Just look how far Tom Brady has come ... and how bad the other 2000 NFL Draft quarterbacks were

When Tom Brady takes the field against Peyton Manning today, the discussion about who's the best will present itself for the umpteenth time.

Who's No. 1? It's a good argument on the field. It depends what you prefer -- stats or rings. On cardboard, both are big, though Brady is definitely a pricier autograph simply because he doesn't sign as much. Manning's availability hurts values but helps collections. (Just like on the field, it's a good debate of who's better hobby-wise.)

Rewind the clock back 16 years, though, and it was obvious who the star was between these two. Manning had been the No. 1 overall pick a couple years before and walked into the NFL a star on cardboard after his time at Tennessee. And Brady? He wasn't even in the discussions. He was just this guy from Michigan. >>>>>

The former Wolverine was so off-the-radar that it took a few years for this image to become Internet fodder. Brady's cards took a bit of time to take off, too, but once he took over as the Patriots' starter in 2001, NFL history was changed -- just like his cardboard.

Brady's journey is the more fascinating one to Buzz. Consider the list below showing the quarterbacks drafted ahead of Brady, who went 199th overall.

Need a Chad Pennington certified autograph? You can get it for the price of a pack -- or less. Giovanni Carmazzi? Under $1 with some hunting. Same goes for Chris Redman and Tee Martin. Need a Spergon Wynn? He never even signed a deal for a certified autograph -- that's how far off the radar he was and he was taken a half-round ahead of Brady. Pennington had some NFL success as did Marc Bulger, but, again, his auto also falls into the $3 or less club on the low end.

Meanwhile, a Brady certified autograph will cost you more than $300 on the low-end and most newer ones will cost you $500 or more. Manning can be had for about $75 for his older autos -- again because he's been a steady signer for card companies for years. His newer autos are signed in lower volume, so they can be pricey as well.

[polldaddy poll=9283961]

--

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.