With Montana, was it him or the system?

Was it one for a little bit, and then the other?

we'll never know how good Montana would have been outside of Walsh's groundbreaking offense.
I'm just saying, casual fans immediately annoint guys like Montana and Brady the best QB's ever because they won so many titles.
Would Marino, Fouts, Manning and Elway have won less on those same teams

I don't think Bradshaw was a top 5 QB, but look what a great team around him provided.

Montana was injured for part of the 1993 season, but still led the Chiefs in two come-from-behind wins in the 1993 playoffs and reached the AFC Championship Game, where Kansas City lost to the Buffalo Bills. Including their two playoff victories that year, the 1993 Chiefs won 13 games, tying the franchise record for wins in a season. Montana was also selected to his final Pro Bowl at the end of the 1993 season.

Montana returned healthy to the Chiefs in 1994, starting all but two games. His highlights included a classic duel with John Elway (which Montana won 31-28) on Monday Night Football, and a memorable game in week 2 when Montana played against his old team, the 49ers and Steve Young. In a much-anticipated match-up, Montana and the Chiefs prevailed and defeated the 49ers 24–17. Montana led his team to a final playoff appearance in 1994.

I don't want to take anything away from Brady because he is the best there is right now.

But I do think it may be a system thing. Everyone who plays in NE turns out to be a star. Belichick is a master of finding guys who work within his system. Once they're removed from the system, they're not the same (see Branch). Woodhead, Welker, BJGE, et al are all playing like stars right now despite not having any sort of pedigree.

Yeap....Drew Bledsoe was sooooo good in that system.

Drew Bledsoe thought he was Dan Marino and could win games with his arm alone. Problem was, Drew Bledsoe was no Dan Marino.

Brady had all the talent in the world and he had the system to help him develop his skills. Its not a knock to say he was in the right system to develop. Now I think he could go anywhere and still do what he is doing. But early on if you put him with a crap coaching staff he is perhaps a late bloomer in the NFL.

That's the thing, if we had drafted him, would he have turned out to be so great? Or was he just in the best possible situation?

I think it was a case of Brady's circumstances giving him the leg up that so many QB prospects could use.
I think that's why there are so many bust QB's that were taken #1 overall.
Talented prospects that go to bad teams, with inferior coaching and inferior supporting cast of players. The circumstances set the player up for failure.

Sort of like Mr. Henne?