It all goes back to the feet.If your form isn't perfect in terms of balance,stride & release..ball placement is gonna be an issue. His tape backs that up entirely.Between the O-line being possibly the worst in CFB & the coaching staff changing his release from his left to his right..he just looks awkward. A clean pocket, a change of scenery & a return to an offense that suits him hopefully will do wonders. I don't really view him now OR project him as West coast style "pinpointer" on short/intermediate routes. He's not Joe Montana or Brady.He's never gonna have that type of game or accuracy. He's a down field passer who can really drive the ball down the seam on a dime.You can build an offense to suit that type of player & have alot of success. His best strength is the way the ball releases his hand. Its very subtle but very valuable especially in the swirling winds of East Rutherford.It allows him to really drive the ball through any sort of weather & can make sacking him difficult(with actual protection & decent skill players). Only other guys that have had it are Marino,Namath,Cutler,Stafford,Jeff George & Jameis last year.Its only a small part of the puzzle...but its valuable & rare.
I agree, but you also left out that at least some, and perhaps many college coaches simply don't know the correct fundamentals, or maybe they could do them when they were younger and played, but aren't good teachers, so can't help players learn and get better. If football fundamentals and techniques are anything like voice or musical instrument technique/fundamentals, then there are also various schools of thought on what's the "proper" or "correct" way. There are many teachers out there who couldn't make it as performers, and so they try to teach. There are also a lot of great singers and musicians who were "naturals" and who don't have a clue how or what they did, so can't teach it. If coaching is anything like that at all, then there's little wonder why so many players get to the NFL and don't know jack. The NFL used to have NFL-Europe to help train and develop players. I've thought for years that they made a big mistake in letting that go, or at least not getting it started here like the minor leagues in baseball. They probably wouldn't be able to have as many levels or teams as baseball does, but if nothing else, they could sign agreements or own arena football league teams and use those to help develop young players.
Good post and Devin Smith could eventually work out as the type of burner Hackenberg grows with in a couple years. His ability to improve on those short to intermediate routes and his accuracy to those spots could be what makes or breaks him. I'm not comparing them at all, but that's the crossroads Andrew Luck is at in his career. He makes tons of big plays on beautifully thrown balls down the field, but gets beaten to hell because he holds onto the ball for an eternity always looking for those big plays. Hackenberg's development is going to be very interesting as he comes into a short passing offense. The best thing Chan can do for him early on in his career is to not only fix the fundamentals but to drill into his head thst a 3 yard out route on 1st and ten is a quality play. I'm excited to see what this prospect can do say three years down the road. He has all the physical tools, and seemingly has the groundwork of the mental game to support his big arm. While Chan might not be here when he eventually plays, the principals that he teaches him could be extremely impactful. It's a shame that Geno didn't have the same tools in his young career that Hackenberg will have. Mornhinweg seemed like he could've been a good player to develop good habits for Geno but it seems like most of Mornhinweg's success stories may have been more the result of Andy Reid.
I misquoted you. I meant to quote Gangreen101. "Hackenberg, prob already has the playbook and if the football IQ thing is right, the dude might already know the majority of the playbook by TC."
Hackenberg said they ran a version of the Patriots offense his freshman year on that segment with Gruden. Hackenberg in my opinion is already ahead mentally. Chan runs a pro spread hybrid. Reading at the LOS and going through progressions. Petty never really did this in college. Great arm talent but it can only get you so far
Wait! Are you seriously stating that it absurd to believe by the time a guy has been drafted by an NFL team he should know that different situations, different patterns, different distances and different passes require different velocity? My post was in agreement with Br4d - are you confused or do you actually believe it is acceptable for an NFL rookie quarterback to believe that he should throw every pass as hard as possible?
This news scared the shit out of me lol With all the talk of Mettenberg available, etc. I got an update saying the Jets have signed Hackenberg to a...... And I freaked thinking we signed Mettenberg hahaha!
