2011 NFL Quarterback Class’s Impact
by Jon Dove on May 3, 2011 1:08 PM EDT
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PrintThe 2011 NFL Draft featured large number of quarterbacks selected before the middle of the 2nd round. This was no doubt a result of many quarterback needy teams and the fact that the NFL is driven by quarterback play. Heading into the draft, many identified as many as 8 teams that needed to upgrade their quarterback situation.
The quarterbacks selected early include: Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, and Colin Kaepernick. Each of these quarterbacks represents the future of their franchise and will be expected to win many football games. The majority feel that all of these players will need time to develop but will likely be thrust into action early.
After the Jump I take a closer look at the different situations.
The #1 overall pick, Cam Newton is not ready to contribute this season. However, due to the lack of other options will likely be forced on the field. He has all the physical attributes needed to be successful but does not have the necessary experience for an easy transition. The Panthers will not be looking for early wins but rather signs of improvement. Carolina is not ready to contend so signs of improvement from Newton will be the biggest focus.
Locker is taking over after the failed Vince Young experiment and will be asked to provide some hope at the quarterback position. The current roster does not offer any viable quarterback options so it is likely that Locker will be thrust into the starting roll early. Locker needs a lot of development but could lean on Chris Johnson and the Titans running game. However, it is likely that Locker will face some early season struggles if forced into the starting roll.
The Jaguars offer Blaine Gabbert the best position of all the young quarterbacks. David Garrard is the current starting quarterback and will provide Gabbert with an excellent mentor and time to develop. Gabbert should get an entire season to sit and learn, unless Garrard suffers and injury.
Christian Ponder will likely be the first of these quarterbacks to start a football game. If not the first then the most likely to start. The Vikings do not have many legitimate opinions on the roster and still view themselves as playoff contenders. Ponder will be asked to play early and lean on Adrian Peterson to carry the load and take pressure. I have stated many times that I feel Ponder is the most NFL ready quarterback in this draft class.
The Bengals' quarterback future is very cloudy because of the uncertain future of Carson Palmer. I feel strongly that Palmer will never play for the Bengals again which means Andy Dalton is an important piece to the puzzle. I remember that prior to Palmer's trade request; many felt that the Bengals would make a move for a new quarterback. If Dalton is asked to play early he is in a good situation because of his surrounding cast. The offensive line is solid and the receiving corps is more than capable with AJ Green, Jordan Shipley, and Jermaine Gresham.
Kaepernick needs the most work out of this entire quarterback class. His footwork and throwing mechanics all need a ton of work. However, he will be learning under quarterback guru Jim Harbaugh who will no doubt spend plenty of time developing Kaepernick. The key with Kaepernick is that he is provided enough time to learn and develop.
So overall this quarterback class will significantly shape the futures of each franchise. There is no doubt that some of these players will fail and it will be interesting to see which ones and why.
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Harbaugh said that Kaepernicks motion was good.
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
by manraj7 on May 3, 2011 1:58 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Of course he did
But it’s not. Too much of a wind up. Which slows his release. Plus he drops his left arm too much. That will affect his accuracy in the NFL.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
I will take Harbaugh's word over yours any day of the week.
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
Why don't you just look at it for yourself
But what do you expect Harbaugh to say? “Um, well he does have to work on his throwing mechanics before he even thinks about being an NFL quarterback. But we went ahead and rolled the dice on him in the second round anyway.”
That wouldn’t make much sense now would it.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
I would expect him to not draft him...
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
Ok so I did some more research on this
From the feet up, Ryan Mallett’s full motion was the second-quickest of the group at about 42.9 milliseconds. The very fastest was T.J. Yates at 36.7 milliseconds. The slowest was Colin Kaepernick at 56.4 milliseconds. The ordering changes when you measure the time it takes for pure arm motion, cued off the dropping of the throwing elbow. The quickest and slowest remain T.J. Yates (33.8 milliseconds) and Colin Kaepernick (46.0 milliseconds), however Ryan Mallett’s arm motion sinks into the very middle place in the seven-player sample at 36.3 milliseconds.
