If we didn't draft Geno and Mark sucked, we could be drafting anywhere this year and we probably wouldn't have Rex Ryan as a coach anymore. I don't know what coach hired this year you'd rather have than Ryan, but personally I'm happy with Rex and Geno vs unknown rookie HC and unknown rookie QB. What if we got the 9th overall pick and 3 QB's went before our pick? Then we'd have to go skill position but we'd end up having to look in the 2nd round for a QB anyway. And just because it's a deeper QB class has absolutely no relation to the QB's being better pros than Geno, it just means there is a higher # of guys with potential. I believe Mark would have and should have started the season if he didn't get hurt. There is no way of knowing whether how bad our season could have gone if he was our only legitimate QB option though.
The knock on Bridgewater at this point is that he's not that accurate throwing to guys in motion and his throws aren't that strong unless he can step up into the throw. The skinny legs are a real issue. They prevent him from getting the lower body drive that most QB's get out of one step.
The other thing was that he didn't have a solid corps of WR's to throw too at any point last season. That doesn't excuse the bad decisions he made but it does explain the timing issues that occurred over and over again. I don't want to do the chart but I'll bet you that Geno threw to WR's in games with which he had fewer than 4 games experience more often than any other QB in football last season and that really accentuated the rookie blues.
Those knocks are inaccurate. Just watch him, he has a great delivery on the run, and great timing. He could probably release the ball higher since he isn't a super tall guy, but he has a very quick release and is an accurate passer. He has good footwork, rarely makes a bad decision, and also has the ability to escape pressure. If he feels like he isn't balanced for a throw, he either resets and throws, or eludes pressure and throws on the move. He has adequate arm strength for an NFL QB, and he will only get bigger through his first couple years in the league. The film is available, just watch it. You'll see the knocks are totally exaggerated.
I've watched a bunch of complete games on him at this point. I see a decent prospect who has a chance to be good but no lock at all.
Not to mention the fact that he admitted that he was trying to do too much a number of times last year, so was forcing the ball into coverage. He realized that it was a mistake, so that doesn't sound like a low football IQ to me. I think your bolded sentence is a HUGE part of his struggles last season. Not only did his receivers suck for the most part, but he rarely got to practice with them or have the same ones from practice to games or week-to-week. How could he develop any chemistry, timing or confidence in them? The other thing is Rex's screwing with his confidence in shutting him down for 3 games following the bye and obsessing too much on TOs. A player that plays uptight, afraid to make a mistake is going to make more mistakes. That's been proven over and over and over in football. Rex needs to STFU and stay away from the QB and offense, or better yet work his butt off to learn how to handle QBs and the offense and keep his stupid yap shut while he's learning.
From the 5 or so games I've really focused on, Bridgewater throws more accurately on the run than he does set in the pocket.
Very accurate on the move. One of the things I find funny is anyone criticizing his release. Lightening quick. _
he didnt knock bridgewaters delivery on the run. he said that bridgewater is inconsistent when targeting guys in motion (i.e. slants and crossing patterns) and i happen to agree with that assessment ... its not that he didnt regularly complete those kinds of passes, but he left yards on the field by hitting receivers running those kinds of routes on the back hip. in the nfl, those passes are broken up or picked off bridgewaters consistency targeting non stationary targets, his deep ball placement, and his arm strength are the only knocks that i have ... i think hes a high floor, relatively low ceiling player bridgewater is alex smith redux, imo
I never said anything about a lock at all. I'm saying the knocks he's getting in the media are overblown. All I'm saying is he looks like the most pro-ready QB in the draft.
I interpreted it as throwing on the run, but I guess I would say I think he actually has pretty good ball placement in his games, and that he was less accurate at his pro-day. I don't know what his private workouts look like, but he is probably wearing his gloves and feeling more comfortable throwing the ball around. I think his deep balls get under thrown a bit, and I think his fades could be a little smoother but I don't see throwing to guys who are moving across the field as a major issue in his games.
It's a draft full of juniors with a sophomore in the mix. Saying that Bridgewater is most pro-ready isn't saying much. One thing I am pretty sure of is that if Bridgewater doesn't go to a team with a lot of talent he's going to bust.
A draft just FULL of juniors and a sophomore. I mean other than the seniors Carr, Garapolo, McCarron, Savage, Fales, Mettenberger, Murray, Thomas, Boyd, Morris, Shaw, Renner, Matthews, Franklin, etc., etc. etc. Wait, out of the 25 highest ranked QBs in this years draft, 21 of them are seniors. That's 3 juniors (one a redshirt junior) and one redshirt sophomore. Yup a draft just FULL of them. _
Here's the problem with Bridgewater as Alex Smith: Bridgewater can read the field well he just can't make all the throws. Smith can make the throws but has real problems reading the defense and adjusting to shifts at the line of scrimmage. Smith became a decent QB when Harbaugh cut down on his reads and gave him less to think about in the pocket. I see Bridgewater as having a higher ceiling than Smith but not necessarily as solid a floor beneath him.
Absolute and utter BS. I've seen Teddy play enough to know that he CAN make all the throws. He needs to work on his accuracy on deep balls, but he has plenty of arm strength. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous and clearly demonstrates that you've never watched him play.
Geezuz please just stop. Why don't you just assert he's an alien from outer space and that's why you hate him. _
He will/could fall even further... Charlie Campbell reported about one NFC executive who has Bridgewater rated with a 4th-round-grade! I think there's no way he's getting past the Texans at the 33rd pick - and this would be a real bargain for them...
