2016 NFL Draft Prospects: Quarterbacks

Feb. 4, 2016.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2016QB.php

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/NorthDakotaState_logo.gif

Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
Height: 6-5. Weight: 233. Arm: 32.38. Hand: 10.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2016): 1.
2/4/16: Sources have said they think Wentz could be the best quarterback prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft. In order to help make that happen, Wentz had an excellent Senior Bowl showing off his big arm, ball placement, field vision and athleticism. Teams believe he will continue to rise in the lead up to the draft.

Multiple teams have told me they gave Wentz a first-round grade and think that he is the real deal. They say that Wentz has a good arm, size and athleticism, plus they love him off the field. They also like his pocket presence, field vision, experience under center, ability to make play calls in the huddle, and potential to grow in the NFL. They believe that he will fill out his frame in a NFL strength and conditioning program. The big challenge for Wentz, in their view, will be the drastic change in the speed of the game coming from North Dakota State’s opponents compared to the NFL. He also will need to mature into a leadership role.

On top of his good arm, mobility, pocket presence, field vision and accuracy. Wentz operated in a pro-style system with play calls in the huddle and working under center. In 2015, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,669 yards with 16 touchdowns and two interceptions while missing almost half the year with a broken wrist. Wentz also had four rushing touchdowns.

As a junior, Wentz completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,111 yard with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also had six touchdowns on the ground. Wentz was a backup as a freshman and sophomore.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/California_logo.gif

Jared Goff*, QB, California
Height: 6-4. Weight: 210.
Projected 40 Time: 4.71.
Projected Round (2016): 1.
2/4/16: In 2015, Goff completed 64 percent of his passes for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He beat up on weak competition early in the season, but he didn’t play as well against quality opponents like Utah, UCLA and USC. Goff bounced back to close out the regular season well against Stanford and Arizona State.

Still, Goff demonstrated his strong, accurate arm and quality field vision. He also has functional mobility to avoid rushers and pick up some yards on the ground. Goff needs to add weight for the NFL and also could have some issues with getting rattled and handling the rush at the next level.

Goff’s stats were inflated by a college offense that has a lot of instant passes, and coming from that system, he will need development for the NFL with field vision, working under center and holding up in the face of a pass rush. Goff displayed good mechanics at times, but also had some issues maintaining that when faced with a lot of pressure, and that led to some bad habits of throwing off his back foot. He has said he is working to correct those problems.

Some scouts said that Goff has been overhyped. One scouting director said that Goff was a good player, but he didn’t feel he was “top of the draft” worthy right now. Another scout said they were lukewarm on Goff as a pro quarterback.

In speaking to another general manager from a team that is among the best at evaluating and developing quarterbacks, he felt that Goff was the best of the draft-eligible signal-callers. Obviously, there isn’t a real consensus about Goff among NFL evaluators.

8/8/14: Goff enjoyed a breakout 2014 season. The sophomore completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,973 yards with 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Goff displayed some pocket-passing potential while playing with a less-than-ideal supporting cast. He struggled against USC’s good defense taking sacks and had a few interceptions dropped. Goff needs to perform better against top competition. He became the starter as a freshman in 2013 and completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,508 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/Memphis_logo.gif

Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Height: 6-7. Weight: 245.
Projected 40 Time: 4.78.
Projected Round (2016): 1-2.
2/4/16: In 2015, Lynch completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,778 yards with 28 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a good skill set, but is raw and needs development. Lynch has an arm that can make all the throws for the pro game, and he flashed the ability to pass accurately and beat good coverage with precise completions into tight windows. Lynch also has the athleticism to make plays with his feet and or throws on the run.

However, there is a lot of work that Lynch needs. His footwork and field vision are the primary areas to improve. Lynch was inconsistent with passing accurately and working through his progressions. He needs to become more consistent with the ability to thrive as a pocket passer as well. His eye movement and working through his progressions need to be faster and more consistent. According to sources, his head coach Justin Fuente said that Lynch needs to mature on the field with his football I.Q. and needs to mature off the field to handle being a franchise quarterback. Fuente coached Andy Dalton at TCU, and he told NFL evaluators that Dalton was far ahead of where Lynch is coming out of college.

In his previous seasons as a starter, Lynch used his running ability more. As a sophomore, he ran for 321 yards with 13 touchdowns while completing 63 percent of his passes for 3,031 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Lynch completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,056 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a freshman.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/MichiganState_logo.gif

Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 218.
Projected 40 Time: 4.60.
Projected Round (2016): 1-3.
2/4/16: Sources say that Cook has good height, weight and delivery, but a number of evaluators don’t really like him. They think he’s too inaccurate and question his lack of leadership with his team not voting him a team captain. If one highly touted quarterback prospect slides like others have in years past, Cook could be the prime candidate. He made a big mistake turning down his Senior Bowl invitation and the opportunity to address some of these concerns.

