Is John Beck The QB We Should Target In The Draft ?

[rw54]

Here's a link with some good clips of Beck. He is alot better than I thought.

http://justanotherdumb.com/byu/

 

[Hostile]

We need to draft one, the more I hear about this guy, the more I like him. He can probably be had in the third round, I figure the fourth will be too late. With all the draft picks we have, we should be able to pull this off one way or another. He's durable, mature, smart and accurate. A liitle "old" at 26 years old come August, but what the heck. I say he has as much potential as any rookie out there, including Russell & Quinn. Thoughts?

He's my favorite as a backup to Romo for the future, but it depends on what round. I don't think any player should be targeted really.

 

[Panhandler]

You are talking about a practice squad QB for this year...... So he should do. Just don't waste a pick.

 

[silverbear]

Umm...perhaps.

Actually, Romo was a standout at Eastern Illinois. Far more so than Rascati is a JMU...he is a very good player on a talented DivI AA team.

I'm not saying he can't play in the NFL. I'm saying the chances of him doing so are slimmer than that of say...a DivI QB that played against elite competition.

Then again, that's true of ANY Division IAA team... I guess you would never have considered drafting a Walter Payton, or a Jerry Rice...

If we're going to draft a relatively uknown DivIAA player, why not look for one that has better measurables?

First, I think most of us are talking about looking at Rascati as an undrafted rookie free agent, since that seems to be the consensus of his chances in this draft... at the very best, he might get drafted in the 7th round... good luck finding players with better measurables at that point...

If its going to be a project, which Rascati would be a very long one, why not get someone that's a bit taller and has a bigger arm?

Rascati is 6-2, 220... Romo is 6-2, 225...

I guess those extra five pounds make all the difference in the world, eh??

As for his arm strength, NFL.com describes it as "adequate", while praising his accuracy... here's some of what they said:

Shows adequate arm strength, but demonstrates very good accuracy throwing on the roll-out … Will not force the ball into the crowd and with his quick feet, he is able to buy time in the pocket and scan the field to locate secondary targets... Has good timing and touch on his throws, preferring to move the chains rather than going for the "home run" ball on every play … Effective at connecting with his targets when rolling out of the pocket and throwing underneath … Gets good power behind his throws on roll-outs when he steps into his throws and squares his shoulders and is quite effective on the bootleg... his arm strength was really not highlighted much at James Madison... Can put good zip on his intermediate throws...

All of which is my way of saying he doesn't have great arm strength, but he's not a noodle arm, either...

 

[silverbear]

Living as close to JMU as you do, I'm sure you may have caught a few of the games on local TV.

Actually, the only time I've gotten to see him was when the Dukes were making their championship run in 2004... Harrisonburg does have a local station, an ABC affiliate, but they never seem to carry any Dukes games, no matter what the sport...

If you had, you would see that Rascati is not a vertical passer. His efficiency is a result of his tendency to pass within 10 yards of the LOS. Now, this may have been the result of Mickey Mathews' coaching and play calling, but it may not be as well.

Well, I never said he was a vertical passer, because he isn't... but there are any number of effective quarterbacks in the NFL that you could say the same thing about... his skills are best suited to a timing-based offense, which means he'd be effective in a Norv Turner type scheme... and the rumor is that Jason Garrett will be implementing just such a scheme with the Cowboys...

 

[tomson75]

Then again, that's true of ANY Division IAA team... I guess you would never have considered drafting a Walter Payton, or a Jerry Rice...

Again, as I've said more than once now...I am NOT opposed to drafting or picking up DivI AA players. I believe I've made that clear. I simply don't believe Rascati is going to amount to much. I've formed my opinion by watching every game he's played at JMU (i don't think he ever saw the field at Louisville).

First, I think most of us are talking about looking at Rascati as an undrafted rookie free agent, since that seems to be the consensus of his chances in this draft... at the very best, he might get drafted in the 7th round... good luck finding players with better measurables at that point...

That's fine. I personally think there are better options though. In my humble opinion, Rascati is a dead end.

Rascati is 6-2, 220... Romo is 6-2, 225...

I guess those extra five pounds make all the difference in the world, eh??

I don't recall ever saying Romo has the measurables I would look for. I was thinking more along the lines of someone 6'4". I'm a sucker for the "prototype qb" in terms of height and weight.

As for his arm strength, NFL.com describes it as "adequate", while praising his accuracy... here's some of what they said:



All of which is my way of saying he doesn't have great arm strength, but he's not a noodle arm, either...

That's fine. I too, would prefer accuracy over arm strength.

That being said, I think Rascati will find his way onto an NFL squad somewhere. Hopefully with the right scheme and the right coaching, he can pull it off...it's definitely within the realm of possibility. I would just prefer he do it elswhere. I'd really like to see us pick someone up on day two. If we do get him undrafted, I will by no means be upset, but I won't be expecting much.

 

[tomson75]

Actually, the only time I've gotten to see him was when the Dukes were making their championship run in 2004... Harrisonburg does have a local station, an ABC affiliate, but they never seem to carry any Dukes games, no matter what the sport...

