2012
Learning to “Drive” with Oklahoma QB Landry Jones: As with most college pocket passers, Jones needs to develop greater subtlety with his game. Here’s a common play concept (thanks to Smart Football’s Chris Brown) that Oklahoma executes where Brown made a solid decision, but will have to develop a mindset that balances patience and aggressiveness to execute with greater efficiency in the NFL.
RSP-No Huddle Series: NIU QB Chandler Harnish: Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish might be known as a dual threat in the college game, but he has the size (6’1″, 219 lbs.), athleticism, and fundamentals as a passer for a team to develop him into an NFL contributor.
Get Er Done: QB Mechanics by Brett Favre: I don’t care about the will-he-or-won’t-he drama at the end of his career or the possibility that he thought a cell phone portrait of his penis was a good way to get some Strange. In fact, I don’t care that he was looking for Strange. I can compartmentalize my appreciation of Favre to his skill as an NFL quarterback. If you can’t, skip this post.
A Peyton Manning Transcription – Analysis of B.J. Coleman: Another Football Outsider’s Futures feature, my break down of B.J. Coleman’s fundamentals.
The Ugly Underside of Mr. Congeniality – Analysis of Kirk Cousins: The problem with the love-fest for Cousins is that none of that talent above the waist matters unless he develops the foundation of good quarterbacking from the waist down.
Studying “The Asterisk” – An Analysis of Russell Wilson: I think it’s only fitting that I make my Football Outsiders debut with a column devoted to a player Aaron Schatz labeled “The Asterisk,” in FO’s 2012 Lewin Career Forecast. Wisconsin quarterback (by way of N.C. State) Russell Wilson has the highest LCF score of any quarterback –- including Robert Griffin III –- since the inception of this projection tool. There are two reasons Schatz labeled Wilson as “The Asterisk”: the fact that Wilson transferred programs between his junior to senior years, and the fact that he stands just 5-foot-11 (if rounding up). The odds of an NFL team drafting him within the first three rounds seems low, especially considering past history.
UT-Chattanooga QB B.J. Coleman – Decision-Making is Also Fundamental: As much as Coleman demonstrates basic promise as a player, the difference between a fundamentally sound young quarterback with skill and technique and a grizzled pro is experience and perspective. And these two “intangible” qualities produce wisdom and that’s something quarterbacks sorely need in the NFL.
Why Ryan Tannehill is a First-Round Prospect: Ryan Tannehill all the time? Here’s the latest of three pieces on the Dolphins’ likely first-round pick.
Managing the Pocket Part II: Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill: Dan Marino values two things highly from a quarterback – a strong internal clock to feel pressure and the ability to make accurate throws with velocity from an off-balanced position. How does Tannehill stack up?
Managing the Pocket Part I: Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill –Subtlety and feel can make the difference of a yard the separates a quarterback and a 280-pound DE screaming into the pocket feel like 20.
RGIII Counter Point: Jim Urbano is a former college quarterback who I compete with in a fantasy league. He was kind enough to allow me to share his point of view that he also shared with the Footballguys Shark Pool forums when reading my take on a play I analyzed of RGIII’s versus Oklahoma State. I think Jim underscores some good points about the spread formation and the inherent difficulty of evaluating quarterbacks operating from it.
Russell Wilson: Undersized-Underrated: One of the bigger questions about Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson will be his height. Measured at 5107, 204 lbs., Wilson will be one of the smaller quarterbacks in the NFL.
Creating Bad Luck: Yesterday, I featured a play where Robert Griffin III reacts poorly to pressure. Today, Andrew Luck gets the same treatment. However, I believe there’s a difference between the types of mistakes that I showed with Griffin and the two I’ll show today with Luck.
RGIII: Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick . . . : Explosive (– noun): a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. Examples include TNT, C-4, and RGIII.
Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden: Less Tarrantino, More Gump: Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden is one of several hopeful, future pro quarterbacks next in line for the the NFL’s cleaver. Weeden, like many of his peers has the knowledge of his offense and good-to-great, physical and technical skill. However Weeden is reckless. Even at 28, a venerable age by college quarterbacking standards, he needs a heavy dose of Gump.
2011
Emerging Talents: John Beck – Frequently enough, quality NFL prospects get overlooked or don’t get a real opportunity to show what they can do.John Beck just might have been one of those players. Certainly Drew Brees didn’t become a starter a team felt confident with until 2005 and A.J. Smith drafted Phillip Rivers the year Brees established himself as a viable star. I’m telling you this because John Beck, much like Marc Bulger once was, is an afterthought for most football media. At best, he’s a humorous side story. This includes many good football media.
UDFA QB Adam Froman -Due to the lockout, 2011 could be more difficult than usual for undrafted free agents trying to make it in the NFL. Yet, there will be players with the talent, the skill, and the work ethic to enter a camp and make the most of their limited opportunities. This week, I’m profiling offensive skill players who I believe have the ability to develop into quality professionals if they have been training hard enough in this crazy offseason to hit the ground running. Profiles of these players are excerpts from my publication, the 2011 Rookie Scouting Portfolio, available at Footballguys.com
The RSP Blog’s Top 20 QB Prospects (2006-2011) Part II For entertainment value only, here’s my top 20 quarterbacks if all of them were rookies today. The rankings are based on a combination of high upside and correctable issues without the benefit of hindsight analysis. Hence, the entertainment value. This is not a dynasty league list.
RSP Flashback-NFL Fastforward: Eagles QB Mike Kafka – A game study analysis of Mike Kafka from his senior year at Northwestern.