Slight hijack: Twenty odd years ago, Drew Bledsoe was the #1 overall draft pick in the NFL. He certainly wasn’t a bad pick- he had a very solid NFL career, went to a few Pro Bowls, and took the Patriots to a Super Bowl.
Once, I saw a TV piece in which he was talking to some reporters about the draft. He asked, “Do you lnow why they took me ahead of Rick Mirer (the Notre Dame quarterback who was also very highly touted that year)?”
The reporters didn’t know. Bledsoe answered, “It’s because I was able to throw the ball 70 yards down the field at the combine.” He paused, then said, “Ask me how many times I’ve had to make that throw in the NFL.”
The reporters obligingly asked, and Bledsoe replied, “MAYBE once a year. Tops. They picked me because I could do something they never needed me to do!” By contrast, Bledsoe noted, he had to throw quick bullet passes on crossing patterns several times in every game… but scouts often seem more interested in how well a QB prospect can do a few spectacular but unnecessary things than in how well he can execute the plays he’ll have to do all the time!
So, my point (and I did have one): how often will Jameis Winston be asked to run forty yards down the field in a game? Could it be, oh, never?
Why not judge him on the skills he’ll actually need in the NFL, rather than the ones he’ll never be asked to use?
Eh, Drew’s point about throwing the ball 70yards equates to arm strength, which is definitely important for an NFL QB. I’d agree that straight line speed, shown in the 40yd dash, is not so important for a QB. I bet Big Ben’s 40 would be pretty terrible these days, but he’s known as a fairly athletic/mobile/hard to bring down QB.
Exactly. For a pocket passer, it’s the footwork and ability to “feel” the pressure and “slide” within the pocket that’s needed for game success and longevity. The 40-yard time is one of those conventional stats (like batting average and RBI’s in baseball) that’s just a carryover from years past. Many people even think it’s basically useless in assessing running backs and defensive backs. I think Joe Haden had a horrible 40 time in the combine.
Or, to use another example, JaMarcus Russell wowed all the scouts by throwing 50 yard passes while kneeling.
Now, that’s impresiive, but when will any quarterback ever be asked to do that in an NFL game?
YES, a strong arm is important, but what a team generally needs behind center is NOT so much a guy who can throw 60 yards down the field but a guy who can drill the ball accurately to a well-covered receiver 15-20 yards downfield. That requires arm strength too, but a very different type of arm strength from what JaMarcus Russell had.
It’s a luxury to ghave a qb who can throw 70 yard bombs, but it’s a NECESSITY to have one who can throw a bullet straight to a mid-range moving target.
I actually looked up Roethlisberger’s 40 time for my last post but didn’t include it. 4.75, which is both faster than Winston and faster than I would have ever guessed. Long legs, I guess. I wonder what his splits were.
He couldn’t do that today. He rushes for a first down maybe 5 times a year, and when he does he looks like he’s running through molasses. To the eyes of someone who sees every game he has been one of the slowest quarterbacks in the NFL for a long time. But when you’re that tough to bring down you don’t have to be fast.