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NFL coaches/executives share concerns about state of college quarterbacks
Posted by Josh Alper on September 10, 2015, 7:29 AM EDT
In July, Bill Polian said there was a "crying need" for the NFL to have a developmental league and cited the young quarterbacks coming into the league as players who were in particular need of further refinement before they would be ready to play in the league.
Judging from an interesting and thorough piece by Kevin Clark in the Wall Street Journal, Polian has plenty of company when it comes to concerns about the state of the quarterback position. Clark spoke to numerous NFL coaches and executives about quarterbacks entering the league and the consensus is that they aren't coming with the necessary skills.
Bills General Manager Doug Whaley said he's "a little nervous about the long-term future of this game" because he's interviewing prospects who don't know the difference between Cover-2 and Cover-3 looks and Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton says he has to teach "the absolute basics." The uptempo, spread offenses that have taken over college football lead to simplified defenses, leaving Jets quarterback Bryce Petty to say he left Baylor without ever having to decipher different fronts, coverages or even who the "mike" was on defense.
"It's doomsday if we don't adapt and evolve," Rams General Manager Les Snead said. "It's on us to adapt, I don't think any of us want this thing to crash."
Snead, Browns General Manager Ray Farmer and others discuss the need to figure out a way to minimize the problems caused by these deficiencies in their quarterbacks with Snead comparing it to the way Cover-2 schemes minimized the need to find cornerbacks who excelled in man-to-man coverage. It makes sense that they'd view the issue that way rather than follow Polian's suggestion about a developmental league because coaches and executives might not have jobs by the time the developmental prospect comes on line, but the NFL game is currently set up to favor quarterbacks so it doesn't make much sense to run in the other direction if long-term success is your goal.
As long as the league outsources that work to the college level there are always going to be things that don't mesh with the NFL style because college coaches have the same concerns about holding onto their jobs as their professional counterparts. A robust commitment to developing players would close some of that gap and widen the pool of quarterbacks who could have a shot in the league, but no such commitment has been made despite the concerns expressed by several personnel decision makers around the league.
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79 responses to "NFL coaches/executives share concerns about state of college quarterbacks"
dukeearl says:
Interesting, it used to be that a college quarterback would be a clipboard holder for their first few seasons.
The league is rushing young QB's onto the field.
Now they want a "developmental" league.
Why not just keep them on the sidelines longer?
bassplucker says:
I would be equally concerned with kickers that routinely miss kicks any longer than 35 yds and O Linemen who can't pass protect for more than 2 seconds without holding and can't run block at all. Ive seen a lot of both in D1 ball the past couple of years and again already this season.
rjg427 says:
If I was high school QB with aspirations of making it in the NFL, I wouldnt go to a college that didnt run a pro-style offense..If that was more the norm, youd see more college programs run a pro-style offense/defense. The NFL should work with NCAA to get in sync with each other..
This wasnt an issue a couple of decades ago..It also wasnt implied that a no. 1 picked qb started in his first season..As a matter of fact it was more the norm that they rode the bench for the first 3 years
weepingjebus says:
"The RGIII Home for Wayward Boys"
sgunderson17 says:
Here's a novel idea:
Don't draft them that high if you don't think they're ready.
*mindblown*
tv426 says:
People like Urban Meyer are to blame. Their no brains single read option Os are simply horrible for preparing anyone to play beyond college. Look at his best ever QB, the dumb as a bag of hammers Tebow. And people are shocked that he can't make it in the NFL. He has no brains to decipher a defense presnap. That is why he fails.
sidepull says:
And RG3 is the poster child for the need to do something like this.
joetoronto says:
This is one of the biggest challenges facing the NFL today.
They need to partner up with colleges and get something done, or their brand will look real similar to college football soon.
codiablo says:
Really? You can learn cover 2 & 3 playing Madden….Maybe they need to have summer football camp for qb prospects…(they can all sit around & play practice mode on Madden)
fatguystrangler says:
Look at how few schools actually run pro-style offenses anymore. All the rage is the HUNH offense and spreading the field as wide as possible. Then again, these college coaches are not making oodles of dollars to develop NFL quarterbacks. Their main concern is covering their own ass and keeping the boosters and school president happy by winning games.
