Grading QB prospects

[McCoy93]

Since some of us on here want Tampa too look at a QB in the draft. What values or traits do you guys look for when judging the QB? Example here is Bill parcells criteria when looking at a QB

1. Must be a senior.
2. Must have started for 3 years, including his senior season.
3. Must have won 23 games in college
4. Decent tangibles, like height and arm strength.

[dalbuc]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

[yuccaneers]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I would take it a few steps further - decision making, accuracy, anticipation, and pocket awareness. I hope that when you mention decision making that it encompasses ones ability to read defenses?

[dalbuc]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I would take it a few steps further - decision making, accuracy, anticipation, and pocket awareness. I hope that when you mention decision making that it encompasses ones ability to read defenses?

Decision making is knowing where to throw and when to throw.  Really all the mental aspects.

[Feel Real Good]

Definitely how to react under pressure. Lots of quarterbacks can make good throws when their first option is open. But what happens when you have to evade a pass rusher and hit your third option?

[dexmonkey]

Since some of us on here want Tampa too look at a QB in the draft. What values or traits do you guys look for when judging the QB? Example here is Bill parcells criteria when looking at a QB

1. Must be a senior.
2. Must have started for 3 years, including his senior season.
3. Must have won 23 games in college
4. Decent tangibles, like height and arm strength.

thats a good start but definately not everything. heres what i would add

1. level of competition. a guy like Colt Brennan from Hawaii threw for a million yards and won a ton of games but played nobody in the WAC and got wrecked when they met UGA in the Sugar bowl a few years ago. i want to see a QB face good defenses and see how he does. i want to see him take on good DBs, deal with good blitzing and covering LBs and dangerous DL. doesnt have to face all at 1 time but at some point.

2. anticipation and decision making. QBs need to make better decisions than they need cannons for arms. i dont care if a qb can throw it a mile if hes throwing it 60 yards and getting picked. sometimes a checkdown is a good decision. sometimes switching to a shorter read and just getting 12 yards is better than the homerun.

3. Leadership and good upbring. i want a guy who is a leader and can get 11 plyers all on the same page. i also want a quarterback that isnt a thug and doesnt do drugs etc and makes good decisions in his personal life. i want to know that the leader of my team isnt getting himself into bad situations on and off the field

[BucNY]

I've been on Ryan Nassib all year. His value will rise pretty quickly, IMO, but a very good looking prospect.

Pros:
1. Very good arm strength
2. Very good accuracy
3. Good decision maker
4. 3 year starter with good experience
5. Ran a pass heavy pro style offense, Doug Marrone his HC, is bringing this same offense to Buffalo
6. Throws a very catchable ball.
7. Good leadership
8. Won a lot of shootouts with a defense that was inconsistent

Cons:

1. Not great size
2. Production could be skewed from the offensive system he was running in. Pass heavy, but a very fast paced offense that often caught defense not completely ready.

I think he's the best pure passer in the draft. In generally he didn't have great protection but was still able to identify and hit the hot route.

[Feel Real Good]

1. level of competition. a guy like Colt Brennan from Hawaii threw for a million yards and won a ton of games but played nobody in the WAC and got wrecked when they met UGA in the Sugar bowl a few years ago. i want to see a QB face good defenses and see how he does. i want to see him take on good DBs, deal with good blitzing and covering LBs and dangerous DL. doesnt have to face all at 1 time but at some point.

Sometimes there's nothing a QB on an undermanned team can do. Ben Roethlisberger carved up MAC defenses but in 2003 his Miami of Ohio teamed played at Iowa and they got murdered 21-3 with Ben throwing 4 INT's.

[McCoy93]

A couple of years ago one of the things i use to look at was the type of offense a QB ran. I was weary about spread option QB's. Now not soo much since the game has evolved and coaches are making adjustments to build around the strengths of the QB

[moose40]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I apologize for derailing the thread, but where was this type of qb grading measurements when Rah drafted Freeman?

[BucNY]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I apologize for derailing the thread, but where was this type of qb grading measurements when Rah drafted Freeman?

Arm strength matters, not as much as people say, but it does matter. I'd say it's #3 on the list behind those other two. Do you need to account for size, but just in the sense of durability. RGIII has missed more games in his first year than Freeman has in 4 years. It's clear that his health issues made a direct impact on his teams outcome against Seattle.

[Feel Real Good]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I apologize for derailing the thread, but where was this type of qb grading measurements when Rah drafted Freeman?

Where was there a QB available with decision making and accuracy when Rah drafted Freeman? You can't just pull Peyton Manning out of a hat.

[spurzo]

Arm strength matters, not as much as people say, but it does matter. I'd say it's #3 on the list behind those other two. Do you need to account for size, but just in the sense of durability. RGIII has missed more games in his first year than Freeman has in 4 years. It's clear that his health issues made a direct impact on his teams outcome against Seattle.

Agreed, there's a reason that every qb taken in the first round has a strong arm, it does matter, it allows you to open up the field.  Combining accuracy, anticipation and arm strength that's the dream.  I'd like to throw in footwork to mix, this is what I think is Freeman's biggest problem is.  He has lazy footwork and relies too much on his natural throwing ability. 

I don't really want to waste a draft pick on a qb but I'd say that bringing in an older qb to mentor like Hasselbeck would be a smart move

[Booker Reese]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I apologize for derailing the thread, but where was this type of qb grading measurements when Rah drafted Freeman?

Arm strength matters, not as much as people say, but it does matter. I'd say it's #3 on the list behind those other two. Do you need to account for size, but just in the sense of durability. RGIII has missed more games in his first year than Freeman has in 4 years. It's clear that his health issues made a direct impact on his teams outcome against Seattle.

I agree with the first part - There's a minimum arm-strength level that must be met. That's what Colt Brennan's problem was, not so much level of competition - there were certain NFL throws he couldn't make.

[moose40]

I really only care in the end about 2 things: decision making and accuracy. You really can't teach either and nothing else matters in terms of athletic measurables if you can't put the ball where you want it and don't know where to throw it to start.

I apologize for derailing the thread, but where was this type of qb grading measurements when Rah drafted Freeman?

Where was there a QB available with decision making and accuracy when Rah drafted Freeman? You can't just pull Peyton Manning out of a hat.

I honestly don't know if this info is right, but looking at the 2009 Free Agents, and I don't remember if guys were truly available, but Scouts.com lists Kurt Warner and Bret Favre as UFA's, both were "seasoned"