Matt Barkley - QB - USC

[San Jose Bills Fan]

It's funny that the one QB who has this ridiculous legendary status is Jim Kelly. Who is about the money more than anyone. He even robbed from local businesses, and nobody bats an eye.

 

Weird segue into Jim Kelly. Did someone else bring him up? I guess I missed it.

 

Kelly was a great QB regardless of what he did off the field. That's why he has "legendary status."

 

And regarding his personal life, I think most people laud him for turning his life around, becoming a very solid father, husband, and charitable leader, and an outspoken and proud resident of WNY and an ambassador and fan of the Buffalo Bills.

 

When Kelly speaks these days it seems to me that he wears the wisdom of a person who has learned from the errors of his younger days.

 

Not sure why you feel the need to attack him in this conversation.

[ColdBlueNorth]

My take on Barkley,

 

He's not terrible and would make a passible QB in most systems, but as a four year starter you get a feel for where his ceiling is going to be. You wonder where some of the other prospect QB's would be if they had the likes of USC's Marquis Lee and Robert Woods catching the ball and the hulking Grimble as an outlet at TE? One could make the argument that out of all the QB's Barkley has had an embarrassment of riches to work with.

 

He seems like a good character kid who works hard, he is smart and coachable, knows where the ball should go with his reads and when and where to dump it off. He steps into his longer throws and puts a lot of body torque into pushing the ball downfield so you really do not see that quick-snap release of the bigger-armed QB's; That being said, the throws are still accurate - although there is a good chance those rainbows would be eaten up by most NFL defensive backfields. He does seem to have a good touch on sideline and comeback routes.

 

I can see why folks think he would do well in a West Coast scheme he probably would, but great QB's have to have that ability to make you pay with the homerun strike if you play their short passing spread offense with man outside and zone underneath I don't see that HR ability in Barkley. I see an average QB who will do an average job if surrounded by good talent. If his arm is healed he would be a safe pick for the Bills and could be groomed into a decent caretaker QB till they find a QB that has the tools to win games with his arm alone when needed.

 

Maybe technique-wise there are correctable things to improve the velocity and tighten up his throws, and his ceiling may be much higher than I am giving him - we have all been wrong before about prospects.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

So I decided to watch the highlight videos of Matt Barkley to see what I thought of him.

 

It's not good when half way through you think you are watching a Marqise Lee highlight video.

 

Now I am hoping we draft Lee next year!

 

CBF

[Lurker]

He even robbed from local businesses, and nobody bats an eye.

Jim wasn't the first guy to have a business go bankrupt. And the vendors at his nightclub (if they're still around) will get pennies on the dollar the next time one of their clients does the same. That's business...

[dubs]

I couldn't read through 18 pages to see if this article had been posted, but good writeup on Matt Barkley. I am really coming around on him and hope that he's there for the Bills in Rd. 1. The basic premise of the article is that he's fallen a bit because he doesn't have anything measureable that's off the charts, but everything is above average. Second, the intangibles of being a leader, reading defenses, making quick decisions, is there and what makes QBs successful. He's demonstrated tremendous success on deep balls, third downs, and in the red zone.

 

At this point, i think he's well worth the risk and honestly the risk is much less now that it was during the old rookie salary scale. I have a feeling, as the article suggests, he might not even be there when the Bills pick at 8, especially if he has a good pro day today.

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2013/story/_/id/9103319/2013-nfl-draft-why-matt-barkley-first-qb-taken

[ChanOverChin]

Your logic is flawed. If everyone of those QBs you mentioned played in the same syste under the same coach you might have a point.

 

Barkley is not those guys. He's a brother from a different mother.

 

I happen to think that the Bills will very seriously consider taking Barkley at #8 overall because they know that they're chancing of getting him in R2 are slim and chancy.

 

The Bills need a franchise caliber QB and Barkley has the pedigree to fill that role.

 

SI's Don Banks just put out his latest moch draft. Guess who he has going to Buffalo at *8 overall??

 

 

8QB Matt Barkley USC Sr. 6-2 227 It didn't take listening in on Buddy Nix's phone calls or sitting with Doug Marrone at breakfast last week in Phoenix to figure out the Bills are the most quarterback-desperate team in the NFL. Just check the depth chart: Tarvaris Jackson and Aaron Corp. Barkley will be on the rise if he turns in an impressive Pro Day showing Wednesday at USC, with the priority being he flashes the necessary arm strength scouts need to see. The Bills might wish they could wait until the second round to find their quarterback, and Syracuse's Ryan Nassib would be their hoped-for target in that case, but I just don't believe Buffalo has that luxury.

 

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130327/nfl-mock-draft-3/#ixzz2OlQLtz8c

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

NFLN is broadcasting his Pro Day shortly.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Big Bad Boone

[Kelly the Dog]

Just watched about 15 minutes of Barkley throwing and really was not impressed at all. I have seen him play in about 20 games at least, and I was never a big fan. I was hoping that he would wow me a little, knowing it's a possibility the Bills take him, but he just looked okay. He threw pretty accurate but didn't have a ton of zip on the ball. His deep balls were decent but not good. He had a few that were complete but weren't great passes. His average arm looked just that, and he didn't laser the ball when he could have. He does seem like a smart, great, guy. I just don't want him as my franchise QB.

[Buffaloed in Pa]

Deep throws are alot better than Nassib..he is throwing into the wind. Unlike Nassib indoor,climate control. i`d say he has a average arm, but a accurate one.