There's a clear dearth of quarterbacks in the NFL capable of even being game-managers.
Bring on a developmental league!
dubvii says:
How is that possible? Cover2, Mike/Will, that's stuff we learned in high school!
pj1983a says:
There's a simpler solution to this than setting up an entire developmental league. The NFL just needs to start an accreditation system for college football programs, just like many professional societies do for degree programs. Putting an "NFL Approved System" stamp on a program would be guaranteed to draw better high school talent, which would give college coaches the incentive they need to implement pro-style offenses and defenses that better prepare players for the NFL.
explosionsauce says:
Or stop tailor fitting the rules to passing offenses and bring back the importance of the runningback.
bleedgreen says:
It would be wonderful to have minor league NFL football. Have games in suburbs or smaller markets that couldn't survive in the NFL, but being that they're subsidized by their parent team, it could either give others a chance to own a team that couldn't afford or break into the NFL, or give the existing owners another stream of revenue. I know I'd go watch minor league games if my Eagle's farm team was in, say, Reading PA, or Allentown, PA. $20 tickets, smaller stadium but its still NFL football with NFL rules. Arena is fun to watch but its not NFL football. Same with CFL, and even NCAA to an extent. It would be nice to give a LOT more fringe football players a place to play, earn a living and develop into NFL players. Someone like Tebow, who NEEDS reps desperately, but doesn't want to go play in Canada. What else can he do, realistically if he still truly wants to be an NFL QB?
pleasestopthesnow says:
Newsflash i said the very same thing last year.
eyezworld says:
Maybe you shouldn't have been greedy and ran off all the other leagues or maybe you should have increased the roster size….you created this so just bite the pillow and take it.
yz449f says:
I've always felt that this is only part of it. Many coaches would rather force their system upon a bunch of players that don't fit it rather than adapt to their strengths. Part of this issue, as stated above, the quarterbacks never have to play in a pro-style offense the other part of the equation is the coaches forcing them into a scheme that showcases their weaknesses rather than their strengths. One would think a coach would play to the strengths of his team rather than fit a square peg in a round hole. The same can be said for defensive coaches as well.
RegisHawk says:
College HCs have no motivation to groom QBs for the pros. They're on the hook to win games and if using a scheme that won't work in the NFL does that, then that's what they'll use.
reds37win says:
Why not have a development league? If the NFL played it correctly, they could expand their market.
If the development league consisted of 10-12 teams and was based in Europe, it could expand football's influence there. I don't see a downside here.
xinellum says:
Developmental league. The state of professional football can not be governed by the whims of college coaches who will run any formation to win. With all the money the NFL makes it is silly for them not to invest in their product instead of taking a wait around and see what falls into our laps mentality. Only major sport without a developmental league and the only major sport who cant fill the most important position on the field with qualified personnel. There are not 32 NFL quality quarterbacks starting this season. A developmental league will go a long way in weeding out bad talent and allowing the good talent to rise to the top. If Bledsoe hadn't got blasted on the sideline, Brady would be a footnote to NFL history (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) but a developmental league would have shown that he had the talent to play professionally.
Trevor Swanson says:
ten years ago every qb needed 3 years to develop. It's only recently that we've asked 22-23 yo kids to shoulder the burden of 30-40 M$ contacts and the fate of a team. That said, yes, bortles, manziel, and many others just do suck and embarrass the organizations that select them.
r8dernation says:
So the coaches don't want to coach, and the GM's don't want to work harder to find the true talent? That's how I read that. It's not too hard to rig up a QB test it certain situations that would weed out these guys at the combine. The players that fail it, don't draft them. In the real world, if you interview for a job and don't know the basics, you don't get the job.
usedjock says:
I think it is high time that the NFL spends some of its billions on a D league of some sort.
They are going to have to figure out a way to get these QB's up to speed to be able to play against the defenses they will face in the NFL. Defenses are only going to get more complex as they see these QB's struggling.
