Quarterbacks

[BillsObserver]

Just a few thoughts/questions;

 

I was thinking about Matt Cassel's successful thus far in the NFL and compared it with Trent Edwards, and it made me wonder how much coaching can affect a quarterbacks future and how critical good coaching is.

 

Bill Belichick and his coaching staff put Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in positions to succeed. I understand that Brady is probably the best quarterback of all time, but he didn't just become that overnight. He wasn't amazing in college. I think he became the best with proper coaching. Of course the coaches don't throw the ball for him or make those clutch decisions, but I don't think he's nearly as successful if he is under any recent Bills' staff.

 

I also think that holds true for Matt Cassel. Can you imagine if he was the Bills starting quarterback? Or the Chiefs? How about the Lions? Do you think he'd have half the success he's had in New England? I say it wouldn't be close.

And don't tell how much talent New England has on their roster. They have plenty of really good players on IR. Hell, they had to get Junior Seau and Rosevelt Colvin (meanwhile we sign Lehman) after injuries on their linebacker group occurred.

 

Which leads me to my next question; are there more Matt Cassel's out there that just aren't being groomed properly? I was going to ask if there was possibly more Tom Brady's out there but he's likely a once in a lifetime type quarterback.

 

And when I mention good coaching, I'm talking about an underrated aspect of a quarterback's development; playcalling. Josh McDaniels didn't overload Cassel at first. Cassel looked incredibly average his first few starts. But they protected him, groomed him, put more trust in his abilities to throw the ball and look where he is, on the verge of becoming a multi-millionaire. One could argue he'll be someone's franchise quarterback because of the season he has had. That's incredible if you consider where he was drafted, how much he played in college and how much he played in the pros before this season.

 

Just think about quarterbacks like Trent Edwards, David Carr, Patrick Ramsey, Derek Anderson, Sage Rosenfels, Billy Volek, Matt Leinart, Kyle Boller and Alex Smith. Think about some of these names; some of them were high round draft picks, some of them have shown flashes, and some of them have flat-out disappointed. You can't tell me Matt Cassel was so much better than these guys coming out of college. He had the benefit of working under a great coaching staff. Would some of those names have similar luck as Cassel if they sat behind Brady for a few years, and work with that type of coaching staff?

 

Seems like a simple answer but I'd like to hear your take on it.

[Wilson from Gamehendge]

Just think about quarterbacks like Trent Edwards, David Carr, Patrick Ramsey, Derek Anderson, Sage Rosenfels, Billy Volek, Matt Leinart, Kyle Boller and Alex Smith. Think about some of these names; some of them were high round draft picks, some of them have shown flashes, and some of them have flat-out disappointed. You can't tell me Matt Cassel was so much better than these guys coming out of college. He had the benefit of working under a great coaching staff. Would some of those names have similar luck as Cassel if they sat behind Brady for a few years, and work with that type of coaching staff?

 

Seems like a simple answer but I'd like to hear your take on it.

 

 

I agree to an extent. I believe that a Head Coach like Bill Belichick, and the Assistants that he surrounds himself with, play a major role in ANY player's development and maturation. However, you also have to take into account who is surrounding that Quarterback, on the field. Not a single one of those QB's that you mentioned have had anywheres near the caliber of players that the Patriots have had, over the last few years. None of them had the type of Offensive Line that the Patriots have either. I would also argue that none of those QB's have been or are on a "TEAM" as close and tight as New England ALWAYS seems to be. None of the teams that these QB's played on had the type of leadership, on and off the field, that the Patriots display each and every year. (It is a whole different atmosphere in Boston, just look at how Randy Moss changed when he got there.) Also, with the exception of maybe Boller, none of those guys had a Defense that could give them field position and opportunities, like the Patriots consistently do. In the game of Football, it is about the family. You work for eachother, not for individual awards. You trust in and believe in your coaches, as well as the guy lined up next to you in the same color jersey. This is what the New England Patriots franchise is all about. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

 

I'll agree with you again, that the Head Coach and his staff play a MAJOR role in the progress of ANY player's development. Just remember, it is a "TEAM" game and 11 guys line up together on the field.

[JPicc2114]

Drew Brees is a pretty good example of that.. He has a great offensive minded coach who brings the best out of his abilities. He didnt have that in San Diego all that much.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

Drew Brees is a pretty good example of that.. He has a great offensive minded coach who brings the best out of his abilities. He didnt have that in San Diego all that much.

 

 

And I'd argue that 2004 was his best year in the league. At least his most efficient. He was a young qb who had to adapt to a pro style offense, and fully came into his own. It was a huge bounceback year from 03 when he looked like he would not be the future for the chargers at that time. A real statement season. 27 picks to only 7 ints a 104.8 qb rating 65.5 completion pct. Yeah he had more yards and tds this year. He also only had 7 less tds throwing 235 less passes that year. As well as 10 fewer ints. I'd rather have that kind of year out of my teams quarterback then someone who throws 635 passes in a season.

[34-78-83]

That's an excellent post pacpie

 

I think coaching plays a huge roll in a guy's development at QB as does utilizing his strengths and masking his weaknesses with your offensive scheme. Of course it also helps to have real good pass protection .

One Guy I think that would have been a real good player was David Carr. I think he just took way too many shots with that young team and was thrown to the wolves far too often early in his career.