EARLY LEAVERS

. . . then Matthew Stafford is N.F.L. ready.

They’re both gone. Neither stands to improve his draft stock considerably with another year in college and this is their last chance to bolt and not be hampered by the rookie salary cap. Yes, I’d love to see them stay, but that’s purely selfish on my part.

I wish them well, I thank them for the memories, and I will root for them at the next level, but, in my mind, they’ve been gone for a while now. The beauty of being a pessimist is that you’re always either proven right or pleasantly surprised.

another year of no rings – or $50million. I dont think he bled red and black from the start, and that concept, coupled with money vs another year of disappointment (in his mind) = GONE.

tanker – I usually enjoy your posts as they are insightful and well thought out. I’m absolutely sick of the argument that Stafford isn’t a real Bulldawg or doesn’t bleed red and black anyways so the decision to go pro is easier. Stafford has been a damn good Dawg the last three years and has won or kept us in many games over the last two years. It’s unfortunate that during his time he went up against the juggernaut that is Florida and Tim Tebow. You know who else had problems with Florida? I think his Bulldawg status, or lack thereof as many have argued here, has nothing to do with his choice to enter the draft. Matt Ryan got $34M last year guaranteed. I think if you waved that type of money at David Greene, who by all accounts bled red and black, after his junior year, there’s a strong possibility he doesn’t return for his senior year. Please stop taking shots at Stafford’s lack of Bulldawg and look at the facts. $34 million is $34 million. That’s just tough to pass up and I can’t blame the kid for it.

I respectfully disagree, EMAN09. I think it’s Knowshon that would be more likely to stay than Stafford. (I agree with Kyle, though, that they’re probably both gone in any case.)

Even though he has shown remarkable ability and talent at making cuts, Moreno is relatively undersized for the NFL, and he has shown that he doesn’t have the best speed. (He needs downfield blocks to really break a long play. He only had one long run this year without downfield blocking, and that was the play in the LSU game when the secondary ran right past him on a blitz and he broke the one tackler that was between himself and the endzone.) Sure, he has made an art form out of turning a no-gain play into a 3-yard rush, but I’m just not convinced that this translates into a first-round draft pick. Typically, if you’re not pretty much guaranteed of a first-round pick, you don’t come out early (if you’re smart).

Stafford, on the other hand, will be the first QB taken in the draft, I think. Even though he has a tendency to overthrow his receivers on every deep ball, he has the body every NFL scout is looking for. He’s big, strong, and smart. He isn’t afraid to stand in the pocket chuck the ball 40 yards downfield, but he has also shown that he has the quick decision-making skills to check down and throw it off to his #2, 3, or 4 options when he needs to. Stafford will be making the big $$ after he goes in the high first round, so I’d say it’s a forgone conclusion he’ll be bolting.

I hope I’m wrong, though!

I agree. Lest be honest with ourselves he came to UGA so he wouldn’t have to carry the clipboard at Texas behind McCoy. He’s been a great QB but I son’t see him coming back and spending time on the sidelines after he’s gone. I’m more concerned with next season without him. If my calculations are correct Cox will have year left and he throws some nice balls (Colorado game a few years ago is any indication and the best pass in the Florida game this year) we’ll be O.K. Is anyone concerned that Logan Gray has digressed down the path of Blake Barnes??