A Closer Look at 2011 QB Prospects:Ryan Mallett

[Zhouse]

Mallett may not work out in the NFL (just like any other QB) but Washington gives him a better chance to succeed. He's an excellent passer first and foremost. Probably the worst athlete when compared to his peers, but there are ways to work around that. Having a zone blocking scheme allows the Shanahan's to get creative. He also showed me the ability to get the ball out quick and on the move.

Things I really liked (aside from his passing ability):

- He's a Giant. I love that. If anything it gives the D something else to consider. It also doesn't limit the height of your interior lineman.

- The way he takes control of the offense. He has a swagger to him.

- Doesn't have a flustered look even in pressure situation.

- Showed ability to clear his mind get focused very quickly when things aren't going his way.

- Seems to understand the concept of reading defenses. Good to have someone with this type of an experience.

So far his biggest weakness is athleticism. As I mentioned above I think the Shanahan's can get creative and help him buy more time and coach him to read NFL defenses (this way he will know where the pressure is coming from adjust accordingly). Plus, his arm help mask this issue because he doesn't always have to reset his feet to get the ball to his play makers.

As far as the off field issues; I'm not worried. First of all they're all rumors with zero hard evidence. Secondly, Shanahan is a no nonsense guy. I'm pretty sure Mallett will quickly realize that if he hasn't already. Last year Trent Williams was rumored to have bad work ethic...i wonder whatever happened to that theory. Above all, my gut feeling tells me he cares about football.

He may need some time to develop but so do most of the QB's this year. And that's why I would rather not spend a #10 on him, but if we can somehow get his with #41 or maybe trade back and pick him in the high teens / low twenties.

[darrelgreenie]

Mallet being more mobile than Bledsoe. He reminds me a lot of Bledose.

I think Mallett CAN be a good NFL QB but his success will not be based on his mobility. If he can learn to move inside the pocket to aviod pressure and he gets good pass protection he has the arm to be effective. The question then is about the six inches between his ears .....

No doubt the most important part of any prospect's, but especially QBs, evaluation are the very things us interent scout can never know.

I don't think Mallett's success will be based on his mobility either, just that he has enough to execute most offenses including ours/Kyle's. (but not Mike's)

[harvey57]

Go dallas. Matter to the cowboys

---------- Post added March-17th-2011 at 11:35 AM ----------

MALLET SHOULD WEAT NUMBER # 88 THE GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME

[freetimmysmith]

Hmmm ... is he better option than Rex?

Punting on 1st down is a better option than Rex

[darrelgreenie]

thanks for the post

So far his biggest weakness is athleticism. As I mentioned above I think the Shanahan's can get creative and help him buy more time and coach him to read NFL defenses (this way he will know where the pressure is coming from adjust accordingly). Plus, his arm help mask this issue because he doesn't always have to reset his feet to get the ball to his play makers.

I don't think there is anyway to mask a lack of athleticism.

He's gonna require a higher level of pass protection then some of the other top prospects.

I think this fact lowers his evaluation, but it is what it is.

Mallett isn't very athletic but I think he has enough.

He may need some time to develop but so do most of the QB's this year.

I think Mallett is one of the few QBs in this crop that is close to being ready to play sooner then later.

[Zhouse]

thanks for the post

I don't think there is anyway to mask a lack of athleticism.

I don't know if I agree with your the statement in bold. There are less athletic QB's in the NFL (I don't mean compared to Mallett) that don't get sacked a lot. I'm sure their Oline is at worst above average but a QB can also make an Oline look better.

It's a no brainer we need to keep working on the Oline but I think you can use Mallet's throwing ability in combination with good pre-snap coaching/system to avoid pressures, sacks and hits.

He's gonna require a higher level of pass protection then some of the other top prospects.

Obviously I agree with this part

I think Mallett is one of the few QBs in this crop that is close to being ready to play sooner then later.

I'm not sure. Some part of me agrees with you, but who's to say another QB wouldn't progress much faster when paired up with the right system. That's my whole thing. I don't know how Mallett would fit with the other 31 teams but based on what I know about the Redskins I would like him in the B&G on Sundays.

[darrelgreenie]

double post here's a picture of my girlfriend, lol:

[darrelgreenie]

I don't know if I agree with your the statement in bold. There are less athletic QB's in the NFL (I don't mean compared to Mallett) that don't get sacked a lot. I'm sure their Oline is at worst above average but a QB can also make an Oline look better.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

And maybe I'm being too literal, but I just don't think you can mask lack of athleticism.

