Life is filled with lessons and learning experiences. That is a concept that my father instilled in me at a young age and it is an idea I am trying (with varying levels of success) to instill in my own children now. As we age we can take something from our experiences, both the good…
Finding the quarterback to lead your franchise isn’t an easy task for any NFL executive. For most teams, franchise quarterbacks are acquired by miserably finishing with the league’s worst record. Others are fortunate enough to fill the position by hitting on the rare 3rd or 4th round pick. Yet, for the unlucky teams that find…
Welcome on in my friends to the latest installment of “Check With Me,” my semi-regular column addressing quarterback issues at both the NFL and collegiate levels. Today we’ll dive into some NFL teams that need to address QB2, some reader questions, highlight another cause to support in “Helping One Another” and stay away from any…
Quarterback dominos began to fall this week, as the Cleveland Browns became active participants in the trade market. John Dorsey made a flurry of moves late last week, including trading for wide receiver Jarvis Landry as well as quarterback Tyrod Taylor. In this installment of Check With Me I’ll dive into that trade, look at…
It happens every winter. First, it comes, as Ned Stark warned us. Then, the questions are raised regarding the crop of quarterbacks: Can they make all the throws? Do they have enough velocity? Last year the 49 miles per hour number dogged Deshaun Watson through his draft day and into his rookie season (more on…
Pre-Combine Quarterback Thoughts The 2018 NFL Scouting Combine is just around the corner, a time when the professional football world descends upon Indianapolis to pursue dreams and consume St. Elmo’s Cocktail Sauce by the gallon. For many positions, the testing drills can result in dramatically improved draft stock, just ask Byron Jones or John Ross.…
There have been interesting discussions lately about how teams in need of a quarterback should go about improving the position this offseason. Whether it’s through free agency, the draft or both – all options come with caveats. Depending on your team’s organizational philosophy there will be different ways decision makers go about filling the need…
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has ranked near the top of the MVP race all season, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is too excited about his candidacy. First, Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz was the front-runner, but his season was cut short by a knee injury. Pundits next turned to Seattle Seahawks signal-caller…
Dan Hatman’s latest piece on Carson Wentz and self scouting has me thinking a lot about quarterback’s environments and how they affect their developmental curves. The Cleveland Browns are 0-8. After multiple benchings in favor of Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler, Coach Hue Jackson has named his rookie quarterback, DeShone Kizer, the starter – again.…
Like DeShone Kizer. Don’t like DeShone Kizer. I don’t care. At this point, after what has transpired this season in Cleveland, it doesn’t matter. And in reality, it shouldn’t have mattered in the first place. What was the goal of this season? To win or develop young talent? Let me explain. The Cleveland Browns were…
The 3-1 Los Angeles Rams have been boosted staggeringly by first year head coach Sean McVay’s offensive scheming. It has made Jeff Fisher’s 2016 monstrosity look utterly archaic. After a quarter of the season, this Rams offense has scored the most points in the league. Moreover, it has managed to compensate for a defense that…
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is all about mismatches – just ask Oakland Raiders cornerback T.J. Carrie. Cooper Kupp’s ability to create separation consistently when faced with man coverage from Carrie was a clear imbalance that McVay repeatedly exploited in Week 2 of the preseason. The 31-year-old mainly schemed this through an angle…
The Los Angeles Rams’ 2017 draft was peppered with small-school reaches. While the Rams may not have gained the best value from the 2017 NFL Draft, the overall process did contain a few positives. The offensive selections demonstrate that the front office has a clear acknowledgement of the scheme that new head coach Sean McVay…
Series Introduction: A scheme fit is when a player’s traits and abilities line up with a certain coach’s style and scheme. Imagine if every NFL team could draft a player that fit perfectly into their scheme. That would benefit both the teams and the players simultaneously, as general managers and coaches wouldn’t be putting a…
Now that we have moved through the Big Four of this draft class, it is time to take a look at the signal callers in my second tier of this year’s prospects. Of the four players in this group, two have received early round buzz, while the other two are staying somewhat under the radar.…
As the football world descended upon Indianapolis in February for the 2017 Scouting Combine, over 300 potential NFL players tried to show their future employers why they are worthy of a draft selection. However, the biggest buzz seemed to center on a player who was still in school, would not be attending, and was not…