That was fun to watch. Those of us affiliated with JMU rarely get to celebrate anything in terms of athletics.

Well, I never said he was a vertical passer, because he isn't... but there are any number of effective quarterbacks in the NFL that you could say the same thing about... his skills are best suited to a timing-based offense, which means he'd be effective in a Norv Turner type scheme... and the rumor is that Jason Garrett will be implementing just such a scheme with the Cowboys...

You're very right here. I was not, however, aware that Garret was going to implement a Turneresque theme.

 

[philo beddoe]

Look for someone like Romo... Someone that has dominated a lower level of competition.

What this unnamed QB would need would be a high completion percentage with a big positive difference between TD's and picks.

Like who? Some names?

 

[philo beddoe]

Hey, if you follow Moreland Gap Road up past my house a few miles, you go up over a ridge and come down in Luray... it's probably not more than 10-15 miles from my doorstep... just before you go over that ridge, there's a road and if you turn left, you'll come out in Fort Valley...

I'm told that Moreland Gap Road was one of the "escape routes" that Stonewall Jackson used to elude the North during his Valley Campaign... they didn't know about that road, and he'd disappear on them, to reappear up by Fort Valley, behind the enemy... my house was built in 1971, but it's neat to imagine that at one time, Confederate soldiers marched right past where that house now stands... they probably filled their canteens from the creek that runs directly under my back porch...

The nearest church is like 2 miles away, and served as a Union hospital during the battle of New Market...

BTW, if you've never been over for the annual reenactment of that battle, you should make an effort to get over for it some time... it's held on the second Sunday in May every year (as was the original battle), and is quite the spectacle... I'm told that it's the only reenactment that's held on the actual battlefield where the worst of the fighting took place, an area known since then as the Field of Lost Shoes...

The origin of that name comes from the kids from the VMI Corps of Cadets, 15 and 16 years old, who were marched up from Lexington overnight and thrown into the battle at its fiercest, ultimately turning the tide for the South in that battle... the battle was fought in a driving rainstorm, it had been raining for some days (which is not uncommon in these parts that time of the year, it's amusing how often the reenactments get rained on)... the kids had been issued regulation Confederate uniforms, including the boots, and they didn't fit real well... so legend has it that the mud sucked the boots right off of some of their feet, and that local farmers were turning up boots when they did their plowing even as late as the 1950s...

I actually took a part time job for some extra bucks one summer, making hay on that battlefield... never did see a boot, though... LOL...

I went to college in Lexington, but not VMI, thank goodness!!!!

 

[philo beddoe]

Umm...perhaps.

Actually, Romo was a standout at Eastern Illinois. Far more so than Rascati is a JMU...he is a very good player on a talented DivI AA team.

I'm not saying he can't play in the NFL. I'm saying the chances of him doing so are slimmer than that of say...a DivI QB that played against elite competition. If we're going to draft a relatively uknown DivIAA player, why not look for one that has better measurables? If its going to be a project, which Rascati would be a very long one, why not get someone that's a bit taller and has a bigger arm?

You're right. Romo was more decorated, he won the Walter Payton Award.

 

[philo beddoe]

He's my favorite as a backup to Romo for the future, but it depends on what round. I don't think any player should be targeted really.

Which round would you grab a QB in? I really like Beck.

 

[TheProphet]

Like who? Some names?

Justin Rascati comes to mind. He's very similar to TR. If Lang Campbell became available, he should be scooped up as well as he is also similar in style and has a Payton Award under his belt I beliebe.
Rearch these guys fellas, I have no doubt you will be pleased as punch as to what you learn. LOL.

 

[silverbear]

That was fun to watch. Those of us affiliated with JMU rarely get to celebrate anything in terms of athletics.

Folks in Harrisonburg kinda lost their collective minds over that one, didn't they?? It was fun to watch...

You're very right here. I was not, however, aware that Garret was going to implement a Turneresque theme.

Well, to be completely fair, all I've read is media speculation that he'd go in that direction... but given his pedigree, it makes good sense... that's what he knows, and he saw it work really, really well...

 

[silverbear]

I went to college in Lexington, but not VMI, thank goodness!!!!

I'm glad to hear you weren't a Keydet... they're like the Aggies of Virginia...

What other college is in Lexington?? I'm not familiar with that area, never make it much south of Staunton...

 

[TheProphet]

Hey, if you follow Moreland Gap Road up past my house a few miles, you go up over a ridge and come down in Luray... it's probably not more than 10-15 miles from my doorstep... just before you go over that ridge, there's a road and if you turn left, you'll come out in Fort Valley...

I'm told that Moreland Gap Road was one of the "escape routes" that Stonewall Jackson used to elude the North during his Valley Campaign... they didn't know about that road, and he'd disappear on them, to reappear up by Fort Valley, behind the enemy... my house was built in 1971, but it's neat to imagine that at one time, Confederate soldiers marched right past where that house now stands... they probably filled their canteens from the creek that runs directly under my back porch...

The nearest church is like 2 miles away, and served as a Union hospital during the battle of New Market...

