Cosell’s Take: Running quarterbacks are great, but throwing from the pocket is still
 

I found this a compelling article by Greg Cosell. It is about the new wave of mobile QBs who are thriving running the read option, but he makes it crystal clear they only thrive due to their arms, not their legs. There have been prior attempts that failed because the runners had poor passing ability. Tim Tebow is the poster child for this.

Their THREAT of running is what makes them so dangerous, but it is their accurate passing and generally superior traditional quarterbacking skills that makes their threat of running a means to an end. Their threat of running enhances their odds passing, and without being great passers, their threat of running could not be taken seriously.

Very good article.

Please see article below at link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...7022--nfl.html

Get back to me when one wins the SB.

Running qb's sell jerseys and tickets.
Pocket passers win rings.

Steve Young says hi.

Running QBs are a phase the league seems to go through periodically, but the reality is that for what these guys get paid, franchises can't afford to let them get hit as much as they do when they run. Particularly now in what will probably be known as the concussion era (I think we may be seeing the beginning of long-term changes to the game right now - it may be a completely different sport in 20 years, particularly as young kids are gravitated away from the game due to parental concerns). And the gimmick offense flavor the of the month (currently the read-option as we all know) eventually gets solved by the defensive minds in the NFL. In the end it will always come back to who executes the best in the pocket.

Don't forget casts and neck braces.

Unless the NFL becomes two hand touch the only reason your QB should be running is because someone's chasing him....

Hell if I were a coach I'd say during the regular season you can run all you want....but every time you get hit running you lose 25K of your salary.

Steve Young never ran the read option. He was always a passer first that had the ability to run when forced from the pocket. Russell Wilson is the closest of any of these young QBs to Steve Young.

Just a matter of time "this season" that the defense' start stopping this read/option.

Exactly

You got an RG3 jersey and Skins season tickets? lmao

That speed and evasiveness can make such a difference.. particularly to the young and developing QBs. They scramble.. coverage breaks down.. so they don't have to be as adept at reading defenses. So long as they work hard and not just lean on that advantage, these new kids should continue to be good.. maybe great.

Got to stay healthy though. All it takes is that one nasty hit on an improvised play or sudden and unplanned change of direction.

Pretty much
the read option can be good for young athletic qbs who are still developing as a passer, but you cannot build long term success on those sorts of things

Eventually the league catches up

Steve Young ran for less than 300 yards the year he won the Super Bowl and ran 3.6 times per game (18 ypg). In the three years leading up to that, he averaged 38, 34, and 25 ypg.

He won when he cut down the running and had his best passing year completing 70% of his passes for 4000 yards, 35 TDs and only 10 INTs.

Whatever Alex Smith is is what wins superbowls

Yeah...no shit. Too many brain cells have been lost to booze around here.