So comparing the release time of Kaepernick’s throwing motion and say Christian Ponder there is a difference (at a maximum) of 13.4 milliseconds.
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
forgot to give you source
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
that's the difference between a completion and an INT
Or taking a sack.
I like Kaepernick the person, I just don’t think he is NFL QB material.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
13.4 miliseconds...
Are you kidding me. I will bet you that Kaepernick will have a better career than any of the QBs in this draft.
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
His release is fine.
It’s just changing the footwork from the pistol to the Harbaugh offense that is the biggest thing. That and the huge step up of level of competition.
Head of catering.
There's talk of McNabb to the Vikings which would put Ponder 2nd on the depth chart
I think Locker will be the first to start and may struggle for the first couple of seasons. Tennessee probably has a better OL than he’s used to, though, so that should help him become more of a pocket passer.
by Greetings from the Lord Humongous! on May 3, 2011 2:03 PM EDT reply actions
Actually, now that I think about it, Hasselbeck might end up a Titan
if the Seahawks don’t end up a guy like Palmer or Kolb. This would push back Locker’s start for a bit.
by Greetings from the Lord Humongous! on May 3, 2011 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Vikings are not getting McNabb, it was a rumor
They’re not going to draft a QB 12th overall and then go pick up McNabb. Besides, I don’t think McNabb wants to go there anymore because he wanted a place with no clear future so he could start for a FEW years, not just one year and out the door. McNabb still believes he has longevity in this league. I, for one, do not believe he does and would gladly pass on him.
Skol!
You callin the kettle black?
Just messing. But I just can’t get over the infatuation of Kaepernick. The dude is more raw than Cam Newton.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
Ridulously smart?
Newton is perfectly set up to fail
by Thomas Beekers on May 3, 2011 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s the most talented QB in this class… by a wide margin. It’s senseless.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/
And talent guarantees success?
He’s a one-year starter with a ridiculous lack of experience due to an amazingly low number of snaps played who will be forced to start for an offense that looked completely broken last year. It’s a terrible pick and one that likely dooms him to bust out of the league.
by Thomas Beekers on May 3, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
And his one year of success came in an offense tailored to his skillset
which may not be feasible in the pros. His skillset is obviously feasible, but that kind of offensive system I mean.
Head of catering.
Where is the "None of the above" option.
Because it will be the Chiefs Rick Stanzi by far.
Way to hard of a question
they are all developmental. I would say Ponder will be most successful his rookie year, he has a pretty good supporting cast, AP, and he’s the closest QB to being pro ready in this draft. But for the poll question I just don’t see a high enough ceiling compared to a lot of these QB’s.
As for career, I would say Newton. He’s just way too special a player and being the 1st pick, he’ll get every opportunity to prove himself in Carolina
If you reply to a comment/post/fanshot of mine, I will more likely then not respond to it, unless you come off like a d-bag.
That's fair enough
I’m a little biased on Ponder so I’ll go with the 2nd guy. I go with mallett. talk about a PERFECT situation for him. He gets to learn from a future HOF and legend and he gets arguably the best HC in the Biz. Mallett could tear up the league in 5 years.
Skol!
Great Debate
This is a tough question but its fun to debate. I think that Ponder is in a good situation in Minny b/c that team isnt afraid to spend money to win. Most quarterbacks are rated on their ability to win football games.
Jon Dove
NFL Analyst at Mocking the Draft
@Jon_Dove42
I feel like none of them.
With the lockout looking the way it is, they won’t have enough time to get used to the team and learn the playbook before preseason
Where's Mallett?
Going to an organization like the Patriots and learning from one of the great QBs in the NFL and one of the greatest coaches in the NFL should take him damn far. I like Dalton and I like Gabbert for their teams. Ponder seems like a scheme mismatch and may not fit well in Minnesota, Newton’s raw, and Kaepernick’s rawer.
He'll learn from the team, the QB coach, and by watching Brady. He won't learn from Brady.
Tom Terrific doesn’t give QB advice. Also heard a rumor that he’s pissed and is intent on playing for 10 more years.
