While all of us our frustrated by the start of a new season, the echoes of the recent past seem to be permeating in Phin Nation. Did we blow it by selecting Jake Long instead of Matt Ryan? I will grant you that there is no question that a franchise QB is a team's number one priority. However, imo we made the right choice. Our offensive line is still a problem when it comes to pass blocking. The purpose of this post is to put this into perspective. It is easy to look back in hindsight and say and I told you so. But when I hear this kind of talk, it sounds as if Long was a bust. Well we all know that is not true. Long has been to the Pro Bowl every year he has been in the league and Ryan has not. Even if we had drafted Ryan, I do not believe that he would have the success that he has had in Atlanta because Thomas Dimitroff, Atlanta's GM, also signed Michael Turner, and the following year they traded for Gonzalez as well as having Roddy White. Now they have mortgaged their future by drafting Julio Jones. This team reminds me of the Don Coryell/Dan Fout's Chargers of the 1980's. All offense and no defense. How many SB's did that team win. Atlanta has yet to win a playoff game!

Getting back to the original point. Let's look back at the 2005 draft, when Oakland selected Jamarcus Russell number one, instead of Calvin Johnson or Joe Thomas. How did that work out? In the 1999 draft, Cleveland selected Tim Crouch with the first pick, Akili Smith was selected by Cincy with the 3rd pick, Donovan Mc Nabb was selected by Philly with the fifth pick, Duante Culpepper with the eleventh pick by Minn, and Cade Mc Nown with the 12th pick by Chicago. The point is that there is no guarantee that selecting a QB in the first round guarantees that he will be a franchise QB. Joe Montana was selected in the 3rd round by the 49ers. The Redskins of the 1980's and 1990's won 3 SB's with 3 different QB's. When Long and Thomas finish their careers barring injury both of them will be HOF's.

By the end of this season, we will know if Henne is the guy. So far, we have only played two games. Let see what happens.