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Old 01-25-2018, 09:21 AM   #7
kccrow kccrow is offline
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My opinion is that they are all just QBs. You're basically trying to say that a good QB is defined by the system he plays in and that the system is what makes him good. I'd argue that a QB has a specific skill set and is either good, and therefore can run any system, or he's not. That is, a good QB is good on his own merit and makes any system function at a high level, a mediocre QB needs to fit a system to play at a decent level. while a bad QB is just bad. A QB is sought because his skill-set is either good enough to run anything, or he best fits the system being run. Certainly, different strengths and weaknesses match different systems better, but the fewer the weaknesses the better the QB.

Basically, you're looking at 3 tiers of QBs:

A good QB can run any system. These QBs have the requisite arm strength and mental fortitude to run Gillman-Coryell and the accuracy to run West Coast. These are your guys like Brady, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Brees, Manning, and so on. These are the guys that are going to tear you apart whether they are operating out of spread to go deep (e.g. Coryell), or 11 personnel to go short (e.g. West Coast), or are lining up in 21 personnel in the EP system and running off of play action. No matter what, you can do alot more with your offense with a good QB than you can with the rest.

A mediocre QB is better in one system than another. These QBs might lack the arm strength coupled with the mental fortitude to run Coryell, but have the accuracy and decision making to run West Coast (like an Alex Smith). They might struggle with short accuracy and making decisions in clutter underneath, but can throw it long and function well off of play-action (like a Joe Flacco). For these QBs, system largely dictates success. I wouldn't have ever expected Chad Pennington to be successful running a Coryell system, but you put him in WC or EP and he's going to be okay for you.

The rest are sub par or just bad. These are the guys that really don't have anything to hang their hat on. They aren't a great deep ball thrower and they struggle with accuracy underneath. Decision-making is always suspect. No amount of play-action really increases their ability to be a better QB. These are guys like Blake Bortles.

I believe your question doesn't probe as much into all QBs as it does the mediocre class of QBs. Let's be honest here, today's NFL offenses use tidbits from all of the "Big 3" offenses of the past. An offense may be tilted towards one of the three, but they certainly aren't an all-or-none. You watch the Patriots, or the Chiefs, or the Packers, or whoever you want to say runs West Coast, and you're going to see an awful lot of plays with routes that take receivers deep down the seams and that is Coryell.
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