NFL Network Steve Mariucci On 2011 NFL Draft Quarterbacks

This blogger had the pleasure of interviewing former Cal and San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions Head Coach, and now NFL Network Analyst Steve Mariucci at the NFL Play 60 event at the 2011 NFL Draft. This marks our third consecutive interview, and like the first two, very informative.

The focus of our conversation, held during the NFL Play 60 event in Chelsea Park in New York City, was the quarterback controversy that marked this year's NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting.

What does he think of the 2011 NFL Draft quarterback class? Best he's seen? "Well, we'll never know how good this class will be until they start playing." Coach Mariucci says that the advantage this group has, is there's no free agency. Meaning a team can't go out, as the Oakland Raiders did last year during the 2010 NFL Draft, and trade for a quarterback, like they did for Jason Campbell, who played for the Redskins at the time. In 2011, if they need a QB, they have to pick from the litter of the NFL Draft.

Steve was correct. Of the quarterbacks, Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Andy Dalton, and Colin Kaepernick all went in rounds one and two of the draft last week. And were it not for an arguably overblown concern for his character, Ryan Mallett would have been the seventh quarterback taken within that time frame, and not the third round, where the New England Patriots got him. Score it for Steve Mariucci.

Steve Mariucci vs. Chris Brown And Me

Chris Brown, the football coach and editor of the blog SmartFootball has a small feud with this blogger. He says it's easier and better to avoid moving around an offensive skill position player from, say, running back to wide receiver. I argue that such a view makes an offense inherently inflexible. Where side does Mariucci come down in this?

In the middle.

"I agree with you, to make the receiver play the tight end spot," he says. But where Steve goes away from my idea is when the receiver happens to be in, say, the halfback's position, and the defense brings a full blitz. Now, you have the person who plays receiver, trying to block a linebacker.

My response would be to have the receiver not block, but run a "hot route" - we lacked the time to get into more detail, but you see what I mean. I simply hold that it's better to think of a skill position player in as flexible rather than fixed, which allows for more ways to attack a defense.

Steve On Cam Newton

"Every year, the top quarterback in the draft, and he's one of them, he and Blaine Gabbert, arguably. The Tim Tebow intrigue. The Vince Young intrigue. The Matt Leinart (intrigue)...Hard to predict their future. The quarterback is harder to predict than the weather. If either one of those quarterbacks (Newton or Gabbert, and it was Newton) goes to Carolina, it's going to be tough sledding." And because of Carolina's rebuilding program.

Steve As Coach?

Will we ever see Mariucci as a coach on the sidelines? "Hopefully, the UnderArmour High School Football League."

Too funny.

Stay tuned.