Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today’s installment covers:
- One AFC contender’s not-so-secret weapon.
But first, a look at some early surprises at the game’s most important position …
The Carolina Panthers’ surprising demotion of Bryce Young is not the end of the line for the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Heisman Trophy winner is still just 23 years old, after all, so this setback is not a career death knell. Could it be the beginning of the end in Charlotte? Sure, that’s definitely possible. But he needs to keep preparing for his next opportunity, whenever and wherever that might come.
While Young’s lofty draft pedigree obviously makes his benching a five-alarm fire in the football world, the Alabama product is just the latest highly coveted quarterback prospect to land with a downtrodden team seemingly lacking a comprehensive plan for development. Though this past January’s hiring of head coach Dave Canales was a move made to hopefully jump-start the second-year pro, the quick hook suggests the Panthers are out of patience with Young. This relationship might be permanently fractured, meaning the young player could have to go elsewhere to potentially get back on track. But Young definitely isn’t the first celebrated signal-caller to find himself in this position.
During my time as a player for the Green Bay Packers, I watched general manager Ron Wolf and head coach Mike Holmgren take on plenty of quarterback reclamation projects. Of course, their most smashing success in this area was a guy by the name of Brett Favre. After acquiring the young passer from the Atlanta Falcons via trade, Wolf and Holmgren surrounded him with top-notch play-callers, playmakers and pass protectors, helping him win three straight MVPs and ultimately earn a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For Young to succeed at the game’s highest level, he needs the right environment. While his small stature is well documented, he still possesses plenty of talent. But he needs to be in a situation where management is committed to building him up as a player by surrounding him with the right people. From play-caller to playmakers to protectors, Young must be surrounded by capable personnel in order to maximize his skill set. That’s not unique to him, either.
In fact, Young can take solace in the recent resurgence of several quarterbacks who were dismissed as disappointments at some point in their respective careers. With so many reclamation projects surging in 2024, this is the perfect time to project which quarterbacks will continue to flourish.
At the moment, nine QBs are 2-0 on the young season, and five of them are not playing for the team that drafted them. With that latter group, I wanted to provide a hierarchy on the surprising signal-callers. So, here are my trust rankings for this quintet.
The former No. 1 overall pick experienced a bumpy journey that took him around the league until he landed in Tampa, where he emerged as a Pro Bowler last season. And despite an offseason coordinator change from Dave Canales to Liam Coen, Baker’s fine play has extended into 2024, as he’s currently tied for the league lead with five touchdown passes. Mayfield has carved up opponents on quick-rhythm throws to a pair of experienced playmakers: big-bodied star Mike Evans and prolific slot machine Chris Godwin. In addition, the spunky quarterback has utilized his athleticism and agility to extend plays and/or pick up key first downs on impromptu scrambles. With a red-hot quarterback running around and dropping dimes in every area of the field, the Buccaneers are in great position to defend their back-to-back-to-back NFC South titles.
To be clear, Carr is definitely the most accomplished quarterback of this group, with four Pro Bowl nods and 161 NFL starts to his name. But the Raiders cut bait following the 2022 season, and Carr’s 2023 debut with the Saints didn’t go as planned. So far in 2024, though, the veteran signal-caller has taken full advantage of the Saints’ revamped offense. New coordinator Klint Kubiak has installed a run-based scheme featuring various complementary passes with big-play potential to help Carr dice up defenses on high-percentage throws. The results have been spectacular, with the 33-year-old quarterback posting a 76.9 percent completion rate, 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and NFL-best 142.4 passer rating. The man’s averaging a whopping 11.4 yards per attempt! Carr’s efficient play has fit perfectly in an Alvin Kamara-driven offense that is giving opposing defensive coordinators fits. Consequently, New Orleans has scored 47 and 44 points in the first two games of the season
Reborn in Seattle, with Pro Bowl appearances in each of the past two years, Geno has quickly acclimated to new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s system this season. The vertical-based offense creates plenty of big-play opportunities when the passer and pass catcher are on the same page. Smith is bedeviling opponents with pinpoint passes on rhythm throws to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while also attacking downfield to DK Metcalf. With opponents unable to shrink the field with tight coverage, due to Smith’s propensity to take shots, the Seahawks’ offense appears much more potent than last season’s attack.
Kevin O’Connell’s belief in Darnold could help the journeyman quarterback develop into the player several scouts expected to see after he was drafted No. 3 overall in 2018. Minnesota selected J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in April, but a knee injury ended the rookie’s debut campaign in the preseason. With the job all to himself, Darnold has taken advantage early. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has posted a 72 percent completion rate with four touchdowns and a pair of interceptions, directing a quarterback-friendly offense that plays to his strengths as a playmaker. KOC has mixed quick-rhythm concepts with aggressive play-action throws that enable Darnold to showcase his skills as a passer. If he can limit the turnovers, the veteran’s arm talent makes Minnesota a dangerous team in a league that values big plays.
The fourth-year pro is learning how to play winning football under the direction of Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith. Although the winning formula in Pittsburgh requires the quarterback to operate like a game manager who prioritizes ball security over everything, Fields has played turnover-free football while utilizing his superpowers (athleticism and running skills) when needed. With the T.J. Watt-led defense playing lights out, Fields has been able to chalk up wins, making a handful of plays as a dynamic weapon. Currently working back from a calf injury, Russell Wilson could factor into this quarterback situation once he’s fully healthy. But if Fields keeps guiding Pittsburgh to the winner’s circle, it’ll obviously be tough to make a change.
Renaissance man: Von Miller is BACK!
When the Bills signed Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million deal in 2022, the three-time first-team All-Pro was a stud defender with true game-wrecking ability. In 10 previous seasons played with the Broncos and Rams, Miller had tallied 115.5 sacks, and he’d just earned his second career Super Bowl ring after a midseason trade to Los Angeles in 2021. General manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott surely hoped he would help push Buffalo over the top as a defensive closer.
Miller played that role exceptionally well initially, racking up eight sacks in his first nine games with the Bills — but then he suffered a knee injury in Week 12 that wiped out the rest of his season. When he returned to action in 2023, he looked nothing like his old self, finishing with five tackles, zero sacks and 17 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, in 14 games (including playoffs).
After that disappointing year, Miller took a pay cut, bringing his compensation more in line with that of a part-time playmaker on the edge. Perhaps the reduction sparked a competitive reawakening — indeed, this summer, he said that he would “get back to playing my style of football. Get back to talking s—, f—— making sacks, dancing and making plays for my teammates.” So far this season, Miller has followed through on that prediction. The 35-year-old has been stellar through two games, recording a pair of sacks with nine total pressures and re-emerging as the Bills’ designated closer.
With Gregory Rousseau and Ed Oliver coming into their own as disruptive pass rushers, the Bills suddenly have a dominant defensive front boasting take-over-the-game potential. Whether Miller is racing around the end to pummel quarterbacks on his trademark speed rush or Oliver and Rousseau are winning on an assortment of power-based maneuvers, Buffalo can create chaos at the line of scrimmage.
Miller is the unit’s unquestioned leader, but he isn’t just a veteran graybeard. The film reveals a playmaker who still possesses the athleticism and technical skills to win with various rushes. He clearly understands when to utilize his tools and why they will be effective against certain pass sets. He effectively sets the table with maneuvers to keep blockers guessing before the snap, then breaks out his signature moves.
The veteran’s savvy, experience and expertise make him a nightmare to block in those gotta-have-it moments when the game is on the line. The Bills are establishing themselves as title contenders once again, this time as a scrappy group that is outworking opponents — and Miller is adding another chapter to his Hall of Fame career with his impressive performance.
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