I see that trend as well... McCown is now the grandpa on the team and it would be a** backwards to play him with what he has done with the rest of the roster.
Was channel surfing today and came across a replay of the 2014 Pin Stripe Bowl on the Big Ten Network. It was Penn State vs. Boston College and quarterbacking for PSU was our very own Christian Hackenberg. I came in at the end of the game but I was impressed with what I saw. What stood out for me was his arm strength which was quite good. He also looked very calm in the pocket when they gave him time to throw. Seemed to do a good job finding the open receiver. He was under center a lot in the part that I saw and his footwork looked good to me. I don't know what people are complaining about. In short, I think anyone would consider him a strong pro prospect, especially organizations that want their QB to operate in the pocket. BTW, PSU won that game in OT.
I saw that game as well, and remember how highly the commentators spoke of him. They were spitting out the same type of comments I heard watching USC and UCLA games and the like.
That is who he is. He's got all the tools and looks like an NFL QB in a shell, but by and large his performance in college was atrocious outside of a few games here and there. His preseason was a great example of it. You watch that one drive against the Giants and you're impressed. You watch his entire body of work and you are horrified. The biggest red flag on him was his inability to hang in the pocket and deliver the football. You really cannot become a professional QB without that trait
Yeah as it is overcoming your weaknesses and trying to improve that of your strengths like with every other QB. Not just Christian H!
Admittedly, I didn't see all of his games. However, if as you say, he has all the tools, then the rest is hard work and desire. I'll be disappointed if he isn't the starter on day one. He's a second round pick who's had a year to prepare. The clock should be ticking on him.
I get your opinion, but I've seen most of Hackenbergs film and I wouldn't go near the word atrocious. Atrocious QB's don't get drafted period, regardless of the tools. I'll judge by the 2017 preseason and then some, the 2016 rookie didn't have the reps to be successful.
It's funny .. if you watch him in the pro-style vs Syracuse 2013 on draft breakdown .. they are praising his footwork lol.
That's because in 2013 he was playing under O'Brien and Franklin hadn't arrived and screwed up his footwork yet.
Operating from the shotgun limits your movement, remember Hack played baseball so he wings it sometimes using all arm which is why he'll throw some into the dirt or air mail them. Under Center he's dropping back and getting that base moving so he's so much more accurate. He still has to learn how to move his feet when operating out of the gun in 2 minute drills and 4 minute drills.
I think Hackenberg's footwork has always been much better under center than in the gun. It seems like the dropback reminds him to move his feet, and without that reminder he gets stuck in the mud. Swapping BOB for Franklin didn't change his footwork as much as it did exploit his weaknesses by using a spread system that put him in the gun a lot more often than the prostyle system did. Perhaps that could be a reason why we swapped Gailey's spread for a WCO? Regardless, he's been working with Jordan Palmer a lot these last 2 offseasons and hopefully he's built up the muscle memory to move his feet in the gun.
I think your observation could explain a lot of Hack's problems, and your suggestion about them going with a WCO as the solution makes a lot of sense. I hope you're right on both counts. I decided to read up on the origins of the WCO, as invented by Bill Walsh, and as he called it, "The Cincinnati Offense", and if the Jets did employ this approach, I could see where Hack might really blossom. Here's the link to one of the articles I read: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1087386-football-101-breaking-down-the-west-coast-offense
The route tree of the WCO also plays to Hackenbergs' strengths. Posts/Flags, Hash to sideline, and the slant. The timed slant route, Hackenberg threw extremely well in college and when executed well is hard to defend.
If it was his third year, I'd agree. But second year, he should show a lot of improvement. If it was super obvious he'd be ready by the beginning of next season, sitting him this year wouldn't bother me. But the level of play from him would have to DRASTICALLY improve from last year because dear God in heaven, watching him play in the pre-season was a huge embarrassment. Three seasons of college in a mediocre conference (Only team worth mentioning in that conference is Ohio St.) and he couldn't go above 60% completions? Suddenly he's going to start hitting receivers who are being covered by the country's best DBs? Right...That's happened to so many players from college. He reminds me of a more inaccurate Sanchez.
If you sat him again it would mean you have only one year to evaluate him. Contracts are 4 years. That means you have to decide whether you want to sign him long term after the third year or you risk losing him to free agency. One year, or even two, is not enough time to properly evaluate a QB. The Jets have already invested one year in which very little has been learned about him. That's why I said the clock is ticking. The window he has to prove himself is getting shorter.
Mediocre Conference? The top three conferences in College Football for the 2015-2016 season were: 3.BIG 12 B/R Final Top 25 Teams: 4 (No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 8 TCU, No. 13 Baylor, No. 19 Oklahoma State) Non-Bowl Teams: 3 (Texas, Iowa State, Kansas) Record vs. Power Five: 7-7 (3-4 in bowls) 2.BIG TEN - 4 Teams in the Top 12 B/R Final Top 25 Teams: 6 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 11 Iowa, No. 12 Michigan, No. 22 Wisconsin, No. 23 Northwestern) Non-Bowl Teams: 4* (Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue) Record vs. Power Five: 12-12 (3-4 in bowls) 1.SEC B/R Final Top 25 Teams: 5 (No. 1 Alabama, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 18 LSU, No. 20 Tennessee, No. 24 Florida) Non-Bowl Teams: 4 (Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina) Record vs. Power Five: 14-7 (8-2 in bowls)
https://soundcloud.com/ringernflsho...-worst-of-the-worst-with-mike-lombardi-ep-108 Listen. Some pretty good stuff.
People forget this all of the time, but Hackenberg's drop-back and footwork was changed under Franklin. He operates just fine under the shotgun. http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2016/04/penn_states_christian_hackenbe_43.html That change obviously wasn't for the better, it was a definitely player out there when you change their mechanics and footwork.
I didn't forget it, I've seen it a bunch. I just don't think his shotgun footwork was particularly good under BOB either, he had the same tendencies with either foot back. Also, there are NFL systems that have the QB alternate which foot is back depending on the formation and I don't think it's a good excuse for that simple of a thing to destroy all of your fundamentals.
