Bruce Arians know major hurdle for college spread quarterbacks is commanding … – ESPN (blog)
TEMPE, Ariz. — If there’s one thing Bruce Arians knows, it’s quarterbacks.
Since re-entering the NFL in 1998 as the Indianapolis Colts‘ quarterbacks coach, Arians has coached, mentored, tutored and developed three of the best quarterbacks of this generation: Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck. So, when he talks about there still being a significant difference between college-style quarterbacks and pro-style quarterbacks, it’s an educated, experienced opinion.
“So many times you’re evaluating a quarterback who has never called a play in a huddle, never used a snap count,” Arians said. “They hold up a card on the sideline, he kicks his foot and throws the ball. That ain’t playing quarterback.
“There’s no leadership involved there. There might be leadership on the bench, but when you get them and they have to use verbiage and they have to spit the verbiage out and change the snap count, they are light years behind.”
Arizona won’t be in a position to draft either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft — the top two quarterbacks in the draft will be long gone by time Arizona picks at 24th, if they stay there — but Arians has studied both players.
It’s part of the Cardinals’ process to establish their board of the 130 top players.
“You do your due diligence,” Arians said. “You want your board set right. You’re going to evaluate every single player whether it’s a need or not.”
Arians’ instant evaluation of the top two quarterbacks is this: They’re very different players. Winston is “a more classic drop-back player” while Mariota is “an unbelievable kid and an unbelievable athlete who has a great arm.” It’s important to note that Arians’ evaluation of Winston hasn’t just been done through tape. He’s known Winston since the quarterback was in ninth grade and attended a football camp held by Arians’ son, Jake, in Birmingham, Alabama.
As is the case with most college quarterbacks transitioning to the NFL, if they’re put in the right system, they’ll succeed, Arians said.
But in the NFL, quarterbacks call plays in the huddle. And that, Arians believes, will be Mariota’s toughest obstacle to overcome as a pro. Excluding kneel downs, every one of Mariota’s snaps at Oregon was taken from either a pistol or shotgun formation, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Just how many? 2,685.
“When you get in the huddle as a rookie and you got 10 veterans and you can’t annunciate and pronounce, and you have to go back and the coach has to tell you a play, that’s frustrating,” Arians said. “Those 10 guys, they’re like, ‘This guy’s really a quarterback?’ So, it’s hard for them.”
Arians has a way for career pistol and shotgun quarterbacks to build confidence in a huddle.
When the Steelers hosted former Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon before the 2008 draft, Arians made it clear that if Pittsburgh chose Dixon, he’d have to change as a signal caller. Arians gave Dixon a list of instructions if he was drafted by Pittsburgh: stand in front of a mirror, call a script of plays, get under center, figure out a snap count and improve his annunciation.
Pittsburgh picked Dixon 156th overall and when he arrived for minicamp, Arians remembered Dixon having no problems transitioning to a pro-style quarterback.
Changing is possible, Arians said. But becoming a quarterback is more than figuring out a three-, five- or seven-step drop. All the work young pro quarterbacks do to learn their footwork usually is busted the first time they’re chased from the backside.
Commanding a huddle, looking their teammates in the eyes and gaining their confidence are what makes college quarterbacks into professionals. Arians saw Dixon do it, and has seen Mariota begin adapting during his pro day, when he took all 65 snaps from under center.
But Arians hasn’t been pontificating against the spread offense. He actually likes it for colleges.
“If I were in college, I’d run the spread offense — just to get it off the table,” Arians said. “Everybody says I hate the spread. I was a wishbone quarterback. I love the read option.
“Their biggest hurdle is just the minute things.”
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