From the draft this year, we saw some names pop up that got great recognition early on, and we saw names pop out of nowhere later. Johnny Manziel has very good arm strength, loaded up with the natural athletic tools that can potentially become a danger in the NFL. He slings the ball with ease, but, right now it’s very hard to consider him a serious QB in the NFL. Saying things like he needs to ‘take this more seriously’, isn’t helping the cause for him at this point. Granted, if getting his game together, he does have the effortless arm strength to chuck the ball up and down the field. He can make all the throws, using odd angles and straight bombs going deep.
This season Johnny has only been a sideshow for the Browns, and until the Browns decide what they really have out of him, I question if he will be doing much in his career. Johnny is going to be watching, and waiting, unless he gets his act together. We know that his feet are game-changing, he can make people miss with his massive acceleration and explosive cuts to make defenders miss. He can move around and dodge with his instinctive-like athleticism to out-run defenders. Obviously, we know all about Manziel having the great mobility, and his danger to defenses when he is on the run with the constant threat to keep it himself or pass the ball. He also has the nifty ability to dodge tacklers in the pocket and chuck one that goes deep down the field for a big completion. He also is a tough kid, who is not afraid to finish a run. Which could also be a concern. He had proven his onfield leadership skills at the college level, so he was mentally tough, at that point.
What I also question for Johnny is his ability to go through his progressions. Looking off defenders, finding his 3rd option when need be, after 1 and 2 are not open, he then tends to move and dance, and scramble. Can he then make the oooh and ahhh play, yes, but can he also get himself into a heap of problems with that, yes. Only time will tell with that. He also has the tendency at times to release the ball while off-balance, which can potentially cause the ball placement to end up in a very tough place to make the grab, which brings to light the possibility that maybe his WRs in college helped him more than many may have thought. We saw that this year with his heave into the endzone vs Cinncinatti that got picked off, and was a terrible decision, welcome to the NFL Johnny.
He needs to focus on football, not the celebrity lifestyle, remember Matt Lienert, I do.
Teddy Bridgewater, this year has been a great shining spot for the Vikings that has been proven already like his very strong games vs the Jets and Miami, both top ended defensive teams. In 2011, he was amazing and seemingly came out of nowhere, being named the Big East Rookie of the Year. That season in college Teddy Bridgewater completed 65% of his passes for 2,129 YDs and 14 TDs. Also compiling 265 YDs on the ground running along with 4 TDs as well. He has a mental toughness that doesn’t waiver. He has patient dedication and an internal relentlessness that makes him push himself. He has the smarts and has shown the strong ability to read defenses prior to the snap, which his quick release has shown, and his patience. With his pocket awareness and being able to feel the rush, he has been a very nice find for Minnesota this season.
Teddy has shown an easy and very natural throwing motion when finding his targets. And completing 64.4% of his passes for the Vikes. He has had a soft touch on intermediate throws, and throwing the vertical pass, he had improved greatly, throughout the season, to say the least. He has been as impressive as any rookie QB in the league this season. He has been showing a quick set-up and release, and always places the ball so that his receivers can run after the catch and continue onward and get more yards. With his strong arm he whips the ball with velocity and the soft touch to make any throw. He shows the courage to throw the tough passes even when there are defenders in close proximity to his targets.
Teddy can run and is mobile enough to run when he needs to, 209 and a TD this year. But don’t compare him to running QB’s like Cam, Teddy uses his feet to move through the pocket, not to run. So can he exploit defenses with his feet, yes. Can he read defenses and set up teammates for success, he can do that also. He is smaller, and has suffered some injuries this year, but I think that he is smart enough to learn how to avoid certain situations and to take himself out of harms way if possible in the future.
Blake Bortles who has been the prototypical rookie QB for the Jags this year with 2908 YDs, 11 TDs and his 58.9% passing completion pct has been decent. He still obviously needs to continue his development as a pocket passer. He has the tendency to be hit or miss where he has the games like his 14-33 passing game vs Houston and games like 32-46 and 336 vs the Titans, when he fires the ball.
He may not throw the prettiest ball in the game, and has sometimes, struggled with late delivery.
Playing best when he feels protected in the pocket, and has some time to step into his throws and deliver. He obviously has the perfect NFL-caliber frame at 6-5 and 230, and does have the arm to make every throw that is needed. He is bottom line, a classic drop-back passer with some limited mobility. He has also shown he isn’t afraid to make some challenging throws through tight windows, even with receiving targets like Cecil Shorts and rookie Allen Hurns who, at this point, are neither top receivers on most teams. And getting Denard Robinson involved he has shown some good touch to loft passes out to his backfield as well. Bortles has the skill set to be a good starter in the NFL. Maybe he doesn’t have the cannon for an arm, but he has a good enough arm to make the throws. Blake will be an NFL starter for his career, in my opinion.
While playing in a pro-style offense in Louisville, with far less weapons around him, Teddy is going to be the real deal. He also came in with the availability of some pretty solid offensive weapons around him in Minnesota, and with Norv Turner calling the shots, he will continue to coach up this kid to very high levels. And being that he has been able to make a lot of pre-snap calls and adjustments, in college, he will eventually be a guy in the huddle who makes calls and knows what needs to be done, and had done so this year, at times. Teddy Bridgewater is undoubtedly the best quarterback, from these 3, in my eyes. He has a far higher ceiling with regard to success in the NFL, and I believe he has just begun his career in the NFL. He will be a QB who will make a difference. Bridgewater has slipped into the Vikes system with ease throwing for 2919 YDs, 14 TDs, and 6 wins for his team this season.
I look for him to, by far, have the most successful NFL career of the aforementioned rookie QBs.
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