Dom Capers was head coach of the expansion Houston Texans when the organization made quarterback David Carr the No. 1 overall pick of the 2002 NFL draft. The rookie was the face of a new franchise after a stellar career at Fresno State. The Texans became the first expansion team since 1961 to win their first game and Carr started all but four games in five seasons with the Texans.
However, he also set an NFL record for being sacked 76 times in 2002 and threw 65 interceptions in five seasons. Carr has played for four teams in five years since leaving Houston following the 2006 season.
Carr is just one example of a first-round quarterback being thrust into action and failing to live up to the promise that made him a premier pick in the first place.
“You take a guy on an expansion team and put him out there and, your offensive line, you’re holding your breath on every snap,”
said Capers, now the Packers’ defensive coordinator. “That’s a tough job to ask of a young quarterback.
“It’s tough for any rookie. But it certainly helps if you have people around him to give him a chance.”
The Packers travel to Charlotte today to face the Panthers in a matchup of old school vs. new school philosophies. The Super Bowl champs are led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the first-round draft pick who sat behind Brett Favre for three years before being named the starter. The Panthers selected Auburn quarterback Cam Newton No. 1 overall in the 2011 draft and started him in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rodgers route is a rarity in today’s NFL. Between Rodgers’ rookie year in 2005 and 2010, 15 quarterbacks were drafted in the first round. Only Brady Quinn and Jason Campbell didn’t finish their rookie seasons as the primary starter. An argument can be made that Tim Tebow should be included on that short list, but he started the final three games for the Broncos in 2010.
Eight of those 15 quarterbacks were drafted in 2007 or before and have played out their rookie deals. Only Rodgers and Smith are with their original teams. JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 pick in 2007, isn’t even in the league.
