So Jimmy Clausen has declared for the NFL. I think it is a big mistake. The hapless St. Louis Rams are readying their quarterback number already. 

Is Clausen any better than Brady Quinn, who is having a nightmare with the Cleveland Browns right now? Is he any better than Steve Beurlein, who left with equal fanfare way back when and never made it big in the NFL?

I don't think so. I thought the extra year would have been a necessity for Clausen, to improve both physically and mentally for the NFL.

This is a kid with issues, one who got sucker punched just a few weeks ago in a bar, and one who arrived on campus with more bling than P Diddy.  He still needs time to mature.

Instead, he has taken the obvious step, one that will come as no surprise to anyone.

Great and all as he was as a junior, Clausen still was not a winner at Notre Dame. His three-year record at quarterback was 3-9, 6-6 and 6-6. Hardly Joe Montana stuff.

Yes, he has a great arm and potentially, and I mean potentially, he could be a great quarterback.

But, in my opinion, he needed one more year in the college game.

Charlie Weis told him to go, which is one reason, if I were Clausen, I'd think twice.

Weis has a vested interest in seeing Notre Dame fail after he leaves .

Clausen will be a huge loss, and his departure will make the job all the more difficult for the new coach when he takes over.

But Clausen could well be too immature for the NFL. That's my opinion.