Why the NFL Has A QB Crisis (WSJ Article)

[Tsailand]

Only if you agree to pay the student researchers whose work and patents earn colleges prestige or money too.

Grad students typically do get a stipend. Also the research they do is part of their learning process. Playing college sports has precious little to do with getting a college education, except that it's part of the scam where a multibilion dollar entertainment business gets away with not paying its key workers.

 

If the athlete-student chooses not to take advantage of the free education that's on their heads.

Literally.  As in many of them aren't smart enough to, or aren't inclined too.  The only reason they are in college is because college is the de facto NFL/NBA minor league -- a minor league that is far more lucrative than the baseball and hockey minor leagues, and that doesn't pay the players.

 

If they choose not to take advantage of celebrity, networking, TV time, and all the perks that come with being a big time football or basketball athlete that's wasted money too.

 

You can say "easy ****".

 

So your argument comes down to... it's OK that the college sports cartel, in collusion with the NBA, NFL, and the feds, scam their players into working for free, because these 18 year old kids are free to choose to just not pursue their dream of playing pro sports.

 

I bet you're a fan of rent-a-center and payday loan places too.

You can say "easy ****".

Ooops, turns out you can't say that here.

 

Here's a hint, though:

[SkinsTillIDie]

I read that Chips system is predicated on making life simple for the QB. There is no "smart" decision for the QB, as Chip is taking the guesswork out of it via his play calling.

 

College QBs are obviously woefully unprepared to the NFL game, but the NFL coaches are almost woefully unprepared when deciding what to do about it.   Coaches seem to be adapting. See RG3 in 2012. Cam, Wilson, Kap. And now, Chip is trying to take it to the next level. Goober.

 

 

 

Designing a system to make life as simple for the QB as possible goes back to Bill Walsh. Nobody's trying to make life difficult for a QB. If Chip's offense was so easy to run, he wouldn't be on his 4th starting QB in 3 years.

 

Chip isn't taking pre-snap reads away. There are reads and checks on every play. The most revolutionary thing he's done is in the speed with which his offense runs -- defenses can't change personnel, can't make their own pre-snap reads and adjustments -- he's basically handicapping the way every defense operates. He's more or less pitting the offensive coaches + intelligent QB against the intelligence of the defensive players. Not to mention, physical and mental stamina, etc. They have a leg up on every offensive play.

 

 

I'm not saying it's easy but it's easier to find a guy that can make quick decisions (and that in itself is a challenge as we've seen here recently) and not **** up than to turn a dude into a pocket passer.

 

This comment and the other one you made are drastically different

[Riggo-toni]

I don't think the gap between pro and college is really any bigger now; it's just that free agency has denied pro teams the time they need to develop guys on the bench.

[pjfootballer]

I remember when we drafted Mark Rypien in 1986 in the 6th round.  We had Schroeder and Williams on the roster.  If you watch the 30 minute SB 22 highlights of us against the Broncos, you can see Rypien on the sidelines in Zubaz pants. Gibbs thought well enough of him to put him on IR (cough, cough) for 2 straight years to learn, meaning watching film and practice. 

 

I've been thinking about the practice squads.  What I would like to see is, the NFL acknowledge the PS as a developemental roster. I'd love to be able to stash 10 players for the whole season and have them be off-limits to other teams.  There are plenty of "free agents" floating out there for teams to pluck.  You can let them practice and learn and if you choose to bring them up to the roster, they lose the 2nd year of PS eligibility.

 

Then, after the first year, you have first choice to sign them to the 90 man offseason/training camp roster. If you choose not to re-sign them, they become a free agent and any other team can pick them up.

 

Same thing for the 2nd year.  You can keep him on the PS all season long to learn and they cannot be touched by another team. If you choose to bring them up to the 53 man roster, they cannot go back to the PS for the rest of the year, unless you release them and they clear waivers.

 

There are hundreds of guys out there that can play, but just aren't ready.  Being on the practice squad for 1 or 2 years IN THE SAME SYSTEM will benefit the player and the team.  Players getting plucked from one practice squad to another hurts their development. I think this would help not only the other players, but quite possibly a QB who needs time to sit and learn.  

 

Just an idea. 

[Going Commando]

I don't think the gap between pro and college is really any bigger now; it's just that free agency has denied pro teams the time they need to develop guys on the bench.

I can see that.

I also don't think the NFL as a whole has ever been particularly good at developing quarterbacks. Certain coaches and franchises understand the position and know how to draft and develop it. But most do not.

Good franchises will continue to find and produce franchise QBs no matter what's going on at the college level. Bad franchises like ours will continue to never have franchise QBs because they can not put the organization in place to successfully develop any QB prospect.

