Quote:
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins
This is where you'll find a bit of a divergence between Mecca and I in draft theory.
He's more of a workouts guy, and while I emphasize those numbers, things like decision making for a quarterback are critical. It's what separates a guy like Jamarcus Russell from, say...Phillip Rivers.
Russell is a freak, but there is a balancing act on a QB. If a guy has a (to borrow a baseball term) plus arm, that's fine, anything more is a bonus. If he shows an ability to read a defense, go through his progressions, and fit a ball into a tight spot, that is the stuff that is really key.
You have to have both though. Your arm has to be strong enough to put it in the window, but you don't need a Howitzer.
The fact that Stafford has a cannon isn't the selling point. It's just an ancillary benefit.
He's big enough to take a beating. He makes good decisions. He has to throw it into tight windows. He's shown an ability to read a defense and audible out into advantageous plays. And when you have to make next level throws to really squeeze one in a tight spot, he can do it.
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I wouldn't say I'm personally a workouts guy on QB's but I'll use that to try to guess where a guy will get picked because I know how teams will completely value those types of QB's guys like Kyle Boller so to speak.
I think you have to have a mix, you need to have shown it in games but you also have to have the pure natural talent to translate.