The best young players to build a franchise with

This is who Gil Brandt believes are the best young players to build a franchise upon.

1) Andrew Luck
2) Cam Newton
3) Robert Quinn
4) Tyron Smith
5) JJ Watt
6) Luke Kuechly


It is absolutely amazing to me how little credit Superbowl champion Russell Wilson receives for being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the history of the league through his first two seasons.


Here is the link, but don't give this dipsh*t any more webpage hits. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... sebuilders

He keeps coming out with similar articles, purposely leaving Wilson off (or ranked absurdly low). Gil, we get it, you are a moron. Kthnx.

Wow didn't know Tyron Smith is only 23 years old. That is pretty impressive.

He has another article ranking stafford and kaepernick over RW, it's absurd this guy just disregards earl Thomas.
Tyron smith over JJ watt? What is this guy smoking

As far as Team building is concerned, I think we are built around Earl Thomas myself. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Russell Wilson, and I believe him to be a franchise QB, but right now, this team is built completely on ball control and Defense, and that Defense is centered on Earl Thomas.

I look at anyone who doesn't put Thomas on a list like this as just flat out admitting that they aren't as good at coaching as Pete Carroll, because not only did he do just that, he has a Lombardi to show for it.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... ers_brandt
He's close with holmgren, wish we could get him on kjr with holmgren to explain his bs. I expect crap like this from bleacher and other blog sites. It just bugs me when former gm's and executives spew off this bs

kidhawk":adfyqv3d said:

As far as Team building is concerned, I think we are built around Earl Thomas myself. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Russell Wilson, and I believe him to be a franchise QB, but right now, this team is built completely on ball control and Defense, and that Defense is centered on Earl Thomas.

I look at anyone who doesn't put Thomas on a list like this as just flat out admitting that they aren't as good at coaching as Pete Carroll, because not only did he do just that, he has a Lombardi to show for it.

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Completely agree, earl Thomas is hands down the best safety in the game, a position that has become so vital in today's game, especially in this system, in the day where Brandt was a gm the position wasn't as important. It was still about the front 7, maybe that's why he doesn't list him. IDK

No ET, no Kam, no RW, at this point I would rather have Foles then luck he just turns the ball over to much period. Also I really don't like the niners but I would think Bowman should maybe be on this list assuming its 25 and under or something.

kidhawk":soha9ty1 said:

As far as Team building is concerned, I think we are built around Earl Thomas myself. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Russell Wilson, and I believe him to be a franchise QB, but right now, this team is built completely on ball control and Defense, and that Defense is centered on Earl Thomas.

I look at anyone who doesn't put Thomas on a list like this as just flat out admitting that they aren't as good at coaching as Pete Carroll, because not only did he do just that, he has a Lombardi to show for it.

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15-18 with Earl and without Russell
28-9 with Earl and with Russell

pocketprotector":2ys3h307 said:

kidhawk":2ys3h307 said:

As far as Team building is concerned, I think we are built around Earl Thomas myself. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Russell Wilson, and I believe him to be a franchise QB, but right now, this team is built completely on ball control and Defense, and that Defense is centered on Earl Thomas.

I look at anyone who doesn't put Thomas on a list like this as just flat out admitting that they aren't as good at coaching as Pete Carroll, because not only did he do just that, he has a Lombardi to show for it.

Click to expand...

15-18 with Earl and without Russell
28-9 with Earl and with Russell

Click to expand...

There is a difference between building a team around and completing a team. Here's how I interpret it

See when you build around a player, you first get that player. From this point you begin to bring in players to compliment said player and teach everyone the system under which you are going to play. Each additional player is another piece to the puzzle being built. Eventually you get the final piece and the puzzle is complete. We BUILT this team around Earl Thomas. Russell Wilson was the final piece to make the puzzle whole

The best part of this puzzle is that over time, if it becomes necessary, we can also build a team around Russell Wilson, we just haven't gotten to that point yet

pocketprotector":g3uhdbzz said:

15-18 with Earl and without Russell
28-9 with Earl and with Russell AND McDonald AND McDaniel AND Harvin AND Bennett AND Avril...

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Just saying.

Yep don't forget wright emerging and Wagner and Tate becoming better and okung healthy

......And Coug....NYCoug. Cant forget about the serious emergence of the 12s.

You can't really compare what a QB does to what a free safety does. I admit that Earl is basically the "Russell" of the defense, but you can't compare a safety's value to that of a franchise QB. If you could, they would be paid $16-20M/yr. It'd be like saying San Francisco is built around Bowman. While I agree he's their best pure football player, that engine doesn't run without Kaepernick. How many wins do they get with that D and Colt McCoy running the ship?

This team only made "that leap" when Russell was unleashed. Our D was smothering in the first half of 2012, but we were still a .500 team when Russell had the handcuffs on. A franchise QB is EVERYTHING, and it's where you always want to start.

DavidSeven":3d64r4je said:

You can't really compare what a QB does to what a free safety does. I admit that Earl is basically the "Russell" of the defense, but you can't compare a safety's value to that of a franchise QB. If you could, they would be paid $16-20M/yr. It'd be like saying San Francisco is built around Bowman. While I agree he's their best pure football player, that engine doesn't run without Kaepernick. How many wins do they get with that D and Colt McCoy running the ship?

This team only made "that leap" when Russell was unleashed. Our D was smothering in the first half of 2012, but we were still a .500 team when Russell had the handcuffs on. A franchise QB is EVERYTHING, and it's where you always want to start.

