Originally posted by HarbaughzDeep:
Originally posted by DaBeegDeek:
1. Hes better in the pocket as far as readjusting his feet, climbing, descending and moving laterally all while keeping his eyes downfield. Hes also a more accurate passer on all three levels.
2. Where Lawrence excels is his very natural release. He can throw from any angle and doesnt have to adjust if a receiver suddenly flashes in front of him. He also delivers timing routes just a tad better than Fields right now.
3. As far as their abilities to digest an offense and read what's going on on the field, both seem about equal. I've seen both go through progressions and make the right read and I've also seen both lock in on someone and make the wrong one.
4. Both are in systems with NFL schemes with receivers who run next level route combos.
Both are equally athletic. While Fields is shorter and stouter and a more agile football player, Lawrence has long strides and might actually be a step faster. I dont think either is going to be running for 50 yards a game in the NFL, but they will be able to convert and keep drives alive.
I believe both are special and among the best prospects I've seen at quarterback... the one you like more depends on your preference.
Again, just flat out disagree on many fronts. Not knocking you but here is my response:
1. Completely disagree. I'm not sure what you are watching or basing this off of but I would advise you to go watch more games of both. There is no way, in my opinion, that anyone could say that Fields has better feet and lateral movement in the pocket.
2. This may be the most important difference between the two and even you are conceding it to Lawrence. Fields' release is going to cause him problems at the next level. It is way too mechanical. This is also one of the hardest things to fix. You can improve footwork. However, muscle memory is heavily involved in throwing mechanics and there are very few, if any, examples of someone successfully changing it after years of doing it one way.
3. All QB's lock onto a target from time to time. Fields has a propensity to do it far more than Lawrence. I would argue that Lawrence is the better playmaker when things breakdown. He thrives on it. Fields relies more heavily on scripted plays in Ohio State's offense.
4. Thats actually untrue. Ohio State doesn't remotely run close to a NFL scheme. Ryan Day was an Urban Meyer understudy and runs a very similar, but modified version of his offense. It isn't an NFL scheme by any means. There is a reason why none of the most recent Ohio State QB's have been successful in the NFL. It's not a coincidence.
Lawrence is the cleaner prospect in regards to release, raw arm talent and awareness.
Okay, I have to jump in on this narrative yet again. The reason the most recent Ohio State QB's haven't been successful in the NFL isn't because of Ohio State, Ryan Day, or Urban Meyer.
First of all, I haven't followed Day's travels and whole coaching career but I don't know that I would call him an Urban Meyer understudy. Like most guys he's been a variety of places and hasn't just followed Urban everywhere that I know of. I mean, he was under Chip Kelly when he was, well, here.
But the biggest reason that the recent Ohio State QB's haven't succeeded, and let's just say in the Meyer/Day era, is that they weren't really great NFL prospects at QB to begin with
or had other issues that had nothing to do with their physical ability to play the game.
Braxton Miller was more athlete than running back. I was always awed by his running as a QB just with his feet as he looked like a running back playing the position. His last year at Ohio State he didn't play QB and he didn't enter the NFL as a QB. He hasn't succeeded because you either make that transition at the NFL level the way Julian Edeleman, and to lesser extents Joshua Cribbs and Antwaan Randle El did or you don't last.
J.T. Barrett was never a viable prospect as anything more than a late round or UDFA.
Cardale Jones had and has the physical ability but not really the experience or consistency in college. He was always going to be a project pick. Not necessarily the most mature guy either though much better than Haskins.
Haskins had and I'm sure still has all the physical ability in the world. Unfortunately he is a complete head case. That has nothing to do with Meyer, Day, or Ohio State other than they likely knew that and tried to hide/work around it. But ultimately it's on Haskins to either grow up and straighten up or not.
Fields is like none of those from what I can tell. Not just an athlete or a guy who will need to play another position like Braxton. Not a non prospect like Barrett, who was Chris Leak like. Not a head case like Haskins. He
doesn't have necessarily the most experience and had a rough game or two like Jones. But he still has a bit more time under his belt as really all Jones had was that 3 game run at the end of the last national championship and then a starting gig/time share with Barrett the next season which he ultimately lost. That was probably partly because Urban liked Barrett that much. But it also was because Cardale Jones simply didn't play well enough.
