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Colt .45: How Colt Brennan Could Define the 2008 NFL Draft...
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Each year, College quarterbacks go through more up and downs than the 2007 Mets. Some make themselves money and shoot up the draft board, others fall off the face of the earth and suddenly are lucky to even find a home on an NFL roster.
However, there always seems to be one guy that rises to the top and seems to solidify his place as the draft’s top overall pick.
This year, that never happened.
That’s what makes guys like Hawaii’s Colt Brennan so important this season. This is the guy who was thought to be the golden boy of College Football, but instead is scrapping to raise his stock this offseason.
A former walk-on at the University of Colorado, Brennan ran into some legal issues and was forced to transfer. He was accused of sexual assault, and was immediately dismissed from the team. He didn’t know that it was the best thing that could have happened to him.
At Hawaii, he found a new home, an offensive system where he was free to throw the ball around the yard, and a set of receivers that could turn him into a star.
By the beginning of 2007, he was at the center of the Heisman hype machine. Brennan was being billed as the David to USC’s and LSU’s goliath, the man who was going topple the BCS with one undefeated season and a bowl game victory.
Well, it never quite happened. Sure, Hawaii went 12-0 and ended up playing SEC powerhouse Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, but Brennan’s play was up-and-down throughout the season. He missed time with a concussion, and threw five interceptions in a game against Idaho. Not exactly sterling competition to be throwing five picks against.
Then came the Bowl Game from Hell, Georgia speedy defense had Brennan running for his life all night, as he went 22-of-38 for 169 yards and three more interceptions.
His last chance to save himself came at the Senior Bowl, college football’s biggest postseason all star game, and the NFL’s best chance to see the year’s senior class play football. Brennan weighed in at just 185 pounds and seemed incredibly frail. He struggled to throw the “Deep out” route, which is the foremost measure of NFL arm strength. 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz spent the week tinkering with Brennan’s mechanics.
Suddenly, the luster was off of Colt. He was no longer the giant killer. Instead, he was another mediocre system quarterback who couldn’t hack it in the NFL. He was David Klingler . He was Andre Ware. He was Timmy Chang.
The truth is somewhere in-between all of this. He’s a bit of a project, but he could project as the best quarterback in this whole draft.
Sure, his gaudy stats come from a system where run is considered a four letter word. He has a bit of funky release and right now weighs as much as I do. What people are forgetting is that there are things that an NFL quarterbacks need that aren’t measured in pounds or seconds.
Brennan is supremely confident that he has the ability to play the game at it’s highest level. He’s a smart guy who reads coverages very well and is willing to make the tough throw. He isn’t quite the gunslinger that Brett Favre is, but you can’t help but see a little piece of number four in Colt.
He led a team of walk-ons and ex-convicts to a 12-1 record. Sure, it wasn’t against the best competition, but it wasn’t like he was playing alongside Jerry Rice. The rest of the team is not much better than the rest of the Western Athletic Conference, but Brennan put them above the rest.
His biggest flaws are all things that can be fixed. His throwing motion is a bit weird, but if he is given time to correct the problem, he can be incredibly productive. He is 6’3, so he has the frame to get bigger if he hits the weight room. Anyone who claims that he has “character concerns,” is clearly still not over what happened at Colorado, and the details are still cloudy around that event.
Can Brennan be successful in the NFL? Absolutely. Will he? That matter’s what team he ends up on.
What he needs is a team that will allow him to spend the first couple of seasons on the bench, behind an established quarterback who will be willing to tutor him. This way he has a mentor, and a quarterback coach who’s sole job will be to develop Brennan. He needs a team that plays a West Coast offense, so he can use his quick release to it’s fullest.
Does this magical situation exist? Maybe.
The best landing place for Brennan was Seattle before Mike Holmgren began considering stepping down. Now, Things are getting a little trickier.
The St. Louis Rams are struggling in the post-Martz era, but have all the ingredients to make it work. Brennan would be working with Marc Bulger, who is clearly approaching the end of his career, and head coach Scott Linehan, who helped tutor Daunte Culpepper in Minnesota. Lastly, He would have to throw the ball down the field a bit, but he would have a hall of fame receiver in Torry Holt and a great pass-catching running back in Steven Jackson.
Colt Brennan could be the best quarterback in this draft class. That’s right better than Matt Ryan, better than Andre’ Woodson. The problem is that too many quarterbacks are put in positions where they are set up to fail. For Brennan to succeed, all he needs is a smart team to give him a chance.
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