RealGM Football: The Red Zone - Be The GM: Brees Vs. Ruud

	More from RealGM NBA: Sources: Knicks Could Target T-Mac MLB: Report: Halladay Won't Re-Sign With Jays NHL: Rally Helmets Lift Leafs To Win
Index News Scores & Statistics Draft Simulator Transactions Prospects Reina Value Consensus Mock NFL Forum

The Red Zone

Red Zone Archives

14th Sep, 2009
Championship: Peterson Vs. Brady

12th Sep, 2009
Final Four: Brady Vs. P. Manning

Full Archive

NFL Columns

RealGM Poll

Which team will win the AFC West?

Chargers
Broncos

Poll Archives

Draft Sim ID

Sponsors

Don't miss your chance for football betting at BetUS.com. As America's #1 sportsbook, BetUS offers the most up-to-date betting lines & odds for all your betting needs.

Be The GM: Brees Vs. Ruud

Authored by Andrew Perna - 18th August, 2009 - 9:29 am

Current Featured Columns

Football Meteorology For Week 11

The Colts have another tough test this week against Ray Rice and the Ravens, while the Chargers head to Denver and why the Bears could upset the Eagles.

Jeff Risdon. 19th November, 2009.

Top 103 NFL Draft Prospects Of 2010, Version 1.0

Now that the college football season is nearly over, it is an appropriate time to rank the top players of the upcoming draft.

Jeff Risdon. 12th November, 2009.

Coaches Make Snap Decisions

Vince Young and Alex Smith have been moved up the depth chart. How long will it be before we see more changes at quarterback?

Randolph Charlotin. 1st November, 2009.

Grading The Deal: Jets Make Deal For Edwards

Braylon Edwards will join Jericho Cotchery to form an elite wideout tandem, at least on paper.

Christopher Reina. 7th October, 2009.

RealGM Search

Tuesday's battle marks the final first-round matchup in the NFC. Only Adrian Peterson and Matt Ryan are running away with their respective battles, while the remaining tilts could still go either way.

Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this article to review editions you may have missed.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees faces off against Buccaneers linebacker Barrett Ruud in today's matchup.

Why Brees Is A Franchise Player

There is no doubt that Brees is a franchise-caliber player. He is sometimes left out of the conversation involving the game's best quarterbacks, but is right up there with the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league and throws a very catchable ball. The Saints haven't always had the greatest offensive line or set of receivers, but Brees simply keeps on ticking. After missing a few games early in his career, he's answered questions about his durability by playing a full slate in four consecutive seasons.

Brees threw for 5,069 yards in 2008, coming within 16 yards of breaking Dan Marino's single-season record. His average production over the last four years is 4,400 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In addition, his touchdown and yardage numbers have increased in each of the last three seasons.

Why Ruud Is A Franchise Player

Ruud has emerged as one of the league's best middle linebackers over the last two years. He has 251 tackles, nine pass deflections, four interceptions and three forced fumbles combined over the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

He is a versatile player, able to both blitz and drop back in coverage effectively. He always seems to be around the football and is a very effective tackler.

In terms of age, Ruud is four years younger than Brees. Starting a franchise with a 30-year-old quarterback isn't a bad idea, especially when you are talking about Brees, but you'd get more mileage out of the 26-year-old linebacker.

Click here to cast your vote and here to read the opening article

Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com

More from RealGM