In 2015, Cook connected on 56 percent passes for 3,131 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He played well against Oregon, but wasn’t overwhelming against some mediocre opponents, though he had a prolific game against Rutgers. The Spartans have admitted their play calling was overly conservative at times and needed to let Cook throw more often. Late in the regular season, he played with an injured shoulder.

Cook has athleticism, good size, experience in a pro-style system and a strong arm that can make some beautiful throws downfield into tight windows. However, he isn’t a quarterback who drops back and throws 50 times a game while dominating a defense. His accuracy needs improvement as well. Cook was more of a game-manager for Michigan State, and that could be his future in the NFL.

8/8/15: Cook completed 58 percent of his passes in 2014 for 3,214 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. League sources identified Cook as a potential high first-round pick. He needs to improve certain aspects of his game to meet that grade though, mainly accuracy. Cook has proven to NFL evaluators that he has a big arm, pocket presence, the mobility to avoid rushers and roll out, and the ability to make the occasional precision throw. Cook plays in a pro-style system and has shown steady improvement with his ability to function out of the pocket while working through his progressions.

Cook has often thrown the ball better than his numbers illustrate. He can make some amazingly accurate throws into extremely tight windows for completions downfield, but also has some inconsistency with his accuracy on the routine passes and when going deep down the middle. Cook has to improve his footwork, which in turn will help his accuracy.

2013 was Cook’s first year as the full-time starter, and he got off to a slow start before coming on strong in the second half of the season to help lead the Spartans to a Big Ten title and victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Cook completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,755 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions for the year. He had great games against Ohio State (24-40 for 304 with 3 touchdowns, 1 interception) and Stanford (22-36 for 332 yards with 2 touchdown, 1 interception) to close out that season.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/OhioState_logo.gif

Cardale Jones*, QB, Ohio State
Height: 6-5. Weight: 250.
Projected 40 Time: 4.75.
Projected Round (2016): 2-3.
2/4/16: In 2015, Jones displayed his big arm and great skill set, but must get better at reading the field and with his passing technique. He was undefeated in his 11 starts in college, but with so little playing time, needing development is understandable. Jones entered the 2016 NFL Draft rather than return to Ohio State.

Jones completed 63 percent of his passes in 2015 for 1,460 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Aside from his right-arm cannon, he also displayed his running ability and how difficult he is to sack with his huge size. Jones is very physically gifted, but he’s raw and needs to gain experience.

8/8/15: Jones put on a display in 2014 after entering the starting lineup behind Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Jones has great size and a cannon for an arm. In his three starts, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 860 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Jones has a lot of upside and it will be fun to watch him in 2015, assuming he wins the starting job over J.T. Barrett.

Jones needs to improve his ability to throw while under heat. He also needs to get faster working through his progressions, moving his eyes and getting rid of the ball. Jones can hold onto the ball too long when plays start to break down on him. When Jones has a clean pocket, he displays the ability to make any throw the NFL asks for. While Jones is a pocket passer, he will take yards on the ground when available and has some athleticism as a runner. Jones can be tough to bring down for defenders in or out of the pocket.

Sources from multiple teams said that they view Jones as having a first-round skill set and if performed for an entire season the way he played in his three starts, he would be a first-rounder. Teams have questions about Jones’ football I.Q. and off-the-field maturity, so his pre-draft interviews will be important to address those questions.

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Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
Height: 6-4. Weight: 234.
Projected 40 Time: 4.87.
Projected Round (2016): 2-4.
2/4/16: In 2015, Hackenberg completed 54 percent of his passes for 2,525 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions. He had terrible games against Rutgers and Temple, but good outings against Buffalo, San Diego State, Indiana and Illinois.

Clearly, Hackenberg needs to improve his accuracy and decision-making, but the junior was playing in a bad situation with a weak offensive line and receivers. Over the last two seasons, Hackenberg routinely made some beautiful throws that are dropped by his receivers, but also missed too often on routine completions. He is a pro-style quarterback who was forced to play in a college spread offense that didn’t fit him well at all. Sources say that Penn State head coach James Franklin beat Hackenberg down and handled him terribly.

In speaking with sources, some teams grade Hackenberg on the third day of the 2016 NFL Draft as a fourth-rounder, but others have graded him in Round 3. Even the teams that graded him after the third round expect him to be selected in the second or third round. One general manager said Hackenberg has just average accuracy and is a statue in the pocket. There also was reports about Hackenberg being disliked in the locker room and not a leader, but in speaking with Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith – a former Nittany Lion – and Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, they both dismissed that, saying Hackenberg wasn’t a finger pointer and did everything asked of him. Nassib was shocked to hear of those reports and said that Hackenberg was a great teammate.

8/8/15: Hackenberg completed 56 percent of his passes in 2014 for 2,677 yards with 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He played better than the numbers indicate as his supporting cast was a huge liability, including an awful offensive line. Hackenberg closed out the 2014 season with a huge comeback overtime win over Boston College, completing 34-of-50 for 371 yards and four touchdowns.

