Some Thoughts on QBs

[football karma]

I posted similar earlier, to some skepticism, that I was hearing these rumblings. While not doing active scouting I’m still in some interesting email groups. This is real.

Stock Still High For Texas QB Arch Manning

Some in the NFL still believe Texas quarterback Arch Manning would be the first passer taken in the 2026 NFL Draft if he were to declare...

www.profootballrumors.com

if Arch / his reps know that he is getting drafted top 5 this year -- why would he stay?

his contract would dwarf whatever NIL he is getting

 

[Harry]

if Arch / his reps know that he is getting drafted top 5 this year -- why would he stay?

his contract would dwarf whatever NIL he is getting

Money isn’t a huge factor. His dad is a business trader in several markets and estimated to be worth about 15 mil.

 

[Chopper0080]

How? Show me the “completely doable numbers.”

Sam Darnolds cap hit this season is 13 mil. The Cardinals have that in available cap space right now. So they could have signed Darnold to compete with Kyler and then maybe not re-signed Browning or signed ADG. Both who have been mostly non-factors this season.

 

[Stout]

I posted similar earlier, to some skepticism, that I was hearing these rumblings. While not doing active scouting I’m still in some interesting email groups. This is real.

Stock Still High For Texas QB Arch Manning

Some in the NFL still believe Texas quarterback Arch Manning would be the first passer taken in the 2026 NFL Draft if he were to declare...

www.profootballrumors.com

Interesting stuff, Harry. You're the guy in the know, so I am intrigued. If he comes out this year, it would be great for us because no doubt some team (maybe us) would draft him.

Where do you think he would be drafted if he does come out, @Harry ? What would you think of drafting him?

 

[Stout]

Sam Darnolds cap hit this season is 13 mil. The Cardinals have that in available cap space right now. So they could have signed Darnold to compete with Kyler and then maybe not re-signed Browning or signed ADG. Both who have been mostly non-factors this season.

Man, that would have been the smart play.

 

[Mulli]

Man, that would have been the smart play.

No way Darnold would have been interested. He already played for a couple butt franchises.

 

[Russ Smith]

Yes, they will. It will not cause a draft slide, because he is so talented (and, even if he comes out, the QB pool to choose from is small), so it will be brushed aside by most teams as youth mistakes or evil rumors. But it will certainly be a topic. What happens after he has gotten his first check?

Ben Bolch actually wrote about in th eLA Times. It's paywalled but Bolch confirmed Aikman was talking about Moore

 

[Russ Smith]

There is little morality in the NIL world. Most view it as a paycheck so thank you’s aren’t common. It’s not charity. It’s pay for play. As to changing schools, it’s just college free agency. No one holds this against athletes. For the most part all football beyond high school has a major “just business” component.

I don't know the full story the LA Times story is paywalled but apparently Moore had indicated Aikman was a big reason he picked UCLA over Oregon initially. So Aikman personally contributed both money and helped recruit him.

Who knows maybe it's Aikman not Moore who has the issue but I do know a bunch of people at UCLA had a very negative impression of Moore's one year there

 

[Mulli]

Sounds like Aikman is a sucker

 

[Dback Jon]

There is little morality in the NIL world. Most view it as a paycheck so thank you’s aren’t common. It’s not charity. It’s pay for play. As to changing schools, it’s just college free agency. No one holds this against athletes. For the most part all football beyond high school has a major “just business” component.

100% this. Do you send thank you notes when you get paid?

 

[MadCardDisease]

If I had a choice from that list I'd go with Sellers. If by some miracle we're able to trade Murray. Have Sellers do the Mahomew treatment. Sit him behind Brissett for one year to develop.

Murray will be traded in the first few days of the league new year. What the Cardinals get for Murray is a different story.

Trading Murray before his bonuses kick in is the most important task this upcoming offseason. If Monti can't move Murray before his bonuses kick in then I think it is time to seriously consider if Monti is the right guy at GM moving forward.

 

[Dback Jon]

Sounds like Aikman is a sucker

In more ways than one

 

[Mulli]

Murray will be traded in the first few days of the league new year. What the Cardinals get for Murray is a different story.

Trading Murray before his bonuses kick in is the most important task this upcoming offseason. If Monti can't move Murray before his bonuses kick in then I think it is time to seriously consider if Monti is the right guy at GM moving forward.

Will Cardinals tell other teams KM is “the QBOF” like they did until sometime this season, or will they go with “doh, we were wrong he is a bum.”

 

[MadCardDisease]

if Arch / his reps know that he is getting drafted top 5 this year -- why would he stay?

his contract would dwarf whatever NIL he is getting

No Manning has ever come out of college early to play in the Pros. His Grandfather has already stated he would be shocked if Arch wasn't back next year. NIL money is extra incentive to stay in school and spend another year developing as a young QB.

 

[Harry]

Interesting stuff, Harry. You're the guy in the know, so I am intrigued. If he comes out this year, it would be great for us because no doubt some team (maybe us) would draft him.

Where do you think he would be drafted if he does come out, @Harry ? What would you think of drafting him?

