Ryan Mallett

[mob16151]

I like mallet, and he's one of 3 QB's I'm paying a lot of attention to this year. Mallet, Locker, and Pryor are all guys that I'm going to be following closely this season.

[BADOLBILZ]

I just spent a week in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was talking football with some of the locals. When I told them I was a Bills Fan, each and every one of them told me how great this kid is. One compared his arm strength (I know, not the most vital issue) to that of Drew Bledsoe.

Tell me, are they simply being partial to their home town product, or does he project to be a superstar as they claim?

 

Physically, a perfect fit for Buffalo. He's got the great arm and has the height to see over the whole line. His production in the SEC wasn't just good. It was outstanding. That said, he has clear bust potential. The QB he most reminds me of coming out of college is Ryan Leaf. As time goes on though, I think it's apparent that if you expect to find a great QB you have to take chances on great talents like Mallett.

[Acantha]

I just saw him on youtube, and he really does have a true cannon. His long outs reminded me a bit of Marino, and I haven't seen a player with a similar style in some time. He looks like Big Ben with more coordination and a better arm.

It will be interesting to see where he gets drafted but my guess is that if he stays healthy, he will be the first overall selection. We shall see.

His size and arm strength are awesome, but he has weaknesses at the moment too.

 

From what I can tell, he tends to look for the deep ball first...kind of the reverse Edwards. He has the arm strength to hit it, but he seems to miss a lot of open receivers in the mid-range.

 

His long ball passes are all over the place. I've seen him throw between 2 or 3 defenders into the perfect spot for the receiver 40+ yards downfield, and I've seen so far off of wide open receivers you'd think he was throwing mid-sack.

No proof, but it seems more mental to me. I think he just gets excited and his arm gets wild. I'm hoping another year in college will help with that.

 

His other big issue is touch. He drills balls to RB's/WR's on 5 yard passes. He needs to learn how to change his throws based on circumstance.

 

If he can show improvement on those two areas, he absolutely should be the first QB taken (based on what I know now about all of the QB's). But I think that's a lot to ask. More than likely he's going to be a guy that needs a couple years of good coaching to help him work his kinks out.

 

All that said, I would be pretty excited to see him picked by the Bills.

[mob16151]

If he can show improvement on those two areas, he absolutely should be the first QB taken (based on what I know now about all of the QB's). But I think that's a lot to ask. More than likely he's going to be a guy that needs a couple years of good coaching to help him work his kinks out.

 

All that said, I would be pretty excited to see him picked by the Bills.

 

Our we the franchise that can give him that? Thats the million dollar question.

[The Dean]

His size and arm strength are awesome, but he has weaknesses at the moment too.

 

From what I can tell, he tends to look for the deep ball first...kind of the reverse Edwards. He has the arm strength to hit it, but he seems to miss a lot of open receivers in the mid-range.

 

His long ball passes are all over the place. I've seen him throw between 2 or 3 defenders into the perfect spot for the receiver 40+ yards downfield, and I've seen so far off of wide open receivers you'd think he was throwing mid-sack.

No proof, but it seems more mental to me. I think he just gets excited and his arm gets wild. I'm hoping another year in college will help with that.

 

His other big issue is touch. He drills balls to RB's/WR's on 5 yard passes. He needs to learn how to change his throws based on circumstance.

 

If he can show improvement on those two areas, he absolutely should be the first QB taken (based on what I know now about all of the QB's). But I think that's a lot to ask. More than likely he's going to be a guy that needs a couple years of good coaching to help him work his kinks out.

 

All that said, I would be pretty excited to see him picked by the Bills.

 

 

How is he in the pocket? I know he isn't mobile, but if he is savvy he is big enough (like Ben) to make a bit of room for himself. OTOH, if he really is another Bledsoe in the pocket, I'd be wary. You can't just be a sitting duck in the NFL anymore.

[KOKBILLS]

He looked like a bag of smashed a-sholes at michigan.

 

Cause Freshmen QB's always excel in the Big 10 right?

 

Actually Mallett was not that bad considering he was thrown into the fire there...He did have 7 TD's (including a 97 yarder) to 5 INT's as a Frosh...He's going to have to REALLY improve his completion percentage though...Scouts are going to kill him if he can't elevate over 60% this coming Season...He's got to be more accurate to be #1 Overall...

