anywhere near as quickly as Cutler. Then you read another story about how Jake in his 4th year in Denver is finally comfortable in the offense to where the coaches are confident they don't have to worry about him backsliding. I think it's a polite way of saying Cutler learns a lot faster than Jake does.

I think Leinart is quite similar to Cutler in that regard, he's not going to be overwhelmed with the mental aspect of the NFL like so many young QB's are.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Agree about the talent he had around him in college, that will be a clear adjustment for him in the NFL, guys aren't open by 5 yards consistently in the NFl like they were at USC. I can see some similarities in expectations for Matt to what jake inherited, but Matt wasn't a local hero in college, and Jake didn't walk into an offense that had Quan, Fitz and Edge. And personally I think Matt is a much more intelligent player than Jake was at the same stage of his career.

I was reading a story on Cutler today where the Denver coaches elevated him to 2nd string saying he's way ahead of where they expect him to be. Literally a week ago they'd said he probably wouldn't supplant Van Pelt until midseason, but he's catching on so fast they're thrilled. The coaches are saying they've never seen a young player grasp what Denver does anywhere near as quickly as Cutler. Then you read another story about how Jake in his 4th year in Denver is finally comfortable in the offense to where the coaches are confident they don't have to worry about him backsliding. I think it's a polite way of saying Cutler learns a lot faster than Jake does.

I think Leinart is quite similar to Cutler in that regard, he's not going to be overwhelmed with the mental aspect of the NFL like so many young QB's are.

Oh man... even I wouldn't mention Leinart and Jake in the same sentence!
No surprise about Cutler... A kid who had a fraction of the talent around him that Leinart had.
Guess we covered this one enough. As I said, I hope I'm wrong about Matt. But until proven otherwise, 5-6 years from now, don't be surprised if guys named Cutler and Quinn are putting up better numbers and more W's than Leinart... I know I won't be...

 

[Evil Ash]

Oh man... even I wouldn't mention Leinart and Jake in the same sentence!
No surprise about Cutler... A kid who had a fraction of the talent around him that Leinart had.

Sure and Carson Palmer proved that they can't give out good QB talent at USC. Give me a break

Yes, he had more talent then some of the other QBs but that doesn't make him worse because of it. He shouldn't be punished because his coach knew how to recruit while others didn't

Guess we covered this one enough. As I said, I hope I'm wrong about Matt. But until proven otherwise, 5-6 years from now, don't be surprised if guys named Cutler and Quinn are putting up better numbers and more W's than Leinart... I know I won't be...

Cutler ... maybe because he's on a good team. However Quinn will be the first player taken in the draft next year (unless there's a surprise) and therefore will go to an awful team

 

[Cheesebeef]

Oh man... even I wouldn't mention Leinart and Jake in the same sentence!
No surprise about Cutler... A kid who had a fraction of the talent around him that Leinart had.
Guess we covered this one enough. As I said, I hope I'm wrong about Matt. But until proven otherwise, 5-6 years from now, don't be surprised if guys named Cutler and Quinn are putting up better numbers and more W's than Leinart... I know I won't be...

okay - this makes more sense now - you're a Cutler guy... I understand. You believe in QB busts - no need to say anymore.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Agree 100%. Leinart's gonna be a great one. 5 years from now we are going to be down on our knees and thanking the football gods that Matt is a Cardinal.

actually, Renz, 5 years from now, we're probably going to be biting our nails as Leinart goes into the last year of his contract and there's news that the Bidwills are balking at paying him franchise QB money...

 

[82CardsGrad]

okay - this makes more sense now - you're a Cutler guy... I understand. You believe in QB busts - no need to say anymore.

I'm not a "Cutler" guy, as much as I am not a "Leinart" guy... I just hope Leinart is not one of those "busts"...

I hear the Cards have now upped their offer of guaranteed $$ to the $14-$15 million range. Let's see if Matt is "grounded" enough to realize just how incredibly fair this is...

 

[ajcardfan]

Man... this is frustrating... I'll simple leave it at this... For all you guys who continue to toss up names of other QB's who have dabbled in off the field adventures -

You were the one who tossed out all the names of the other QBs. If you get frustrated over people ripping apart your own comparison, put a little more thought into it next time.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

actually, Renz, 5 years from now, we're probably going to be biting our nails are Leinart goes into the last year of his contract and there's new that the Bidwills are balking at paying him franchise QB money...

 

[CaptTurbo]

King out 6-8 weeks - hand surgery

Is this Kenny King? Again?

If true he needs to be released his hands and wrists are not made to be in the NFL

 

[Rivercard]

actually, Renz, 5 years from now, we're probably going to be biting our nails as Leinart goes into the last year of his contract and there's news that the Bidwills are balking at paying him franchise QB money...

You seem to be selective about your obsession with negative Cardinal history (which granted is about all we have). Plummer was bathed in cash when he was dubbed the franchise QB.

 

[Faithful]

Would you prefer to see him with a bible in his hand leaving church?

I would .