In terms of a skill set, Hackenberg has what the NFL is looking for with a size, pocket presence, field-vision potential and a strong arm that can push the ball downfield. James Franklin’s offense didn’t help Hackenberg develop much as a NFL pocket-passer prospect last season as so many of the play calls were instant throws because of a weak offensive line that couldn’t maintain its blocks. Hackenberg needs to improve his ball placement and decision-making in some areas, but his supporting cast really hurt him last year. At times, Hackenberg makes some brilliant throws downfield after working off his first read, and if he does that regularly as a junior, he could be a high first-rounder.

Hackenberg was the star recruit for Bill O’Brien and proved the hype legit during an impressive freshman season that saw him named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Hackenberg completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,955 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2013. He also ran for four touchdowns. Sources in the NFL feel that Hackenberg could end up being an elite quarterback prospect.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/NCState_logo.gif

Jacoby Brissett, QB, N.C. State
Height: 6-3. Weight: 236. Arm: 32.88. Hand. 9.5.
Projected 40 Time: 4.83.
Projected Round (2016): 3-4.
2/4/16: In 2015, Brissett completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,662 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Sources with teams say that Brissett is a sleeper quarterback who they’re keeping an eye on. As we reported in the rumormill, some east coast scouts rate Brissett ahead of other more highly touted prospects like Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg. Other sources aren’t fans of Brissett. He had a decent week at the Senior Bowl, but didn’t light a fire under his draft stock.

8/8/15: 2014 saw Brissett complete 60 percent of his passes for 2,344 yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. He showed potential as a pocket passer. Brissett was on fire against a lot of weak competition even before he lit up Florida State (32-of-48 for 359 yards with three touchdowns). Brissett sat out the 2013 season per NCAA rules after transferring from Florida. He spent 2012 as Jeff Driskel’s backup. Brissett played a little as a freshman backup during the 1-year tenure of Charlie Weis as Florida’s offensive coordinator.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/MississippiState_logo.gif

Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 226. Arm: 31.38. Hand: 9.88.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2016): 4-6.
2/4/16: Prescott completed 66 percent of his passes in 2015 for 3,793 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he totaled 588 yards with 10 scores. Sources say they view Prescott as Tim Tebow 2.0 from playing in the same offense, though Prescott has better throwing mechanics and functions better out of the pocket than Tebow did entering the draft. They think Prescott needs to become a better pocket passer, but they numerous teams loved him in the Senior Bowl meetings. They were impressed with his football I.Q. and his leadership skills to be captain in a NFL locker room.

8/8/15: Prescott completed 61 percent of his passes in 2014 for 3,449 yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry for 986 yards with 14 scores on the ground. Prescott underwhelmed against Alabama, but that was really the only game of the season in which he struggled.

Prescott’s play has been somewhat reminiscent of Tim Tebow at Florida because Prescott is playing in the same offense for Tebow’s former offensive coordinator, Dan Mullen, the Mississippi State head coach. Like Tebow, Prescott needs to improve his pocket passing and accuracy for the NFL.

In 2013, Prescott completed 58 percent of his passes for 940 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

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Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford
Height: 6-2. Weight: 217. Arm: 32. Hand: 10.13.
Projected 40 Time: 4.79.
Projected Round (2016): 4-6.
2/4/16: As a senior, Hogan completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,867 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In his good games, he looked like an early-rounder; in his bad games, he looked like an undrafted free agent. Hogan has a good enough skill set to play as a pro, but looks more like a backup-caliber signal-caller in the NFL. Sources said they like Hogan’s intelligence to become a quality backup quarterback.

8/8/15: In 2014, Hogan completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,792 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had five rushing touchdowns, too. Hogan was still streaky as a passer, looking inept at times and throwing excellent passes on other attempts. He needs to become more consistent in order to rise as a senior.

Hogan wasn’t as good as expected in 2013 as Stanford’s passing attack was underwhelming. For the year, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,630 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Hogan averaged 4.5 yards per carry for 314 yards on the ground with two touchdowns, too.

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Cody Kessler, QB, USC
Height: 6-1. Weight: 224. Arm: 32. Hand: 9.88.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2016): 4-6.
2/4/16: In 2015, Kessler threw for 3,536 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes. If he had a better physical skill set, he would be rated higher, but he is undersized. Kessler’s lack of arm strength looks like a real weakness for the NFL. He did not impress at the Senior Bowl. Kessler looks like a game-manager backup quarterback in the NFL.

8/8/15: Kessler completed 71 percent of his passes in 2014 for 3,505 yards with 36 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was an effective game-manager for the Trojans. Kessler is undersized and could be lacking in his physical skill set to be a starter for the NFL. He needs to prove that wrong as a senior. Kessler was considering entering the 2015 NFL Draft, but decided to return to USC.

