Posts tagged Drew Brees

Reads Listens Views 10/19/2012

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[youtube=http://youtu.be/WdYo5X_QA-w]

Hat tip to E.C. Stoner for the Brees video.

Reads (Football)

Futures: Matt Barkley – This was last week’s column. Tomorrow’s analysis is on West Virginia Receiver Tavon Austin.

Russell Wilson’s Seam Pass to Zach Miller – Danny Kelly at Field Gulls is one of the cooler bloggers I’ve had the pleasure to interact with during my first year and a half doing this work. He has been extremely generous with posting my work on his site and I wish I had discovered his work as an analyst sooner. This is a fantastic piece on Russell Wilson that demonstrates why Wilson has skills to start in the N.F.L. Go ahead, bring up the 49ers game last night. You done? Good. Read.

A Former NFL Player’s Inside Scoop on Aaron Rodgers – If you weren’t done about Wilson then I suggest this fascinating read about Rodgers at Cal from his former teammate Ryan Riddle. As usual, excellent stuff that describes a debut that left Rodgers crying the night away alone in his room. All quarterbacks go through rough patches.

New Grantland: Denver Dips Into the Old Colts Playbook for Some Vintage Peyton

Nick Saban Doesn’t Teach Back-Pedaling – Always good stuff at Smart Football.

Reads (Non-Football) Continue reading →

Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Prince, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and the Difficulty of Comparisons

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Russell Wilson is short by NFL QB standards but matched with the right offense, there is a place for him in the league. Photo by Seth Youngblood.

Russell Wilson to Compete for Seahawks Starting Gig Now

Apparently, I was wrong about Russell Wilson. I thought he’d compete for the starting job next year – not right now.

I’ve been talking about Wilson’s potential as a future starter before the draft at FootballOutsiders.com in my Futures column. Wilson had an off-the-charts Lewin Career Forecast score (highest ever as an indicator of potential success in the NFL), which my colleagues at Outsiders consequently labeled with an asterisk because history accurately demonstrated that quarterbacks with Wilson’s height aren’t drafted in the first three rounds as potential starters. I decided to take a bit of the different approach and “Study the Asterisk.” Click the link above and learn why Pete Carroll and the Seahawks saw Wilson as a future starter, why his game translates, and why the comparisons to Drew Brees aren’t silly.

The Nature of Player Comps

Speaking of player comparisons, I think it is important to talk about them. There are a lot of opinions about the value of comparisons. When done well, Continue reading →

Quarterback Techniques Part II (Not Safe for Work)

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Aaron Rodgers is the total package and a standard setter when it comes to the arm quality of a quarterback. Photo by Elvis Kennedy. Not to be confused with Malcolm Gaye

Warning: This blog post isn’t for the corporate mindset. It’s safe to read at work except for the first link you come across. However, if you’re the kind of idiot (and I use the term affectionately – we all act like idiots from time to time. It’s part of the human condition) that feels the need to share everything with co-workers because you think you know their sense of humor better than you actually do, then it’s not safe for work. In fact, if you’re that kind of idiot don’t read this post until you get home.

If you get canned it’s because your listening skills suck. Continue reading →

Greg Cosell Part V: Class in Session

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NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell shares his takes about the game and its players this week. Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo was one of Cosell's favorite rookies when we first spoke in 2008. Photo by Patriotsworld

Entering my third year of studying film for The Rookie Scouting Portfolio, I had just finished a year of film study that included one of  the bigger lessons I had encountered in Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The highly coveted prospect had some raving fans, but I wasn’t one of them. I didn’t see what others thought even after studying a half-dozen games.

It was how I became acquainted with NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell. I read his 2008 Sporting News piece  on Darren McFadden. I was surprised to learn that we had similar takes on the runner. I sent him my analysis on McFadden and this fueled a longer conversation over the telephone.  Parts I, II, and III were a recent conversation. Part IV and this conversation about what goes into evaluating certain positions on the football field are from 2008. Continue reading →