Nothing an offense scheme can do will increase a QB ability to use their athleticism to avoid a sack or make a play out of nothing and that is specifically what I'm refering to in regards to athleticism.

And in that respect Mallett has a lower evaluation that no scheme can change.

But, imo athleticism imo is a bonus trait not a required trait.

There isn't a need or the capability to make some be more or appear more athletic.

There are plenty of QBs in the league that require good pass protection to have success.

Mallett if successful will be that type of QB.

It's a no brainer we need to keep working on the Oline but I think you can use Mallet's throwing ability in combination with good pre-snap coaching/system to avoid pressures, sacks and hits.

I agree, but in the invent that there is pressure Mallett still doesn't possess the ability to use his athleticism to avoid a sack or make a play especially in comparison to the other prospects.

Maybe I'm making too fine a disticntion?

I'm not sure. Some part of me agrees with you, but who's to say another QB wouldn't progress much faster when paired up with the right system. That's my whole thing. I don't know how Mallett would fit with the other 31 teams but based on what I know about the Redskins I would like him in the B&G on Sundays.

I'm not saying that another QB won't progress much faster in the right system i'm not trying to make a prediction.

What I am saying is this: right now before the QB prospects are indoctrinated into their respective offenses QB's that have played under center in a pro-style offense have experiences that give them an advantage over the other prospects heading into training camp.

Experience in the pre-snap phase making line-calls, check with me audibles, and experience going through progression from center and operating in a rhythm passing game based on 3-5-7 step drops.

Mallett isn't the type of QB I prefer but I think he could be successful in Kyle's offense.

[MartinC]

I don't know if I agree with your the statement in bold. There are less athletic QB's in the NFL (I don't mean compared to Mallett) that don't get sacked a lot.

Your right, you don't need to be a great athlete to play QB and have a low sack rate. But QBs who don't move well need to have a certain skill set for this to happen IMO.

1. They need to be very good at reading coverages and recognizing the blitz.

2. They need to have a quick release.

3. They need to have the ability to feel the pass rush and move within the pocket to buy just enough time to get the ball away, constantly resetting their feet to be ready to throw.

With Mallett I think he shows some ability to make pre snap reads, he needs to work on moving through progressions after the snap but I think that will develop. So I think overall Mallett has number 1 above covered.

However numbers 2 and 3 are issues for him.

His release is not slow as such, but it's also not quick. He does have a slightly elongated throwing motion, it's not a problem IMO but it is also not something which is going to help him in terms of getting the ball out to avoid a sack.

More critically he is slow footed and very static in the pocket. He does not keep his feet moving the way a pocket passer like a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady does. He looks a bit lazy with his footwork sometimes and especially in the first half of the game we reviewed for this thread often threw without setting his feet and when he did his accuracy suffered. He also tended to try to get out of the pocket when pressured rather than moving up or just to one side - when he tries to run he is dead meat and he just does not have the speed to stay clear of the rush.

Overall then, certainly early in his NFL career Mallett will be highly dependent on his pass protection to be effective. If you put him behind the line we had last year for example it would be a train wreck of epic proportions.

[darrelgreenie]

If you put him behind the line we had last year for example it would be a train wreck of epic proportions.

I don't know, I know you're using hyperbole for effect here but when I wonder how some of these QBs would look in our offense last year and I come away feeling optimistic.

The OL certainly needs improvement but I thought the pass protection was good enough.

We were top 10 in passing yardage but lacked efficiency and part of the inefficiency rests in the lap of the QB.

I thought McNabb turned down a lot of open short quick routes especially flat routes and quick hitches because he was too focused on going down field.

Imo those short routes and other elements of the quick game would have alleviated some of the perceived pass protection issues.

If you look at the stats for sacks they're about the same as last year despite having significantly upgraded both OT spots.

But, I think those stats are misleading because last year after about week 5-6 the pass protection couldn't sustain a complete passing offense especially 5-7 step drops and PA.

(I remember watching pressure get home from 3 man rushes, and distinctly remember Campbell getting sacked blind with his back turned to the defender in the Panthers game while carrying out a play action fake and noticed a steep drop off in the amount of PA passes from there on out and a shift to quick game/3 step drop passing game)

And I think people don't want to acknowledge that Campbell actually did a good job of getting the ball out quick in the quick game and 3-step game.

I thought this year were able to execute a full passing game 3-5-7 for the whole season except for 2 games (Packers,Lions).

[Diesel__44]

He's a knucklehead that won't be on our draft board even at #41. He's just not athletic enough among many other things.