And not to pick on Petty (I think he was picked way too late) but not even knowing with a Mike linebacker is? that is very telling to me the state of the college QB.
2001asterisk2003asterisk2004asterisk2014asterisk says:
just need to be able to learn to cheat in new england.
diehardgiantsfan says:
That's because there isn't enough talent for 32 teams at any position. It's a horrible situation watching the games with less than 6 NFL players with talent of better than average. The rest of the roster is 2nd, 3rd, 4th stringers pretending to be starters. There should only be 16 teams to make all teams better not worse.
jimbo75025 says:
Well, this is one of the by-products of the spread offense. When half or more of college QBs make one read and if nothing there then run, makes it hard to now how they will transition to a pro style package (see RGme, Johhny 8ball).
Other part is QBs coming out early after a mediocre college career and still being drafted highly because they have "measurables" teams like and nothing else-see Jawalrus Russell and his arm.
schultzbrigade says:
In the short term, expand the rosters so you could keep a few guys to develop.
pastabelly says:
None of this should be news. The NFL game has always been more sophisticated than the NCAA game. The only thing different these days is the rush to get rookie quarterbacks on the field rather than have them spend a year with a clip board learning the NFL game. That used to be the rule and not the exception. Great NFL quarterbacks like Rodgers and Brady held clip boards and Peyton Manning took his lumps his rookie year. The mistake is expecting any rookie quarterback to be "ready" for the NFL.
thegreenandcold says:
Isn't this less a drop off relating to the QB position and more a drop off regarding newer rules for defensive players? As long as patty-cake rules are in place, spread offenses are going to grow and grow so fewer and fewer college QBs will be trained decently.
kenchun24 says:
Been posting this for awhile now. Need another NFL Europe for player development (especially QB's) since desperate owners are quick to move on from drafted QB's that don't flash/or win immediately.
v2787 says:
A developmental league is going to be essential if the NFL wants to last. The college feeder system is getting dumbed down, and players have nowhere to learn the basics (not to mention the nuances) of in-depth, strategic football. Simplified college defenses, playground offenses, quarterbacks that haven't been taught how to read a defense–this situation doesn't prepare players for a career in the NFL. Let's hope the NFL wises up and decides to create a developmental league where young players can learn their craft before moving up to play with the big boys.
bigbenh8tr says:
Well there is your answer to why RG3 never had a chance at success besides that 7 game stretch that was similar to the Dolphins wild-cat season.
Someone pointed that out yesterday and I thought it was perfect, but Petty just confirmed it.
harrisonhits2 says:
"It's on us to adapt, I don't think any of us want this thing to crash."
Maybe he hasn't noticed that with Roger Goodell at the controls the NFL "plane" is in a nose dive at 500 mph and at 2000 feet.
Unless the league dumps Goodell and his former Jets cronies the NFL is going to have an epic crash in the near future.
nflpoker says:
A Developmental League will never happen. Colleges are only concerned about their piece of the football world. They are not thinking what the Pros need or want. Colleges are concerned about winning and money, and if that is accomplished by using the "spread", that's what they'll do.
Teaching a "spread" QB like RGIII or Manziel, etc. the Pro-style will be extremely tough. All the NFL DCs need is some film of these QBs and that QB will become toast along with the read option they use.
tonebones says:
I'm a draftnik and I love it just the way it is. It rewards good scouting and good coaches. Punishes bad organizations and lazy coaches. I also think a developmental league would be great, and not just for QBs. There are a lot of busts at every position. Still, that won't change anything. Teams with good scouting operations have always and will always dominate, regardless of the system. Bad scouts will always look for a scapegoat. There were bust QBs long before spread offenses came along. Many busts played in pro style college systems. Give me a break. The biggest problem I see today is scouts are wasting too much time measuring hand sizes, arm length, 40 yard dash, etc. Then they ignore the game tape. You can only measure intelligence, heart, and character by watching the tape. You can't see it at practice or at workouts. Scouting fundamentals are flawed. Scouting is much more of an exact science than it is a crap shoot. They're just looking at the wrong stuff. It's like judging a writer by how fast he can type, instead of reading his book.
