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Originally posted by TheBlueHell:
Cemented his legacy as one of the GOATs...
Cunningham: I've heard a lot about Deshaun Watson, but I'm not into the hype. What I like is: Kids who have good character. When I watch Watson play, I see a team player and a guy who is humble. On the field, look at his demeanor. He's very focused, but he's also having fun playing the game and that's something I'd want to have in my quarterback if I'm running a franchise. A lot of people don't know how to have fun out there, they put too much pressure on themselves or let the pressure get to them. That's not Watson.
Shanahan: I don't know too much about the intangibles but from afar my initial impression is that he's a fantastic guy. The way he handles himself, his answers in the post-game interview, those were all positive.
Shanahan: He has a good release. He has the ability to make all of the throws. That's the first thing you look for.
McCown: The NFL game and the college game are becoming very different. We've seen so many Heisman Trophy winners come in, and don't do as well in the NFL. But with Deshaun, I actually think the NFL game could help him a little bit. In college, some of the throws you are asked to make are different—because of the nature of the field, the hashes, the run pass options. When you have the arm strength, which Deshaun certainly does, some throws that maybe he's not been asked to make yet, he'll be asked to make in the NFL. And maybe he's really good at those. Just look at recent history. Dak Prescott, I know he did great things at Mississippi State, but he flew under the radar a little bit, and then he gets in the pro game and it's like, Wait a minute, he can make that throw? He can make this throw?
Shanahan: What does Deshaun Watson have to do to be an elite quarterback? What he'll have to do, eventually, is when he drops back, he has to read the whole field and not just one side of the field. The way you can do that is you need to focus on your coverage and the concepts that are going on. When a guy has the ability to run, that's O.K., but when he's approaching the line of scrimmage he has to keep his eyes downfield before he crosses the line of scrimmage to see if there's an open receiver. If you miss him, well now they're looking at you to make a seven-yard gain. But, as you're looking down field as you approach the line of scrimmage and everything is covered, use your athletic ability and slide before somebody hits you. When the pocket collapses a little bit, he steps up and looks for the hole, and he's looking to escape to one of those holes. In time, what he'll learn is to slide and step up in the pocket, slide into those holes where he can still keep his focus downfield. If you don't do that, you don't last in the NFL.
McCown: When you have an asset like your legs, like Deshaun has, and it's part of your game and your skillset, you have to utilize it. Whatever team he goes to, you don't want it to stunt his growth. You don't want him to rely on it so much that it limits him as a passer. A lot of times, you'll see with mobile quarterbacks, they come in and find ways to move the football and move their team with their legs. It stunts their growth as a passer, and then when the time comes that maybe they're not as fast, or have an injury, or teams catch up to them a little bit, they're not able to win games with their arm. Tom Brady is case in point that there's still such a premium to play from the pocket and with accuracy, because you can play for so long. That's the biggest balance for Deshaun as he comes into the league. It's hard because it's such a win-now league. Coaches in the NFL will say, Well we can do all of these RPOs (which we run to an extent in the NFL) and we can do this that and the other and move the football with him. That's great, but are you risking his growth as a passer because of it?
Shanahan: I think the ability to run is always good, but you're not going to outrun people in the National Football League. And if you do, you're going to wind up getting hurt. But what it allows you to do is have the ability to buy time and make big plays. Sometimes the ability to run can be a hindrance because a lot of guys will take off and run and they don't focus their eyes downfield; they're focusing their eyes on where the holes are, Where am I going to run to? If you get into the NFL, and you have the God-given ability that Deshaun does to make some plays with your legs, as you're approaching the line of scrimmage you have to be looking downfield. You have to do that because you want the ball to be thrown if you do run, and you can't take the hits like he took [on Monday night]. He won't be around in the NFL if he keeps taking those shots. He needs to learn how to slide in those situations. On a college team, when you're playing for a national championship, you understand why he's not sliding, you understand why he's making the plays. But as he gets to the next level, he'll have to understand his importance to his football team. That one play is not going to be the difference in your year. He'll need to be smarter about when to go, because he needs to stay healthy.
McCown: Everybody made a big deal of that hit that spun him around. I've actually [received] a hit that spun me around like that. [In Week 1 of 2015 against the Jets, McCown scrambled toward the end zone, collided with two defenders, and fumbled the ball. He left the game with a concussion.] I think that's absolutely something he needs to be aware of. In this league, what wins games and moves teams is arm talent and accuracy. Mobility is a plus, and it can be part of it, but your best ability is your availability. That's one of the things I've been most impressed with Dak Prescott. When he moves and runs, he goes and gets down and protects himself. That's a veteran move, something I wish I learned earlier in my career.