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Our team is NOT built around our QB. We easily CAN build a team around him, but that is absolutely not how our team was built. I don't know how anyone can watch our team play ball control offense and watch our defense perform and NOT see that it was built around Earl Thomas and Pete's defensive strategies. It just boggles my mind.

Nobody is saying that Wilson isn't a Franchise QB or that he couldn't have a new team built around him because he ABSOLUTELY is and can be the one a team is built around and as we grow our offense it will be on Wilson, but right now, we are Defense and that defense is centered on Earl Thomas plain and simple

Too bad Brandt isn't a GM for someone. If he was Cleveland would have a fighting chance.

If I was building a team ET would be my first pick and Russell would be my second. Kam would probably number 3.

kidhawk":10qqwmh5 said:

DavidSeven":10qqwmh5 said:

You can't really compare what a QB does to what a free safety does. I admit that Earl is basically the "Russell" of the defense, but you can't compare a safety's value to that of a franchise QB. If you could, they would be paid $16-20M/yr. It'd be like saying San Francisco is built around Bowman. While I agree he's their best pure football player, that engine doesn't run without Kaepernick. How many wins do they get with that D and Colt McCoy running the ship?

This team only made "that leap" when Russell was unleashed. Our D was smothering in the first half of 2012, but we were still a .500 team when Russell had the handcuffs on. A franchise QB is EVERYTHING, and it's where you always want to start.

Click to expand...

Our team is NOT built around our QB. We easily CAN build a team around him, but that is absolutely not how our team was built. I don't know how anyone can watch our team play ball control offense and watch our defense perform and NOT see that it was built around Earl Thomas and Pete's defensive strategies?

Click to expand...

What do you mean by "built around"? Yes, we have a really good defense that relies on elite play from a single high safety. It also relies heavily on near perfect sideline coverage from the corners and pressure from the front-4. We also have a really good offense that's built around capitalizing on rushing (which is opened up by a mobile QB) and explosive throws. Can we win games convincingly when Earl is having an off-day? I would argue, yes, because I've seen it happen. Can we win games when Russell is off? Yes, but the games are a lot closer.

If our team is built around ball control, wouldn't it be more accurate to say it's built around Marshawn Lynch? There are several pieces involved in making our defense work. In terms of ball control, it's predominantly about Marshawn Lynch. Of course, I don't accept that argument. If your QB is a franchise player, then he is the most important player on your team. See: games vs. Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, etc.

DavidSeven":a28wrknc said:

kidhawk":a28wrknc said:

DavidSeven":a28wrknc said:

You can't really compare what a QB does to what a free safety does. I admit that Earl is basically the "Russell" of the defense, but you can't compare a safety's value to that of a franchise QB. If you could, they would be paid $16-20M/yr. It'd be like saying San Francisco is built around Bowman. While I agree he's their best pure football player, that engine doesn't run without Kaepernick. How many wins do they get with that D and Colt McCoy running the ship?

This team only made "that leap" when Russell was unleashed. Our D was smothering in the first half of 2012, but we were still a .500 team when Russell had the handcuffs on. A franchise QB is EVERYTHING, and it's where you always want to start.

Click to expand...

Our team is NOT built around our QB. We easily CAN build a team around him, but that is absolutely not how our team was built. I don't know how anyone can watch our team play ball control offense and watch our defense perform and NOT see that it was built around Earl Thomas and Pete's defensive strategies?

Click to expand...

What do you mean by "built around"? Yes, we have a really good defense that relies on elite play from a single high safety. It also relies heavily on near perfect sideline coverage from the corners and pressure from the front-4. We also have a really good offense that's built around capitalizing on rushing (which is opened up by a mobile QB) and explosive throws. Can we win games convincingly when Earl is having an off-day? I would argue, yes, because I've seen it happen. Can we win games when Russell is off? Yes, but the games are a lot closer.

If our team is built around ball control, wouldn't it be more accurate to say it's built around Marshawn Lynch? There are several pieces involved in making our defense work. In terms of ball control, it's predominantly about Marshawn Lynch. Of course, I don't accept that argument. If your QB is a franchise player, then he is the most important player on your team. See: gaves vs. Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, etc.

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When you say built around, that, to me, means you have a centerpiece to start with. From watching this team grow, it's obvious that Pete built this team to be a defensive powerhouse and use a ball control offense to compliment this team. He selected Earl Thomas to center this defense and build around. The rest can be intricate pieces and we ALL should understand that there is no single player in the league that can carry an entire team. Just ask all the Manning lovers out there. Even he can't do it, but when you talk about building a team around someone you have to have that integral piece, and from the beginning, that piece on this team was Earl Thomas. The team is built as a defensive team first and it was built around the talents of Earl Thomas. Yes it requires other players who are highly talented as well, but it's built around Thomas' skill set. His abilities deep and over the middle are what allow the other guys to focus on their strengths and to steal a quote, do what they do.

I firmly believe starting fresh, a great team can be built around Russell Wilson, and as time goes by, I can easily see them adjusting this team to be centered around him. My only point here is in how our current team was built over the past years.

Isn't this topic about which players you're taking first to build a franchise? Y'all crazy if you're taking a Free Safety FIRST to build a franchise out of EVERY available young player. A safety hasn't been taken #1 overall in the last 60 years of NFL drafts. NOT ONE! Look, I agree that Earl is the best free safety in the game and that he means a ton to this franchise, but no safety can impact a team as much as a franchise QB over the course of a season. If they could, then teams would actually draft them in the Top 5, but they never do.