pillowporkers says:
Teddy Bridgewater seemed ready.
brady2gronktd says:
Typical NFL coaches over thinking things! As Bill said "Players win games, coaches lose them" Adapt or die, how about not copy whoever is successful that year and implement a different offense…Thats why they get the big bucks/
purplepackerhater says:
Simple solution: Expand the practice squad from 10 to say 30. Have the practice squads play exhibition games against each other in second tier markets to bring in added revenue and expand the brand. Players not good enough for rosters get to play, fans get to watch ALMOST nfl quality play, those needing more time to develop will have it and NFL teams will have some level of protection from having those players taken by other teams.
udub says:
This story highlights exactly what is wrong with the NFL, total stubbornness from the good ol boy network.
If college football is handing you high quality square pegs, don't try to fit them in a round holes. This is football now on every level except the NFL, so they have to deal with it
intrafinesse says:
The game has become more complex and more pass oriented.
Ask yourself this:
How many GOOD QBs have come up in the last 10 years (since 2006)?
Cutler, Vince Young – are they good? The best of 2006
Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco – competent – but not star quality
Matt Stafford – he's ok, but nothing great
Sam Bradford – hasn't done anything yet, may be good with Chip Kelly if he doesn't get hurt.
Cam Newton – way over arted
Ryan Tannehill – may be ok, call him above average, and may improve
Colin Kaepernick, Nick Foles – eh – we shall see
Andrew Luck – ok he's good and may someday be very good, but he's not there yet
Russel Wilson is good, not great
Too soon to tell for Winston, Mariota, Bortles, Carr
So in 10 years there are 5 above average QBs and 1 very good QB.
At that rate, what will the league be in another 5 years when both Mannings, Brady, Brees, Rothlisberger, Rivers are gone and Aaron Rodgers is getting old?
Teams need to address this now, otherwise someone "as good as" Alex Smith will be a top 10 QB.
Creating a developmental league is the equivalent of going off the gold standard.
cwdonald314 says:
Over time there certainly have been huge disparities between the College and Pro game. The part that worries me the most is not that they are not being taught fundamentals in college but that training camp has been watered down so much that they do not get to learn there. That is where there is a huge opportunity to learn. But these overpaid prima donna's are not protected by a collective bargaining agreement that counts the number of times they can put on their tutu and play football. Change training camp back to closer what it used to be and you will see better qb play and better tackling, regardless of what the colleges do.
scoochpooch says:
Colleges are concerned with winning games which ever way possible. Today, the smart money is on HUNH. But that will not prepare you for the NFL. Look at the 20 year history of the Big 12 and how terrible their QBs have turned out. VYoung and Tannehill are their best ever, yikes! The point about Urban Meyer is true too. The guy is going to win all the time but very few of his players on O have any chance of making it in pros. Thats why I have no idea why anyone expects big thing from CJones, Miller, etc in the NFL.
pocketsstraight says:
Or the teams could, you-know, groom quarterbacks like the used to and not play rookie QBs.
vavikingfan says:
When the NFL pays college coaches, then they can dictate to them. College coaches are under pressure to win games.
thetooloftools says:
What about the QB's That never had a playbook in college?
So the NFL feels so entitled to use college as it's "minor league" training system that it admits something like this?
Create your own damn D League owners.
It's not like you don't have the $$$$$.
iamkillerfin says:
Feed 'em to the wolves right out of the gate!!! You can't judge a rookie QB with him sitting the bench behind a mediocre veteran!!!
liquidmuse says:
Meanwhile Tebow assembles a winning record on a losing team, a decent passer rating and a definitive playoff victory, and they don't let him play
realfootballfan says:
Oh, they just noticed, lol? They'd better be glad Harbaugh went back because there are only a handful of places that even bother to train them. With college coaches looking out for #1, the NFL might finally look at the informal agreement they have to get their free talent from college since the QB drives their league, and they're hardly getting any anymore. Christian Hackenburg and Connor Cook are seriously at the top of the list this year. Like whoa. That's not a good thing.
