McShay, Kiper draw their final battle lines on Jimmy Clausen

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on April 19, 2010, 4:38 PM EDT

Regardless of whether business or personal relationships have motivated their assessments (we doubt that they have), Todd McShay and Mel Kiper continue to agree to disagree regarding the top two quarterbacks in the draft — Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen.

Earlier today on ESPN, McShay and Kiper were making “bold predictions” for the 2010 draft and, they both focused on Clausen’s status.

Said Kiper, “If Clausen’s not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I’m done.” 

McShay then said that Clausen will not go in the top 10 picks.

“I’ll take that,” Kiper said.  “I’ll take that one right there.”

So there it is.  If Clausen is taken in the top 10, Kiper wins.  If he isn’t McShay wins.

And some of you may say that, either way, the rest of us lose.

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67 responses to “McShay, Kiper draw their final battle lines on Jimmy Clausen”

  1. I really Kiper and McShay would just fight to the death over this. Then we’d at least be rid of one of them.

  3. McShay is an idiot. I’m not the biggest Clausen fan but dude will be taken at the latest #9. McShay continues to show his ignorance.

  4. Considering Clausen has to get by Washington at #4, Oakland at #6, Cleveland at #7, and Buffalo at #9 (forgive me if I messed up one of the numbers, I’m doing it from memory) plus we have to watch out for San Francisco, Seattle, or Carolina trading up before one of those teams chooses, I think Kiper is going to win this one.
    Does this mean McShay will quit when he’s wrong? I’ll be watching the draft on NFLN but when Clausen gets picked top 9 I will switch to ESPN to see the drama.

  6. Kiper really needed to include the caveat: “Unless he goes to Oakland” just to cover himself on that one.

  7. As usual, both of them are wrong, same goes to you Florio.
    And every other dumbass that posts here.

  9. bla bla blaaa
    ratings ratings ratings
    Jake Locker will be better than both of them.

  10. Why doesn’t anyone mention Clausen’s long wind up delivery? That won’t work well in the NFL.

  11. How about if McShay wins, they kill themselves. If Kiper wins, they kill each other.

  13. If only there was someway to get Kiper, McShay, and Mayock to all battle it out cause right now Mayock has no one on NFL Network that can even compare to his work these three together Kiper and Mayock would team up on the little kid but that would make a great debate

  15. Much as I like Clausen, it would be awfully tempting to see if Kiper would live up the “quit” boast.

  17. And some of you may say that, either way, the rest of us lose…because instead of enjoying the draft we have to watch this idiots.

  19. Both Kiper and McShay are idiots. Matthew McConaughey could be an ESPN “expert” and say smarter things.
    Mel Kiper in 2007:
    “Jamarcus Russell’s gonna immediately energize that Raider Nation, that fanbase, that football team- on the practice field, in that locker room- three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league.”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZubYpplmzVk

  20. Since McShay was roasted on sites like this one a week or two ago, he’s just been left swinging in the wind. They need to replace him next year with a guy who’s respected around the league.

  21. Doesn’t ESPN have some PR guys to take care of this embarrassing cr@p so that these two don’t have to do it themselves?
    I hope Kiper stands by his word and retires forever if Claussen is a bust. This is nothing but a grand-standing move because we all know that he won’t. Kiper is counting on the fact that the American public can’t hold it’s attention span long enough to ever hold him to his word. He may as well be telling us that anyone making under 250K a year won’t be getting a tax increase.

  22. *these…I’m still not as dumb as McShay…or Kiper “Andre Ware will win the Superbowl for the Lions!” “Mike Williams is a can’t miss prospect” etc, etc, etc.

  24. McShay is an idiot…wasn’t Jevan Snead supposed to vie for the top qb spot?

  25. Getting in the way back machine… What if Trent Dilfer becomes a Super Bowl winning QB?
    Does that mean Kiper was right about him or was Bill Tobin right all those years ago?!? (Dilfer is not a franchise QB)
    This stuff is way too subjective.

  27. “And some of you may say that, either way, the rest of us lose.”
    I’ve got to admit it. I laughed.

  29. Only a few more days until all three of them will be on the far edges of the radar screen again where they belong.

  30. Isn’t it fun listening to two guys who “know it all” both thinking they’re right? Hah.
    As for Clausen, I could see him go in the Top 10, considering the teams 7-10 could use a QB. To me, sounds like McShay has something personal against JC.

  31. I feel like I just lost for reading a post about ANYTHING Mcshay or Kiper.
    End of Line.

  34. So what happens when Clausen gets chosen in the 9 slot by Buffalo and he becomes the next Ryan Leaf. Kiper wins? and we can forget about Kiper being done???

