FanPost

The Two Attributes Scouts Should Find a Way To Measure

Look, no one knows the future. OK, maybe Nostrodamus did, but he's an outlier.

And let's not waste time an energy on other obvious reasons why prospects fail:

  • Injuries (see: KiJana Carter, Steve Emtman, etc.)
  • Drafted by lousy team (see: David Carr, etc.)
  • Drafted by lousy coach (see: Goff w/ Fisher vs. Goff w/ McVay, etc.)
  • Because the prospect is Mark Sanchez and does a Hilary Rhoda photo shoot be4 taking a pro snap (to be clear - the appeal of HR, notwithstanding)
  • Off-field woes
  • and so on.
When scouts evaluate QBs, they always look at accuracy, arm strength, size, toughness, maturity and so on. And they'll look at metrics and be able to tell you how the player performs throwing to each of 9 areas on the field (L-M-R x short-middle-long). All of this is interesting; all of this info is valuable.

But here's the thing I want to know: Does my QB process information during a play like an old Apple IIe 386 computer (blazing fast... in 1989) or does he have a high-speed processor?

Rob Johnson checked every box. So did J.P. Losman. Frankly, even EJ Manuel checked most of the boxes. But none of them had game feel. None of them make quick decisions. None of them could adjust on the fly, deliver the ball quickly, and accurately.

You know who could do it? Jim Kelly, sure. But Doug Flutie had it.

Laugh at me if you wish, but Nate Peterman might have it, too. We need a bigger sample size, clearly.

I've defended Tyrod on the BRMB's for a while - but I have to cede, he simply does not process information quickly, and he never gets the ball out on time, or in rhythm. Ron from AZ and Fred Hornell (two men I have never met, but whose posts are simply terrific) have hammered these points all year, and last year, and they win.

This isn't a knock on Tyrod's intelligence - at all.

Rather, it's saying that this skill - the ability to process information quickly and get the ball out fast, to the right place - is a HUGE HUGE HUGE factor in success at the NFL level.

Frankly, it's why Brady is a God and Bledsoe was good, not great, despite obviously larger hype coming out of college.

Now, it is true, that you can be a "play extender" and do damage - Russell Wilson comes to mind. Guys like Big Ben, and even Rodgers, make amazing plays extending them, and being accurate throwing from non-optimal platforms. This is all true.

But for me, if a QB cannot process information quickly, get the ball out and be accurate, his odds of making it in the pros diminish greatly.

I don't care that Josh Allen has a JaMarcus Russell-type arm (an absolute cannon; remember the hype around JaMarcus when he went #1 overall). When I watch him (and I've seen maybe 100 of his snaps, so I could be wrong), he takes forever to process information, and reacts badly to a rush in his face, throws off his back foot constantly (and gets away with it in college, sometimes). It could all come together for him - you see the talent. But he's anything but a sure thing, IMHO.

The guy that jumps for me is Baker Mayfield. He's Drew Brees - on the field, anyway, at a college level. Brees is HOFer, and one of the best ever, so I get it - pump the brakes. But that's the guy he reminds me of when I watch OU.

I don't care if he's 6-0, 6-1 (as listed), whatever - that guy can flat out deal. He's a leader; he was a walk-on - twice; he's accurate; he processes information so quickly; and he is a Type A.

Could he bust? Sure. But I'll roll the dice on that guy. And he might be there between picks 5-15, although QBs always get overdrafted.

For those who say "scouts say Mayfield is a round 2 pick now" - OK, could be, let's wait and see. QBs always climb the charts late - all I know is if Christian Ponder can go 12th, and freaking Cade McNown can go 11th and Blaine Gabbert can go 10th, I'll bet Mayfield goes higher than people believe he will right now.

I'll especially do it given the base offense in the NFL is increasingly 3-wide (similar to a spread), and a trending formation we keep seeing (esp. if you watch Seattle and New England) is "empty."

This is no knock on Rosen and Darnold, who will likely go before Mayfield, and who will probably be very good pros.
I get why people love both prospects; I think both are terrific. I just think people are dismissing Mayfield from that very top conversation - and he should be in it, IMHO.

Last thing - the trait that scouts needs to find a way to measure for all positions, that truly matters in a collision sport, is BALANCE.

Shady isn't a 4.3 guy; he's a 4.5-4.6 guy now, who still jukes everyone, because of his rare vision and balance. LeVeon Bell doesn't have rare speed - he has incredible balance, however. Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas didn't blow anyone's doors off in the 40; but all of them had rare vision and astonishing balance and change of direction. There have been backs as fast as Barry Sanders; few, if any, have ever had his ability to change direction at top speed, and still remain balanced.

Antonio Brown isn't a 4.3 in the 40 WR; but he's the best in the game because of his balance, suddenness and change of direction skills. He's a Lamborghini. Marquise Goodwin would rip Brown in a 40; yet he's not even close to the player Brown is. Straight liners like Johnny Lam Jones never pan out. (C'mon, old timers, I want points for my Johnny Lam Jones reference.)

The same is true among offensive linemen - can they guy stay under control, under his pads, and change direction? Andrew Whitworth and Joe Thomas are great players because they can bend, counter, and stay balanced. Jason Peters is another example. Tyron Smith, too. The latter two are elite athletes, and test off the board; but what all four have is balance (often a result of rare footwork).

The same is true for defensive linemen - spped rush guys who can't counter and make multiple moves (Aaron Maybin, for example) bust; guys like Watt, Bosa, JPP (before he blew off his hand) succeed, because they can make moves with power and balance.

What makes Von Miller and Khalil Mack so utterly ridiculous is their balance and body lean; they can do things at top speed no one else can do. Both are great athletes, but other LBs are rare athletes, too. The burst and balance of these two make them HOFers to be.

In the secondary, I'm going to assume it's obvious how much balance matters (given the constant change of direction required at top speed at corner and safety).

Look, tests like the three-cone drill get at change of direction - and that's good.

But I'm talking about testing specifically for balance -- the ability to perform with power when others are leaning out you, blocking you, hitting you, impeding your way to the objective.

What great NFL player can you name who lacks balance?

They need a better test for balance - because it's a huge tell.

One final example is the great Andre Reed - that guy had incredible balance and savage cuts at top speed. He always played under his pads, under control - and so many wideouts, especially fast ones, just don't - even at the NFL level.

Just my $.02.

#EndofRant


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