Using the spread hurting sams NFL career?

[Crimson Kid]

College offenses could make NFL success harder for QBs



The most absurd rationalization for the Lions passing on quarterbacks Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez in Saturday's NFL draft is that they're better served waiting for next year's higher-rated quarterback draft harvest.



Lost in all the love for reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and Texas' Colt McCoy -- both opting for another year of college football -- is that college quarterbacks operating out of a base spread offense run primarily through the shotgun rarely make a successful transition to the traditional NFL pro-set offense.
Donovan McNabb and Drew Brees are the only current starting NFL quarterbacks who were able to bridge the conversion from college spread to traditional NFL drop-back passer lining up directly behind center.
McNabb was the only one drafted in the first round, and many still rip him as overrated.

You can mark this down as a guarantee. Stafford and Sanchez will have better overall NFL careers than McCoy and Bradford simply because their college-to-pros evolution will be much easier.
The most talented college quarterbacks in subsequent years will be spread-proficient, because that's the changing collegiate environment. One would assume that the NFL would alter its conservative thinking and become more receptive to those skills.
But the NFL invests the most money in the quarterback position, and spread-offense QBs are more likely to get hit. That increases the likelihood of devastating injury, increasing the likelihood of teams never enjoying the competitive benefits of their expensive financial commitment.
A look at recent history also shows that college spread quarterbacks are destined to fail.
Tim Couch worked out of a high-octane spread formation at Kentucky when Cleveland drafted him first overall in 1998.
He failed with the Browns.
Alex Smith perfectly executed Urban Meyer's spread at Utah. San Francisco took him No. 1 overall four years ago.
He has been a disaster.
Vince Young couldn't make the adjustment from exclusively running the shotgun at Texas. Tennessee tabbed him third overall three years ago, and now the Titans are looking to cut their losses and move him.
Michael Vick was an electric player, but he couldn't completely adapt to being a drop-back passer.
And don't forget Drew Stanton. It hasn't helped that he's now working on his third offensive coordinator -- and quarterbacks coach -- in three years. But those who've regularly watched him in practice have frequently employed words such as "lost" and "clueless" when describing his transformation into a traditional NFL pocket passer.
Reasons enough to prove why the Lions shouldn't wait and invest a high draft choice next year on a quarterback who knows nothing but the spread offense.


http://www.freep.com/article/2009041...rder+for +QBs



I think sam can make the adjusment.

[CrimsonJim]

I think sam can make the adjusment.

Agreed! What that writer fails to mention/realize, is that very few college quarterbacks, regardless of the offense they ran in college, actually succeed in the NFL. Sam possesses all the "tools" that will allow him to be successful in the NFL, period.

Stafford and Sanchez may very well have a better NFL career than Kolt, because I don't think PonyBoy translates very well to the NFL (I could be proven wrong, but I don't think so). Sam is a different story however. He has the size, speed, arm strength and most of all, the smarts to succeed at the next level. No one can guarantee anything at this stage of their young careers, but if I were a bettin' man....................

[jumperstop]

if sam was in this years draft there is no doubt that he would be going before stafford or sanchez. yeah some spread qb's may not turn out to be as good as predicted, but how many college "nfl style" qb's have been flops as well. hopefully this guy really isn't trying to say that stafford is acctually better than sam and just playing devil's advocate. i think most nfl people would rather have sam in thier organization.

[goingoneight]

OMFG... that is retarded. Sam runs a pro-set offense from under center and always has from the moment he came to OU.

Are they saying that because we go out of the gun on third and long that Sam can't play in the NFL? We don't run a "spread offense" ala OSU, Tech, Missouri, etc. Watch the film on last year's offense.

[JLEW1818]

Sam Runs the colts offense, kinda..

Sam has NFL potential in like every QB category.

The funny thing is, most people think we are a passing school now. Lot's tend to forget we had 2 running backs who rushed for 1000+ yards each.

[SoonersBIG7]

Well for everything there is the "exception" then there is the "rule"
You can mark this down as a guarantee Sam is the exception

[BoulderSooner79]

QB has to be the toughest position to excel at in the NFL. At any given time, there are 32 starting QBs and I'd guess less than 10 of the fan bases are not clamoring to give the backup QB a try. So most college QBs do not "make the transition" regardless of the offense they ran in college. Sam has the quick read, quick release and uncanny accuracy that the top NFL QBs display. On top of that he has the height and is plenty mobile. No team will balk at taking him early because of the offense he ran in college. If he doesn't become a very successful NFL player, it will be because of those intangibles that limit the number of great QBs to about 10 on the entire planet at a given time.

[Ground_Attack]

we had 2 1,000 yard rushers. Most spreads don't even have one. The idea that we run the "spread" is absurd. Its an extremely efficient offense that tends to utilize many shorter routes, but how is that different from several NFL teams. Didn't the Rams play in 2 super bowls (winning one) in the past 10 years using more of a spread style than we do?