[darrelgreenie]

OLD STUFF FROM THE COMBINE KIRWAN & JIM MILLER MALLETT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_Nanoe9zfI

My top five in order would be Gabbert and Newton as 1 and 1A. they're equal.

Jake Locker would be my #3. Ryan Mallett is a wild card in this mix, but I've got him at #4 for now. Really good passer but limited athletic ability. And Andy Dalton just beats out Christian Ponder as my #5.

I'd say Gabbert, Newton and Locker will be first-round picks. Dalton and Ponder would be second-rounders. And Mallett is the wild card

Hermes, I think Mallett is the better player. The only thing that concerns me is his lack of athletic ability. But with the OTs that Miami has, I do think you can get by with a QB of lesser physical ability. Colin Kapernick has outstanding athletic ability. But in the case of miami, with Carey and Long at the bookends, Mallett might be the better fit

http://chat.nfl.com/front/archived_chat/1456

[Section106]

I attended a "Chalk Talk" event with Mike Shanahan on the 15th and asked him about Mallet. Specifically, my question was "Since you use a lot of roll outs would you draft a guy like Mallet in the second round even though he isn't very athletic but can get the ball down field?" He said,"Definately, the running back takes care of the roll outs and it's just something we do to move the pocket. Mallet will be gone by the second round though."

Someone else asked the question, "Which three players impressed you the most at the combine?" Shanny's answer was "Julio Jones, Ryan Mallet, & Peterson." I personally would like us to draft Mallet. He has a big strong arm and can get the ball down the field. Can you imagine how many TDs AA would've had last season had McNabb not underthrown everything?

[Zhouse]

I attended a "Chalk Talk" event with Mike Shanahan on the 15th and asked him about Mallet. Specifically, my question was "Since you use a lot of roll outs would you draft a guy like Mallet in the second round even though he isn't very athletic but can get the ball down field?" He said,"Definately, the running back takes care of the roll outs and it's just something we do to move the pocket. Mallet will be gone by the second round though."

Someone else asked the question, "Which three players impressed you the most at the combine?" Shanny's answer was "Julio Jones, Ryan Mallet, & Peterson." I personally would like us to draft Mallet. He has a big strong arm and can get the ball down the field. Can you imagine how many TDs AA would've had last season had McNabb not underthrown everything?

Interesting tidbit. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting that his QB pick is Mallett (to the "who impressed you?" question). Definitely knows how to keep people guessing.

[MartinC]

Interesting tidbit. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting that his QB pick is Mallett (to the "who impressed you?" question). Definitely knows how to keep people guessing.

I think if Shanny praised Juilo Jones, Mallet and Peterson in a public forum this close to the draft you can be pretty sure none of them is being considered seriously for that #10 pick. He keeps his cards much closer to his chest than that. Like you say Shanny certainly knows how to keep folks guessing.

I'm also not really sure what he meant by the 'running back takes care of the roll outs' - whatever the running back does the QB also has to move as well on waggles and roll outs. Mallet is not good in that area and nothing a back does is going to change that.

[Zhouse]

I think if Shanny praised Juilo Jones, Mallet and Peterson in a public forum this close to the draft you can be pretty sure none of them is being considered seriously for that #10 pick. He keeps his cards much closer to his chest than that. Like you say Shanny certainly knows how to keep folks guessing.

That's the vibe I'm getting from his statement too. But why Mallett? Considering the other 2 are viewed #1/1a for their position. Many don't even consider Mallett top 3. So maybe he was impressed by him....

I'm also not really sure what he meant by the 'running back takes care of the roll outs' - whatever the running back does the QB also has to move as well on waggles and roll outs. Mallet is not good in that area and nothing a back does is going to change that.

Serious question: Do you think Mallett is not capable of executing roll outs? IMO I think he looks excellent on play actions. Not necessarily roll outs but with coaching, lineplay (and apparently RB) he will be fine executing roll outs.

Btw I don't deny his lack of athleticism when compared to his peers. But he's not the most nonathletic guy either. No to mention his ability to throw on the move.

[MartinC]

That's the vibe I'm getting from his statement too. But why Mallett? Considering the other 2 are viewed #1/1a for their position. Many don't even consider Mallett top 3. So maybe he was impressed by him....

Anything is possible I guess, maybe we should just take his statement at face value but its hard for me to believe he would highly praise in public a player he was strongly considering drafting high in teh 1st round. Its just not his MO.

