5th Round: Jeff Rowe

[ArmyBengal]

The Bengals select: Jeff Rowe, QB, Nevada

WHODEY !!!

[HoosierCat]

Interesting choice...but I expected them to burn a late pick on a QB...thought it would be a 6 or 7 tho.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Kinda thought they would take Guiterrez from Idaho State.

I knew that they were looking at Rowe, though.

I guess I'm just suprised, but all the write-ups have been great about him.

[hrod382]

Thumbs down from me.

Plenty of solid backup QB's still left, Johnson isn't a bad backup.

Too much defensive talent there to pass up. Worst pick thus far in my eyes.

[Tasher]

6'5'' 225

good frame...

[WhoDeyForever]

So stupid. If we went QB I wanted Troy Smith. So f**king stupid.

[Coy Bacon & Egg]

This team shows no discipline on Draft Day. They have no clue. They deserve to continue to be mediocre. This is sad.

[TJJackson]

from nflcountdown

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Height: 6-51/4 | Weight: 226 | 40-Time: 4.98

Strengths:

Has excellent size and bulk with a big frame...Moves well in the pocket...Throws a nice ball...Accurate and excels in the short to intermediate passing game...Tough and hard working...Nice timing and touch...Smart with great leadership abilities.

Weaknesses:

Will have to adjust to a pro style offense...Did not work under center a lot...Arm strength is just average...Struggles going deep and isn't a vertical passer...Is not overly athletic...Will make some poor decisions...He'll hold onto the ball too long.

Notes:

MVP of the East-West Shrine Game...Played in a gimmicky shotgun offense called "The Pistol" with the Wolfpack...Would appear to be an ideal fit in the West Coast offense...More of a developmental type but he has some solid tools to work with.

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I agree we need a developmental QB (I don't like McNeal at all) and this guy has the size, accuracy, and leadership qualities to be that guy. It certainly isn't our top need, though.

The fact that he was the MVP of the shrine game says a lot - great play against top competition. I really like his 62 to 64 percent pass completion rate as a junior and senior.

I like the player, but again, the need was defense, so this downgrades the grade for the pick. C minus, imho.

I think this send a clear signal to McNeal, who claimed he'd been told he'd get a shot as a backup QB - that really, no, he's not.

[HoosierCat]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/rowe_jeff

Check out "compares to"

[kayaker0678]

this was stupid. Jared zambranski cris leak troy smith jordon palmer all good quarterbacks why would we go this route?? we need defensive players not this

[ArmyBengal]

I actually don't mind the pick "that" much... Obviously Johnson isn't long term and they feel Rowe will have time to learn while holding the clip board. I would have preferred defense, but it is what it is and the guy has gotten pretty good reviews !!!

WHODEY !!!

[Bobcat Bengal]

Here is the Huddle Report's analysis:

Jeff Rowe QB Nevada

STRENGTHS

Jeff has a strong arm and good size for his position. He plays in an offense that is called the pistol offense and that means that he is mostly in a shotgun-like formation. He can make all the throws and shows good athleticism to move in the pocket and throw on the run with accuracy. Jeff shows very good leadership qualities and, although he is in the pistol formation, he seems to handle pressure in the pocket without too many problems. He is a good developmental QB who reminds me of Jake Delhomme (QB Carolina Panthers).

NEEDS TO IMPROVE

Jeff needs to learn just about everything about the mechanics of the pro style QB position because he has been in an offense that did not require this of him. Three step, five step, seven step drops, along with moving up in the pocket to avoid the rush, etc. This will all come in time and when it does, you just might have a pretty good starting QB.

TALENT BOARD ROUND: 5

Sometimes you just look at a player and you see a potential starter -- not a franchise QB, but a very good starting QB that will help lead your team in the future. Jeff has that look about him. Add to that a strong arm, size and athleticism and you have yourself something to work with for the future. As far as I’m concerned, a team should be looking for a player like this in the later rounds of every draft. With free agency, the injury factor and the overall failure rate of first round QB’s, Jeff is exactly the type of later round QB you pick and try to develop just like the New England Patriots did when they picked Tom Brady. Believe me when I say this –no one thought that Tom Brady would be the QB he is today. I don’t care what they say. If they did, then those scouts would have suggested that Tom has 1st round franchise-like talent and should be picked in the first day of the draft. Well, I’m telling you all that Jeff has first day talent, but he should not be picked until the second day of this draft because it will take him some time for his talent to develop. When it does, he will be an excellent QB for the team that winds up with him, either in this draft or free agency

[skyline]

Whatever. We thought they might take a QB at some point, and they did.