[Harry Beanbag]

Comparing Sam to Vince Young, Michael Vick, and Alex Smith regarding NFL star potential is incredibly idiotic.

[Curly Bill]

We run the spread...:confused:

[SoonerDood]

idiotic at best. The Cardinals didn't run a "Pro-style offense." Neither did the almighty Steelers or even the Patriots the year before.

[My Opinion Matters]

So Jason Whitlock is writing for the Detroit Free Press now?

[OU_Sooners75]

When have we ever ran a spread offense?

Hell, even the Leach offense is not technically a spread offense. It is more of an evolved west coast pass happy offense.

[JLEW1818]

We run a new and improved Sooner offense!

[BornandBred]

The only thing that will keep Sammy from having a solid NFL career could be either injuries or multiple coaches preventing him from truly learning the position. I think he's fully capable mentally, has the build and competitive drive, and is extremely coachable.

C*lt is currently overachieving. He, like Chase Daniel, is a really good quarterback at this level because he can expose holes in the D, not because he makes the play, with his arm that is. As far as his legs go, C*lt won't scramble in the NFL like he does now without having to stop and pick his teeth up a couple times a game. I think the days of the Jeff Garcia-style QB are over.

[sooner94]

Another example of fine internet *journalism*

I guess that guy did not watch any of our games last year.

[badger]

Detroit needs to stick with the gameplan that made them sort-of not suck in years past: Get yourself a Heisman-winning (or shoulda-been Heisman winning) running back from Oklahoma - you know, your Steve Owenses, Billy Simses, or Barry Sanderses.

Yes, this means exactly what you think it means.

It's Detroit's only hope.

The Lions must trade everything they've got for Adrian Peterson.

[CrimsonJim]

Ewwwww, I wouldn't put that death wish on anybody, let alone AD. Shame on you badger. :eek:

[badger]

He would make Detroit relevant again. He would bring hope to a state that desperately needs it... Sooners everywhere would be guaranteed to see him at least once on Thanksgiving... it would be a feel-good story!

More importantly, it would sink the stupid Vikings even further to make way from... um... yeah... you know... I promise my suggestion has absolutely nothing to do with the Packers.

[Pricetag]

Comparing Sam to Vince Young, Michael Vick, and Alex Smith regarding NFL star potential is incredibly idiotic.
Don't forget Tim Couch. He lost me there, listing all those QBs with problems between the ears yet not mentioning that fact.

[CrimsonJim]

Uh huh.......yeah rrrrriiiiiiigghhhtttttt

I was born at night, badger, but it wasn't last night. ;)

[badger]

Ok Jimminy Crimson Cricket, I regress. My true evil intention was to get Minnesota off the radar.

HOWEVER, my suggestion would indeed help the Lions, even if they could not manage to get AD.

They need to find a Heisman-type back to build the team around.

[CrimsonJim]

LOL! JCC is it? I like it! *chirp* *chirp*

And yep, building a team around a solid RB is better than buying up wide receivers w/o a QB to throw them the ball.

[badger]

Come to think of it, Jimminy Crimson is already taken on here, so just stick with CrimsonJim.

Sam saved himself a lot of issues in Detroit by not going to the Neffel this year. Detroit, take all of your draft picks and either trade them for a Heisman type running back (haha, ring any bells, Ditka? Ricky? tee hee) or just get a bunch of RB's and a line for them to run behind.

[cheezyq]

What the author fails to mention is all the QBs that fail regardless of what type of offense they ran in college. Heck, there were 5 in one first round class (Couch, McNabb, Culpepper, Akili Smith, and Cade McNown)...the only "successful" one out of that group came from a spread offense.

QBs pass or fail in the NFL because they don't have the smarts AND the physical skills to make it, not because they played in a certain type of offense in college.

1st round Pro college QBs that failed/suck since 1990:
Matt Leinart
Byron Leftwich
Kyle Boller
David Carr
Patrick Ramsey
Akili Smith
Cade McNown
Ryan Leaf
Jim Druckenmiller
Kerry Collins
Heath Shuler
Trent Dilfer (marginal - sucked as QB, but still won SB)
Rick Mirer
David Klingler
Tommy Maddux
Dan McGwire
Todd Marinovich
Jeff George

1st round Spread college QBs that failed/suck since 1990:
Vince Young
Alex Smith
JP Losman
Rex Grossman
Joey Harrington
Tim Couch
Andre Ware

Meanwhile, guys like McNabb, Roethlisberger, McNair, and Culpepper have all had a measure of success as previous spread QBs. Again, it's all about talent and football intelligence that determines success at the NFL level. A guy needs to have a strong arm, be able to make good pre-snap reads, and make quick decisions to be successful. Sam will be just fine, as long as he strengthens his arm and quickens his delivery. He has everything else to make him an elite QB.

[ouleaf]

The truth of the matter is you never really know how a QB is going to do in the NFL until he gets out there on the field and is faced with real pressure. I hope that Sam is capable of rising above that pressure and has a long, successful career as an NFL QB. But you still never know for sure.