Never said the Jets "ruined" Ratliff but Ratliff was in our system for 2 years and had the best preseason showing of any QB that year in the NFL. Thats not to say it was a good barometer of what was to come but it certainly would have been better than watching Kellen Clemens sh*t all over himself the entire seond half of the season. All I was asking for was to give the guy a chance. The other teams he went too were one year stints in new offenses and highly paid starters and back ups salary dictated he was NEVER getting a chance in those situations...... the only real chance the guy was going to get was passed by and that chance was with the Jets. Thats all Im saying. Im not saying he was great but Im not sure how you come up with this nonsense he was 'Absolutely terrible" He never showed to be absolutely terrible by any stretch.
I came up with that nonsense in exactly the same fashion as I have with McElroy; I watch a lot of college football, especially SEC football (applicable just for McElroy). Ratliff only won his starting job in college due to an injury, but I don't hold that against him. What I hold against him was the way he had dropped his arm slot, changed his mechanics and threw off his back foot any time the pocket got dirty. Terrible might have been a bit hyperbolic, but it was more a commentary on the notion that the backup is always a potential savior. Sometimes an entire college season worth of film, combined with preseason games and practice is enough to warrant thinking the guy is never going to be a player.
Listen, I hope like hell McElroy is, but having watched the majority of his college games, I can safely say that I don't think he'll ever been anything better than exactly the type of quarterback we've been trying to get rid of; game manager. Here's to hoping I'm wrong though