Shanahan: It takes a while to learn to be a pocket passer. You can tell that he struggled a little bit with the intermediate and deep routes. That does take some time. Your footwork in the pocket, your ability to slide in the pocket, instead of just taking off and looking downfield or looking at the holes in the defense where you can keep your head up and still slide and still focus downfield. And key the whole defense? That takes time. That doesn't happen overnight. So that's something he is going to have to work on.
Cunningham: That last play of the game, I knew that it was coming. I had seen what [Alabama] had done previously to try to stop them. They were playing a zone, faking blitz, rushing five, but they were playing a zone. So Clemson ran the old roll out— that's an NFL play. When you roll out, because blitz may be coming, and it's a quick decision. Deshaun threw a perfect pass to his receiver. They should've called pass interference on the defense for slamming the receiver on the outside as he ran his slant route, but it was just a perfect play.
McCown: The back shoulder throw on that last drive was my favorite play. He threw one down the middle to No. 13 [Hunter] Renfrow—who, side note, I think is going to play in the NFL for a while, that kid impressed me too. But that throw, that's not an easy ball to complete. It was a bender seam throw that he made, and I thought, Man, that's an impressive, NFL throw.
Shanahan: In evaluating him, the first thing you'd do as an NFL coaching staff is go back the last couple years and look at his interceptions. He didn't have any [on Monday] but you'll look back at any he's had and say, What does he have to do to eliminate those turnovers? See if he can recognize that by watching film and understanding it, and applying it. Some guys are never able to do it, other guys are.
McCown: For any college player, but Deshaun especially, I think it'll be important to continue to be more consistent with the football and accuracy and decision-making. That will come as he grows. When you get to this level, accuracy is a premium. For guys to stay consistently at a high level is to put the ball where you want it.
Cunningham: After the game, Dabo Swinney said, "I told you that's the best college football player in America." He is, but he's an NFL player. When you get into big games, you find out who the real players are. He proved, in beating Alabama, he's the real deal. Deshaun Watson and NFL? Yeah, no doubt about it. Watson is a first-round draft pick in my eyes, easily.
Originally posted by LVJay:Originally posted by TheBlueHell:Cemented his legacy as one of the GOATs...
That Bama Dline was relentless! Watson was harassed all night and took a lot of big hits / sacks. He didn't play scared. He's pretty damn tough and pretty poised in the pocket.
Originally posted by gold49digger:
Probably the best equivalent to what we can see how he's like against the Seahawks. Of course they're not even close to that defense but it's nice to see that he doesn't falter against a tough defense.
Originally posted by cwilson830:Originally posted by okdkid:Originally posted by 49ersfansince90:There are no QBs worthy of a top 2 pick in this draft. I refuse to be a prisoner of the moment with Watson. I would be more inclined to trade a pick for Jimmy G or Bridgewater.
Liking Watson doesn't make you a "prisoner of the moment". The dude has been rolling top competition in big games since the day he set foot on campus. This isn't a one-time event.
He's definitely a winner. And he's a good college qb. Except for all the picks.
He's got a lot of work ahead of him before he'd be able to become a servicable NFL qb. He'd be a nice second-day long-term project, but someone will blow an early pick on him. It better not be us.
Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Originally posted by glorydayz:
Watson should be the 1st QB off the board at this point.
GM's will think about Dak as they think about passing on Watson.
Because they are both black qbs?
Originally posted by glorydayz:
Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Originally posted by glorydayz:
Watson should be the 1st QB off the board at this point.
GM's will think about Dak as they think about passing on Watson.
Because they are both black qbs?
That as well as the fact that they passed on Dak when he showed he had the skills in college just like Watson has. Think about the scouts that rated Goff higher than Dak, they will go into this year with an eye on the athletic QB's that may not have garnered the same amount of attention before the Dak free fall last year.
Originally posted by SofaKing:
Watson most reminds me of Marcus Mariota. I think he'll be very similar out of the gate. Solid starter with exciting potential, but have to wait a little before he breaks out.
Originally posted by StubbyNBY:Mike Williams in the first rd and Watson in the 2nd rd. I would take that all day.
Originally posted by jersey49er:
Originally posted by StubbyNBY:
Mike Williams in the first rd and Watson in the 2nd rd. I would take that all day.