It took some time, but Kessler eventually won the starting quarterback spot for USC to replace Matt Barkley, and Kessler has improved as he gained experience. Kessler completed 65 percent of his passes in 2013 for 2,968 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

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Nate Sudfeld, QB, Indiana
Height: 6-5. Weight: 240.
Projected 40 Time: 4.90.
Projected Round (2016): 5-7.
2/4/16: Sudfeld completed 61 percent of his passes this season for 3,184 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has good size and a strong arm, but he needs to get faster in his delivery. Sudfeld also has to improve his accuracy, ball placement, field vision and play faster. He had a quality week at the East-West Shrine and is a late-round developmental candidate.

8/8/15: Sudfeld missed half of the 2014 season over a season-ending shoulder injury. 2013 saw him complete 60 percent of his passes for 2,523 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

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Vernon Adams Jr., QB, Oregon
Height: 5-11. Weight: 200.
Projected 40 Time: 4.67.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Adams had a solid senior year for Oregon, completing 65 percent for 2,643 yards with 26 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has a quality arm, athleticism, touch on his passes and nice field vision. The lack of size is the huge negative for Adams. While he has some similarities to Russell Wilson, the odds of Adams panning out like Wilson are extremely remote. Prior to playing for Oregon, Adams played at Eastern Washington.

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Brandon Allen, QB, Arkansas
Height: 6-1. Weight: 214. Arm: 30.5. Hand: 8.5.
Projected 40 Time: 4.91.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Allen was a game-manager quarterback for Arkansas the past few seasons, but as a senior, he produced some big plays, leading the Razorbacks to overtime wins over Auburn and Ole Miss. In 2015, Allen completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He became a nice college quarterback, but he doesn’t look like he has a starter’s skill set for the NFL.

Allen had a respectable week at the Senior Bowl, and sources say they liked him as a late-round or undrafted free agent to compete for their third quarterback spot.

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Matt Johnson, QB, Bowling Green
Height: 6-0. Weight: 219.
Projected 40 Time: 4.83.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Sources say that Johnson is a Case Keenum-type quarterback prospect. Johnson has a decent arm and is a gamer, but limited for the next level. The redshirt senior completed 67 percent of his passes this season for 4,946 yards with 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Johnson missed almost all of 2014 with an injury, but completed 64 percent of his passes the year before for 3,467 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

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Jacob Coker, QB, Alabama
Height: 6-5. Weight: 236. Arm: 31.38. Hand: 9.88.
Projected 40 Time: 4.88.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Coker had a rocky start to the year, but played better to help lead Alabama to a National Championship. He completed 67 percent of his passes in 2015 for 3,110 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Coker has good size and a strong arm, but looks like a project for the NFL. He has a long windup in his delivery and lacks athleticism in the pocket. Coker didn’t impress at the Senior Bowl. As one source said, “Coker is a poor man’s Mike Glennon.”

8/8/15: Coker was Blake Sims’ backup last season. Coker has a good skill set, but he needs to be the starter and effective to rise.

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Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
Height: 6-3. Weight: 220.
Projected 40 Time: 4.86.
Projected Round (2016): 6-FA.
2/4/16: Doughty has some vocal fan supporters based off his production and video-game stat line, but in speaking with sources, they haven’t mentioned Doughty as a pro prospect who they’re impressed with. He doesn’t have an NFL arm and was unimpressive at the East-West Shrine.

In 2015, the senior completed 72 percent of his passes for 5,055 yards with 48 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Doughty completed 68 percent of his passes in 2014 for 4,830 yards with 49 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

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Jeff Driskel, QB, Louisiana Tech
Height: 6-3. Weight: 230. Arm: 32.5. Hand: 9.75.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2016): 7-FA.
2/4/16: Driskel has the skill set to be a quality NFL starting quarterback. He is big, athletic, and has the arm strength to make all the throws. However, Driskel doesn’t have the mentality of a pro signal-caller. While at Florida, Driskel was a disaster with turnovers, poor accuracy, and taking an offense that had pro talent and making it inept.

In 2014, Driskel had future NFL running backs (Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor), wide receivers (Demarcus Robinson), and offensive linemen (D.J. Humphries and Max Garcia), yet still struggled to move the ball. Driskel completed 54 percent of his passes that season for 1,140 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Driskel transferred to Louisiana Tech and beat up on the weak competition in 2015, completing 62 percent of his passes for 4,033 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. At the Senior Bowl, his skill set flashed at times, but he didn’t play well enough to undo the damage done by his play at Florida. Sources say that they’ve given Driskel an undrafted grade.

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Travis Wilson, QB, Utah
Height: 6-6. Weight: 240.
Projected 40 Time: 4.85.
Projected Round (2016): 7-FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Wilson completed 65 percent of his throws for 2,095 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has big size and an arm, but isn’t a NFL passer.

8/8/15: Wilson completed 60 percent of his passes in 2014 for 2,012 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was in and out of the lineup on top of being benched at times. Wilson has a good size and a nice arm but has to get more consistent. He completed 56 percent of his passes in 2013 for 1,827 yards with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions across nine games.