Sure, there were other qbs to be had in later rounds, but they obviously feel this is the right fit. So be it.

Not bad, not great. It is what it is.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Duke Tobin seemed to be pretty excited when described this year's crop of QB's.

[HoosierCat]

Again, I have to say that I'm fine with this pick. A bit early to take a QB maybe, but we need a young QB to groom. And it's the 5th round, fer crissakes! Anyone we draft here (and the rest of the way through) is likely to end up on the PS anyhow...if they stick at all.

[JoePong]

Good pick. He'll make the team, unlike all these defensive players that are supposedly available who people think would somehow upgrade our defense. Please tell me, what players would have umproved our defense in any way.

[TJJackson]

Army - tell me somone guessed this guy would be the pick.

Go ahead :-)

Maybe you should allow a set of 5 picks since it's gettting to be such a crapshot from here on out

[Pinkygen]

Not too pleased. If we want QB, I think Troy Smith is a steal right now. He'd need time to adjust, but so will thus guy.

Moreover, I'm not a big believer in backup QB's. Truth is, if Carson goes down for any period of time, the season is over, and no backup will fix that. The situation with Jeff Garcia and the Eagles is extremely rare, or Tom Brady and the Pats, is pretty rare. Usually, hurt starting QB is end of the season.

I would have preferred more D, but is is the 5th round, so I do agree we probably have not sufferred too much opportunity cost.

[WhoDeyForever]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/rowe_jeff

Check out "compares to"

What a joke.

[schweinhart]

Fascinating pick for who they took Rowe over -- Jordan Palmer and Troy Smith. Too much family tie with the 1st and not enough Seneca Wallace appeal with the 2nd.

I had the best 3 QBs left as Palmer, Smith and Rowe so if they wanted QB, it sounds right to me. Rowe played out of the pistol so he'll have an adjustment there but he's a big mobile guy who throws well off the run and can get downfield his own self if needed.

But I woulda thought they'd go free agency or undrafted rook for 3rd QB. Rowe should be a solid #2 in a couple years.

[TJJackson]

I think the comparison to Kitna, who is a smaller guy with nowhere near the arm this guy has, is unfortunate and innacurate.

He's definitely a project, but seems to have a lot of the physical (size, toughness, arm strength) and intangible (smarts, leadership) qualities one would want to build on, as well as great accuracy, to build on while he carries a clipboard in 2007.

r5 and beyond is generally for projects and special teamers, this guy being the former

This is not a bad pick, not at all

[Thurmanation]

Tory Smith AND Chris Leak still in and they take this douche! WTF!?

[palmmyjohnson]

The situation with Jeff Garcia and the Eagles is extremely rare, or Tom Brady and the Pats, is pretty rare.

Yeah, those situations are rare because teams waste picks on players that are PS material or that are going to cut anyway rather than on talented, developmental players. Kudos to the Bengals for drafting someone to groom as the backup instead of wasting cap space on some washed up has-been to back-up Carson. I like this pick.

EDIT: Completely agree with HOF's post below. He seems to be one of the few on this board that consistently has his head screwed on right.

[HairOnFire]

You guys crack me up. This team can't entice veteran QB's to sit behind Palmer so it's become increasingly clear that they were going to have to draft a project and coach him up. Well, here's your boy. He's got the physical skills to start in a pinch, good mechanics, and a good but not great arm. At this point in the draft that'll have to do. Best, he's an accurate passer who routinely completes over 60% of his throws. The offense he played in may be a gimmicky shotgun style scheme, but that was true of Alex Smith too. So give him a year or two to learn the drops and you just might have something here.

Last, you can gripe that he's almost certainly a couple of years away but the last time I checked Reggie McNeal was trying to explain why the cigarettes he liked to smoke had been soaked in cough syrup.

[TJJackson]

Tory Smith AND Chris Leak still in and they take this douche! WTF!?

Well, we've already fully filled the douche spot with your bed-buddy Thurman and his gangsta wannebe SUV copilot Henry, so I am sure they'll use this QB in a different role than that.