wtfru2 says:
They're college kids for god sakes! Let em have some fun before they get into the cheating millionaire rat race.
pftwd3 says:
I have a hard time believing any college football QB can't tell the difference between cover-2 and cover-3.
peytonwantsaflag says:
Read defenses? Heck most of the new quarterbacks have never even played defense. Specialization brought on by parents and coaches is ruining all sports .
cglacius says:
I think this whole read-option, spread offense being gimmicky is baloney…….The 49rs have been to (2) NFC championships and (1) superbowl…The seahawks have done the same and appeared in the last (2) superbowls winning (1)…..This is all an effort to debase the value of a mobile QB, which will leave a lot of QBs(immobile ones) and OC's who can only run pro-style offenses out of work. It is called evolution of a sport……Again, if it is so crappy, then how do you explain the success of the 49rs, Seahawks etc… and don't think it was all the defense because the same can be said for a lot of teams especially the ones who run a "prostyle offense"………..
guachosporlife says:
One more reason I don't like college football. I can't stand the game at that level.
stanimalhouse says:
Either adjust your offense to their strengths or freaking develop them you bums.
Probably the latter.. The RG3 and Kap experiments worked until defenses caught on.
Rodgers, Romo, Eli all sat a year or so. Ryan's QBR started going up after his first 2 years. Flacco won a super bowl after a few years.
Brady and Manning are two of the greatest ever playing at the same time. You cant expect guys like them to fall off trees.
truths4all says:
Easy solution – have the NFL form and PAY FOR a developmental league.
Oh, there was one called NFL Europe, but the greedy and short-sighted NFL owners shut that down because they were not making obscene profits off of it.
Screw the NFL for complaining about the QBs coming out of college. The college football game DOES NOT exist at the pleasure of the NFL so quit your gripping, bellyaching, and crying.
If the NFL does not like the QBs coming out of college, DON'T DRAFT AND DON'T sign them,!!!
Hey NFL, if the new QBs coming out of college don't work for you, then keep the old ones around by taking better care of them and paying them more money.
steelerben says:
Expanding the roster from 53 to 60 players and the practice squad up to 15 would be much cheaper than establishing a developmental league. It would give you the opportunity to let draft picks stay on the bench until they have developed to the point that they are ready to play. Shifting quarterbacks from first round projects to third or fourth round projects, with a slotted salary to match means that you'd be able to draft someone like a Robert Griffin, let him learn the position without all the fan fare and savior nonsense, and take advantage of the natural athleticism.
A developmental league might be fun, but how many of you actually ever watched the World League?
toldlikeitis says:
The rules don't need to change at all. Offensive rules have been adjusted enough over the past decade. The spread option is an easy offensive scheme – there are teams that run pro style offenses in college and put up really good numbers and get their qbs prepared for the NFL. The problem is the media slobbers all over these spread qbs and everyone jumps on board the hype train – low iq fans, moronic gms, scouts and all the supposed amateur draft "experts".
College football and the NFL are different and that is a good thing. The smart franchises in the NFL should hire competent qb coaches to train their qbs and school them on what needs to be done. They also need to not rush qbs onto the field until they are ready. The problem is the media and low iq fans want instant gratification rather than have the team do the smart thing. It all depends on the player but guys like Luck are the exception not the rule. The smart NFL teams look for qbs that run pro style offenses in college or exhibit the ability to learn quickly and process and digest new information as well as show a willing work ethic to get better.
On the other hand their are those whining about this because they want to dumb it down and make the position easier to play giving even a bigger advantage to the offens than they already have.
kerzondax says:
Would love to see some of the "men" here who bitch about "patty cake" rules would pick ANY point in their prime and take just one hit … one hit from a modern NFL player (hell, even the kickers) and see if they live.
