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If you are a Jets fan, you can only hope that the team’s brass doesn’t overrate this factor in their evaluation. It means something, but not as much as you think . . .
ESPN headline today – “Deshaun Watson has what the Jets covet — a championship pedigree.”
This is very dangerous road if you drive into this potential pothole.
Tim Tebow also had a “championship pedigree” coming out of Florida.
We could put together a voluminous list of championship college quarterbacks, with great records in college, who weren’t great NFL quarterbacks.
It’s very dangerous to say, “that guy is a winner, we need to get him.”
Playing QB in the NFL is almost a different sport than playing QB in college – smaller windows to throw into in the NFL, much more complex defenses to diagnose.
Of course being a leader is important, but pocket presence, accuracy and the ability to read defenses are just as, or more important.
I will remind you of what NFL.com’s David Carr said last week after looking at a lot of film of Watson.
“Right now, Watson is wowing everybody with what he does on the board (drawing up plays scout and coaches asked of him by scouts) — but what I’m seeing on film is a guy who hasn’t done any of that in a game,” Carr said. “It’s one thing to learn Cover 2, draw it up and explain how to read it. It’s another thing to go and physically do what you’re drawing in a game atmosphere. Watson stares at his first target — and continues to stare — while two others are open. Whether that’s because of the scheme Clemson ran or because he’s not able to do better, Watson is locked in on one guy. Once that doesn’t work, he beats everyone on his feet and makes plays, because he’s that great an athlete.”
So we can talk all we want about his “championship pedigree” in college, but if he bird-dogs his primary target, in other words locks on his first read, and isn’t good at going through his progressions, that “championship pedigree” stuff doesn’t mean much.
Look, I’m not looking to beat up Watson. He seems to be a great kid, great leader and he has a lot of potential.
What I’m saying this “winner” stuff can be dangerous if you overrate it in the scouting process.
“The quarterback’s job is to win, and Watson made himself a collegiate legend by winning a lot — a 32-3 record, including a national championship,” wrote the ESPN scribe, in the article with the aforementioned headline.
Jason White was a big winner at Oklahoma. Now he’s selling insurance and owns a memorabilia store. I’m not taking a shot at White. Just throwing some cold water on this import of this “winner” stuff.
So often in college the first read is open (most college defensive backfields aren’t very good), so you can win in college being a one-read quarterback.
That won’t cut it on the NFL level.
So hold your horses on this “he’s a winner” angle when scouting college quarterbacks.
Of course it matters on some level, but only if you can combine that with great pocket presence, terrific accuracy, and the ability to go through your progressions.
April 12, 2017
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