Saban Picks Up the Pom Poms for McCarron

AJ McCarron may not have many NFL experts on his side, but he does have one.

His former coach, Nick Saban.

Saban is trying to sell the former Alabama quarterback to NFL teams and says if they pass up on him, it would be a huge mistake.

"I think anybody that doesn't take AJ in one of those earlier rounds is going to make a huge mistake," Saban told ESPN, "because I think he's going to be a very, very good player."

He must be if his coach used 'very' twice. And he kept going.

"First of all, [McCarron] has all the athletic talent to make all the throws that he needs to make at the next level ... Guys who can make quick decisions, process the information and throw the ball accurately are the guys that usually end up being pretty good NFL quarterbacks."

McCarron put up good numbers while he was in Tuscaloosa. He completed almost 70 percent of his passes, threw for tons of yards, rarely made mistakes, and most importantly, he was a winner. 

It also doesn't hurt that he worked in a pro-style offense while at Alabama. Enough NFL teams desperately need a quarterback right now, too. The Vikings, Dolphins, Bucs, Browns and Texans come to mind.

Enough teams are in a position of not having to waste a first round pick on a signal caller; waiting until the second or third round should still provide useful options. And that might the perfect place for McCarron to be. Most of the teams above are desperate for a Johnny Manziel, a Blake Bortles, or a Teddy Bridgewater to kickstart their fortunes, but others are willing to draft for the future.

A team like the Dallas Cowboys or the Green Packers could select McCarron and have him carry the clipboard whilehe can learns from a vetern quarterback. Tony Romo learned behind Drew Bledsoe, and Aaron Rodgers learned a few things backing up Bret Favre. Plus, this would put McCarron in a more comfortable situation where he doesn't have to be a savior.

Then, when the opportunity presents itself, he'll be ready. And with the frequency of injuries to quarterbacks these days, he may not have to wait long for an opportunity.