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Jake Rudock, QB, Michigan
Height: 6-3. Weight: 208.
Projected 40 Time: 4.91.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Rudock played at Iowa for a few seasons before transferring to Michigan for his senior year. He had a solid final season and was a functional game-manager for Jim Harbaugh. In 2015, Rudock completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,017 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was a smart quarterback, but lacks the arm or athleticism to be rated higher.

Rudock did not impress at the East-West Shrine practices. He wasn’t horrible, but he looks like an undrafted quarterback who will compete as a training camp to be a team’s third quarterback.

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Joel Stave, QB, Wisconsin
Height: 6-5. Weight: 219.
Projected 40 Time: 4.86.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Stave has some size to him and occasionally makes nice throws, but he was never consistent in college and had some rough slumps. That was reinforced at the East-West Shrine.

In 2015, Stave completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,687 yards with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His best season came in 2013 when he completed 62 percent for 2,494 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Stave had Jared Abbrederis at wideout and Melvin Gordon in the backfield that season.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/FloridaState_logo.gif

Everett Golson, QB, Florida State
Height: 6-1. Weight: 185.
Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Golson completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,778 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He had some ugly struggles for the Seminoles. Golson didn’t play against Syracuse and Clemson because of a concussion and backup Sean Maguire kept the job afterward.

8/8/15: Golson landed at Florida State after leaving Notre Dame. 2014 was Golson’s return to football after being suspended for the 2013 entire season for cheating on an exam. Perhaps the year away was good for him; he occasionally looked improved with his passing skills. However, Golson had problems with turnovers. The senior completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,445 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He had eight touchdowns on the ground.

Golson previously led Notre Dame to the National Championship game in 2012. The first-year starter completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,405 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 415 yards and six touchdowns that season.

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Wes Lunt, QB, Illinois
Height: 6-4. Weight: 215.
Projected 40 Time: 4.82.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: This year, Lunt completed 56 percent of his passes for 2,761 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.

8/8/15: Lunt completed 64 percent of his passes in 2014 for 1,763 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions. He missed five games with injuries and played in a running offense.

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Max Wittek, QB, Hawaii
Height: 6-4. Weight: 235.
Projected 40 Time: 4.79.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Wittek completed 47 percent of his passes for 1,542 yards with seven touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

8/8/15: Wittek didn’t play in 2014 after transferring from USC. He was a backup as a Trojan and didn’t beat out Cody Kessler to replace Matt Barkley.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/UtahState_logo.gif

Chuckie Keeton, QB, Utah State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 200.
Projected 40 Time: 4.65.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Keeton missed most of the regular season with a sprain of the MCL. He completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,006 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions in his seven games.

8/8/15: Keeton went out for the year with a knee injury early in 2014. He completed 55 percent of his passes in his three-game season for 426 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Keeton started the 2013 season off well by completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,388 yards with 18 touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, he averaged 4.4 yards per carry for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Keeton injured his knee against BYU and was out for the rest of the year.

Keeton had a breakout sophomore season and was the 2012 First-Team All-WAC quarterback. He completed 68 percent of his passes that year for 3,373 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions that year. Keeton also ran for 751 yards (619 net) with eight touchdowns.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/CentralFlorida_logo.gif

Justin Holman*, QB, Central Florida
Height: 6-4. Weight: 213.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Holman completed 51 percent of his passes this season for 1,379 yards with seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He fractured his right index finger in Week 2 and missed three games.

8/8/15: Holman replaced Blake Bortles for Central Florida last season and had a solid debut, completing 57 percent of his passes for 2,952 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Holman flashed at times, but he needs to improve his accuracy and cut down on interceptions as a junior.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/TexasTech_logo.gif

Davis Webb, QB, Texas Tech
Height: 6-4. Weight: 195.
Projected 40 Time: 4.78.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Webb was relegated to backup duty behind Patrick Mahomes.

8/8/15: In 2014, Webb completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,539 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He missed the final four games with an injury. Webb has to prove he is more than a college-system quarterback.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/OklahomaState_logo.gif

J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State
Height: 6-2. Weight: 205.
Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: Walsh was the backup quarterback to Mason Rudolph.

8/8/15: Walsh only played two games in 2014, completing 56 percent of his passes for 233 yards with a touchdown and interception. He broke his foot in the second game and missed the rest of the season. Walsh earned playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2012 after backing up Brandon Weeden in 2011. Walsh flashed some passing and running ability during his playing time in 2012, completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,564 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for 320 yards (290 net) and seven touchdowns, too. In 2013, Walsh completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 1,333 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

image: http://walterfootball.com/college/TCU_logo.gif

Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU
Height: 6-2. Weight: 205.
Projected 40 Time: 4.71.
Projected Round (2016): FA.
2/4/16: In 2015, Boykin completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,575 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His season ended slightly early – a few days before TCU’s bowl game – when he was arrested following a bar fight and assaulting an officer. That pretty much ended any shot the senior had at getting drafted. Boykin doesn’t display the traits of a pro pocket passer and lacks the size of the vast majority of NFL quarterbacks.