Would be awesome but I really think he goes top 10, a team is going to fall in love with him during workouts and interviews, he's a freak athlete with a great head on his shoulders, he will impress a lot..plus his in the field preformance is pretty good, those 2 drives vs a great bama D to retake the lead were amazing..
Originally posted by LVJay:Bridgewater?
Watson >>> Bridgewater or anyone on our roster
Originally posted by gold49digger:
Originally posted by LVJay:
Originally posted by TheBlueHell:
Cemented his legacy as one of the GOATs...
That Bama Dline was relentless! Watson was harassed all night and took a lot of big hits / sacks. He didn't play scared. He's pretty damn tough and pretty poised in the pocket.
Probably the best equivalent to what we can see how he's like against the Seahawks. Of course they're not even close to that defense but it's nice to see that he doesn't falter against a tough defense.
Originally posted by 49ersfansince90:
Originally posted by LVJay:
Bridgewater?
Watson >>> Bridgewater or anyone on our roster
Watson has over 30 turnovers in the last 2 years. He makes a wow throw and then a bone headed throw in the same sequence. He has taken the lion share of his snaps out of the shotgun and he will have to learn to read defenses and go through progressions coming from under center. The inconsistency and spread offense scares me. Not a top 2 pick right now. I think he is a 2nd rounder. Look at the Ohio State game, the Pitt game, the NC State game. He had all the tools and I love his leadership and intangibles. But he is a year or 2 away from being a consistent top level starter in the NFL
Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
Mike Shanahan, Randall Cunningham and Josh McCown broke down Watson for SI.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/01/11/nfl-draft-deshaun-watson-stock-round-scouting-report-mike-shanahan-josh-mccown-randall-cunningham
Some comments from the article.
Cunningham: I've heard a lot about Deshaun Watson, but I'm not into the hype. What I like is: Kids who have good character. When I watch Watson play, I see a team player and a guy who is humble. On the field, look at his demeanor. He's very focused, but he's also having fun playing the game and that's something I'd want to have in my quarterback if I'm running a franchise. A lot of people don't know how to have fun out there, they put too much pressure on themselves or let the pressure get to them. That's not Watson.
Shanahan: I don't know too much about the intangibles but from afar my initial impression is that he's a fantastic guy. The way he handles himself, his answers in the post-game interview, those were all positive.
Shanahan: He has a good release. He has the ability to make all of the throws. That's the first thing you look for.
McCown: The NFL game and the college game are becoming very different. We've seen so many Heisman Trophy winners come in, and don't do as well in the NFL. But with Deshaun, I actually think the NFL game could help him a little bit. In college, some of the throws you are asked to make are different—because of the nature of the field, the hashes, the run pass options. When you have the arm strength, which Deshaun certainly does, some throws that maybe he's not been asked to make yet, he'll be asked to make in the NFL. And maybe he's really good at those. Just look at recent history. Dak Prescott, I know he did great things at Mississippi State, but he flew under the radar a little bit, and then he gets in the pro game and it's like, Wait a minute, he can make that throw? He can make this throw?
Shanahan: What does Deshaun Watson have to do to be an elite quarterback? What he'll have to do, eventually, is when he drops back, he has to read the whole field and not just one side of the field. The way you can do that is you need to focus on your coverage and the concepts that are going on. When a guy has the ability to run, that's O.K., but when he's approaching the line of scrimmage he has to keep his eyes downfield before he crosses the line of scrimmage to see if there's an open receiver. If you miss him, well now they're looking at you to make a seven-yard gain. But, as you're looking down field as you approach the line of scrimmage and everything is covered, use your athletic ability and slide before somebody hits you. When the pocket collapses a little bit, he steps up and looks for the hole, and he's looking to escape to one of those holes. In time, what he'll learn is to slide and step up in the pocket, slide into those holes where he can still keep his focus downfield. If you don't do that, you don't last in the NFL.
McCown: When you have an asset like your legs, like Deshaun has, and it's part of your game and your skillset, you have to utilize it. Whatever team he goes to, you don't want it to stunt his growth. You don't want him to rely on it so much that it limits him as a passer. A lot of times, you'll see with mobile quarterbacks, they come in and find ways to move the football and move their team with their legs. It stunts their growth as a passer, and then when the time comes that maybe they're not as fast, or have an injury, or teams catch up to them a little bit, they're not able to win games with their arm. Tom Brady is case in point that there's still such a premium to play from the pocket and with accuracy, because you can play for so long. That's the biggest balance for Deshaun as he comes into the league. It's hard because it's such a win-now league. Coaches in the NFL will say, Well we can do all of these RPOs (which we run to an extent in the NFL) and we can do this that and the other and move the football with him. That's great, but are you risking his growth as a passer because of it?