Mallett could succeed regardless. Rooting for the guy.
Head of catering.
Ponder has issues because that O-line got no help and wasn't very good at pass blocking
Still, Adrian Peterson and their relatively strong run blocking might be enough to keep him from getting ruined.
Locker has the huge advantage of landing in an offense that suits his skills well. He’ll be asked to do little more than Vince Young did at the start, and that shouldn’t be as steep a challenge.
It’s too bad so many of these kids will be asked to play way too early, especially if the lockout carries on. It’ll destroy a few careers before it’s through.
Ponder fits the vikes to a tee.
Prior to the draft I think it is fair to say that most felt that Pondr and Dalton were tailor made for a WCO. Fortunately the Vikings knew that the Florida State offensive scheme and the new Vikings WCO scheme were very much alike. This is why the Vikes and Ponder hit it off so well on the chalkboard. Ponder is a sharp athletic guy.
If he adjusts to the speed of the game like Colt McCoy did he will have success early moving the ball downfield.
I don’t mean to sound like a homer, but, if the Vikings front office really felt that the O-Line issues last year were not injury related ,I think they would have drafted O-Line much earlier in the draft. It is easy to say “the O-Line is terrible”. Its harder to explain that if this is so why a team with such good drafting history failed to address it.
Ponder has no idea how much pressure the fans will put on him. But he will succeed.
I think the change in blocking scheme
will help the O-Line more than spending all 10 draft picks on linemen would have.
not to mention getting those hogs healthy
Both starting guards ended up on IR. Center missed significant time due to leg injuries. Plural. Loadholt was injuried.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
Wait, why is the previously effective and successful blocking scheme so fatally flawed?
Really? The scheme is so flawed that you could draft 10 linemen and it would only marginally improve but you changed schemes and it will make an amazing difference?
Sensing hyperbole may not be my strong suit, but I’m picking up some signals here. From what scheme to what scheme are we talking about here?
Head of catering.
Under Childress the Vikings employed a zone blocking scheme
And if you look at the teams that have done well with it over the years, i.e. Broncos, Falcons, they had smaller-quick linemen. The Vikings do not have small, quick linemen.
Under Musgrave, the Vikings will employ a man-blocking scheme; which on paper seems to be better suited to the players currently on the roster.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
I see. Interesting topic for me
because Seattle hired Alex Gibbs last year who flaked out before the season started. They made some moves for that smaller quicker ZBS prototype, but retained and have now been adding larger guys for ZBS, saying they think it will not only work but work better.
Doesn’t mean all lineman prototypes fit ZBS. But I’m interested to see how it turns out. I can definitely understand if you guys thought ZBS was a scheme mismatch with the guys. Although Childress brought in some of those guys and was able to make it work. And it’s a pretty mature line, so I wonder whether it’s best to tailor a new system to suit an older line, rather than choosing the scheme you think is superior (if you think one is superior and the difference is non-negligible) and acquiring the talent to fit it. But the team as a whole is somewhat mature and the line of thinking may be in capitalizing now on a closing window.
Head of catering.
Interesting reply
But the additions of Love (who I project as a guard) and Fusco indicate that the coaches want to get bigger along the line, not smaller. The general feeling among Viking fans is that this shift in scheme is a part of the philosophy of the new coaches: create an offense that is suited to the strength of the personnel.
AP’s role in the equation is notable as well. He does have great vision, which allows him to succeed in the one cut zone attack.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
I'll go with Locker (tho I think i accidentally clicked on Ponder)
Locker’s biggest problems were mainly that he tried to do everything with his legs and also his teammates let him down a lot.
In Tennessee he’s got a great RB and they have some nice weapons for him to throw to. It might be a breathe of fresh air for the kid to finally be surrounded with some talent.
I’d say #2 will be Ponder cuz the team around him is probably the best of the bunch among these teams. Sidney Rice might be a bit disappointed cuz I don’t think Ponder’s got the arm to utilize him the best on those go routes, but I guess we’ll see what he does now.
Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows
I course I voted for the mighty ginger.