Boykin was a college quarterback who is more of a third-day-caliber prospect – before the arrest at least. He should be one of those signal-callers who is being discussed as switching positions to wide receiver, running back or cornerback.

8/8/15: Boykin did a lot of damage with his arm and legs last season. He ran for 707 yards with eight touchdowns while completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,901 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Boykin has to improve as a pocket passer to improve his NFL stock.

zn wrote:

There are those in the building who have soured on Mason and it’s fair to wonder where he fits moving forward.

You have to figure that’s true.

What happens next? Trey Watts? Draft another back?

joemad wrote:

Bring him in to compete with Case and Nick.

Don’t get me in a board war, but, I think CK is actually better than PH was.

Though I always saw PH as a #2, not a starter.

Some things JT said here he was holding back on a bit before:

.

JT, thanks for the chat. Just wondering if you’re still considering write a book about the ST LOUIS Rams, and if so when do you think we’d see it?
Thanks
by JoeChiefsfan 4:34PM

Yes I am. It’s not foremost on my mind right now. But I am trying to decide if I’ll write a PG version, a tell all, or a tell some.

.

Does John Shaw regret asking for the first tier clause, and does Chip regret selling to Kroenke? Was there any way Chip and Lucia could’ve kept the Rams? I know Mark Davis isn’t exactly swimming in cash.
by David 4:39PM

I think Shaw was just trying to protect the franchise. But he’s fond of St. Louis and realizes what the move meant to his career and the Rams _ i.e., the Greatest Show on Turf and Super Bowl XXXIV. In recent years, Shaw hasn’t been much of a fan of Kroenke. As for Chip regretting selling to Kroenke _ I’m not sure. I do know Chip wishes someone from St. Louis would’ve stepped up to attempt to buy the team at the time. He heard nothing but crickets from the StL and had to go to Champaign-Urbana to find Shad Khan.

.

Not sure on Barnes. I thought he played better over the second half of the season. I think they’re pretty lukewarm on Zuerlein at this point. I’ve heard they might put the transition tag on Trumaine Johnson, and wonder if that means they feel he’s more sign-able than Janoris Jenkins. I think if push came to shove, they’d sign Hayes over Sims. I kind of wonder about Harkey only in the sense that if they wanted him back _ and he’s a good blocker and leader _ why would he be re-signed already. I mean, it shouldn’t be that tough to re-sign a fullback/blocking tight end.

With veteran group in Denver, coach Gary Kubiak has learned to chill out

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak was far more controlling when he had same job in Houston

He had a mini-stroke incident that caused him to re-think how he drove himself

BY RICK BONNELL

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article58513893.html#storylink=cpy

Denver Broncos tight end Owen Daniels has worked for coach Gary Kubiak in each of this three NFL stops – Houston, Baltimore and Denver.

Kubiak stunned Daniels with a speech he gave to the Broncos last spring.

“At one of the first meetings he said, ‘I want you guys to be you. I want your personality to shine.’ I thought, ‘Wait a second. Who is this guy?’” Daniels recalled.

Kubiak was a bit of a control freak when he coached the Houston Texans. He had some success but eventually suffered health issues before being fired in 2013. He went on to be the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator for one season before replacing John Fox as Broncos coach last spring.

Now he’s coaching Super Bowl 50 and functioning in a very different way than he once did.

“It was a little bit different in Houston; he was a little more in control. Maybe he had to be,” 10-year NFL veteran Daniels said. “We have such great leadership on this team that we can kind of check ourselves. It’s been a good situation for us.”

Dream job
It seems some of this is about how Kubiak changed and some about how his circumstances changed. The mini-stroke he suffered in 2013 on the Texans’ sideline would make anyone pause to reflect. Kubiak would have been happy to continue as a coordinator in Baltimore, but the Broncos were a dream job, coaching the team he played for and working for his former teammate and close friend, Broncos general manager John Elway.

As a side benefit, Kubiak inherited a veteran team that could police itself.

“The (primary) leaders stayed the same: 18 (quarterback Peyton Manning), 94 (linebacker DeMarcus Ware) and 58 (linebacker Von Miller). They’ve been the nucleus,” Kubiak said.

Kubiak empowered those leaders to set the agenda and decide team policy. For instance, when Kubiak was asked about establishing a curfew for Super Bowl week, Kubiak said that was the captains’ call, not his.

‘This is your team’
Ware had never played for Kubiak before this season, but Daniels’ description of his evolution makes sense to him.

“He doesn’t put his thumb on everybody,” Ware said. “With the veteran guys, he’ll put it on us (to establish discipline). He has said to the more mature guys, ‘This is your team. What do you want to do with it? I’ll give you free reign to do things.’

“If there’s something we need to do, some kind of scheduling change, we come up with some kind of agreement and you feel good about that.”

Does this lighter touch have anything to do with the health crisis when he was with the Texans? Not directly, Kubiak said.