  35. I don’t know if Clausen will turn out to be great or not, but it is becoming very clear that McShay has a personal issue with him. He is, as far as I can find, the ONLY draftnik who doesn’t have Clausen as a top prospect. You would think if Clausen’s flaws were as obvious as McShay would have you believe, at least one other person would agree with him.

  37. McShay is a douche…
    If no more Kiper draft time will be extremely brutal with the Sun Tan man.

  38. As annoying as Kiper is, he’s a good analyst of talent and is usually right on or within Mayock’s assessment. McShady is horrible, with a capital WHORE-ible. If a star player makes plays but is on a shitty team, it automatically means the guy is going to be a bust according to McSuck.

  39. Clausen makes both Brady Quinn and Rick Myers look like HOF quarterbacks! I am surprised that Mel Kiper hasn’t come out and said he has given him a higher grade than he gave Jamarcus Russell. I can’t wait to hear Mel whine all Thursday night when Clausen is sitting there when they turn out the lights.

  40. everybody loves a clausen…. pickle. In the REFRIGERATOR isle of your local grocer.
    😛

  41. “If Clausen’s not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I’m done.”
    Please Football Gods let Clausen succeed and Kiper honor this statement so we never have to hear from him again.

  42. The whole draft is a guessing game anyway is it not? I believe the very best analyists get what 9 out of 32 right in the first round?
    Not something I would hang my hat on if I was Mel Kiper or Todd McShay. Maybe its time we all treated the draft for what it is for the average fan, a fun guessing game, because when push comes to shove your average fans opinion is not going to be that far removed from reality either!

  43. I digest ESPN content with the best of em– I dig McShay and Kiper. Why not battle it out and make this stuff interesting– the NFL is awesome, the Draft is awesome and almost everything sports related is better then most things work related

  44. This harkens back to the halcyon days of staged bickering between Sean Salisbury and John Clayton.
    ESPN programming at it’s finest!

  45. Normally I would go with kiper, but since vinny cerrato likes claussen he has to be a bust

  46. If Claussen goes in the top ten that team should change there team name to the SUCKERS. That guy is overrated big time just like Quinn.There was a reason why Quinn slipped all the way to where he did. i hope to freakin GOD the Brownies dont take him or ill be hittin the Tequila pretty hard

  47. Kiper is a dumb ass…he doesn’t even have a bachelors degree..why does everyone listen to that douche?

  48. I wish I had a job were all I had to do was once a year guess who would be good football players!
    It’s just like politics!
    If you are wrong, their are no repercussions, and you keep your job!

  49. McShay is a McMoron. I remember how high he was on Al Davis fat “great playah” Off-The-Markus-Bustsel. Said he had the best workout he had seen in the last 10 years. The AssClown like the Crypt-Keeper must have been inpressed how far he could throw a football from his knees.

  50. Colt McCoy beat Bradford twice and Clausen’s team was always too crappy to play Texas. Neither McShay nor Kiper have their boners for the right QB. Keep in mind both heralded QB’s are headed to crappy teams [whereas, Colt will drop to a good team] and neither has the ability to make even a 1 win difference in their team’s records next season.
    Dear ESPN director of programming,
    Stop featuring these braying jackasses, McShay & Kiper, on your network. At no point during their analysis did they remotely come close to a single correct talent evaluation. Award them no points, and may God have mercy on their souls.
    sincerely,
    every ESPN viewer

  51. casper67 says:
    April 19, 2010 5:29 PM
    Kiper is a dumb ass…he doesn’t even have a bachelors degree..why does everyone listen to that douche?
    ———————————————
    He should go back to school and get his bachelor’s degree. Then he could quit this NFL stuff which isn’t working out for him, and get a job making $22 grand a year like you.

  52. Hi, lets rehash every comment from every “expert” and see how these bags stack up. Let’s be real, teams invest 10’s of millions of dollars in their draft picks, the real experts are writing a column or yapping on TV, they are employed by an NFL team.

  54. Any moron can make a mock draft… these guys are just two morons on TV… look at all the crappy websites out there.
    I won’t provide links… You can find them on your own.

  56. “That guy is overrated big time just like Quinn”
    You know what i get SICK of, the Quinn comparisons!!!! if you want to compare him, bring up better options. Brady Quinn NEVER had the arm that Clausen had, McShay has no problem with Clausen’s arm, his issue is his character, so basically he compares him to a less talented Jay Cutler, NOT Quinn. Quinn is a good kid with very little talent, he had two stud tall recievers, Clausen didn’t. Tate is good, but he’s 5’11, not 6’4 like Stovall and Samarzjia were.

