football

[Oldman]

i've been holding on to this for awhile

i can remember when Jake and Brandon finished their careers here as the University of Louisiana, it was said on a sports radio show by foote and another guy (i don't remember his name)and agreed upon by others that Jake was not a nfl quarterback, his arm wasn't strong enough and he did't play against tough enough competition, after all look who he played for,Brandon was to small and not fast enough. "NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY."

"TAKE THAT YOU MAROOOOOOOOOONS"

[RaginFan2]

I KNEW Brandon could make it in the NFL. He had big games against top competition like Florida, Texas A&M, etc. I figured if he could keep getting open against those guys that he had what it took to make there. I always thought his speed was adequate but under-appreciated. He worked real hard on the speed workouts to improve that. Now he is considered a blazer. Jake, on the other hand, I knew he had the leadership skills, but I, too, underestimated his arm. I thought he was a question-mark as far as NFL ability. But there was no question about his competitiveness and his ability to get the most out of his teammates. I brought my oldest son to a preseason FB open house at the Alumni Center before Jake's senior season. He & Brandon were both there. I spoke with both of them & they each signed autographs for my son (now a soph. at UL). He still has them. They were on a (cheesy) xerox copy of their FB pictures. Both young men were very friendly. I am so glad to have them represent UL as alums. My son got to meet Charles Tillman too while they were both residents of the Conference Center. He had great things to say about Peanut, too.

[ULtxboy03]

Brandon and Delhome have done alot this year and im very happy for them , It goes to show how being in the right spot at the right time and also alot of hard work will get you. I enjoy seeing cajuns in the NFL.

[1stTake]

Hey oldman I heard Jay Walker say the same thing, don't remember when. Just today he said Jake would not do as good as Brooks in New Orleans. Sometime people get dumb ideas locked in their goofball heads. It isn't till they actually witness it happening before they admit what was so obvious. Like with me it's so obvious that Jessie needs to go, no one else sees it.

[BrockMeaux]

Here's something I posted on a Saints' board recently when asked the question of how I thought things would shake out of Delhomme were in New Orleans and Brooks were in Carolina...

I think that both teams would have been better off due to the fan base's support of the QB's (Saints fans would have embraced Delhomme, Panther fans support anybody as long as they're winning...Rodney Peete started for them for a year, for crying out loud), but in the end, the records wouldn't have dramatic changes one way or the other. Brooks gives us, in this offense, the ability to come back from big holes and a real gunslinger, and Delhomme, in the Panther offense, gives them stability and dependability. If they switched teams, though, I don't think the records would change dramatically in either direction.

Both QB's are in the right place for them right now, and I couldn't be happier for Jake. I just wish people would drop the totally false statements of "the Saints let Jake go" or "the Saints picked the wrong guy" or *sarcastically* "I guess Jake or Bulger weren't good enough for the Saints." Jake's in a great place for his talents, getting his opportunity and taking advantage of it. In no shape or form was it ever Brooks vs. Delhomme as to who would stay on the roster, and the Saints tried to resign Jake but he chose his opportunity to start and I can't fault the man for that.

So do I agree with Walker's statements that Jake wouldn't do as well as Aaron in New Orleans? Well, that depends on how he said the question. If he said that Jake wouldn't do as well as Brooks IN New Orleans, then I'd agree. Brooks is more suited for the Saints' offense and, while he has a good arm, I just don't think that Jake could make all the same throws that Brooks does. I also question how well Jake's mistakes would be made up for by the Saints' defense. He's got a great defense in Carolina, so that's always helpful when you throw a timely pick. You can, more times than not, count on them to get the ball back for you. Not necessarily true in New Orleans. Likewise, I don't think Brooks is suited for the Carolina offense. He'd succeed there, but he has a knack of throwing an interception or having a fumble when the team least needs it. He's improving, and with Carolina's defense the turnovers wouldn't be as costly, but he'd be probably less successful statistically in the Panthers offense as opposed to the Saints' because the Saints' offense allows him to go downfield pretty much at will, while the Panther passing attack is more intermediate and controlled with the occassionaly play-action bomb. Summed up, they're where they belong right now.

Now, if he said it as "Jake would not do as good in Carolina as Brooks would do in New Orleans," then I'd disagree. The Panthers are a vastly superior team. Not necessarily so on the offensive side of the ball, but their special teams and defense are pretty close to being tops in the league. The Panthers have a very realistic shot of making the Super Bowl, so I'd call the pretty successful as opposed to what Brooks has done so far. In 10 years, this will be a good arguement when we can look back at their careers. Who knows where the Saints and Panthers will be in 4 years? Heck, next year. Look at Tampa. The future will tell.