Tag Archive for QB

Brandon Weeden Scouting Report

April 22, 2012 No comments

Position

QB

Height

6’4

School

Oklahoma State

Weight

221

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.90

Grade

3rd Round

Arm Strength:

Has the arm strength necessary to make all the throws. Does not have a great arm though. Still floats too many passes and some of his passes simply lack zip. He lacks the arm strength to stick throws unless his footwork is perfect, and it often isn’t. Doesn’t throw a great deep ball either as it tends to hang quite a bit. However, he does do a good job of zipping passes when he has to and shows good touch on shorter throws.

Grade: 2.5

Accuracy:

Accuracy is fairly average. He can hit the open man but he lacks pin-point accuracy. He’ll throw some nice intermediate balls but then he’ll follow it up by throwing it behind his receiver or sailing it over their head. Most comfortable on shorter passes. Struggles to throw the deep ball with good rhythm, as the ball is often too far ahead or behind his receiver.

Grade: 2.5

Mobility:

More athletic than most quarterbacks. Doesn’t elect to run very often but his mobility helps him get out of trouble in the pocket. Not a guy who can beat you with his legs or gain a lot of ground in the open field.

Grade: 3.0

Decision Making:

Looks very impressive when he has a clean pocket. Is calm and is able to side step the rush while keeping his eyes down-field. Will go through his progressions and does a good job of finding the open man. Is always aware of where his checkdown is if he gets in trouble. However, under pressure he’s a completely different player. He’ll force a lot of throws. He will throw without setting his feet and rarely throws the ball away. Instead, he tries to force a pass into coverage that leads interceptions. I worry about how he will hold up behind a poor offensive line in the NFL if he doesn’t learn to A. make quicker decisions and B. throw the ball away if nothings there.

Grade: 2.0

Mechanics:

Played minor league baseball for 5 years and it shows in his release. Not a conventional one and it still looks like he’s throwing a baseball. Doesn’t drop back from under center a lot at OSU so he’ll have to perfect his drops in the NFL. Gets sloppy with his footwork. Won’t drive through the throw and ends up sailing passes. Will need some coaching to sharpen up the fundamentals.

Grade: 2.0

Pocket Awareness:

Calm and keeps his poise in the pocket. Can look like a field general if given time. Can side-step rushers or step up in the pocket and maintains his poise. Senses pressure pretty well and does a good job of getting the ball out. However, his decision making when pressured is poor.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

A 2 year starter who spent 5 years playing minor league baseball. Is going to be 29 years old during his rookie season. Ended his baseball career due to a torn labrum and also suffered a ruptured tendon in his throwing hand in 2010. Praised for his leadership qualities and is regarded as a high character guy. Has no known off-field issues. Didn’t play in an offense that translates very well to the NFL.

Grade: 3.0

Outlook:

People love to debate over Weeden’s age but it’s not much of a factor to me at all. He still has the opportunity to play long enough to make an impact with a team so it doesn’t hurt his value much. At the same time it doesn’t help either. Those who think that because he’s older he’s much better than most quarterbacks in some areas are wrong. He’s not a better decision maker and he still makes the same mistakes any other young and inexperienced quarterback would make. He does have starters upside, but I don’t believe he’d be a top 10 pick if it wasn’t for age. He still needs coaching, and I worry about how he’ll fare playing for a team that doesn’t have many offensive pieces. Especially on a team with a poor line. He gets rattled under pressure and makes bad decisions and if he plays behind a bad line long enough he could get a case of the David Carr/Joey Harrington syndrome.

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Nick Foles Scouting Report

October 13, 2011 No comments

Position

QB

Height

6’5

School

Arizona

Weight

240

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.95

Grade

5th round

Arm Strength:

Without question Nick Foles has a strong arm. It’s not elite but he has more than enough arm strength necessary to be an NFL quarterback. He shows the ability to rifle passes between defenders with ease. He also does a good job of taking a bit off of it when throwing to the flats. His passes rarely float, although they have on occasion but it’s more of a mental thing rather than physical.

Grade: 4.0

Accuracy:

Foles can be pretty inconsistent with his accuracy. At times he will thread the needle between defenders and other times he throws a screen pass off target. It’s really frustrating to watch. It doesn’t help that his offense usually has at least 1 wide open guy on every play so rarely does he actually have to fit the ball into tight spaces. He usually struggles when he has to though. He throws a pretty deep ball but he’s inconsistent with that as well. His accuracy when throwing on the run is also poor as he fails to lead receivers consistently. Overall, his accuracy just isn’t impressive.

