As a QB prospect coming out of college, Geno Smith is greater than...?

[RealSNR]

Poll forthcoming.

Remember, we're talking about these players as prospects. I don't care what has happened to Jay Cutler or Brady Quinn or Aaron Rodgers. If you think those QBs had more to work with as potential pros, then check them off.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by ayleswbj

Are you seriously gonna argue that these gimmick guys have a better success rate than pro-style QBs?

Can you read?

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Hindsight is strong in this thread.

And the worst thing Geno did was not enter the draft after Luck like people stupidly claim. He was well worth the first pick in September and October. He played worse as the year went on compared to his first handful of games. Can only blame himself.

Don't be an idiot.

The Texas Tech and Kansas State games were the two worst of the season for Geno and he still had a QB rating over 100 for both of those games.

After those two games, he ramped up statistically every single game and finished the season with his best game of the year versus Kansas were he had a 271 rating (even higher than the Baylor game).

He was very good in both the OU and ISU games and, as stated, did shit against KU that most QB's can't do against air.

[B14ckmon]

I need to just accept that my team is drafting Geno. As much as I hate to do it.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by SNR

Why? I know the Chiefs aren't drafting Geno.

I'm beginning to believe that they are...

[B14ckmon]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

I'm beginning to believe that they are...

[Chiefs=Champions]

Originally Posted by B14ckmon

If cockmon thinks they arnt they probably are..

[B14ckmon]

Originally Posted by Chiefs=Good

If cockmon thinks they arnt they probably are..

I honestly just feel sorry for you Geno guys. It's so blatantly obvious that they aren't, but you just keep on hoping. It's almost depressing to watch.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by B14ckmon

I honestly just feel sorry for you Geno guys. It's so blatantly obvious that they aren't, but you just keep on hoping. It's almost depressing to watch.

When the Jags take Joeckel...

[B14ckmon]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

When the Jags take Joeckel...

Yea that isn't happening. Sorry bud.

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by ayleswbj

No no no , you just said it best. Colleges implement ELEMENTS, not true spread. which Geno played in along with many others. Teams absolutely shy away from drafting these guys high. That's why guys like Keenum, Harrell and so on don't get drafted or go in the 6th.


Take a look at this year's premier NFL quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning. They all share two things in common. Each has a significant history of working under center -- and for each, his arm separates him, not his legs.

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, with smart signal-callers who win by throwing the ball accurately and on time. But at the college and high school levels, there's more of a willingness to accept a less-than-ideal passer who is an extraordinary athlete.

Prior to the explosion of the spread offense in the past 10-15 years, the core foundation of the quarterback position was learning to play under center. You dropped back from under center, read coverages from under center, made pre-snap assessments from under center. Everything you learned was about footwork, timing and reading defenses on the move.

Now, almost all you see in high school and college is the spread formation, so quarterbacks lack repetitions under center, which has led to a lack of fundamentals at the position. Every year I go out to camps and combines and see kids with multiple BCS offers who struggle to take a five-step drop, hit their fifth step and get the ball out. It can be staggering how many can't do it.

The reason for this is that from a coach's perspective, your mindset is to force defenses to have to defend your quarterback's ability to run. You implement some option principles into that mentality and it really puts a lot of strain on the defense. In high school, coaches take their best player and put him in the Wildcat formation, and if he has any promise as a passer he is going to get a long look from college coaches.

Pro-style quarterbacks who thrive in college -- like Matt Barkley and Andrew Luck -- are few and far between. There are 120 FBS teams, and it's hard to name more than five that have a base offense that includes two running backs and a tight end (the classic pro-style formation). That formation has a heavy emphasis on a power running game, and the quarterback's purpose is to win with his arm and his mind, which is essentially how the game is played at the NFL level. In these types of schemes, you will find the quarterback asked to throw less frequently but to make more challenging throws when he does drop back. Rather than throwing bubble screens or quick routes, the pro-style QB attacks the short, intermediate and deep areas of the field.

One of the reasons we've seen such a huge spike in completion percentages in college football is because of the short, controlled passing game that features numerous throws near the line of scrimmage. Think Oregon. So a pro-style QB like Andrew Luck completing 70 percent of his passes is much more impressive to NFL evaluators than a spread QB with a similar completion percentage.

However, you are starting to see guys like Cam Newton and Tim Tebow, who came from the spread in college, begin to enjoy success in the NFL. Their pro teams were willing to break the mold of conventional quarterback play to allow their more athletic quarterbacks to make plays with their legs. Newton and Tebow are the freakiest of freak athletes, however, so it's unlikely other teams will be able to duplicate their success in a league where linebackers and defensive ends are running 4.5-second 40s.

