More info on Jason Boltus QB

[cowboyjoe]

Experts assess QB's chances of going from D-III to the pros
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
By Lindsay Kramer
Staff writer
Jason Boltus is about to find out just how far his strong right arm will carry him.

After a record-setting career at Division III Hartwick, the Baldwinsville native is one of 21 quarterbacks who will be on display at the NFL combine this week in Indianapolis. Boltus has almost lottery-ticket odds of converting the chance into an NFL job. In the past five years, only four Division III players have been drafted. Five such players held spots on 2008 opening day rosters.

Several of the top NFL personnel and draft gurus are familiar with Boltus’ body of work and give him at least a shot at turning some heads. Here’s how some of them assess his game and chances for career advancement:

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Chris Landry, Fox NFL analyst and a consultant for several NFL and college teams:

”He’s a really good looking kid. Jason’s got not only the size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), but arm strength, foot quickness. He has a lot of physical qualities. He is a major developmental prospect. And it will start for him at the combine. The thing he’s going to have to show, the speed of the players of the combine, the accuracy and timing are issues of concern. It doesn’t mean he can’t be efficient in those departments, but it’s a concern.

“He gets that chance. But I expect him to do OK, and I expect him to struggle at times. It’s a huge jump, no question about it. It’s a whole different game in terms of speed, because the players you are playing with and the players you are playing against are a lot faster. What he does have going for him is a lot of ability. It’s just going to require a lot of patience.

“It definitely can be done. It’s about how he sizes up. I think in time it’s very possible. I see him as a late-round guy or as a priority free agent that someone brings in and wants to work with. He has an outside shot at being a No. 3 next year, or on a developmental squad.”

Todd McShay, ESPN draft analyst:

”As far as his pro prospects are concerned, the first thing you notice when evaluating Boltus is that he’s extremely raw. For instance, if his first read is not open he simply tucks the ball and runs — a practice that works at the D-III level but will get you cut in a hurry in the NFL.

“Boltus displays adequate arm strength to make all the necessary throws at the next level, provided his timing as a passer improves. He has the intelligence, competitiveness, size and mobility to warrant consideration as an undrafted free agent, which will at least earn him some looks in training camp.”

[cowboyjoe]

Experts assess QB's chances of going from D-III to the pros - Page 2
Mike Mayock, analyst for the NFL Network:

”(He’s a ) big strong kid with a good arm. Where he needs to improve is processing information. He is a kid who has some basic, tangible abilities. He’ll be in somebody’s camp. He has to show he can absorb a playbook and speed his play up.

“It’s not the mental side (that’s a problem). Trust me. He’s on the radar. The combine is important to him, not just on the field but in the meetings at night, when he gets up and talks about what he knows.”

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Gil Brandt, NFL.com analyst:

”Here’s what I’ve seen of him. There’s a lot of difference when you are playing Alfred and Ithaca than when you are playing in the National Football League. There aren’t too many players who will end up in the National Football League that he played against.

“But the guy is a good athlete. He has an unbelievable arm. I’m looking forward to seeing him next week. It’s all going to depend upon what he does there. All of a sudden a lot of guys are going to find out where Hartwick is who have never been there before.”

Mel Kiper, ESPN draft analyst:

”I think it’s feasible if you have great workouts. He has size. What you have to do is catch the eye during workouts and do something physically to get their attention. It has to be something spectacular that happens in the next couple of months to catch the eyes of an offensive coordinator or coach.

“He has some skills. But there are a lot of kids who are in that mold. There are seven or eight kids from a lower level of competition with a chance to get to a camp. It’s a long shot. You are more than likely talking about an undrafted free agent.”

John Fricke, Fox Sports NFL radio host:

”The position he’s in is kind of nice, depending upon how he impresses at the combine. He’s got the basic structure people in the NFL are looking for. And he strikes me as being a pretty intelligent kid. If he turns heads at the combine, he might get drafted.

Having said that, I don’t know that getting drafted is a good thing for him, especially if he gets drafted in the later rounds. If you are him, it is better to have the option of going to certain camps. He could identify a place or two that would be a good fit. One might be Dallas. You have a quarterback there who is under fire. (Offensive coordinator) Jason Garrett is like he is, a really smart quarterback who went to a small school (Princeton).

“The assumption that he’s going to make this huge adjustment in the next six months is false. He has three or four years. In three or four years he will be an NFL quarterback or not. End of story.

“The D-III thing is irrelevant. It’s a huge step up for any quarterback. The distance between a D-I and D-III quarterback depends upon how smart he is. Ninety percent of playing quarterback is off the field. Guys who work at their craft, who learn to play QB (succeed). The way they (mess) with rookies is they play mind games with them on the field.”

Lindsay Kramer can be reached at 470-2151 or lkramer@syracuse.com.

[Bigdog]

I think another concern will be the level of competition he played against. I pretty sure from being from that area he is not even playing against Div III powerhouses. More like St. Lawrence University and Hobart-not what I would call football powerhouses.