Ill agree with you that the college coach doesnt care about how a kid projects into the nfl. to a certain extent, it sure is nice when recruiting to say hey look at this guy and that guy that we have put into the nfl in the past 10 years, we want YOU to be the next big qb to come out of wherever university. there isnt a qb mill at this point, however there are real professionals coaching in the college ranks who get paid large sums of money to make their kids as good as they can be. some of the drills i have seen college kids doing are pretty amazing, its not as if these guys go out there and draw up plays in the dirt and wing it. and proper footwork is learned all throughout, my 9 year old works with a guy on his footwork and passing fundamentals. and he isnt going to be an nfl player. how is it so preposterous to assume that kids who have aspirations and the ability to play in the nfl havent done work with someone to get their footwork right? to get their throwing motion quicker and less loopy? to assume that they cant tell the difference between a zone and a man coverage. the one thing that nobody is able to reproduce is the sheer speed and size of the players at the nfl level. and the affect that those big fast motherfuckers have on a guy. and i will agree with you that the footwork coming out of a shot gun spread system will be different and probably wont be worked on in practice too much. but man to not be able to handle the fundamentals of it at 21 years of age is pitiful to me. his high school coach should have taught him the correct mechanics and begin to teach how to read coverage. yes as a college coach who needs to win it would be in your bests interest to make sure your kids are well schooled in the fundamentals like mechanics. simple mechanics for a qb should be taught when they are 10, not when they are getting drafted into the nfl. footwork has always been the most important thing for a qb
Hack HAD very sound fundamentals until he started to get his brains beat in the last couple of years. For him it's a matter of going back to those fundamentals NOT learning them for the first time. As Jordan Palmer said after his Pro Day when you are a college QB, working on your mechanics takes up such a small piece of the pie that is your day to day routine as a college football player, it's hard to get consistent at it. However, when football becomes your job, you have a lot more time in the day to work at it.
Hackenberg may have been a little bit of a reach in the 2nd round, but from all reports this kid lives & breathes football...so let's assume he'll work hard at improving his fundamentals. There's been many qbs that were rated higher coming out of college that totally shit the bed in the pros...if that's what occurs with Hack, I don't think it'll be from lack of effort on his part. The worry is that he won't get enough work what with another "development" qb on the roster...if that is what Petty is considered. Anybody thinking that Hackenberg could start this season has got to realize that he'll have to show amazing progress for that to happen. This ain't the previous front office...willing to throw a guy out there in his 1st year...or in a meaningless preseason game.
You are right that Hack being respectable in the short/intermediate passing game may make or break him. Teams will try to bait him into turnovers w/ cover 2 & cover 3 looks over the top. Now he has the arm to simply throw it over the top & beat that type of look but as we know the play isn't always gonna be there in those looks.Hence he has to be able to hit check downs to keep the D honest & safeties leaning forward till they finally are forced to change defensive looks & account for the underneath stuff. That's when you make em pay deep w/ as you said..a guy like Devon Smith. I Do think there is another variable in this however. A solid running game. That can be just as effective in keeping D's from umbrella type looks just as well as west coast passing plays 10 yards & in.If there is one thing this franchise has had pretty much always..including their really bad years is a physical running game. Just something to consider that maybe helpful to Hack's development & ultimate success.
It's obvious they are going to try and rebuild this kid. In high school and his freshman year he was outstanding. The levies against Penn state with recruiting was detrimental because his OL was shit, also their run game was horrible and last but not least the coaching change hurt him bad... Having said all that missing easy throws in gym shorts is a bit worrying... His accuracy needs a lot of work, his fundamentals with footwork need to be coached up. He needs at least a year and if we sign Fitz should be the 4th QB. Kinda similar to a guy named Brady his rookie year... Then next year put him in a QB competition with Petty and let the best QB win.
They are not going to try to rebuild him. (That is impossible, ask Tebow). What they will try to do is try to continue is his progression. Very different things. The problem with being third screen QB is that 90% of the reps go to the starter the other 9.99% go to the back-up once the season starts. Hack if 3rd string will get his reps with the scout team. You have to develop hack or Gailey will work wonders. Gailey will be working on winning that weeks game or preparing for the season with the starter. Hack will have to "develop" on his own for the most part by listening and study because reps go away after all the camps are done.
I agree with you that High School coaches should teach proper fundamentals, but again, many do not. There's as much pressure to win in high school as there is in college, plus coaches are trying to make a name for themselves and more money. They have egos too. When messing with a kid's fundamentals would have the player thinking too much, and perhaps not even able to play, they won't touch the kid if they think they can win with him because he's bigger, faster, stronger or good enough as is to get them a bunch of wins. I've known some high school football coaches, and I can tell you that they weren't the sharpest pencils in the box even regarding football, much less anything else. There are a lot of things in life that should be a certain way, but aren't. Just because someone is a football coach doesn't mean that he's qualified to teach fundamentals or teach anything. There are incompetent people in jobs throughout life. Football players and coaches haven't been noted for their intelligence for a reason. Yes your kid has the advantage of being able to work with someone on fundamentals, and others do as well, but some kids' parents don't have the money, or they don't live somewhere where they have access to a coach like that.