This is the 2026 biggest question. He’s not ready to start if the team that takes him has the guts to sit him. Pretty sure his family doesn’t want him to go to the Jets. Mendoza is probably the Jets’ pick. I think he’d therefore likely be the second QB taken. Would the Cards be able to get that pick? I’m not sure it’s tricky. I think multiple teams would want him.

Yes, I would take him. I’m not sure the Manning family would like that. If you’re old enough to recall, Eli told San Diego not to draft him. They did, but immediately traded him to the Giants. Since money’s not an issue Arch could simply not sign if the Cards took him against his will or traded for him. Despite the board’s doubt the Cards are perceived to have a good defensive roster but need a good offseason for adding offensive personnel. Perhaps he’d be positive about the Cards. They could speak with him before the draft. He has the best tools in this year’s probable pool and probably next years’. He figures to solve somebody’s QB problem for a long time.

 

[Harry]

How? Show me the “completely doable numbers.”

Sorry I thought we were talking future, not past.

 

[Harry]

No Manning has ever come out of college early to play in the Pros. His Grandfather has already stated he would be shocked if Arch wasn't back next year. NIL money is extra incentive to stay in school and spend another year developing as a young QB.

Sort of the case. Archie Manning wasn’t technically a senior, but he finished his degree in 3 years. He started as a freshman in 1968 and left after the 1970 season, so technically he came out early. Forget NIL, it’s pocket money for that family.

 

[Stout]

This is the 2026 biggest question. He’s not ready to start if the team that takes him has the guts to sit him. Pretty sure his family doesn’t want him to go to the Jets. Mendoza is probably the Jets’ pick. I think he’d therefore likely be the second QB taken. Would the Cards be able to get that pick? I’m not sure it’s tricky. I think multiple teams would want him.

Yes, I would take him. I’m not sure the Manning family would like that. If you’re old enough to recall, Eli told San Diego not to draft him. They did, but immediately traded him to the Giants. Since money’s not an issue Arch could simply not sign if the Cards took him against his will or traded for him. Despite the board’s doubt the Cards are perceived to have a good defensive roster but need a good offseason for adding offensive personnel. Perhaps he’d be positive about the Cards. They could speak with him before the draft. He has the best tools in this year’s probable pool and probably next years’. He figures to solve somebody’s QB problem for a long time.

Thanks for the further insight. I remember old Eli with his sourpuss expression lol

On Arch, I would gamble on him if he fell to us, but wouldn't want to give up anything significant to move up to draft him.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I would stay far far away from Arch. He's just not very good. People seem to forget that this was his 3rd year in the system. It's not like he was a freshman stepping into play. He couldn't beat out Ewers who was a 7th round pick or udfa I believe.

 

[phillycard]

There is little morality in the NIL world. Most view it as a paycheck so thank you’s aren’t common. It’s not charity. It’s pay for play. As to changing schools, it’s just college free agency. No one holds this against athletes. For the most part all football beyond high school has a major “just business” component.

True, but to Aikman's point, a thank you would have been nice. This young generation I tell ya....

 

[Russ Smith]

100% this. Do you send thank you notes when you get paid?

The guys who run BRO are very connected to the NIL fund, Men Of Westwood, they helped set it up. They said normally the kids don't know who the specific donors are, that's part of the way it's set up to protect UCLA so the NCAA doesn't accuse them of violating NIL rules. IN the case of Moore, it's been implied that he specifically told the staff at UCLA he was interested in UCLA because in part of Aikman and that Aikman contributed because of that. It was the only time Aikman has ever contributed to NIL and so it's widely believed that Moore knew about it so Aikman felt slighted.

To be clear that's not the reason I don't like Moore it's an example of why he was so unpopular in his one year at UCLA and why that may indicate there's some issues with him.

My issue was he was terrible on the field that year. Much better at Oregon but he was awful at UCLA.

 

[Gandhi]

There is little morality in the NIL world. Most view it as a paycheck so thank you’s aren’t common. It’s not charity. It’s pay for play. As to changing schools, it’s just college free agency. No one holds this against athletes. For the most part all football beyond high school has a major “just business” component.

That might be true, but teams go to great lengths to research a quarterback’s attitude, behavior and demeanor. They want to feel comfortable that he can lead a group. That’s why you can be sure that it is something that teams will look into.

 

[Harry]

That might be true, but teams go to great lengths to research a quarterback’s attitude, behavior and demeanor. They want to feel comfortable that he can lead a group. That’s why you can be sure that it is something that teams will look into.

I’ll give up demeanor for a big arm. Lots of surly QBs who are hard to like Rodgers.

 

[daves]

Sam Darnolds cap hit this season is 13 mil. The Cardinals have that in available cap space right now. So they could have signed Darnold to compete with Kyler

Doubtful Darnold would've come to Arizona to compete with Murray for the same price as having the starting job handed to him in Seattle.

 

[football karma]

Money isn’t a huge factor. His dad is a business trader in several markets and estimated to be worth about 15 mil.

then why did he need top NIL money?