Will the top quarterback taken be Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert? Will Gabbert be a top-10 pick? Top five? Top three? It's so easy to get caught up in the typical debate questions at this point in the offseason that you might wonder just what kind of pro quarterback Missouri's Blaine Gabbert might turn out to be. People often point to his ideal size and strong arm and envision certain comparisons. That's exactly what Greg Cox does when he sizes up Gabbert and sees a longtime NFL veteran.
Kerry Collins might not make anyone's heart swoon since Collins' career has certainly featured some interesting turns along the way. But that's exactly what Cox sees when searching for someone to identify Gabbert's potential with, and the traits are interesting to compare. As Cox writes:
"Both players possess the size you would draw up for an NFL quarterback and the arm strength to get the ball down the field. Collins does not take too many sacks, and the same could be true for Gabbert if he pairs his mobility with a little pocket awareness."
It's easy to forget that Kerry Collins is a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback who was also a top-five choice in 1995 and made it to the Super Bowl in 2000. He's thrown for 40,000 yards in his career and over 200 touchdowns in that time. While he's never been an elite quarterback, there's something to be said for a veteran who might return for his 17th season next year -- something that his size and strength certainly adds to. Gabbert still has plenty to prove and time will tell, but a team drafting the Mizzou signal caller could do much worse than the next Kerry Collins.