The key for NFL coaches and scouts when evaluating spread quarterbacks is to figure out how intricate their spread offense was. How complex were the protections and blitz-pickup principles? What were they asked to do at the line of scrimmage? Could they hit their intermediate and deep passes when those plays were called? That is why Baylor QB Robert Griffin III has become such a hot commodity. While he plays in a variation of the spread, he can also make all the intermediate throws and is the best deep-ball thrower in college football.

Behind closed doors, there are probably a lot of offensive coaches in the NFL who would love to have the dynamic threat of a player like Cam Newton at quarterback. There are some creative things you can do with players like that. But in a league where elite quarterback play is at a premium, most coaches are going to be fearful of jeopardizing the health of the most important player on their roster. The risk of injury is high for quarterbacks to begin with, never mind when you ask him to take even more direct shots as a runner.

The bottom line is this: While NFL quarterbacks are becoming more and more athletic, we are a long way from seeing a college-style spread offense dominate at the pro level.

Not my words, just good insight to the failures of many spread QBs

ya, I agree with your points. For example, Newton has a big arm, but he hasn't got used to the speed of the NFL, so he doesn't succeed that often. Sometimes Newton seems to just stare into space, he doesn't recognize defense and he ends up tucking and running.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Don't be an idiot.

The Texas Tech and Kansas State games were the two worst of the season for Geno and he still had a QB rating over 100 for both of those games.

After those two games, he ramped up statistically every single game and finished the season with his best game of the year versus Kansas were he had a 271 rating (even higher than the Baylor game).

He was very good in both the OU and ISU games and, as stated, did shit against KU that most QB's can't do against air.

Don't be a homer Sac. Geno was confused and completely outclassed in the Texas Tech and KSU game. I don't give a shit what his QBR was. He didn't score points. His offense was owned on both days.

It's ridiculous how people think Geno is a better QB prospect than most of these QB's.

The funniest part of this is people saying they would take Geno Smith over Alex Smith. Alex Smith was a #1 pick and over Rodgers. That's how good of a prospect he was.

Teams are cautious of Geno Smith. They've even signed/traded for veteran QB's instead. Says a lot about this QB class when the QB needy teams with high draft picks bring in veteran guys.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by RunKC

That can't possibly be right. Sweet Dick Willie says we are taking Geno and he is the greatest QB prospect the world has ever seen!

And Sweet Dick is more right than you will evar be.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Don't be a homer Sac. Geno was confused and completely outclassed in the Texas Tech and KSU game. I don't give a shit what his QBR was. He didn't score points. His offense was owned on both days.

It's ridiculous how people think Geno is a better QB prospect than most of these QB's.

The funniest part of this is people saying they would take Geno Smith over Alex Smith. Alex Smith was a #1 pick and over Rodgers. That's how good of a prospect he was.

Teams are cautious of Geno Smith. They've even signed/traded for veteran QB's instead. Says a lot about this QB class when the QB needy teams with high draft picks bring in veteran guys.

I watched Alex Smith in college. A lot.

He doesn't have the same skill set/tools that Geno has.

And I live in Utah. Went to the University of Utah my freshman year. My grandfather taught at the U of U. Nearly every single one of my family members has either graduated from Utah or attended Utah. I've had season tickets for the past five years. I can be a homer if you want, but I'm being objective instead.

Geno Smith is better than Alex Smith at the same stage. Period.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

RunKC pwnd. Harshly.
Posted via Mobile Device

[aturnis]

Originally Posted by ayleswbj

Excuse me,Reads defenses? He played in a true spread predicated on going to the first read. This is something everyone in the footballworld knows. Which is why there is all the uproar about him being in such a weak class. Second are you out of your mind , ability to run? Where are you getting this, when has geno smith ever shown his ability to run in a game? His ENTIRE ENTIRE ENTIRE college career he totald 370 rushing yards. Pleas go on about his running and rushing ability. Accuracy in the spread, can we agree that is a PUSH. Who knows how accurate he really is. All the spread QBs are accurate, for instance guess who was also really really accurate in college. TIM TEBOW!! NFL arm yes ect ect

The fact that you think Geno played in a pure spread tells me you know not of what you speak. Just spouting off what you read in an idiots article? Geno played in an Air Raid offense and made up to 3 reads per play. Did you watch he and Gruden break down the film? Geno made his reads, made smart decisions, and is very accurate. It's not a push. Tebow never looked like a pro QB at any point in his college career. He was and ungodly lucky guy.