Kubiak suffered a “transient ischemic attack,” often called a mini-stroke.

“I don’t think it changed me as a person,” Kubiak said. “I think it made me change a little bit as a coach and how I go about things. … (I) kind of ran myself into the ground.”

Learning to delegate
So Kubiak learned to delegate, not an easy change for man of his makeup. It helped that Kubiak had a model – Ravens coach John Harbaugh – for a different way to approach the job.

“I think passing through Baltimore (and) working with a great organization, a great staff there helped me, I’ve taken a lot of that with me here to Denver,” Kubiak said.

The guy who has played for him at each stop sure notices a shift.

“I have not heard him yell as much. I don’t know if that’s just him trusting us more, in concert with the health scare he had in Houston,” Daniels said.

“Sure, we’ve had some meetings on the sidelines that weren’t so fun to be a part of. But he’s so mild-mannered (now). But when we’re not doing our jobs, when we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing, he (still) gets fired up and lets us know.”

wv wrote:

zn wrote:

Is it just me or is the buzz for this game not that big?

This is a hogs-head-lasagna thread. Try to
stay on topic.

w
v

I’ll take that as a “yes.”

Cam Newton represents football’s evolution heading into Super Bowl 50

By Patrick Saunders

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_29476884/cam-newton-represents-footballs-evolution-heading-into-super-bowl-50

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Faster than a pocket quarterback, more powerful than an average linebacker and able to leap defensive lines in a single bound. Cam Newton is the NFL’s man of steel.

With apologies to Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who might be playing the final game of his career Sunday, Newton is the story leading up to Super Bowl 50.

For many, Newton represents football’s evolution, both as sports and entertainment. The Carolina Panthers’ quarterback is a chiseled 6-foot-5, 250-pound man who throws lasers and plows over defenders. He dances and dabs in the end zone. He speaks his mind. He named his infant son Chosen. He’s a lightning rod of attention.

Like other trailblazing sports figures such as Joe Namath, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan, Newton does it all on his terms, like it or not.

“I guess you’ll have to get used to it, because I don’t plan on changing,” he said. “I know it’s going to sound cliché, but I’m just having fun. It’s been something that I’ve been doing since I was 7 years old and nothing has changed.”

Yet, for some, Newton represents what’s wrong with contemporary sports. They see arrogance in his actions, and view his end zone gyrations as disrespectful mockery of his opponents. Never mind that part of his routine since 2011 has been handing footballs to kids in the stands after he scores a touchdown.

Race is also part of how critics view him, at least in Newton’s view.

“I’m an African-American quarterback. That may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to,” he said last week.

But like him or hate him, there is no denying Newton’s incredible talent. And his charisma, which has been on full display here this week during media conferences.

“I tell you, he’s just had this incredible year. I mean, no doubt in my mind he’s going to be the MVP,” said the 39-year-old Manning. “What he’s done in the short time being an NFL quarterback, he’s been awesome. It’s the best word I can think of. He’s been a great passer, he’s been a great runner, he’s been a great leader.”

How awesome? Newton led the NFL during the regular season with 45 total touchdowns (35 passing, 10 rushing), becoming the first player in league history to pass for at least 30 touchdowns and rush for at least 10.

It’s the merrymaking after the touchdowns that has pushed some people’s buttons.

Is race a factor when it comes to Cam Newton’s popularity?
Denver Post

In November, Rosemary Plorin attended a Tennessee Titans-Panthers game with her 9-year-old daughter and sent the Charlotte Observer a letter she wrote to Newton questioning whether he was setting a good example.

“Because of where we sat, we had a close-up view of your conduct in the fourth quarter,” she wrote. “The chest puffs. The pelvic thrusts. The arrogant struts and the in-your-face taunting of both the Titans’ players and fans. We saw it all.”

The letter created a firestorm of controversy, with many saying it was racially motivated. Plorin was vilified on social media.

Newton responded to the letter by telling Carolina reporters: “Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. Everyone is. You can’t fault her for that. If she feels offended, I apologize to her, but at the end of the day, I am who I am. It is what it is.”

(Click to enlarge)
After hearing that, Plorin softened her criticism.

Earlier this season, former Chicago Bears all-pro linebacker Brian Urlacher fired off a salvo toward Newton.

“I played defense, so I don’t like it when guys celebrate with dances and stuff,” Urlacher told USA Today. “Who I like the way he celebrates is Peyton (Manning). He kind of gives the guy a handshake and goes back to the sidelines. That’s a great celebration right there. You don’t see him dancing. Even when he gets a first down, he doesn’t do anything.”

The Broncos, however, don’t seem to object to Newton’s touchdown dances. They just don’t want to give him the chance to do them.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Quarterback Cam Newton (1) of the Carolina Panther addresses the media during media availability prior to Super Bowl 50 at the San Jose Convention Center on Feb. 3, 2016 in San Jose, Calif. (Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images)
“What is my take on celebrations? I love it. I love it,” Broncos linebacker Von Miller said. “Whoever is dancing the most is probably going to win Sunday. I like to dance. I like to show emotion and celebrate with my teammates.