I honestly think he was the best QB in this class. Newton will bust and I’m not sure Locker and Gabbert will adjust to a pro-style offense.
Muhammad Wilkerson + Kenrick Ellis=
-Greatest two picks of all time
-Sleepless nights for Tommy Bieber
Ponder by far
Not only does he fit what the Vikings do, they drafted a TE in the 2nd rd. to help him for the next ten years and are building the team around him.
I'm gonna say Locker because
He has a solid Oline, the best RB in the league, and a legit #1 threat at WR . Not to mention a formidable defense.
Dude’s a winner and he’s gonna be a straight up baller.
I'll roll up
Adrian Peterson plays for the Vikings
not Tennessee
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
Insulting AP man modern day slavery.
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
Im not competitive I just addicted to winning.
i'm sorry i just think he fumbles too much
dude is great and is a nasty runner, but he just fumbles way too much
I'll roll up
really?
He only fumbled once in 2010. And that fumble was caused by his own receiver who didn’t get out of the way and ended up kicking the ball out of AP’s hands.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
Ok, but how about
2009- 6fumbles
2008- 9 fumbles
I won’t really count the 5 fumbles his rookie year because he was a rookie, but
16 fumbles the last 3 years? Lol dude fumbles too much
I'll roll up
Lots of running backs had issues holding unto the ball early in their careers
Walter Peyton put the ball on the turf at around the same rate as AP. More recently Tiki Barber had fumblitis early on. And like those 2 before him, AP has worked out the one kink in his armor.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
if he can reduce his fumblitis again, then i'll give that to you, but
i’m not so sure the problem is solved.
He has a very agressive running style and pays for it with a lot of fumbles. I’m not saying he’s not good, because he’s great. If i were to rank the top running backs it would be
Johnson 1.
AP 1a
I'll roll up
If he reduces it again?
So what from 1 fumble in 2010 to zero in 2011? Wow. You are hard to please.
Not sure the problem is solved? If you had seen him carry the rock throughout his career, you would know that he did change the way he holds the ball. Early in his career he trusted the strength of his hands to carry the rock. Now he holds the ball higher and tighter to his body. Does that mean he’ll never fumble again? Of course not. But he dedicated himself to correcting the issue, and the 2010 results are proof that his new technique works.
Speaking of early in his career, those 9 fumbles in 08, occured during the same season that he carried the ball 363 times, the most in his career. And of those 9 fumbles, only 4 were lost. He did not cost his team the game with those fumbles either. In his rookie year he fumbled 4 times, not 5, and 3 were lost.
Chris Johnson is a stud. But AP is the best running back in the NFL. Period. And that’s not the homer in me speaking either.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
I believe that is your homer speaking BUT
I even discounted the rookie year and didn’t even add it into my final equation so that doesn’t matter, and I understand that he carried the ball 363 times, but still 9 times is a lot. CJ carried the ball in his second year 353 times, for 2006 yards and only 3 times. So if you’re going to tell me that the workload is why he fumbled, i’m going to tell you that’s BS.
I'll roll up
I'm not blaming it on workload
You missed my point. Frequency is relative. Over the course of his first 3 seasons he fumbled roughly once per 66 touches. In his fourth season he fumbled once in 319 touches.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
There's a shade of Crimson in there
I’m a Sooner’s fan too!
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
If we hadn't taken Ponder this year
I’d be stumping for Landry Jones in 2012! New Mexico kid to Norman to Minny? Couldn’t script it better.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
A lot of "experts" had him as their #1 QB on their board
I think the Vikes liked what they saw. Frazier does not want to go the way of Childress and hitch his job to a developmental project or stop gap vet. He obviously believes that Ponder can be his guy. If they can iron out this dam CBA, I have a feeling we’ll find out sooner than later if he is right.
"I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
Ponder and Gabbert have the best situactions
Ponder has a pretty good team around him unlike Newton. Gabbert can wait a year and has a decent team to help carry him with Maurice Jones Drew.
"HULU: An evil plot to destroy the world. Enjoy"
Real fans don’t need a reason.
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