Grade: 2.5

Mobility:

Foles is a big guy but he’s quite mobile for his size. He routinely shows that he can move outside of the pocket and extend the play. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still very much a pocket passer, and he will rarely actually take off and run. He does a pretty good job of avoiding the rush and can move around quite well.

Grade: 3.0

Decision Making:

This is an area where Foles really struggles. His offense takes a lot of the pressure off of him as most of the time he has a set receiver to go to pre-snap. Early in his career he was a stare-down machine, and while he has improved on going through his progressions he still struggles with it. His mental clock is slow and he takes a while to go through his progressions. Only when he has a nice clean pocket with ample time will he actually go through his 3rd or maybe 4th read. Most of the time he’ll hesitate on throwing to his first read and then quickly try to find his checkdown. It just doesn’t look natural and you get the sense he’s panicking trying to do the right thing. He lacks anticipation and usually makes the throw after the receiver has come open and he’s just playing pitch and catch. He also just simply makes some bad decisions. He’ll throw into coverage and it’s usually when he gets pressured. Again, I get the sense that he panics and doesn’t really know what to do. Rarely does he throw the ball away.

Grade: 2.0

Mechanics:

Foles has a nice release, although he can get sloppy with it, but overall it’s rather slow. He almost never takes a drop back from under center without utilizing play action, so he’ll have to work on his footwork a lot. He doesn’t usually throw off-balance but you can tell his footwork isn’t crisp. He’ll need to work on this in the NFL.

Grade: 2.0

Pocket Awareness:

Foles does a good job of sensing pressure. He will hold onto the ball when given time but he also knows when to get out of the pocket. He’s good at extending plays and will always keep his eyes down-field when moving around in the pocket. He can be guilty of holding onto the ball for too long at times, but it doesn’t happen too often.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

Foles doesn’t come across as a guy with elite intangibles. As it’s so important when pertaining to quarterbacks, Foles lacks the “it” factor. While he has matured and grown as a leader I just don’t see it on game-days. He suffered a knee injury last year but should be ok going forward. He plays top competition and has posted solid numbers for his career. He isn’t asked to operate a complex offense and his football IQ can be questioned.

Grade: 2.0

Outlook:

While Nick Foles has prototypical size, a strong arm, and decent mobility, he just doesn’t project to a great NFL quarterback. He’s a project. He lacks the intangibles to ever be an elite NFL quarterback and the offense he runs is rather simple. Combine that with his inability to make snap decisions under pressure and his NFL outlook isn’t great. He has the potential to be a starter in this league, a good one at that, but he will need a lot of work. I wouldn’t be surprised if it just never clicks for him and he remains a back-up his whole career.

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Kirk Cousins Scouting Report

October 11, 2011 No comments

Position

QB

Height

6’2

School

Michigan State

Weight

205

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.80

Grade

4th round

Arm Strength:

Kirk Cousins arm strength leaves a lot to be desired. He is capable of making all the throws, and he can sling it 50 yards down-field, but the problem is that his passes lack zip. Even on short and intermediate passes his passes don’t have a lot of velocity. While this is good in that he throws a very catchable ball, he’ll struggle completing these passes in the NFL. His deep balls tend to float as well and he has thrown some ducks over the middle that were easily picked off at the collegiate level. This will be a big issue if he doesn’t improve his arm strength in the NFL.

Grade: 2.0

Accuracy:

Cousins is generally an accurate quarterback but he is not great. His short passes are fairly accurate but I’d like to see him lead his receivers better. He starts to lose accuracy the further he throws down the field. Many of his intermediate passes come close to being broken up by defenders for two reasons. One being that they aren’t as accurate. I’ll touch on the other reason later. He rarely throws deep but when he does he is inconsistent in hitting his receiver in stride. Usually the passes are underthrown or the receiver has to make an adjustment in order to come down with ball.

Grade: 2.5

Mobility:

While Cousins is just an average athlete he shows some good mobility in the pocket. I’ve seen him escape out of pressure numerous times and he does have some nice moves to evade rushers. He’s not really a threat to scramble and that’s just not something he’s good at. He’s much better off in the pocket. Because of the offense he played in, he is used to rolling out a lot and does a good job of setting his feet when he does get out of the pocket.