Bunch of paper tigers here.
laces out says:
Qbs like Andrew Luck aren't in every year's draft and qbs like Aaron Rodgers rarely hit free agency. The ability for a qb prospect to properly develop is more than necessary.
tangysizzl says:
The Packers seemed to find a pretty good looking rookie QB in the 5th round this year. Hundley wasnt supposed to be ready but turned in one of the best preseasons for a rookie in a while. 7 Tds 1 Int and 124 QB rating 69 percent completions.
Guess maybe teams should devote time to teaching these kids, changing things in their game if they have to.
Silver and Black attack says:
Thank you..all you have to do is spend a Saturday watching college football and the VERY first thing that jumps out at you is the QB play is awful…and I mean awful. Major college programs have QB's that can barely complete passes. It's hard to watch quite frankly. I don't watch near as many college football games as I used too for that reason.
rdforty2 says:
A developmental league would be a great idea. Many guys head to Canada or Arena leagues to continue playing. Those are more high scoring, entertainment leagues. Why not have a league with NFL rules? It's not just QB's. That could use extra development. Every position can use it. You see guys that have kicked around practice squads for years or made rosters from the CFL, make an impact in the league. Putting them in a league with NFL rules and fields, and you may see a lot more kids develop. Some guys don't get the reps in college at big schools or the exposure and good.coaching at smaller schools. Some guys are late bloomers. Some really gifted players are not developed. It would be a great thing to have a developmental league. If the NBA can do it with competition from real overseas leagues, the NFL can do it.
pancaketaco says:
Have some type of red shirt system for QB's…can RS for up to 3 years. Don't count as a roster spot. Only 50% of contract counts against the cap.
bstngrdn says:
One problem is that teams draft these quarterbacks, pay them big money, but can only sign them to a 4 0r 5 year contract. That means they can't afford to have them sit on the bench or hold a clipboard for 3 years and are under pressure to play them earlier than they otherwise would.
squackduckhawk says:
Mariota comes from one of those "Gimmick" offenses, and Winston comes from one of those pro-style offenses… So did JaMarcus Russell for that matter. I think the biggest difference between now and the good old days is that not many stay in college for 4 years. The same can be said for basketball. It diminishes the game at both levels. I don't blame the players for wanting to get paid. I also believe that common sense is becoming increasingly uncommon, and accountability is completely dead. . But like an above poster stated, this league has done it to themselves so they can deal with the consequences.
turfczar57 says:
A developmental league sounds okay on the surface, but beyond developing a QB, who's on the field? Does anyone really want to watch a 12 game season made up of hundreds of guys nobody wanted to watch in preseason? Not to mention if the NFL sponsors it, what's their injury liability? Concussions, ALC tears etc. for guys not worth the million dollar contracts they receive in the NFL.
raideralex99 says:
Easy solution … STOP drafting QBs in the first 3 rounds.
Also the scouts need a new system in drafting a QB … I would suggest first check to see if the QB actually has a brain.
eagleslakers says:
Teams have so many specialized sub-package players that many sacrifice the 3rd QB, traditionally a developmental player, for another player. Often one who can contribute on STs. Some teams don't even use one of their PS spots on a 3rd QB. The NFL should consider increasing the roster size by 1 or 2 players but designating that one of them has to be a 3rd QB.
ravenbiker says:
If the college program does not turn out players with the correct skills needed for the NFL, then don't draft players from there. I imagine if they publicized a list of college programs they consider subpar for developing players into good NFL prospects and then did not draft from those schools, a) the schools would lose prospective players 'Why would I come to your school if I know I have no chance of getting into the NFL due to your system?' or b) the schools would change their programs to make them more NFL prospect friendly.
stexan says:
Colleges have no real need to develop players for the NFL at any position, let alone QB. As others have noted, they're interested in winning for the alumni ( that's where the big money comes from), student body, and players. And that means winning NOW, even if that means making the game easier for young players.
Big time college programs have the biggest stadiums by far – a number are twice the size of NFL stadiums (and they don't ask for tax money to build them). They sell them out every single game. Several teams have their own local networks. Their rivalries are far more intense than NFL rivalries. In short, the NFL needs the NCAA badly, while NCAA doesn't need the NFL at all.
