News: Why the NFL Has a Quarterback Crisis

[punchnjudy]

I've read articles like this one several times over the last 15-20 years, with the same rationale regarding the college game not preparing QB's to be pros. There are always fluctuations in the number of quality passers entering the league. If you want to see a QB crisis, look up the NFL qb passing leaders from the year 2000. Even among the leaders in passer rating, there are only a few I'd want leading this team.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2000/leaders.htm

 

[Bill Wooten]

Look at all the trouble Navy gives top teams because they run the option attack and their talent level is usually far below that of the other teams

It is going to be interesting to see how Navy does over the next few years now that they are in a conference and will see the same teams year after year. They have benefited from their option attack and seeing teams every few years. (other than ND and the other service acadamies). They will still be a challenge for sure.

 

[BAT]

In my opinion, as a paradigm, up-tempo offense is a gimmick; the read option and veer are not. The former is based on preventing substitutions and exploiting the concept that you can get set and run plays faster than defenses can react. The latter are based on basic football principals, like blocking angles and misdirection. But the NFL is not college, and while offensive gimmicks can work for a little while in the League, eventually defenses catch up, and as it should, achieving success reverts to talent and execution.

The NFL rules are severely slanted toward the offense and the passing game, but I'd love to see a team take advantage of the available talent and design an offense around it. There are some supremely talented QB's out there whose abilities just happen to lie somewhere other than seven steps deep in the pocket, players who can be had for nothing, as QB's go. Instead of quarterback and wide receiver, focus your resources on building a big, athletic offensive line and assembling a stable of the highest quality RBs. Pick up Nick Marshall, draft a couple of Dak Prescott, Braxton Miller, Jacoby Brissett and Trevone Boykin, and sign Taysom Hill as an UDFA. Let these guys run a full-blown read option/veer-based offense with a moving pocket, high-percentage throws and lots of play action deep.

Would it work? Maybe not, but it would be a nightmare to prepare for, and with great athletes running it to precision, I'd give it a real chance. It would have to be better than wasting high picks looking for QB's and continuing to lose.

You are spot on and the NFL recognizes that someONE, anyone, is going to build a better mouse trap by creating a system that utilizes this incoming wealth of resources while exploiting the dearth of pro ready QBs each draft. Jimmy Johnson did it by drafting faster but smallish defensive players when the trend was bigger, stronger and THEN faster. He stressed gang tackling and waves of pass rushers instead of relying on having select extraordinary individuals make plays.

Instead of wasting valuable time/reps trying to make a mediocre back up QB at least HALF as good as the starter, why not create an offense that accommodates the best of both worlds. Currently Cowboys (and every other pro team) have the basic dive play, with a small tweak, that same dive play can become an inside zone read if a more athletic/explosive back up QB has to be inserted (whether by injury or by design, think goal line or 2 point conversion). With a zone read the defense has to prepare for 3 things: RB run, QB run, QB pass. It's another variation of the play action. IMO the very best QBs have to have more than just a cannon for an arm (some of the best QBs didn't even have that), leadership and having that "it" factor is also necessary for success. Not being able to incorporate proven winners like Tim Tebow, Pat White, Eric Crouch, Tommie Frazier, etc. is wasteful and shortsighted.

It seems like only a handful of up tempo/running QBs have been able to convert to pro style with varying degrees of success: Russell Wilson, Alex Smith, Michael Vick

 

[Fletch]

Yep. In my book, that's a good coach designing a scheme to take advantage of his talent. Doesn't happen nearly enough these days. I think RGIII could be doing something similar if he and his coaches weren't idiots.

Idiots and Washington go hand in hand. So true.

 

[RS12]

Coaches see more QB prospects entering the league without the skill sets to excel; Will the classic NFL passer go extinct?

NFL is a product of what college produces. High flying spread offenses are the rage right now but everything comes back in style.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I think there are tons of towns that would support a farm team. As it is now teams are having to convert and otherwise develop FB and Y on their own. QB and WR too. Watching our back 7 try and learn zone coverage the past couple of years has been an adventure.

I think the NFL doesn't want to deal with a larger union. The only other reason I can think of is startup costs but they've had independent groups offering capital because it makes so much sense. As it is the biggest threat to the owners bottomline is the NFLPA's bargaining power. I can see the Jerry Richardson's of the world wanting no part of expanding that.

 

[VACowboy]

Idiots and Washington go hand in hand. So true.

I think younger Shanahan was on the right track, but 1) Griffin is frail, 2) Griffin is too stupid to avoid contact, and 3) the savants in DC fired younger Shanahan.

 

[BAT]

What is the difference if the QB throws for 5 yards or runs for 5 yards? The end product is still 5 yards. Even in the private sector we place a premium on experience and previous success, so the hiring company does not have to invest in training plus its getting (and paying) for a known commodity. But the truly ground breaking companies are those that are willing to sacrifice some of the accepted hiring practices and expectations because they are able to recognize talent/ability/potential in lieu of experience and were willing to invest time and resources to grow and develop that potential. Just like Jimmy was always seeing players not as they were, but what they could be.

There are no shortcuts in life. And there is not ONE way to succeed, no matter how much we would like for this to be true. The most successful business people are out of the box thinkers and use this to their advantage. Let's not be sheep, but the shepherd.

 

[lostar2009]

Man I thought college qbs knew some of this basic stuff. I never play qb or football but heck I knew exactly the terms and formations they was speaking of. It goes down if these new qbs are students of the game or not.

 

[perrykemp]

What is the difference if the QB throws for 5 yards or runs for 5 yards? The end product is still 5 yards.

I agree with this.

I've never been one to measure a QB solely by their passing ability.

If anything, Russell Wilson has shown us it <is> possible play the QB position successfully via a combined passing/rushing approach.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

The NFL needs a development league, IMO.

works for basketball and baseball