Rg3

[darvon]

Until the combine starts measuring (you know with instrumentation and all, just like a scientist) Passing Accuracy, the one telltale I have noticed in drafting a good QB is that the ones that took a nothing team and made it stand out usually are pretty good. Big Ben as an example, or Eli, or Brett, or...

The ones that came from big schools with receivers that are so fast and tall and strong that they can separate from their shadow are too easy to throw to and may give false positives (Leinhart, I am looking at YOU). But if Joe Schmoe takes Kent State to the BCS game, THAT QB might be something in the NFL, because he can throw to covered receivers.

I have not seen RG3 play, but I do note for the record that Baylor is the Kent State of D1A football. But truly, so is Stanford.

[KabaModernFan]

Until the combine starts measuring (you know with instrumentation and all, just like a scientist) Passing Accuracy, the one telltale I have noticed in drafting a good QB is that the ones that took a nothing team and made it stand out usually are pretty good. Big Ben as an example, or Eli, or Brett, or...

The ones that came from big schools with receivers that are so fast and tall and strong that they can separate from their shadow are too easy to throw to and may give false positives (Leinhart, I am looking at YOU). But if Joe Schmoe takes Kent State to the BCS game, THAT QB might be something in the NFL, because he can throw to covered receivers.

I have not seen RG3 play, but I do note for the record that Baylor is the Kent State of D1A football. But truly, so is Stanford.

Sure, but Ryan Leaf did the same thing with Washington State. David Carr did it with Fresno State. You could argue Joey Harrington did it with Oregon due to how they fell off after he left. Same with Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich during their time with Marshall. Your theory does seem to be a good indicator, but there are some notable exceptions.

[darvon]

OK. I thought of Joey while I was writing that. Which is even more reason for the Combine to MEASURE the friggin Passing Accuracy.

Although I think Pennington goes in the GOOD column, not the exception column.

And I think David Carr may have simply been thrown to the wolves.

[Sander]

It works because of body size. Im concerned with his durability. The rest of the questions are all the typical spread QB queries. He is less of a runner than Vick and a better passer.

The biggest problem with Vick isn't really his size, but the amount and kind of hits he takes because he runs the ball often and holds it for a long time when passing. I don't think it'll be an issue if RG3 learns to get rid of the football and learns how to slide.

[Sander]

OK. I thought of Joey while I was writing that. Which is even more reason for the Combine to MEASURE the friggin Passing Accuracy.

Interesting idea, but tough to measure. And nothing you can't tell from game tape anyway. And on game tape you can also tell how they do it when under pressure, when receivers are covered, whether they're willing to throw it in tight windows etc.

[Polishguy00]

The biggest problem with Vick isn't really his size, but the amount and kind of hits he takes because he runs the ball often and holds it for a long time when passing. I don't think it'll be an issue if RG3 learns to get rid of the football and learns how to slide.

Perhaps. But that is why this is fun. We just don't know.

[darvon]

Interesting idea, but tough to measure. And nothing you can't tell from game tape anyway. And on game tape you can also tell how they do it when under pressure, when receivers are covered, whether they're willing to throw it in tight windows etc.

I totally 110% disagree.

I have never WATCHED coaches tape, so I can't intelligently comment upon what watching it can or cannot do, but I CAN comment that none of the 3 billion coaches that DO watch Coaches Tape don't seem to be able to quantify accuracy. And if you can't quantify it, you don't pick up correlations, like speed of precession, spin to velocity ratios, etc. with passer rating.

Imagine you are trying to pick a rifle 100 years ago. You can watch someone else hunt with it on video tape (100 years ago video was very grainy) or you can take them all to Indianapolis,clamp them down on a shooting stand and put several rounds through into a marked stationary target.

Which do you think would work best?

Measure accuracy, don't WATCH it.

If you think you can measure accuracy by watching it, how much more (express the value in a percentage with 2 decimal places) is Drew Brees vs Rodgers?

At Indy, we measure height to about +- .2%, speed to +- .2%, weight to +- .2%. What was Brady's accuracy numbers at the combine vs his numbers now? What exercises contributed most to his increasing those numbers. There are a thousand points about accuracy that need to be used to coach and train.

What's the accuracy of a high school QB? How does a coach know that a player is making progress? How much progress should a player be making per week?

Don't get me started.....

[Sander]

I think at that point you're trying to measure something that isn't all that relevant to playing quarterback in the NFL. It may be interesting, and I'd love to see those results, but it's also a lot of effort for a very limited practical result. I can really only see that working to weed out the weakest QBs, which shouldn't be a problem anyway.

Being able to accurately throw a ball isn't a problem for most NFL quarterbacks. The problem is doing that while facing a pass rush, with bodies around you restricting your view, while trying to read a defense, with defenders restricting passing lanes and the need to throw a ball to a moving target, before that target makes his break.

[wxwax]

I totally 110% disagree.

I sense that you're wishy-washy about this.

[wxwax]

Being able to accurately throw a ball isn't a problem for most NFL quarterbacks.

Ummm....