[mob16151]

How is he in the pocket? I know he isn't mobile, but if he is savvy he is big enough (like Ben) to make a bit of room for himself. OTOH, if he really is another Bledsoe in the pocket, I'd be wary. You can't just be a sitting duck in the NFL anymore.

 

He can move a little bit. He's not a runner, but he does slide around back there.

[The Dean]

He can move a little bit. He's not a runner, but he does slide around back there.

 

 

Thanks

[Acantha]

How is he in the pocket? I know he isn't mobile, but if he is savvy he is big enough (like Ben) to make a bit of room for himself. OTOH, if he really is another Bledsoe in the pocket, I'd be wary. You can't just be a sitting duck in the NFL anymore.

Honestly, I can't really say. Either I didn't pay so much attention to that aspect of his game or I just can't remember. What I can say is that I remember him being fairly good at avoiding sacks, but it had more to do with getting rid of the ball on time than moving around in the pocket. I'll have to pay more attention to his movement this year.

[BuffaloRebound]

Cause Freshmen QB's always excel in the Big 10 right?

 

Actually Mallett was not that bad considering he was thrown into the fire there...He did have 7 TD's (including a 97 yarder) to 5 INT's as a Frosh...He's going to have to REALLY improve his completion percentage though...Scouts are going to kill him if he can't elevate over 60% this coming Season...He's got to be more accurate to be #1 Overall...

 

He's got to clean up his throwing motion. He has a great arm but the ball comes out very high on all his throws. I assume that's why he struggles with the shorter throws and why his completion percentage isn't great. Like that he plays against the best competition and like that he plays in front of a football-obsessed fanbase.

 

However, I assume Gailey will be frothing at the mouth to get Locker or Luck due to their mobility. Luck has the all the physical tools to be a #1 overall pick. Kid is impressive but we'll see how he does without Gerhart as a security blanket. Don't think Locker throws it good enough to be a #1 overall pick.

[Koufax]

Without a doubt the Bills organization is one of the dumbest in the NFL. What the Bills should have focused on this offseason is building the OL, primarily at both tackle positions. Creating a situation where the infrastructure is in place so when they do get a franchise caliber qb he would have a much better chance to succeed. Getting your qb beat up and mangled is not the recommended way to develop him.

 

At #9? Who would you have taken? Anthony Davis went at #11, and is likely to play RT for the 49ers. #11 seems a little high for us for an RT, although maybe he could have been a fit. Still less talent with that pick than Spiller obviously...and if you draft need you ensure future need.

 

At #39? Zane Beadles went #45, and Ducasse and Charlie Brown at the bottom of the round. And Jered Veldheer before the Bills picked in the third. I don't think any of those are great enough players to reach for on need and not get the NT we also really needed.

 

In the 3rd? John Jerry or Shawn Lauvao? I don't think either of those guys are world beaters compared to Wang. Maybe Bruce Campbell who went a pick before us in the 4th, but there also might be a reason he slipped that far.

 

In the 4th? Okay, here I could agree with you and wouldn't mind seeing it if there was a guy with the upside we want and is more valuable than Easley, but with our lack of good receivers I don't consider him a luxury pick.

 

In the 5th? Oh yeah we did. Could be a pretty good one who adds depth.

 

This draft just didn't shape up to our need at OT well enough to not bend over backwards to reach for players instead of taking better players at other positions of need.

 

Things could have unfolded differently with Okung or Williams falling to #9, Baluga or Saffold falling to #39, or them working out a trade up. But I don't see a Maybin over Oher or Whitner over Ngata pick in this draft that angers me.

 

And I also think our OL healthy is MUCH better than people think and better than it was last year. We don't have as much quality depth as I would like, but I don't think Bell-Wood-Hartgartner-Levietre-Green is going to be the train wreck a lot of people expect, especially if they can stay healthy (as O-Lines sometimes do for a whole season, but as we know too well, sometimes don't).

 

Okay, end of my off topic rant, but after suggesting we have the dumbest front organization with little to base that on in the Chan/Buddy department, and not proposing a single specific thing other than "addressing OT", I wanted to respond.