[Taylor703]

I don't see why the NFL can't adept? Chip Kelly is killing them with his offense and they still refuse to try. It's silly.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I'd be willing to wager not a single cfb coach gives a single thought to how his "system" prepares his players for pro football.

 

In his cold little black heart, Saban knows that he needs to keep churning out #1 draft picks while simultaneously sapping them of all their talent before they graduate. It's a delicate balance for him.

 

Everyone else just wants to keep the money they are getting from the Weekly Coach's Show.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I do like the idea of a more developed practice squad for each team. It would even be cool if, somehow, those players got to play some against other practice squads.

 

As I'm thinking "out loud" on this, maybe we need both the currently existing practice squad and a lower-level developmental squad per NFL team. The practice squad stays what it is where each guy is a basically a FA who can be signed to an active roster or eligible to come up and help his team. 

 

I would envision the development squad being an additional 10-12 players who are further away from helping and need a season or more of practice. These guys would be ineligible to be "stolen" but also unable to be promoted within an organization. It would even be cool if they created regional teams consisting of 4-5 teams' players and had a small round-robin tournament or something. So, for example, the Redskins, Ravens, Eagles, and Steelers might share a d-team and play against other regional teams.

[RandyHolt]

...

. The most revolutionary thing he's done is in the speed with which his offense runs -- defenses can't change personnel, ....

 

 

If its so simply hurry up, why have we never done it our in the history of our franchise, for but in early blowouts and the VERY random occurrence?  I think its a bit more than that, otherwise we would simply copy him, and all teams would. We hear and see its a copy cat league. 

 

Certainly those of us clamoring for hurry up can't be as smart as the coaches otherwise we would be in the game.

 

-George McPhee 

[Conn]

If its so simply hurry up, why have we never done it our in the history of our franchise, for but in early blowouts and the VERY random occurrence?  I think its a bit more than that, otherwise we would simply copy him, and all teams would. We hear and see its a copy cat league. 

 

Certainly those of us clamoring for hurry up can't be as smart as the coaches otherwise we would be in the game.

 

-George McPhee 

 

Right, its not really that simple. Every single little facet of their team now revolves around this idea of "speeding it up". Their conditioning, diet, everything. Kelly has his fingers in every single part of the team, from the tempo on the practice field to the calories his players are taking in and ****ting out. He has trainers that go around with some type of wand that measures the heat of players muscles, possibly alerting the staff to an impending muscle pull. The Eagles are all-in on his vision, and he controls everything. 

 

That is a HUGE step to take. For one, you need someone who has that comprehensive vision, who can also implement it successfully. But almost more importantly, you need to have the balls and self-control to just....let go and let him do whatever he wants, period. There is no middle ground.

 

Both those things are hard for any organization to find and do. Its not as simple as "copying" Chip Kelly because he's changed the way an entire organization operates, inside of a sport that hardly ever innovates. 

[Rufus T Firefly]

I would think more colleges would be using coaches with pro experience, who run pro-style systems. And I would think that would be a recruiting pitch that would succeed more.

[Bang]

And so the wheel turns.

 

The NFL does everything it can to make quarterbacks as untouchable as Fabergé eggs, everything it can to stimulate the passing game, everything it can to legislate defense out of th game, and lo, the balance shall return through a change in the playing of the position at a level they cannot control..

The Spirits of Football are pleased.

 

~Bong

[justice98]

If you're really serious about getting prepared for the pros, some of these QBs (if they have the option) should start seeking out programs that run offenses that teach pro principles of the position. Obviously, it depends on who recruits you, but I gather a lot of kids pick the place where they can play versus the place that will prepare them best for the next level.

I don't see why the NFL can't adept? Chip Kelly is killing them with his offense and they still refuse to try. It's silly.

That's a bit of hyperbole, he's had some moderate success with it, but until they make some real noise in the playoffs, you can't really say he's "killing them".

[wysknz1]

When a college coach makes millions and his job is on the line to win at all costs I'm sure his last thought is if anyone goes to the NFL....OTHER than it helps his recruiting. One down year and any coach could be unemployed.

 

How many teams clung to the old wishbone because you could win with it. It's mostly gone now, but it sure stayed for a long time

[Bang]

the NFL will adapt. Today on the radio the words "developmental league" came out, and i am of the thinking football is too risky.   Even good QBs have careers irreparably damaged by injuries early on.

They had a developmental league in Europe, and the number of players they manage to mine out of it were very few. a couple QBs of note went through, most notably Kurt Warner and Brad Johnson. (I think)
 

But while they had that league, they really didn't send too many players over there to develop. We might be able to name a handful who even made the team, and there was a roster exemption allowed for them. Rookie QBs still came in young straight to the NFL for the most part..

 

So the way it's played will change, defense will change, and it will balance out and become something else...  just like it always does.