[Bronc24]

Just watched about 15 minutes of Barkley throwing and really was not impressed at all. I have seen him play in about 20 games at least, and I was never a big fan. I was hoping that he would wow me a little, knowing it's a possibility the Bills take him, but he just looked okay. He threw pretty accurate but didn't have a ton of zip on the ball. His deep balls were decent but not good. He had a few that were complete but weren't great passes. His average arm looked just that, and he didn't laser the ball when he could have. He does seem like a smart, great, guy. I just don't want him as my franchise QB.

 

Been a while since we've seen the bolded in a Bills uniform.

[Kelly the Dog]

Been a while since we've seen the bolded in a Bills uniform.

I'm pretty sure that all of the recent crappy Bills QBs could look "decent" throwing the long ball against air, except perhaps Kelly Holcomb.

[Maddog69]

Just watched about 15 minutes of Barkley throwing and really was not impressed at all. I have seen him play in about 20 games at least, and I was never a big fan. I was hoping that he would wow me a little, knowing it's a possibility the Bills take him, but he just looked okay. He threw pretty accurate but didn't have a ton of zip on the ball. His deep balls were decent but not good. He had a few that were complete but weren't great passes. His average arm looked just that, and he didn't laser the ball when he could have. He does seem like a smart, great, guy. I just don't want him as my franchise QB.

Thanks for the info. I have not seen any replays of his Proday yet.

 

Question: Since you stated that you are not a big fan of his, do you think that your overall reaction to his performance in his proday could be influenced by your predisposition to being unimpressed? Basically, you saw what you wanted to see?

 

I'm guessing that somebody who is a huge Barkley fan will provide a contradictory opinion and say that Barkey was awesome and is now a lock to go top 10.

[Kelly the Dog]

Thanks for the info. I have not seen any replays of his Proday yet.

 

Question: Since you stated that you are not a big fan of his, do you think that your overall reaction to his performance in his proday could be influenced by your predisposition to being unimpressed? Basically, you saw what you wanted to see?

 

I'm guessing that somebody who is a huge Barkley fan will provide a contradictory opinion and say that Barkey was awesome and is now a lock to go top 10.

It's really impossible to know. I think not, because as I said, I came in there wanting to be wowed. I also read a bunch of recent posts about what others thought and no one was particularly impressed. I think he showed what he is, and he didn't help himself very much today, except perhaps that his shoulder is healed and is back to what it was, which is average.

 

I would be amazed if anyone said he looked awesome.

[Dr. Trooth]

Lotta hype for a 3rd rounder. Only question left... which USC qb bust does he remind you of?

 

Leinart, Rob Johnson, Sanchez, or Salisbury?

 

Side note: no USC qb has ever started in a super bowl. That's 94 qbs and not one starter from Hollywood.

 

[Buffaloed in Pa]

It's really impossible to know. I think not, because as I said, I came in there wanting to be wowed. I also read a bunch of recent posts about what others thought and no one was particularly impressed. I think he showed what he is, and he didn't help himself very much today, except perhaps that his shoulder is healed and is back to what it was, which is average.

 

I would be amazed if anyone said he looked awesome.

I would say he looked better than Nassib,who threw indoors. Deep ball and accuracy were defintely better. Average arm,throwing into the wind.

[John from Riverside]

I thought his deep balls were shaky....and that is dissapointing

 

I will be perfectly honest here......if I was picking between Barkeley and Nassib I would go Nassib based off this

 

- Nassib is improving every year

- Nassib has a strong arm

- Nassib I feel is a much tougher player and you get the sense of his natural leadership qualities

 

AND....this is the big one....I dont think we would have to take Nassib at 8.......to me he looks like either a trade down and draft project or take a player at another position at 8 and trade up for Nassib.

 

BOTH players show the ability to be accurate in the short to intermediate range

[Buffaloed in Pa]

I thought his deep balls were shaky....and that is dissapointing

 

I will be perfectly honest here......if I was picking between Barkeley and Nassib I would go Nassib based off this

 

- Nassib is improving every year

- Nassib has a strong arm

- Nassib I feel is a much tougher player and you get the sense of his natural leadership qualities

 

AND....this is the big one....I dont think we would have to take Nassib at 8.......to me he looks like either a trade down and draft project or take a player at another position at 8 and trade up for Nassib.

 

BOTH players show the ability to be accurate in the short to intermediate range

I don`t think we take either at eight. I think Glennon is still the dark horse.

[Kelly the Dog]

I would say he looked better than Nassib,who threw indoors. Deep ball and accuracy were defintely better. Average arm,throwing into the wind.

I didnt see Nassib's but I don't think that Barkley looked extremely accurate, and if he was "definitely" more accurate than Nassib looked, Nassib must have looked horrendous. I think he normally has a pretty accurate deep ball but he looked average to me. He surely does not throw with any velocity. I like Nassib's short and intermediate game better and I don't really like Nassib all that much.

 

I also live in Los Angeles and it's beautiful out today. I think they said there was a light breeze.

[Maddog69]

I don`t think we take either at eight. I think Glennon is still the dark horse.

Glennon at 8 or in a later round?

I cannot see them passing on Barkley, Manuel and Nassib to select Glennon at 8.

[Buffaloed in Pa]

Glennon at 8 or in a later round?

I cannot see them passing on Barkley, Manuel and Nassib to select Glennon at 8.

I would take Glennon over Nassib in a heartbeat. superior arm strength.Faster ,taller to see the field. On and On.