NFL teams not liking the college spread game for finding QB's

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dlrn64

Three-Star Recruit
I read an article in the USA Today newspaper this week in which NFL scouts/GM's were dismayed by the number of college teams playing the spread offense because they said it isn't preparing QB's for the more intricate offenses they run in the NFL. The scouts said because now more HS football teams run the spread and as it is has spread in upper tier college football, they say it is much more challenging assessing QB's in particular.

Reading this made me think that having retained Callahan's West Coast offense (though considered more complex by some), we should have a better shot at some of the QBs' that want to play pro ball. It makes me wonder why a guy like Gabbert is going to Missouri, because he doesn't seem particularly well suited to a spread offense and could have had his stock rise by going to a more pro-style offense like Nebraska's.

Anyways, it was an interesting article and hopefully makes some of these HS kids think a little harder about what style of offense WILL affect their draftability.

 
the spread works in college ball and is a great equalizer between teams with wide gaps in talent level. it isn't going away any time soon and certainly will be no excuse for a player going to a school that simply plays conventional NFL type offenses.

 
What it means is the NFL is going to need to adapt the offenses for the skills of the QBs. The NFL just doesnt like change.

 
The gist of the article in USA Today is that the NFL really disdains the spread because the QB's don't learn the kinds of things they need to be successful at the pro level. So yeah, the QB may be great as a spread offense QB, but they have no idea if the guys can be effective in the offenses that most every team in the NFL plays. It does seem odd that so many college teams use these spread type offenses and that so many QB's want to play in them when they hear this kind of critique from the NFL.

Look no further than the great former Texas QB Vince Young who is struggling in the pros running a conventional offense. ..two years removied from the college ranks. Tennessee has had to "dummy" down their offense because Young can't handle all that he is expected to do and since they have so much invested in him, Tennessee is doing it. I bet they regret their decision to draft him now though.

If he had been in a conventional offense in college, then he would have less of a learning curve when he got to the pro's OR the pros would have seen whether or not he could be successful by how well he did in the college game.

That is why guys like Ryan of BC, and Booty of USC are less of a gamble because you know what they know. Then it is just a matter of actually assessing their talent.

So with Nebraska having one of the pro-style offenses in the Big 12, it should translate to getting more QB's that are looking to go to the next level.

 
Hmm....I think Young is actually doing pretty well. I wouldn't say that Tennessee has had to "dumb it down" as much as they've just had to change it.

I've often thought that a pro team could have an Eric Crouch and Michael Bishop combined for what they'd pay a traditional drop-back passer. I'd love to see an NFL team use an option attack. I don't buy the argument that the pros are too fast. TO showed that you can still run it against a speedy defense.

 
In college. In the pro's? It's a whole nother ballgame. A speedy defense in college is far from the same thing as a speedy defense in the NFL.

I think that if the spread worked in the NFL, somebody would probably have tried it. They know it's there.

 
The thing with QBs coming out of HS is they know that there is almost no chance of them getting to the NFL. They want to play QB, and win games. They know the odds of going to the NFL are worse than any other position in the game.

The thing with the NFL, is they dont follow the philosophy that you adapt to the players. Like Callahan, you have a 'system' and find guys to fit that system.

It may make it harder to figure a guy out for the NFL guys, but that isnt any different than it has ever been. I would put money down the 'failure' rate of modern QBs isnt any worse than it was for QBs before the advent of the spread. Ryan Leaf anyone?

I think the gripe against the QBs is more of a cop out from the talent scouts trying to pass the blame off themselves.

 
zoogies said:
In college. In the pro's? It's a whole nother ballgame. A speedy defense in college is far from the same thing as a speedy defense in the NFL.

I think that if the spread worked in the NFL, somebody would probably have tried it. They know it's there.
Click to expand...
It isnt that it wont work. It will. Why they dont run it is there is too much money invested in the QB, and they dont want them taking hits.

 
dlrn64 said:
I read an article in the USA Today newspaper this week in which NFL scouts/GM's were dismayed by the number of college teams playing the spread offense because they said it isn't preparing QB's for the more intricate offenses they run in the NFL. The scouts said because now more HS football teams run the spread and as it is has spread in upper tier college football, they say it is much more challenging assessing QB's in particular.

