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Graham Harrell Not Drafted?

I am extremely dissapointed that Graham Harrell did not get drafted.  Not only am I dissapointed, but I'm shocked

Personally, I think Graham Harrell will have a better NFL career than Matthew Stafford.  While many scouts are wooed by Sfafford's arm strength, they forget what it really takes to be a great QB in the NFL. 

 

To me, Stafford just seems like another JP Losman.  Both QB's are always looking for the big play.  Because of this, they miss many good opportunities to gain yardage, manage the game, and not throw interceptions.

 

Graham Harrell is a student of the game.  He is noted for spending countless hours in the film room to know the in and outs of Mike Leache's system.  Also, because Harrell has not been blessed with the strongest arm, he has learned to go through his progressions as designed by the offense instead of trying to make a play himself.

 

One of the big knocks on Harrell is that he is too skinny.  He's 6'2'' 223 LBS.  Is that really that small?  Didn't everyone say Tom Brady was small when he came out of college and that he didn't have a strong enough arm.  Weight and arm strength are two things Harrell can develop over a couple of years in the NFL.

 

The other knock is that he played in a system that inflated his stats.  It doesn't matter people!  Graham Harrell destroyed anyone he played.  Against texas he passed for 474 yards, 2 touchdowns, and completed 67.9 percent of his passes.  Texas had one of the best defenses in the nation.

 

Oh, and despite throwing a leauge most 48.6 passes a game, Harrell only got sacked 1 time a game.  Making him the 8th LEAST sacked QB in college football.

 

When all is said and done, I think Graham Harrell will have a better career than any other QB drafted in the 2009 NFL draft.  The problem with Stafford is he will try to make the big play.  The problem with Sanchez is that he doesn't spend enough time in the film room.  These problems cannot really be corrected.  Harrells problems of weight and arm strength can.  Look for him to develop into a tom brady type of player.

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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Harrell

He signed with N.E.

by Bob on Apr 27, 2009 9:50 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

When did he sign with N.E.??

I just went on their website and his name was not one of their draft picks.

by The Wagon on Apr 27, 2009 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

i thought he went with cleveland

either way who cares, he was in a system that was all about the short dump off pass. theres a reason scouts didnt like him, hes a danny weurfful, or however you spell it. he wont last

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Apr 27, 2009 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Why

are you taking it personally that a guy didn’t get drafted? Graham Harrell is a lot like Colt Brennan: they played in wide open systems that don’t translate well to the NFL game. Why would you take a guy who’s never taken a snap under center? Then you’d have to develop his footwork from scratch not-to-mention he has a weak arm. Where’s the upside? Tim Tebow might be the exception to this “system” rule next season because he’s probably the best team leader any sport has ever seen, he’s got the size, athleticism, arm, potential, and he plays in the toughest conference. If you think Graham Harrell has those things then I’m glad you’re not evaluating talent for the Buffalo Bills… but I’d be stoked if you got a gig with the Pats.

"I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I would die for your right to say it."

by ForeignArrow on Apr 27, 2009 11:22 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Your arguement is weak to say the least…….. first off you mentioned he never took snaps under center, but he did. They did not entirely run there offense from the shotgun all the time. He did take snaps directly from under center. A weak arm? I just watched a video and his arm strength looked fine. In the video, it shows him making and completing alot of passes downfield 30 and 40 yards in the air. Just because he can’t wing it 80 yards or more in the air doesn’t mean he can’t make all the throws. I mean, how many times do you see really long passes completed that travel 60 or more yards in the air in one season? 10 maybe for the entire season? Harrell can scramble out of the pocket and make throws on the run also, so i think he is plenty athletic enough. And below this comment was mentioned about NFL defenses, well, no college quarterback has seen that when they are drafted from college so that makes that irrelivent. I think with the right coaching, and film study he could do the job as well as those that had the same knocks on them………… Joe Montana and Brady just to name a couple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JMUs5_abxo

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

When I talk about a below average arm, I’m not speaking specifically about a player’s ability to throw a deep ball. They regularly go hand in hand, but I think arm strength is how long it takes for the ball to travel from point A to point B. If your throwing a 15 yard comeback route and have better armstrength than a different QB, you can wait a split second longer to throw the ball which gives you more time to predict where the WR will be and how open he will be when he gets there. Despite what some people now think, arm strength is still as important of a quality as any other. Brady had a better arm coming out of Michigan than Harrell ever will.

Harrell does have the tools to overcome that arm strength though. Those tools being a quick release and potentially top of the chart anticipation. It’s not that he is a bad prospect, I just can’t believe that Buffaloboy would make as crazy of a prediction as saying that Harrell will be a better pro QB than Stafford.

And the reason that Harrell hasn’t seen NFL type defenses has more to do with Tech’s offense than it does the opponents defense. When you are in the shotgun as often as they are and when you run so many bubble screens and other gimmicky routes and use so many WRs, the college defenses are going to play entirely different from the classic 4-3 or 3-4 setup that he will play against at the next level.

by kaisertown on Apr 28, 2009 2:00 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yea, I’m not sure if i would do out on a limb and say that Harrell would be a better pro the Stafford, but he might prove to be right. I still remember when Kiper was saying Leaf was going to be better then Manning. Not the same scenerio, but proves never say never.