Grade: 3.0

Decision Making:

I was a bit underwhelmed with Cousins decision making ability. While he generally makes the right read, he really does make some awful decisions at times. He’ll throw balls that have no business being thrown and it’s really concerning. When he’s pressured he’ll hesitate and sometimes throw some ducks that are picked off. Other times he throws the ball away, so it’s not like he panics all the time, he’s just not consistent. He also doesn’t appear to have great anticipation for routes coming open as he routinely makes throws too late. This was the second reason I was talking about. He won’t get away with this in the NFL like he did in college because NFL defensive backs are much smarter and faster and will undercut his receivers. As I touched on earlier, he rarely challenges defenses down-field and he is very much a dink-and-dunk quarterback. Whether he’s been coached to do this or him not trusting himself to make the throws, I do not know.

Grade: 2.0

Mechanics:

Cousins has solid mechanics. There’s nothing about his game that screams elite, but he is solid in some areas. He plays in a pro-style offense and has a lot of experience dropping back from under center. He has a nice over-the-top release, albeit not a quick one, but not a slow one either. His drop backs could use some work as he constantly finds himself with too wide of a base when he reaches the top of his drop. This throws off his balance and rhythm as a passer and leads to some of his passes floating. He could use some work here, but he’s more polished than most quarterbacks coming out of college.

Grade: 3.0

Pocket Awareness:

As I touched on earlier, Cousins has a pretty good feel for the pocket. He can sense pressure and knows when to step up to avoid the rush. He keeps his eyes down-field and will extend plays. He stays in the pocket and won’t scramble unless he has to, which is a good sign. At times though he may hold onto the ball too long trying to make a play but this doesn’t happen often and you have to understand the circumstances.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

A 3 year starter playing in a pro-style offense. Never had any major injuries. Puts up solid numbers against good competition. Known as a good leader but seems too calm in games. I guess he leads more by example than his words. Has won games but has also lost a lot of big games. Never really did take Michigan State over the hump and has suffered through some blowouts. Coaches and scouts have raved about his leadership qualities and his calm demeanor.

Grade: 3.5

Outlook:

I really don’t see anything special in Cousins. He’s average in just about every area of his game and there’s nothing that tells me he will be a great starter in the NFL. I feel as though he is overrated in the draftnik community and will be drafted a lot lower than most expect. He is a game manager that operates a dink-and-dunk offense that lacks the arm to truly be a great NFL quarterback. Right now I see him more as a back-up as opposed to a starter. I don’t know that he will ever be a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, and that does not warrant a high draft pick.

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Terrelle Pryor Scouting Report

July 10, 2011 No comments

Height: 6’5
Weight: 240
College: Ohio State
40 Time: 4.55
Class: Junior

*Note: Grades are on a scale of 1 to 5*

Scouting Report:

Arm Strength

Has a strong arm and is capable of making all the throws. He shows the ability to put touch on passes to the flats and knows to zip passes over the middle although he is still inconsistent in this area. Doesn’t have great velocity on his throws however and some of his deep balls tend to float despite his naturally strong arm. This is a mechanical issue as he’s often throwing off his back foot and off-balance. Will dangerously lob deep balls in double coverage that can easily be picked off.

Grade: 2.5

Accuracy

Erratic is a perfect word to describe his accuracy. You will not be an accurate passer unless you have proper mechanics and Pryor does not. He can’t consistently hit receivers in stride. For the most part he throws the ball in the vicinity of the receiver and hope he makes a play. He misses on intermediate routes often and his deep balls are usually jump balls that can go either way. Under pressure his accuracy gets even worse because his footwork gets worse. He’ll need a ton of work on his mechanics before he can become an accurate passer.

Grade: 1.0

Mobility

By far his best asset. Can be dangerous when he takes off with the ball. Has a good burst and has deceptive speed because of his size. His size makes it tough for defensive backs to tackle him and he has showed a pretty nasty stiff arm at times. Does a good job of avoiding sacks in the backfield. Will lower his shoulder to try and pick up the first down. At times falls in love with his ability to run and misses open receivers as a result. Needs to do a better job of securing the ball both in the pocket and when scrambling.

Grade: 4.0

Decision Making

Makes some very bad decisions at times and at best is very inconsistent in this department. Doesn’t usually go through his progressions and will instead look to run if his primary target is not open. Tends to stare down his target until he’s open. Decision making gets even worse when he’s pressured. Will routinely throw off his back foot and off-balance and force passes. He may get away with this in college but he will be a pick machine in the NFL if he does not improve. Commits himself to running before properly scanning the field a lot of times as well. Lacks the proper knowledge of timing routes and really struggles in this area. He doesn’t anticipate throws and throws passes late to open receivers. This again is likely to lead to a lot of interceptions in the NFL.