Shanahan: I think the ability to run is always good, but you're not going to outrun people in the National Football League. And if you do, you're going to wind up getting hurt. But what it allows you to do is have the ability to buy time and make big plays. Sometimes the ability to run can be a hindrance because a lot of guys will take off and run and they don't focus their eyes downfield; they're focusing their eyes on where the holes are, Where am I going to run to? If you get into the NFL, and you have the God-given ability that Deshaun does to make some plays with your legs, as you're approaching the line of scrimmage you have to be looking downfield. You have to do that because you want the ball to be thrown if you do run, and you can't take the hits like he took [on Monday night]. He won't be around in the NFL if he keeps taking those shots. He needs to learn how to slide in those situations. On a college team, when you're playing for a national championship, you understand why he's not sliding, you understand why he's making the plays. But as he gets to the next level, he'll have to understand his importance to his football team. That one play is not going to be the difference in your year. He'll need to be smarter about when to go, because he needs to stay healthy.
McCown: Everybody made a big deal of that hit that spun him around. I've actually [received] a hit that spun me around like that. [In Week 1 of 2015 against the Jets, McCown scrambled toward the end zone, collided with two defenders, and fumbled the ball. He left the game with a concussion.] I think that's absolutely something he needs to be aware of. In this league, what wins games and moves teams is arm talent and accuracy. Mobility is a plus, and it can be part of it, but your best ability is your availability. That's one of the things I've been most impressed with Dak Prescott. When he moves and runs, he goes and gets down and protects himself. That's a veteran move, something I wish I learned earlier in my career.
Shanahan: It takes a while to learn to be a pocket passer. You can tell that he struggled a little bit with the intermediate and deep routes. That does take some time. Your footwork in the pocket, your ability to slide in the pocket, instead of just taking off and looking downfield or looking at the holes in the defense where you can keep your head up and still slide and still focus downfield. And key the whole defense? That takes time. That doesn't happen overnight. So that's something he is going to have to work on.
Cunningham: That last play of the game, I knew that it was coming. I had seen what [Alabama] had done previously to try to stop them. They were playing a zone, faking blitz, rushing five, but they were playing a zone. So Clemson ran the old roll out— that's an NFL play. When you roll out, because blitz may be coming, and it's a quick decision. Deshaun threw a perfect pass to his receiver. They should've called pass interference on the defense for slamming the receiver on the outside as he ran his slant route, but it was just a perfect play.
McCown: The back shoulder throw on that last drive was my favorite play. He threw one down the middle to No. 13 [Hunter] Renfrow—who, side note, I think is going to play in the NFL for a while, that kid impressed me too. But that throw, that's not an easy ball to complete. It was a bender seam throw that he made, and I thought, Man, that's an impressive, NFL throw.
Shanahan: In evaluating him, the first thing you'd do as an NFL coaching staff is go back the last couple years and look at his interceptions. He didn't have any [on Monday] but you'll look back at any he's had and say, What does he have to do to eliminate those turnovers? See if he can recognize that by watching film and understanding it, and applying it. Some guys are never able to do it, other guys are.
McCown: For any college player, but Deshaun especially, I think it'll be important to continue to be more consistent with the football and accuracy and decision-making. That will come as he grows. When you get to this level, accuracy is a premium. For guys to stay consistently at a high level is to put the ball where you want it.
Cunningham: After the game, Dabo Swinney said, "I told you that's the best college football player in America." He is, but he's an NFL player. When you get into big games, you find out who the real players are. He proved, in beating Alabama, he's the real deal. Deshaun Watson and NFL? Yeah, no doubt about it. Watson is a first-round draft pick in my eyes, easily.
Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:
Originally posted by gold49digger:
Probably the best equivalent to what we can see how he's like against the Seahawks. Of course they're not even close to that defense but it's nice to see that he doesn't falter against a tough defense.
Playing with the 49ers roster against the Seahawks is a bigger challenge than playing with Clemson's roster against Alabama. Alabama's defense may have slightly more NFL talent than Clemson's offense, but there's not a huge gap there. Watson has 7 teammates who will be drafted in the first 3-4 rounds over the next 2 years. The 49ers don't have a #1 WR and arguably don't have a #2 WR either. Hard to imagine any of these rookie QBs having success here year 1 with who we have around the QB.