[FightinIrishBills]

I've seen the kid play a few times living here in SEC country, and not that I have enough basis to say this yet, but as of today I'm hoping the Bills do NOT draft him. We don't need another QB with a big arm, we need a QB with intangibles who is a GAMER. Aside from Flutie, we haven't had a gamer in here since Jimbo. That's a big reason why I think a lot of us are holding out some sort of hope for Levi. The guy has got some spunk to him and he rises up when the game calls for it. I don't see that at all in Mallet, and I think that all he'd do is set our franchise back by another 3-5 years.

 

Being someone who watches a lot of college football, I've also watched the kid play a few times (including in person his freshman year--a 38-0 drubbing of Notre Dame. I still get PTSD flashbacks on that one). Obviously opinion is subjective, but what do you define as a "gamer"? Or for that matter, what is your definition of "intangibles"?

 

I would argue that Ryan Mallett is in fact more of a gamer than Levi Brown. I'm not really sure what you're basing your contention that he "rises up when the game calls for it". Granted, you might have watched a lot more Troy games than I have, but the only one that stands out in my memory that stands out is that bowl game duel against Central Michigan. Great game, no doubt, and Levi Brown put up a hell of a performance. However, Ryan Mallett had games where he carried Arkansas on his back against some of the best teams in the country; keep in mind that they were one missed field goal away from potentially beating #1 ranked Florida last year. The only game where I wouldn't say that he looked outstanding is against Alabama, and to be honest, nobody looked good against Alabama this year (they're not sexy, but they have my vote as one of the best and most complete college football teams of the last decade).

 

I don't really know what you consider a gamer, but everything I saw out of Ryan Mallett last year has me convinced of the guy's big game ability. Not to knock Levi Brown, but relative to his strength of competition, he didn't show nearly as much in his college career as Mallett already has. And yes, I do know that Bobby Petrino runs a pass-heavy offense--one similar to which our very own Brian Brohm thrived in at Louisville. However, I believe that Mallett is a true talent who will thrive at the next level--and in my opinion, is a gamer with a great deal of intangibles.

[ajzepp]

Being someone who watches a lot of college football, I've also watched the kid play a few times (including in person his freshman year--a 38-0 drubbing of Notre Dame. I still get PTSD flashbacks on that one). Obviously opinion is subjective, but what do you define as a "gamer"? Or for that matter, what is your definition of "intangibles"?

 

I would argue that Ryan Mallett is in fact more of a gamer than Levi Brown. I'm not really sure what you're basing your contention that he "rises up when the game calls for it". Granted, you might have watched a lot more Troy games than I have, but the only one that stands out in my memory that stands out is that bowl game duel against Central Michigan. Great game, no doubt, and Levi Brown put up a hell of a performance. However, Ryan Mallett had games where he carried Arkansas on his back against some of the best teams in the country; keep in mind that they were one missed field goal away from potentially beating #1 ranked Florida last year. The only game where I wouldn't say that he looked outstanding is against Alabama, and to be honest, nobody looked good against Alabama this year (they're not sexy, but they have my vote as one of the best and most complete college football teams of the last decade).

 

I don't really know what you consider a gamer, but everything I saw out of Ryan Mallett last year has me convinced of the guy's big game ability. Not to knock Levi Brown, but relative to his strength of competition, he didn't show nearly as much in his college career as Mallett already has. And yes, I do know that Bobby Petrino runs a pass-heavy offense--one similar to which our very own Brian Brohm thrived in at Louisville. However, I believe that Mallett is a true talent who will thrive at the next level--and in my opinion, is a gamer with a great deal of intangibles.

 

Well, I hope you're right, man. I guess that's why I prefaced what I wrote with an admission that I haven't seen a lot of him. I think the game that sat with me the most was the Alabama game. I just expected to see a QB with his reputation and talent really step up in a game against a team of that caliber, especially a conference rival, but he was flat the entire game to my eyes. To me, he just seems to have the Bledsoe disease of being able to really light up teams they SHOULD light up, but never able to really mount much of a challenge against teams they are not expected to beat.

