The NFL has a shortage of elite quarterbacks.
Why is that?
A few years ago, former NFL head coach Bruce Arians wrote a book called “The Quarterback Whisperer” and pointed out what the issue is – college spread offenses.
“The college spread quarterback gets the play call by looking at a sign that someone on the sideline holds up,” wrote Arians. “He rarely uses a snap count. He just claps his hands or stomps his feet and then takes the snap in the shotgun.
“The most important trait needed to become a QB is leadership. But there is no leadership required of a QB in some versions of the spread. He doesn’t talk to his teammates in the huddle. He doesn’t change the snap count. He barely reads the defense.
“The college spread quarterback doesn’t learn the mental and physical skills needed to execute the intricacies of the NFL game. That puts the college spread QBs, who aspire to play and succeed in the NFL, at a distinct disadvantage.
“College spread quarterbacks don’t have a sense of reading coverages and knowing where to go with the hot reads.”
There you have it.
This is a big reason why so many quarterbacks in the draft don’t work out.
They are playing checkers as college quarterbacks, and in the NFL they to learn to play chess, and many can’t do it.
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