Om, the problem with the Jim Irsay argument is that it funnels the thought that we should sell the farm for the big name, in this case the franchise QB. That's the only reason that the Colts were that good for that long. When we made the trade for RG3 (or for the picks) the media lauded it as the right thing to do because you don't win in this league without a franchise QB. Of course they gave no definition of what "win" in this league means and what a "franchise QB" actually is, other than saying that RG3 was in fact a franchise QB and that he would lead to us "winning".
So if the media and 3/4 of the fans thought it (myself included) then why wouldn't Snyder think it and is he wrong for doing so?
Here's a philosophical question? Who are the franchise QBs in the league and where were they picked?
Tom Brady - (6th), 4 SB, Career Record (160-47)
Ben Roethlisberger (1, 11) 2 SB, Career Record (106-52)
Eli Manning (1, 1), 2 SB, Career Record (91-76)
Russell Wilson (3rd), 1 SB, Career Record (36-12)
Peyton Manning - (1, 1), 1 SB, Career Record (179-77)
Drew Brees - (2nd), 1 SB, Career Record (117-84)
Aaron Rodgers (1, 24), 1 SB, Career Record (70-33)
Joe Flacco (1, 18), 1 SB, Career Record (72-40)
Andrew Luck (1, 1), 0 SB, Career Record (33-15)
Colin Kaepernick (2nd), 0 SB, Career Record (25-14)
Andy Dalton (2nd), 0 SB, Career Record (40-23-1)
Nick Foles (3rd), 0 SB, Career Record (15-9)
Philip Rivers - (1, 2), 0 SB, Career Record (88-56)
Tony Romo (UDFA), 0 SB, Career Record (75-48)
Matt Ryan (1, 3), 0 SB, Career Record (66-44)
Alex Smith (1, 1), 0 SB, Career Record (57-47-1)
Michael Vick (1, 1), 0 SB, Career Record (59-50-1)
Rex Grossman, (1, 22), 0 SB, Career Record (25-22)
Mark Sanchez (1, 5), 0 SB, Career Record (37-33)
Matt Hasselbeck (6th), 0 SB, Career Record (80-72)
Jay Cutler (1, 11), 0 SB, Career Record (61-58)
Matt Schaub (3rd), 0 SB, Career Record (46-44)
Tarvaris Jackson (2nd), 0 SB, Career Record (17-17)
Cam Newton (1, 1), 0 SB, Career Record (30-31-1)
Carson Palmer (1, 1), 0 SB, Career Record (70-73)
Ryan Tannehill (1, 8), 0 SB, Career Record (23-25)
Shaun Hill (UDFA), 0 SB, Career Record (16-18)
Matt Cassel (7th), 0 SB, Career Record (33-38)
Matthew Stafford (1, 1), 0 SB, Career Record (35-42)
Derek Anderson (6th), 0 SB, Career Record (20-25)
Trent Edwards (3rd), 0 SB, Career Record (14-19)
Jason Campbell (1, 25), 0 SB, Career Record (32-47)
Robert Griffin (1, 2), 0 SB, Career Record (14-21)
Christian Ponder (1, 12), 0 SB, Career Record (14-21-1)
Geno Smith (2nd), 0 SB, Career Record (11-18)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (7th), 0 SB, Career Record (33-55-1)
Sam Bradford (1, 1) 0 SB, Career Record (18-30-1)
Josh McCown (3rd), 0 SB, Career Record (17-32)
Chad Henne (2nd), 0 SB, Career Record (18-35)
Does that mean anything? Which ones are franchise QBs and which ones aren't? Were the franchise QBs all drafted in the first round or high or even drafted? Did the other guys win because they had great teams around them? Did the great QBs lose because they had crappy teams around them?
It will be interesting after this year what big name we decide to go after and whether its in free agency or the draft, and how much we mortgage to get him - be it draft picks or a bunch of money. Even if we have the number 1 overall pick, I wonder if we'd be willing to trade down and just build a good team rather than invest in one player. Would we even try or are we so caught up into the philosophy of big names still.