BTW, if you've never been over for the annual reenactment of that battle, you should make an effort to get over for it some time... it's held on the second Sunday in May every year (as was the original battle), and is quite the spectacle... I'm told that it's the only reenactment that's held on the actual battlefield where the worst of the fighting took place, an area known since then as the Field of Lost Shoes...

The origin of that name comes from the kids from the VMI Corps of Cadets, 15 and 16 years old, who were marched up from Lexington overnight and thrown into the battle at its fiercest, ultimately turning the tide for the South in that battle... the battle was fought in a driving rainstorm, it had been raining for some days (which is not uncommon in these parts that time of the year, it's amusing how often the reenactments get rained on)... the kids had been issued regulation Confederate uniforms, including the boots, and they didn't fit real well... so legend has it that the mud sucked the boots right off of some of their feet, and that local farmers were turning up boots when they did their plowing even as late as the 1950s...

I actually took a part time job for some extra bucks one summer, making hay on that battlefield... never did see a boot, though... LOL...

I know the road you are speaking of ole buddy. It is on top of the ridge that 211 cuts through between New Market and Luray, you turn at the ranger station and follow it down to Ft. Valley. Do you live in a cabin back in the hollow up there? Sounds like you have all the creature comforts, seeing that you are able to get on the internet. LOL.

I also am familiar with New Market battlefield, although I have not seen a reenactment, perhaps this year I will do that. I do know the story about the cadets joining the fight, but not the story about the Field of Lost Shoes.

My place in Luray is simply awesome. Quiet, comfortable, plenty of land. There sure is lots of history in the Valley (indians, civil war) is there not?

Anyways, thanks for sharing the information about the reenactment.

I think it would be great if Rascati got a shot in the NFL. Like I said in an earlier thread, he is one of those types of guys who finds a way to win.

 

[baj1dallas]

I like Beck, if he's there in the 4th I hope they take him.

 

[Hostile]

I like Beck, if he's there in the 4th I hope they take him.

That is when I would like to get him too. I don't want to spend a day 1 pick on a (for now) 3rd string QB, but it is a value pick and you don't want to wait too long.

I hope that we focus on 1 QB every off season for at least the Practice Squad. I like having 3 good QBs, not just 1 and 2 warm bodies.

 

[silverbear]

I know the road you are speaking of ole buddy. It is on top of the ridge that 211 cuts through between New Market and Luray, you turn at the ranger station and follow it down to Ft. Valley.

That's the one, all right... runs past the Caroline Furnace Lutheran camp...

Do you live in a cabin back in the hollow up there?

Sure do... got the George Washington National Forest directly across the street, got a 75 foot cliff for a back yard, and a creek that runs directly under my back porch (the supports for the porch are sunk into the creek bed)...

Sounds like you have all the creature comforts, seeing that you are able to get on the internet. LOL.

Well, it was only last year that I was FINALLY able to upgrade to broadband, back where I lived they couldn't get it to me... I was stuck on dialup, like a dinosaur...

Last year was a big year for me, as they even paved the road back to about 200 yards past my house... my folks bought this house back in 1975, and we'd lived on a dirt road for over 30 years...

The only downside is, according to Jeff Foxworthy I might not be a redneck any more...

I also am familiar with New Market battlefield, although I have not seen a reenactment, perhaps this year I will do that. I do know the story about the cadets joining the fight, but not the story about the Field of Lost Shoes.

Drop me a PM if you're serious about that, I'm always off on Sundays...

My place in Luray is simply awesome. Quiet, comfortable, plenty of land. There sure is lots of history in the Valley (indians, civil war) is there not?

I sometimes ponder the number of absolutely brilliant military minds who fought for the South were all born within 100 miles of where I live... going through Mount Jackson, you go right past a Confederate graveyard, still nicely tended...

It's one of my favorite things about the Valley... my family's home is in Hagerstown, adjacent to the Antietam battlefield... as a kid, I went swimming in Antietam Creek more than a few times... well, a lot of times it was more like wading, actually...

And every year, my Boy Scout troop camped out for two weeks up in Gettysburg... I knew that battlefield like the back of my hand... I can remember stealing apples off of Eisenhower's farm, back when Ike was still alive...

So I was into the Civil War long before I moved into the Valley...

Got an interesting bit of trivia for you-- did you know that the Shenandoah River is one of the few in North America that flow south to north, rather than north to south??

For that reason, when locals talk of travelling north on I-81, they say you're going "down" the Valley, and vice versa...

Anyways, thanks for sharing the information about the reenactment.

You're quite welcome... you sounded like a history buff, I thought it might be something that would interest you...

I think it would be great if Rascati got a shot in the NFL. Like I said in an earlier thread, he is one of those types of guys who finds a way to win.

I don't know if he's got what it takes to make the jump, after all precious few Dukes have made it to the big time, but off of what he's done in college, he certainly deserves a shot somewhere... maybe we'll be rooting for him in NFL Europa next year...

 

[carphalen5150]

I like Zac Taylor from Neb quite a bit. Not sure why he is not rated higher, he put up some great numbers and looked very comfortable in a pro-style offense.

 

[superpunk]

Did you go to school in Hagerstown, silverbear?

I went to Smithsburg, grade school through high.

Hooray for the Leopards.