Reading this made me think that having retained Callahan's West Coast offense (though considered more complex by some), we should have a better shot at some of the QBs' that want to play pro ball. It makes me wonder why a guy like Gabbert is going to Missouri, because he doesn't seem particularly well suited to a spread offense and could have had his stock rise by going to a more pro-style offense like Nebraska's.

Anyways, it was an interesting article and hopefully makes some of these HS kids think a little harder about what style of offense WILL affect their draftability.
Click to expand...
Missery runs the spread

:hellloooo :hellloooo :hellloooo :hellloooo

 
strigori said:
zoogies said:
In college. In the pro's? It's a whole nother ballgame. A speedy defense in college is far from the same thing as a speedy defense in the NFL.

I think that if the spread worked in the NFL, somebody would probably have tried it. They know it's there.
Click to expand...
It isnt that it wont work. It will. Why they dont run it is there is too much money invested in the QB, and they dont want them taking hits.
Click to expand...
:yeah

The last thing teams want is for their Million doallar QB's taking chances for season ending hits every time they snap the ball. It does work though just look at what Jauars QB did to my Steelers that last carry on fourth down.

 
dlrn64 said:
The gist of the article in USA Today is that the NFL really disdains the spread because the QB's don't learn the kinds of things they need to be successful at the pro level. So yeah, the QB may be great as a spread offense QB, but they have no idea if the guys can be effective in the offenses that most every team in the NFL plays. It does seem odd that so many college teams use these spread type offenses and that so many QB's want to play in them when they hear this kind of critique from the NFL.

Look no further than the great former Texas QB Vince Young who is struggling in the pros running a conventional offense. ..two years removied from the college ranks. Tennessee has had to "dummy" down their offense because Young can't handle all that he is expected to do and since they have so much invested in him, Tennessee is doing it. I bet they regret their decision to draft him now though.

If he had been in a conventional offense in college, then he would have less of a learning curve when he got to the pro's OR the pros would have seen whether or not he could be successful by how well he did in the college game.

That is why guys like Ryan of BC, and Booty of USC are less of a gamble because you know what they know. Then it is just a matter of actually assessing their talent.

So with Nebraska having one of the pro-style offenses in the Big 12, it should translate to getting more QB's that are looking to go to the next level.
Click to expand...
See Vince Young/Wonderlic Test..

QB's smart enough for the WCO are also smart enough to realize how bad the odds are at making the league and probably will go to a school for the degree.

I dunno..After reading the thread title, my 1st thought was "Good..It's not like we want to be a farm club for the NFL and their cookie cutter offenses".

 
strigori said:
zoogies said:
In college. In the pro's? It's a whole nother ballgame. A speedy defense in college is far from the same thing as a speedy defense in the NFL.

I think that if the spread worked in the NFL, somebody would probably have tried it. They know it's there.
Click to expand...
It isnt that it wont work. It will. Why they dont run it is there is too much money invested in the QB, and they dont want them taking hits.
Click to expand...

I dunno. I've heard some guys on NFL network, and a couple of scouts on the radio say things like if you run the spread in the NFL you'll take your QB off the field in a body bag in the second quarter. Doesn't sound to me like they're too interested intrying it.

 
I think what is all but forgotten here is how much of a gamble any NFL team takes drafting any QB. Look at the likes of pure drop back passing QB's like Weinke, Gino Torreta(sp), etc. are. They didn't run the spread. They ran a pure drop back passing offense in college. Then you look at the Chargers and what they paid Leaf a decade ago. I'm not sure the spread option can take all the brunt here because there's been several highly touted QB's from the college ranks become busts at the next level despite running a WCO in college. Tom Brady was like a 5th or 6th round draft choice, but look at him now. I would somewhat question the techniques of the NFL scouts at evaluating talent long before I would question why colleges and high schools are running the spread!

 
I don't think they're questioning why college and high schools run the spread. It can work at that level. But when every player on the defense is FAST, and hits hard, I think it does change the equation.

I mean, QBs should last a long time. Running backs are tough guys, and they don't always last that long; the most durable ones decline once they hit 30. Spread QBs...I don't think they can take the same punishment, which is what another poster mentioned.

Also, scrambling works, but designed option in the NFL?....I kind of doubt it.

 
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