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

My argument is weak (right?).......

but Harrell still went undrafted.

Yes, he has average arm strength at best. And because he took maybe 10% of snaps (that’s generous) from under center doesn’t really absolve him, either. And people say that Brady and Montana don’t have strong arms, but if you watch those guys play they absolutley have strong arms. There’s a reason Chase Daniel, Colt Brennan, and Graham Harrell didn’t get drafted: the system QB stigma. These players typically don’t make it in the NFL, so teams would rather not risk it and try to sign them after the draft.

"I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I would die for your right to say it."

by ForeignArrow on Apr 28, 2009 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

but I’d be stoked if you got a gig with the Pats.

The first comment was that he signed with the Pats.

He signed with N.E.

I guess Bill Belechick has no idea what he doing either…

by buffaloboy90 on Apr 28, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

LOL, good point

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

hes not with NE!

hes with cleveland!

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Apr 28, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Is he really? I’m not sure where to even find that info out. I tried looking on yahoo last night, but under NFL transactions, there were only trades and cuts being posted. Are the Brownies going to run a west coast type offense now? I’m not sure if they are since im not a browns fan, but if they do, would be a good fit for him i think. I wish Harrell alot of luck, i hope he can make it where ever he goes.

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Harrell will have to completely learn the mechanics of playing quarterback. He didn’t play under center so he will have to learn his drops. He held the ball down around his waist which won’t work at the next level. Due to the offense that they ran, he hasn’t had to read anything that even remotely resembles an NFL defense. Most teams probably wanted to tweak his throwing motion. That same motion leads to him not throwing tight spirals and a lot of places I read didn’t actually think he was all that accurate in college (or at least he didn’t show an ability to throw into a window).

I’ll bet that Stafford attempts more passes this season than Harrell does in his career. And Stafford might not even attempt 100 passes this year.

by kaisertown on Apr 27, 2009 11:23 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

It’d take a lot for Harrell to even throw one pass in the NFL

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Apr 28, 2009 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I have to go with Kurupt

apparently we think alike. Harrell never took enough snaps under center to even compare to stafford or Sanchez. You said that Sanchez’s weakness was that he didnt study enough film? how do you know this? and how could this not be corrected by watching more film. you are argueing that a system made quarterback who played out of the shotgun his whole carrear is better then an sec raised qb who ran a pro style offense and played for the sec title game and a kid who lead USC to The rose bowl? Can you name Sanchez and Stafford’s best reciever without looking them up? I can Name one you one reason that Harrell looked good….Micheal Crabtree!

Wearing this Jumpsuit, my new Nikes and drinking the Bill's flavoured Kool-Aid pretty much all my life.

by Stabby Mcshank on Apr 28, 2009 1:09 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Speaking of Crabtree, my brother the Raiders fan, has still refused to answer his phone since passing on Crabtree.

by NolaBillsFan on Apr 28, 2009 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

LOL, do you blame him?

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

No, but the insulting messages aren’t the same as doing it directly to him.

by NolaBillsFan on Apr 28, 2009 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

LOL, i hear ya

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I caught my share of grief down here when the Bills kept passing on Brown then picked a corner to convert to safety just before the panthers traded up to get Brown with the next pick.

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 28, 2009 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Can you name Sanchez and Stafford’s best reciever without looking them up? I can Name one you one reason that Harrell looked good….Micheal Crabtree!

This argument is laughable. USC and Georgia have some of the most talented if not THE most talented players in college football. The talent on USC and Georgia is far better than the talent on Texas Tech.

by buffaloboy90 on Apr 28, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

uga's line wasnt even close to being the best in the NCAA

and uga had one maybe two wr’s. massaquoi and aj green a freshman. stafford did have the amazing moreno though. i dont know harrell was and over-rated qb in an over-rated system. bubble screens and 5 wide-out sets arent gonna get you prepared for the nfl. ill go as far to say tim tebow will throw more nfl passes than harrell.

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Apr 28, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Wasn’t Green the top freshman WR in the country? Him and the kid at Alabama?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Apr 28, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Two words

Kliff Kingsbury

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Apr 28, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Did any of the wide receievers that Sanchez or Stafford go in the first round?
Sounds like a legitamite point to me.

The talent on USC and Georgia is far better than the talent on Texas Tech.

If you believe this statement wouldnt that make S and S more talented then Harrell?
Then it would stand to reason that Sanchez and Satfford would go ahead of Harrell.

Wearing this Jumpsuit, my new Nikes and drinking the Bill's flavoured Kool-Aid pretty much all my life.

by Stabby Mcshank on Apr 28, 2009 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I just think to be a successful QB in today’s game, you have to be patient, a leader, hardworking (film room), quick to read defenses, high td to int ratio, and not take a lot of sacks.

If you asked me, before all of the mock draft player ratings, which QB fit that criteria the best. I would 100% say Graham Harrell. I base this off of non biased reports from nfldraftscout.com and statistics from cfbstats.com.

by buffaloboy90 on Apr 28, 2009 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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