“Cam is the same way. I love it. I think it is great for the game. You have a younger generation that pays close attention to that, and that is what they follow. That is the future of the sport.”

Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said he doesn’t think the fuss over Newton is a racial issue, or even a generational one.

“Man, it’s fun, I mean, but you guys may have never played,” he told the media crowded around his podium. “But if you ever played, you would get excited, you would see how fun it is. You might want to dance, too.”

Just five years into his NFL career, Newton has led the Panthers to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2003 season. He is only one victory shy of writing an impressive chapter in football history. The former Auburn star could become the first quarterback and second player to win a Heisman Trophy, college football national championship, NFL MVP award and Super Bowl.

He is transforming the way the game is played and the way it’s viewed. And yet Panthers veteran defensive end Jared Allen cautions against labeling Newton as the NFL’s prototype quarterback of the future.

“Really, how many Cam Newtons are out there?” Allen said. “The versatile offense we run, all of the looks we throw at people, that’s a testament to Cam Newton.”

As for his place in the spotlight of America’s most popular sport, Newton is ready to soak it all up, so long as it’s done on his terms.

“Whether I want it or not, the position that I’m in, I’m given a stage and what I do on that stage means a lot,” he said.”For these people that are saying, ‘Hell, I hate Cam,’ I’m going to stay true to who I am and try to fulfill the things that are important to me.”

The rush of Deacon Jones and the rush of watching him

http://blog.pennlive.com/davidjones/2013/06/of_the_rush_of_deacon_jones_an.html

The first time Dick Vermeil got an up-close look at Deacon Jones, he was a fuzzy 32-year-old assistant coach freshly hired from Stanford by George Allen to the newly minted position of “special teams coach” with the Los Angeles Rams. He watched with some fascination during his first NFL training camp in 1969 as immense 290-pound offensive tackle Bob “The Boomer” Brown, newly acquired from the Eagles and smack in the prime of a Hall of Fame career that included six Pro Bowls, squared off against Jones. It was hotly anticipated around camp as something of a showdown of Japanese horror movie monsters. Except, as Vermeil tells it, it would’ve made for a very short film:

“Bob Brown couldn’t block him. Could not block him.”

It’s not hard to imagine the rivalry component of the all-business Brown getting frustrated with the boisterous and easygoing Jones beating him and talking about it afterward.

But then Jones beat everybody. He was the best. He created the term “sack” more than a decade before it even became an official statistic. And then it took historians poring back through NFL Films archives to attempt to count up all the sacks the man who coined the word would have recorded. They came up with 26 in 1967 and 24 in 1968. These in 14-game seasons. Just for comparison’s sake, Michael Strahan holds the official NFL record with 22½ in 2001 over 16 games.

I spoke to Vermeil this afternoon and he still sounds amazed in recall:

“I don’t know what David Jones’ overall top speed was. But his explosive acceleration was his asset. His first step, with his long arms and the long reach that he had. And then his ability to contort his body and run low to the ground and reach. It just made him very, very difficult to block.”

Vermeil is now 76 and semi-retired living in Chester County. He accomplished nearly everything a coach could, named to the profession’s highest honors at the high school, college and pro levels, winning a Rose Bowl and a Super Bowl as a head coach.

Remember that Vermeil won his Lombardi Trophy a mere 13 years ago. He was on the sideline well after the game transitioned to warp speed in open space. It’s a given that most players of the 1960s simply could not keep up with the size and speed of today. But could Jones have?

“Oh, there’s no question.”

There are caveats, Vermeil said:

“It’s not the same game. It’s a much more wide-open game. And the ratio of run to pass is so much more on the pass side than it was in 1969 when Deacon was playing like hell.

“But he played the run extremely well, too. And I’d say if they’d have passed more, he’d have sacked more.

“The thing that would hurt him a little in today’s rules is what’s allowed in pass protection. Now the offensive linemen use the arms and extend the hands where in the old days that was, technically, against the rules.”

As today is the head slap Jones used to such great effect on his first step to make tackles flinch and lose balance. Now, it’ll get you 15 yards or worse.

Which brings us back to an era of football that never can – and should not be – revisited. Not that I can deny its attraction. Seeing quarterbacks sacked from the blind side by speed-rushing defensive ends was one of the visceral dirty pleasures of the 1960s and ’70s. NFL rules were rightly enacted beginning in the ’80s to protect the most important and valuable players in the game and have kept favoring the offense ever since.

Now, it’s just not the same being a defensive lineman. No nicknames for front fours. No 7-step drops and languid pauses taken by pocket quarterbacks.

As Vermeil said, it’s just a different game. Which is why nothing like Deacon Jones can ever quite be seen again.

Aaron Donald, Rams

Rams DT Aaron Donald dishes on his first two seasons in the NFL, attention he receives off the field, the teammate who eats the most and how he compares with J.J. Watt.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14714877