 

~Bang

[NickyJ]

There's a thread on ES from 2006 when we sent our last batch to NFL Europe. An interesting read: http://es.redskins.com/topic/137264-nfl-europe-redskins-players/

 

Anyone remember Gibran Hamdan?

 

Demetric Evans? Antonio Brown? Those were the people we fished in and out of Europe. Not exactly world beaters, so I'm not all that excited about the idea of a developmental league. The majority of people sent there would suck (if they didn't, they'd be on the roster) and they will continue to play at a low level. Maybe they'll learn something, but if they're playing with scrubs against scrubs, I doubt it.

 

And that's all excluding how much money would have to be poured into the new league for all the equipment and salaries. It's not feasible.

 

In the end, the NFL has survived various "crises". People like to complain about it, but teams will find a way. Coaches don't earn millions of dollars ALL from parroting decades old strategies.

 

Edit: Okay, maybe that last sentence is a lie. But somebody always finds a way to make it work, and the rest will follow suit. Shanny was the first to embrace the read option "gimmick", and three years later, that gimmick is a legitimate fold in a host of NFL playbooks.

[Ghost of]

Whats even more surprising to me is why they dont spend their OWN effort in learning these things.  When you are in high school, you are young, you dont think about things like training and going the extra mile as the future is a long way off.  When you are in college and 2 years from the NFL, why in the world would you tell someone "well, no one taught me that" rather than doing everything you could to learn it and get a leg up on your competition.  If you REALLY love football, why wouldnt you want to be the best, and be driven to be better and better?

 

Yes, I wouldn't expect a college kid to be "PhD" level in their learning or thinking about a subject, of course, but not knowing "under" is weird.  I learned a lot of formations from Madden and other games, but I also picked up a football coaching guide when I was a kid because I had absurd dreams myself of playing in college so I thought someone who didn't have a HS team would be better equipped by learning the basic terminology and possibilities (at the time) for my likely positions (WR, DB, RB.)  

 

It's sort of like claiming you love military history and then giving a slack-jawed expression when a mentor/professional mentions Gettysburg, Antietam, Verdun, Thermopylae, Salamis, Pharsalus, Jena, Austerlitz, Waterloo, Stalingrad, Galipoli, Sekigahara, Normandy, etc.

 

But seriously, so many of these kids play Madden, how the ___ do you not know the basics of these formations, even if you aren't much up on how you respond to various looks?

[TimmySmith]

NCAA has to produce 3-5 pro-style QBs a year and does.  The fact that many highlight reel college kids :cough:Griffin:cough: don't translate is not a problem for anyone except fans of those guys.

[Burgold]

Interestingly, I wonder if the bigger impact may eventually be felt at tight end. We're already seeing more and more tight ends who can't block, but are really just big receivers, but with more and more teams going spread... you're finding fewer and fewer tight ends. The last two drafts who 0 highly touted prospects at that position. I imagine this is somewhat cyclic, but I also remember thinking it'd be good for us to get one to compete with Logan and Paul. There hasn't been anyone of note around to do that.

[skins island connection]

 Well, the evolution of football guides both college and NFL teams, depending on which one is innovating more.

 

 We see college players come out and fall on their faces because the system they were in does not fit the team they're on, and we've seen players come out of college and change NFL football.

But, the bottom line for ANYONE going to college is education, and it should be that way. Sports are a bonus for those talented or gifted enough to play, but colleges are targeting players who can barely read and write [ see Dexter Manley ] but because they are athletic or a great high school football player, colleges bait them, court them, and do whatever they can to get that player to their school; and for what? to whore him out to bait others to come to their school too. They don't give a rat's ass about the player, their ONLY goal is bringing in money, and if some scrawny 120 lb kids have to fork over full tuition in order to acommodate another who couldn't read an 8th grade book but can play sports, so be it.

 

Don't get me wrong, a scholarship to a person who is talented, gifted, or smart, is a good thing, and should be further continued, but players of sports just don't get the higher form of education. Those who don't make the NFL are doomed to Burger King.

The best thing to come out of the education system was the 'no pass no play' policy, but it is swept under the rug today.

[pjfootballer]

You also have to add in that the NCAA puts time constraints on how much time the athlete is allowed to study film and being at the practice facility. I mean I'm sure the players have stuff on DVD or tablets and can watch film on "their own time" if they choose, but without the coach being there telling them what to look for and what they are looking at, it really doesn't help them.

 

Pros can spend all day at the facility whereas the college kids are limited.

[Brokenstriker]

...

 

~Bong

[Renegade7]

It's up to scouting departments to focus on safer QB prospects that come from pro-style offenses.  Everyone else is a project, I don't care what they did in college.  Can't expect college programs to do anything outside try to win as many games as possible.  Up to the individual to know what it takes at the next level, and the draft is all a risk anyway.