Serious question: Do you think Mallett is not capable of executing roll outs? IMO I think he looks excellent on play actions. Not necessarily roll outs but with coaching, lineplay (and apparently RB) he will be fine executing roll outs.

Btw I don't deny his lack of athleticism when compared to his peers. But he's not the most nonathletic guy either. No to mention his ability to throw on the move.

Capable of executing a roll out yes, good at at it no IMO. I think he is good at play action and I think he would be used more like Peyton Manning does off PA on that stretch play in that rather than rolling he would set up without turning his back and reversing field. I do think he has poor athletic ability by any standard not just in comparison to the other highly touted QBs this year - but that does not mean he can not play QB in the NFL if he is used correctly and gets good pass protection.

[darrelgreenie]

Zhouse, MartinC

I take Shanahan's statement at face value.

He was asked a question and answered it.

I think we're trying to read something more into it.

I don't think Mike S. is saying how he feels about drafting at 10.

If you asked any coach in attendance at the combine which players they were impressed by and they didn't say Julio Jones, Peterson and Mallett I would wonder what the heck they were looking at.

[Zhouse]

Assuming the Redskins want to draft Mallett, is #10 a reach in your opinion?

Obviously at #10 you want someone that can make an impact their first year and Mallett may not. But a part of me feels like he could beat out Grossman by mid season.

If not @10, do you think he will last to 41?

I doubt it.....

[Mahons21]

Assuming the Redskins want to draft Mallett, is #10 a reach in your opinion?

Obviously at #10 you want someone that can make an impact their first year and Mallett may not. But a part of me feels like he could beat out Grossman by mid season.

If not @10, do you think he will last to 41?

I doubt it.....

My ideal first 2 rounds of the draft would be trading back w/ the Pats at like 20 or 21 I believe they have. Draft Mallett with that spot, draft Cameron Heyward in the 2nd w/ 41st. Hopefully w/ the pick we acquire from the Pats we can acquire a NT to rotate w/ Bryant this year. If not a NT then hopefully a LB, you can never have too many LBs on a 34 squad.

[Zhouse]

My ideal first 2 rounds of the draft would be trading back w/ the Pats at like 20 or 21 I believe they have. Draft Mallett with that spot, draft Cameron Heyward in the 2nd w/ 41st. Hopefully w/ the pick we acquire from the Pats we can acquire a NT to rotate w/ Bryant this year. If not a NT then hopefully a LB, you can never have too many LBs on a 34 squad.

That might work out great except Miami & Minnesota might snatch him up

[Mahons21]

That might work out great except Miami & Minnesota might snatch him up

Very true, than I'd just take the BPA. Usually someone drops, IE Oher. Outside of TE or S, I can't think of a single position that we should pass up on. I wouldn't mind taking one of the top OTs or maybe Jordan/Watt fall, who really knows.

[mistertim]

Assuming the Redskins want to draft Mallett, is #10 a reach in your opinion?

Obviously at #10 you want someone that can make an impact their first year and Mallett may not. But a part of me feels like he could beat out Grossman by mid season.

If not @10, do you think he will last to 41?

I doubt it.....

If we drafted Mallett at #10 I would have to buy a robotic arm and get it surgically attached to my torso just so I could do a triple face palm. Its possible some team will pick him up in the 1st but it will probably be late if it happens. He just has way too many concerns about his lack of mobility in the pocket, footwork, and character.

[Mahons21]

If we drafted Mallett at #10 I would have to buy a robotic arm and get it surgically attached to my torso just so I could do a triple face palm. Its possible some team will pick him up in the 1st but it will probably be late if it happens. He just has way too many concerns about his lack of mobility in the pocket, footwork, and character.

He comes from a pro-style offense and is ahead of the curve in drop-backs his footwork inside the pocket should not be of concern.

[darrelgreenie]

Assuming the Redskins want to draft Mallett, is #10 a reach in your opinion?

Obviously at #10 you want someone that can make an impact their first year and Mallett may not. But a part of me feels like he could beat out Grossman by mid season.

If not @10, do you think he will last to 41?

I doubt it.....

Imo yes Mallett is a reach at 10.

But, its impossible to know if any prospect is actually a reach unless you know another teams draft board.

But, if the perception about Mallett draft status/value is true then taking him at 10 is a reach.

Mallett will only be available at pick 41 if the hype surrounding Ponder and Dalton is true and 1 of them goes before him. (Assuming Newton, Gabbert and Locker are also off the board)

I think Mallett could easily beat Grossman by midseason if not during training camp.