Traits of Successfully Developing a QB

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Yesterday the differences in QB play really came out of the woodwork and highlighted the good to bad. The Jets are wasting a playoff caliber roster because they keep sticking with Zach Wilson while the Bears have imploded about as bad as any team in a long while and the hype from preseason did not help that cause. After seeing Mahomes opposite Justin Fields at the same time I started thinking what makes some guys make and other fail or seem to never have a chance. We saw front row until Josh years of ineptitude at developing guys drafted and then success with Allen. These are the factors thinking over the history of football that I have found to be controllable things teams do that help with a QB having a true chance to develop and stick:

 

1.  Build the offense to a QBs strengths- When the Bills drafted Allen you knew the guy could rip it with the best but his accuracy was dicey at times. Lamar was a tremendous two way talent but the team lacked infrastructure to bomb the ball. Buffalo after year one got a guy who could catch anything anywhere in Beasley and a burner in Brown who couldn't be overthrown. Both maxed areas Allen had strength in but needed assistance. When Lamar started in Baltimore they basically altered the entire offense to his running approach and attacking in that style when they passed. When Peyton started in IND year 2 they added weapons who could run timing routes that he could pick apart with and they used his brain to maximize the creativity he offered. Watching Fields struggle you see a QB who they do not use his mobility, they don't scheme or use play action enough, and don't let him rip it. If your QB excels at fast quick read slants, crosses, etc.. you just aim for pass catchers with speed and good hands. Conversely if you want to air the ball out with a big arm getting a guy with size and jump is going to help. Year 1 for many rookies is a burn it type year, but year 2 the most successful examples of QB play seem to truly focus on a QBs best attributes and go with it.
2. Great Pass Protection- The history of football is littered with guys like David Carr or Tim Couch drafted early and then who got beat up so bad you will never know what they might have been able to do. Andrew Luck was a can't miss prospect and he did perform to that level but the lack of line play wrecked the long term future of what could've been an all time great. All QBs benefit from good line plan, but giving young QBs time is so crucial as they develop as passers and to eliminate bad habits. Additionally it allows a more fair analysis of what you have so you are not left saying "its hard to know because the pocket collapsed in one second". Coverage for defense's can only hold for so long and even if your skill guys are not the best, giving the QB time to go through reads should open something up.
3. Maximizing The Rookie Contract Both Dollar & Time Wise- Generally making a rookie QB sit always feels like a poor decision as you do not know what you have and the growing pain time is real. Mahomes was different as he was brought into a QB friendly offense on a team that was competing so he was afforded the chance to wait for a bit. Same with Jordan Love where he had to sit behind a good established starter. But if you are a team on the rebuild what is gained by waiting? Rookie contracts are gold especially for QBs and you are only delaying a possible window from opening to compete faster. Baker Josh Lamar all were on the field and by year 2 the teams had invested pieces and time for them. The moment Russell Wilson took the Seahawks starting spot back in 2012 the Seahawks gained years of cap space at the most important position which they used properly on the rest of the roster. Year 2 cannot be an extension of year 1 and most failures at QB feel like situations where excuses are made and the learning in year 1 was never complete. Sean McVay took a beleaguered Jared Goff in year 2 and managed to maximize his skills as they added talent around him to win. Year 2 Jalen Hurts they found a way to take a next step both scheme and talent wise with. With you best QBs and success at the position there is a proper building period and timing that factors into their growth, when it fails it usually comes with mismanaged time and resources.
4. Everyone One From Top Down is Lock Step With The New QB & The Plan- There are very few examples of rookies drafted year 1 and then year 2 a new head coach is in with a lot of success. That doesn't mean down the road the OC or head coach cannot change, but given how crucial the development of young passers is in years 1/2/3 that type of instability destroys young QBs the majority of the time. One of the things I appreciate the Steelers have done at QB is show patience across the board and universally back that player. When Big Ben started he took his time and lumps but no one was coaching for their job or looking to move out of plan quickly. Pickett may or may not be the guy, but again they have backed him as the guy across the board and he isn't wondering what is happening to Tomlin or if someone is going to take his spot. Conversely Fields was drafted by a different QB/GM and then had to do year 1 again with another head coach and then another GM. EJ Manuel for the Bills it felt like half the organization wanted and the other half wanted an average vet to try and win with at that time. Neither was necessarily wrong thinking wise in a vacuum, but a rookie QB will feel the lack of rope to make mistakes and the team will feel then inability to compete if two trains are running in different ways. 
5. Coaching Scheme Is Progressive aka With The Times- The NFL is a league that wants you to pass and rewards you for it. There is nothing wrong when a QB is taking their lumps having a scheme that may be a bit conservative especially if your team is having some success. Brady was good with the Pats early on, but the offense was not game breaking either in the early 2000s. He and NE evolved as the league did though as he showed he could handle and do more so that is fine for a time. But looking at Mac Jones last year how the heck would you know what he can or cannot do with that scheme. It was like going back to the late 90s and so brutally basic and void of creativity your wasting your time. The best offensive coaches are constantly evolving to help their passers in scheme and finding ways to create separation and holes vs the defense your playing. Kliff Kingsbury faded with the cardinals, but at least his first two years with Murray he was running an offense in the style of what was working best conceptually in the NFL. We have the ability with All 22 now to see far easier whether a OC is scheming well or not so much and there will always be a need for constant evolution in the NFL as the games grow and defenses adjust. The move where most teams are playing 2 safeties high all the time now on defense to stop big plays is the result of a decade plus worth of passing that feasted on ill prepared secondary's.