Grade: 1.0

Mechanics

Very poor overall mechanics. Is experienced taking snaps from under center but still lacks the fundamental footwork for his drop backs. He can’t properly do a 3,5 or 7 step drop back. He takes unnecessary steps when coming out from under center which ultimately slows his drop back and throws off the timing. Is inconsistent with his planting foot and at times will over extend and put his body at an awkward angle ultimately leading to inaccurate passes. Fails to step into his throws and often times just tries to push the ball down field. Drops his elbow upon release but it’s not a major problem to his game.

Grade: 1.0

Pocket Awareness

I was a bit surprised to see that Pryor for the most part handles himself pretty well in the pocket. When he has time he stays in the pocket (although he still has horrendous footwork), but he’s not a much better passer. He still won’t go through his progressions so it really just buys him more time to stare down his receiver and hope he gets open. He can elude sacks and he does have a pretty good feel for pressure. His timing is poor and he still scrambles when he doesn’t have to but he does have some positives to build off of in this area.

Grade: 2.5

Intangibles

Not exactly a saint off the field but hasn’t gotten in trouble with the law. Was part of the scandal at Ohio State and received a 5 game suspension but chose to enter the supplemental draft instead of dealing with the consequences. Known to be immature and his heart and dedication to improve have been questioned. Has recently undergone foot surgery as well. Some say he has the ability to play wide receiver but we don’t know if he’s willing to try it out. It would up his value a little bit to some teams that see potential in a 6’5 WR that runs a 4.5.

Grade: 2.0

Overall Draft Grade – 6th/7th Round

Terrelle Pryor is a project. He’s nowhere near where he needs to be as a passer to have any success in the NFL. As of right now hes a 3rd stringer who you let sit and hope he develops one day. The potential is there but you can barely see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. It will take him at least a year or two in the NFL before he’ll be able to fight for a starting spot. I just don’t see him having much success in the NFL. He’s in the same class as someone like Joe Webb who is an incredible athlete but ultimately might have to move to WR. Webb did everything he was asked to do, even return kicks, and he manged to stick on the roster and ended up getting a shot. That’s the same path Pryor needs to take. If he goes in with a lackadaisical attitude because he thinks he’s a superstar, he won’t last long in this league.

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Christian Ponder Scouting Report

March 4, 2011 No comments

Christian Ponder

Height: 6’2
Weight: 229
College: Florida State
40 Time: 4.65
Class: Senior
Stock:
Projected: 2nd-3rd Round

Stats

2010 – 183/298, 61.4%, 2044 yards, 6.9 YPA, 20 TD’s, 8 INT’s
2009 – 227/330, 68.8%, 2718 yards, 8.2 YPA, 14 TD’s, 7 INT’s
2008 – 177/318, 55.7%, 2006 yards, 6.3 YPA, 14 TD’s, 13 INT’s
2007 – 8/18, 44.4%,  105 yards, 5.8 YPA,  1 TD, 2 INT’s

Overview:

Christian Ponder was once seen as a 1st round prospect and deservingly so. He’s a smart QB who has a nice combo of arm strength and accuracy. However, his recent injury trouble has caused his stock to take a hit. He can play in a west coast style offense and succeed as a starter. I don’t think he will be a great NFL QB, but he can be a solid starter for a team once he adjusts to the NFL game.

Scouting Report:

Positives

- 3 year starter, experienced
- Adequate height with good bulk
- Good overall athlete
- Can get out of the pocket and pick up the 1st with his legs
- Accurate in the short to intermediate range
- Very quick release
- Throws have a nice zip
- Adequate arm strength
- Solid footwork in the pocket, need little refinement
- Throws well on the run
- Does a good job of stepping up when he feels pressure
- Tough player
- Great leader

Negatives

- Needs to learn drop back footwork since he mostly played out of shotgun
- Has to do a better job of not staring down receivers
- Doesn’t look down field when he scrambles
- Throws a lot of quick slants and screens in his offense
- Deep balls tend to float
- Pocket presence is poor at times and he holds onto the ball too long
- Huge injury concerns, elbow and shoulder injuries to throwing arm
- Did not look like the same player after returning from injuries

Skills:
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

Arm Strength: 3.0
Accuracy: 3.5
Mobility: 3.5
Decision Making: 3.0
Mechanics: 3.0
Pocket Awareness: 2.5
Intangibles: 4.0
Pro Potential: 3.0

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