Look at it this way: Johnny Manziel played 2 years at A&M. Because of the excitement his play generated Alums are paying for a $450 million dollar renovation of Kyle Field, which now seats over 100,000 people. Do you think a red cent of that money comes because of what he's done in the NFL?
Also, the stuff in there about Baylor is what I have been saying about Griffin since his rookie year when he was all the rage and Shanahan basically just admitted yesterday that he never planned to do the work of teaching him from scratch what he didn't know coming out of college, as he apparently thought he could run the read option indefinitely (of course, he knows better, but he's got to keep lying to people that none of that was his fault to why he has failed since). The Baylor spread is extremely remedial, even more than the rest of them, and the rest of them don't do much in terms of preparing QBs for the league.
Also, for the people saying just go to more of this in the pros, either these are people who have never played football or seriously don't know the differences between college and pro ball. The hashes are wider in college and the players don't all run between 4.4 and 4.7 in the front 7 on defense. Nor do DCs get all day and night with players who are trying to cash real 5 to 6 figure paychecks and not the stuff boosters give them to break down a player's weaknesses and drill it into their players to stop it.
Just watch this weekend because it happens every year, even the bad teams will hang with the good ones and maybe even upset a couple of them as a result of teams game planning for 6 months for this. Until injuries set in and the bad bottoms of rosters and lack of good QB play to cover it up are revealed, the margins in the NFL are very thin and anyone trying to run that simple spread stuff would get exposed quickly as soon as they got a book on it.
This IMO would go a long way towards a solution. As it currently stands, you're basically either a 1st or 2nd round pick who gets put on the 53 your rookie year by default – whether you're ready or not – or you're a lower-round guy or UDFA who sits on the practice squad where your primary duty is to run the other team's offense (instead of getting reps in your own). It's also increasingly harder to carry more than 2 QBs on your 53 knowing there is virtually zero chance he'll play and that he contributes nothing to special teams unless he's the holder. That extra WR, H-Back or DB has a lot more value on the roster than a QB3. Something like what was proposed above makes all kinds of sense… which means it will never happen.
letherton says:
Modern day college coaches are paid millions to win games not develop players. Let's see if Meyer will get Jones ready !
Mr. Craig says:
OLD set in their way mentalities failing to see the evolution of the game and not wanting to see changes. Maybe the past is not the way of future offences. maybe colleges have found new ways to win and the old school myopic guard of the NFL is not ready or willing to change?
scoocha says:
@kerzon
I think you're missing the point. When a fan complains about Patty cake it is in a relative sense amongst peers, NFL to NFL. These guys aren't wusses compared to us but they are compared to guys 10, 20, 30 years ago. They get softer each decade. Watch how many times Brees and Brady complain about borderline nothing hits. Bradshaw and company would have sloughed them off.
drunkwino says:
The NFL needs to accept that the NCAA is not their private development league. If an industry wants colleges to add things to the curriculum to help make better qualified employees, they help develop and slip in some cash to help the college implement it. The NFL either needs to start their own (laughable considering most of these billionaire welfare babies are allergic to spending their own money,) or start footing some of the bill for college programs
cardiaccatsbackin2013 says:
I spoke to former Bills GM Buddy Nix back in March because he was at a fundraiser dinner in his hometown of Talladega, Alabama. He mentioned this was a concern and there are talks about an eventual developmental league. I think the bottom 47 from each team signed during the offseason should play a six-game exhibition schedule against the bottom 47 of their division opponents in sites close to their city of origin, but the CBA prevents that from being a reality.
But if that scenario was possible, that would fill the May-June window and give younger coaches a chance to cut their teeth, so to speak.
reyoung54 says:
If that's their concern, then there's no concern. I think that QB class of 2014 is one of the best I've ever seen. Bortles, Bridgewater, Carr, and Murray all came from so-called pro-style offenses. This years crop of Winston, Mariota, and Grayson are going to be OK because Mariota will adapt and the other two came from so-called pro-styled offenses. And don't forget Luck from 2012.
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