Originally posted by NYniner85:
Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:
Yes, I agree, "traits" is the most important thing. I'm not huge on "upside." To me that just means "physical talent," and quite frankly, if a QB doesn't show an elite arm, I'm swiping left. We're talking about a first round pick, after all. The rest, regarding mobility and all that, I'm more interested in functional mobility to buy time than the ability to juke people down the field. That's not to say I hold that against Lance.
But speaking of traits, that's why I like Fields better. The number one trait I look at, after swiping left on all the lesser arm strength guys, is accuracy. And it seems to me Fields wins here. More to watch, but it looks like Fields is in that top three tier of this draft in terms of accuracy and Lance is in the next. And I don't mean "the ability to throw amazing passes." I mean consistent accuracy. Jimmy can throw amazing passes, too. But he misses a lot of deep overs and things like that due to bad fundamentals (have NOT watched Lance in enough detail to see if he has something similar, despite what the article I cited claimed. I still have to verify that, which is why I said he CLAIMED it. But if it's true, that's a hard swipe left. Not many QBs fix their mechanical issues).
After that, traits for me, irrespective of the QB in question, go something like this (not necessarily in this order):
Showing no fear in the face of the pass rush
Quick release
Throwing accurately off platform
Anticipation
And then it goes to the "intangible" traits (which are really actually tangible), such as:
Using eyes to manipulate defenders
Pump faking
Most importantly: showing that he maintains mental control under chaos (this one is hard to quantify, but you know it when you see it; the subtle pump fake passed the line of scrimmage to gain a few more yards [Mahomes did this]; remembering where his guys are so that when he escapes he can get the ball to him while he's being devoured).
This right here is what set Mahomes apart for me in the spring of 2017. He had CONTROL, including during chaotic moments, and never forgot all the subtle ways to manipulate a defense. Lots of QBs have "control;" But very few of them also have Brett Favre's arm. But when a QB is able to remember everything he has at his disposal, even when the noose is closing in, and he has an elite arm, that's when you know you have a potentially great QB. This is also something I recently noticed watching Watson's college tape (I was so obsessed with Mahomes I didn't watch much of any QB in 2017). In particular, Watson seems extremely calm, as if all potential options are kind of floating in the aether around his head, ready to be picked and executed at a moment's notice. Other, lesser QBs seem to be reacting only on instinct, and don't appear to think in that cold, calculating manner when the ship is sinking.
I'm also sure everyone feels this way. Which then means that the secret is people not knowing when they see it.
Anyway, back to accuracy. Basically, clean pocket passing doesn't impress me at all, BUT if the pocket is clean and a guy is open down field, the QB prospect better hit that 19 times out of twenty. Otherwise, why are you wasting a first round pick? And that's why I'd take Fields over Lance. I'm not saying Lance doesn't have first round accuracy. I just don't think he has Field's accuracy, and he doesn't seem to have his reaction time. I don't mean with his legs. I mean see something change and throw it quickly where maybe he didn't think he was going to initially.
again I'm not debating Fields vs Lance. Never was. You said you don't like Lance, correct?
You've also said you've only watch what amounts to a practice game this yr. IMO you're forming quite the opinion on a prospect off of not too much.
Both Fields and Lance need to develop a lot more. I have Fields ranked higher.
Nah, I was basing it on the mock draft posted. Not sure who posted it. But that guy had Lance going to us and Fields to the Patriots.
There's a chance Shanahan would do it, of course. I mean he thought Beathard was great because Beathard had experience doing I-form play-action. I hope he's learned from his mistake. This isn't 2005. That way of eliminating guys is no longer all that trustworthy.
