(11-20-2017, 11:43 AM)JackCity Wrote: Theres a couple that stand out to me as being make or break for a QB.   

The first one is mental processing.  How fast can they see something happen and adjust accordingly? When a play breaks down what is the first thing they do? Mental processing is something that can be worked on and can differ depending on how long they've been in one offense or how long they've been in the league but generally QBs with slow processing don't become fast.   

Second one is poise. Alot of QB talk is centered around "the it factor". The unquantifiable aura that a QBs either have or they don't. A good few things go into the it factor but to be the most important part of it is simply poise. Can they keep a clear head , lead a team and remain in the moment even when chaos is all around them? Can they stay consistent all through a game regardless of the outcome? The greats all had near perfect pose. Marino, Brady, Manning, Montana ,Brees. I think it's something that's relatively easy to see but something that's very hard to develop.

The third is arm talent. The combination of arm strength, accuracy ,placement and mechanical efficiency.  Arm talent is often just used as another word for arm strength but really I think it's much more than that. Having a rocket arm with no refinement is useless, having a deadly accurate arm with no zip is useless.  The most basic act of QBing is throwing the ball and the best QBs also have the most "talented arms". They can make throws from tough angles, they can place the ball perfectly for YAC, they can adjust timing based off route and receiver with ease.  

Raw accuracy % or number of deep balls thrown doesn't really show you arm talent. Cam Newton has tons of arm talent but doesn't have a high completion rate. Likewise with Andrew Luck.  


Rarely if ever see a QB with these 3 traits fail.

Thanks for those thoughts.......very good information.

To those you ‘ve listed, I would add raw intelligence, which could be a subset of mental processing. The ability to absorb a playbook quickly , identify defenses, blitz packages and change plays at the line of scrimmage effectively is very important.

A subset of arm talent might be the ability to alter the speed and trajectory of the pass, depending on the circumstances. How many times have we seen a QB throw a bullet pass to a receiver who is 10 yards away when a softer pass would make for an easier catch? Or, alternatively, a pass thrown on a line 15 feet above ground when “ putting air under it “ enables the receiver to adjust his pattern and make the catch?

Another trait that comes to mind is leadership ability. Is his personality the type that motivates his teammates ? Is he a “ natural leader “? When I watch Brady come off the field, he often confronts his teammates, and they often seek him out for discussion. He’s a coach on the field, educating players on how to do their jobs better.

With this said, how would Bortles have scored prior to the Jags drafting him based on these criteria?

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