  57. Posted VIA BIGTRAV425
    “If Claussen goes in the top ten that team should change there team name to the SUCKERS. That guy is overrated big time just like Quinn.There was a reason why Quinn slipped all the way to where he did. i hope to freakin GOD the Brownies dont take him or ill be hittin the Tequila pretty hard”
    Typical moron Browns fan. Go throw bottles on the field or something. What is it with Browns fans and idiocracy. Are you all imbred or something?

  58. “If Clausen’s not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I’m done.” – Mel Kiper
    I think Kiper needs to define ‘successful’ – Clausen was only able to put up numbers versus crap teams at ND and NEVER beat a ranked team – or a top 30 team(0-12). And Clasuen got stoned at the goal line by an undersized Navy DB. Anyway, the floppy heads believe Clausen was “successful” in college. I believe they need to set their sights a bit higher.

  59. You know what i get SICK of, the Quinn comparisons!!!! if you want to compare him, bring up better options. Brady Quinn NEVER had the arm that Clausen had, McShay has no problem with Clausen’s arm, his issue is his character, so basically he compares him to a less talented Jay Cutler, NOT Quinn. Quinn is a good kid with very little talent, he had two stud tall recievers, Clausen didn’t. Tate is good, but he’s 5’11, not 6’4 like Stovall and Samarzjia were.
    Stovall was absolute garbage. Samarzjia is playing baseball. Clausen had 10x better targets than Quinn did. Michael Floyd is a sure fire first round draft pick when he comes out. TE Kyle Rudolph will be taken at the least in the 2nd round. Golden Tate will be a 1st or 2nd round pick as well. Now the comparison between Quinn and Clausen, they are completely different QB’s. Clausen has a much stronger arm and is more accurate. Quinn was a more athletic guy. I think he was too muscular. He still might resurrect his career in Denver.

  61. as someone earlier pointed out, Clausen’s delivery is HORRIBLE! If you saw his pro day, he was yanking the ball with his entire body just to throw a sideout with no zip on it. Bernie Kosar had horrible mechanics but he had the one thing JC doesn’t have—SMARTS–Clausen=Jeff George BUST

  62. I have yet to hear someone tell me why Clausen won’t be successful in the NFL…besides, of course, the ridiculous Brady Quinn comparisons and his record at ND (which is the fault of ND’s pathetic defense).
    Here are the facts on Clausen:
    Big arm – stronger that Bradford’s;
    Great accuracy – near 70% completion percentage last year with a 7:1 TD to Int ratio;
    Great leader – voted team captain by his teammates at ND last year.
    NFL Ready – Played in pro-style offense for past three years;
    So will someone PLEASE give me 1 good reason as to why/how this guy isn’t going to be an NFL stud QB.

  63. Yet another reason for many to hope Clausen fails as a pro. Don’t think the world would change at all without Mr. Hair on tv.

  64. Kiper has this one won! I’ve been mocking this for quite awhile now and I cannot for the life of me understand why people just don’t get it.
    New regime equals new quarterback.
    Which teams have a new regime in the top 10?
    Washington (added McNabb) and SEATTLE!
    Whitehurst is a smokescreen or do you guys seriously believe he is going to be the franchise QB for Carroll??! Carroll tried to recruit Clausen HEAVILY but lost out to ND. He won’t miss this time.
    Hasselbeck will be shipped to Cleveland on draft day for a mid-late round selection.

  65. # DVJ says: April 19, 2010 6:44 PM
    Where are the good analysts like Corey Chavous these days?
    ________________________________________
    He has his own website (draftnasty) and appears occasionally on NFLN talking draft as he sometimes did while still playing. LOVE that guy. Besides the obvious of Mayock.. Charles Davis rocks also. He’s very underrated and seldom mentioned since Mayock is the star. Davis is so old school. NFLN owns in draft coverage.
    ________________________________
    db3300 says: April 19, 2010 4:53 PM
    I hope Kiper stands by his word and retires forever if Claussen is a bust. This is nothing but a grand-standing move because we all know that he won’t. Kiper is counting on the fact that the American public can’t hold it’s attention span long enough to ever hold him to his word.
    ____________________________________
    You’ll love this..McShay asked Kiper what timeframe Kiper would need to prove he is right or wrong about Clausen and Kiper says…EIGHT YEARS. Alrightee then Mel.

  66. “HarrisonHits says:
    April 19, 2010 5:16 PM
    “If Clausen’s not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I’m done.”
    Please Football Gods let Clausen succeed and Kiper honor this statement so we never have to hear from him again.
    ”
    @HarrisonHits – reread his statement. I think you misunderstood. He is saying that if clausen does NOT succeeed, he will quit.

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