Is Jay Cutler just as good as Matt Leinhart and Vince Young?

WEAKNESSES
"Cutler does not consistently stride into throws, often either throwing with legs on the same yardline or just becoming an arm thrower with bad technique. When he does not stride into the pass and tries to put zip on the throw, his passes tend to zip and dip right before they get to the receiver. He does not consistently sense/feel backside pressure coming and it leads to him taking some hits he shouldn't. Because Vanderbilt was almost always the worse team, Cutler developed some bad habits of trying to force some passes into tight coverage, leading to interceptions. Due to the reasons listed above, Cutler has struggled to consistently convert key/important downs into first downs. "

- NFL.com


Everyone from radio talk hosts, draft prediction websites, and talk shows on television are completely tearing apart Jay Cutler, and they are praising Vince Young and Matt Leinhart. I understand that Matt Leinhart won a single national championship, Vince Young won last year's national championship, and Jay Cutler did not make it to a bowl game in his entire four year career. I also understand that Matt Leinhart and Vince Young were on two of the best college football teams in the country while Jay Cutler was not heard of, most of his collegiant career, and played on one of the worst teams in SEC. What really separates these three players as quarterbacks? The only way to answer this question is to put Vince Young and Matt Leinhart in Jay Cutler's position as the quarterback for Vanderbilt.

Matt Leinhart played for one of the most successfull offenses in college football history. He was awarded the heisman trophy in 2004, and he was in the national championship game in the last two years. Would Matt Leinhart have been as successfull playing at Vandy? Leinart reminds me of Tom Brady where he lacks superstar physical ability, but he is a good leader and is a very smart quarterback. Playing at Vanderbilt meant that you had to be able to take big hits, handle the SEC atmosphere, and create your own plays. Leinhart proved that he could take big hits with his big frame, handle the late game pressure like the Notre Dame game, and he could create when he ran out of options. Leinhart would have made a name for himself even if he played at Vandy.

Vince Young was the winning quarterback of the national championship last year where he totally dominated Southern California's defense, which isn't saying too much. Young has great athletic ability but many question his arm strength, accuracy, and his throwing form. Most of his success came from his rushing attack agaisnt west coast offensive teams. Put this kid on any SEC team and he will struggle, not even mentioning Vanderbilt. Maby he could rush for 100 yards against the Colorado's but there is no way he would have been able to rush for 100 yards week and week out agaisnt SEC defenses. In the NFL he will have to depend on his arm rather than his legs where he will fail. Michael Vick is out of his league when it comes to break away speed, and his cuts and quickness are a lot better then Young's. So please when you are about to compare him to Mike Vick shut your mouth because Vince Young is fast, but he is about to enter a league that is just as fast at almost every position.This overhyped kid will be a huge flop in the draft, and I will be the first person to point and laugh in Mel Kipper Jr.'s face.

Matt Leinhart will make the biggest impact in the NFL out of these three quarterback hands down. I believe Young and Cutler both have flaws that will hurt them in the pros, but I would take Cutler over Young. Vince will not be able to pull the ball down and run for 40 yards like he could in college agaisnt offensive based teams. His arm is not good enough, and he lacks smart decision making that is crucial in the NFL.
B. Fegan