 

To me, a gamer is someone who becomes like Captian James Tiberius Kirk on the field. No matter what, there is no surrender....no "no win scenario"....they just find a way to get that extra yard, score that clutch TD, and get as much out of themselves and the team as possible. It's the stuff of Kelly...Reich....Flutie....and Hamdan. It's leaders who don't just talk the talk, they actually walk it, too. Maybe I"m wrong, but I just haven't seen it in this kid. Maybe this year he'll exhibit it? I dunno. I do know I'm ready for some SEC ball, and I'm sure as hell ready to see friggin' Alabama get their ass handed to them by SOMEONE.

[FightinIrishBills]

Well, I hope you're right, man. I guess that's why I prefaced what I wrote with an admission that I haven't seen a lot of him. I think the game that sat with me the most was the Alabama game. I just expected to see a QB with his reputation and talent really step up in a game against a team of that caliber, especially a conference rival, but he was flat the entire game to my eyes. To me, he just seems to have the Bledsoe disease of being able to really light up teams they SHOULD light up, but never able to really mount much of a challenge against teams they are not expected to beat.

 

To me, a gamer is someone who becomes like Captian James Tiberius Kirk on the field. No matter what, there is no surrender....no "no win scenario"....they just find a way to get that extra yard, score that clutch TD, and get as much out of themselves and the team as possible. It's the stuff of Kelly...Reich....Flutie....and Hamdan. It's leaders who don't just talk the talk, they actually walk it, too. Maybe I"m wrong, but I just haven't seen it in this kid. Maybe this year he'll exhibit it? I dunno. I do know I'm ready for some SEC ball, and I'm sure as hell ready to see friggin' Alabama get their ass handed to them by SOMEONE.

 

I definitely get where you're coming from--it would be awesome to have another field general a la Jimbo to lead this team again. And flame away, but the most recent QB to come out of the draft who I believe exhibits this quality is Jimmy Clausen. However, I don't think that a player instantly has that trait; rather, I think it's developed over time and through their unique team situation.

 

That being said, I think Mallett has shown sparks of this so far in his college career. I'm with you though, this is Mallett's year to shine. Unfortunately Arkansas' defense is just awful, so he's really going to have to chuck it up a lot again to have them be competitive. I'm still very excited about him though, despite the relatively recent injury problems (this is another knock I have on Jake Locker--a huge injury like that, just like Sam Bradford's, is prone to show up again.)

 

Haha and I think the rest of the country is hoping to see the whole of the SEC get their asses handed to them by someone

[ajzepp]

I definitely get where you're coming from--it would be awesome to have another field general a la Jimbo to lead this team again. And flame away, but the most recent QB to come out of the draft who I believe exhibits this quality is Jimmy Clausen. However, I don't think that a player instantly has that trait; rather, I think it's developed over time and through their unique team situation.

 

That being said, I think Mallett has shown sparks of this so far in his college career. I'm with you though, this is Mallett's year to shine. Unfortunately Arkansas' defense is just awful, so he's really going to have to chuck it up a lot again to have them be competitive. I'm still very excited about him though, despite the relatively recent injury problems (this is another knock I have on Jake Locker--a huge injury like that, just like Sam Bradford's, is prone to show up again.)

 

Haha and I think the rest of the country is hoping to see the whole of the SEC get their asses handed to them by someone

 

Well one thing's for sure, I'll be keeping an eye on the kid this season! I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities....their games are on down here all the time.

[Bill from NYC]

I do know I'm ready for some SEC ball, and I'm sure as hell ready to see friggin' Alabama get their ass handed to them by SOMEONE.

 

Good luck with that LOL!

[JohnC]

Okay, end of my off topic rant, but after suggesting we have the dumbest front organization with little to base that on in the Chan/Buddy department, and not proposing a single specific thing other than "addressing OT", I wanted to respond.

 

Are you aware that the Bills haven't had a quality OL unit since the Polian era? Are you aware that the Bills haven't established another franchise qb since the Kelly era? If that doesn't qualify as one of the dumbest front office's then I don't know what does? If you are not convinced about the caliber of performance of the front office then look at its drafting record and W/L over the past decade.

[The Dean]

To me, a gamer is someone who becomes like Captian James Tiberius Kirk on the field.

 

 

Nerd

[Coach Tuesday]

I have heard "coach killer" used several times in reference to Mallet. Not sure why, and I don't have a link at hand or a source, so consider it what it is - a weak piece of information. It scares me a little bit, but the positive comments in this thread are encouraging.

[ajzepp]

Nerd