polamalubeast
05-17-2012, 02:37 PM
I had a chance last week, as part of a project I am working on this summer, to once again evaluate two quarterbacks who had outstanding seasons in 2011: Matthew Stafford and Cam Newton. I had not carefully looked at their tape since January, and I always find it fascinating to revisit players, especially quarterbacks, with a fresh (and hopefully different) perspective.
With the ability to fine focus, I was more impressed now than I was during the season. I can say, without any qualification, that Stafford, who just finished his third NFL season and first in which he started 16 games, and Newton, the 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year, are the best young quarterbacks in the league. Fittingly, both were No. 1 overall picks in their respective drafts, Stafford in 2009 and Newton in 2011.
It may seem ridiculously obvious, but in a league driven by the passing game, quarterbacks reach high-level status based on how they throw the ball from the pocket. I’ve written before about the attributes necessary to play the position consistently well in the NFL. Those traits are identifiable and measurable through extensive film study. There’s no question that different players possess these characteristics in varying and distinct degrees. But the relevant point is that elite play at the game’s most important position demands a tangible skill set that can be quantified.
read more
http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2012/05/17/cosell-talks-newton-stafford-on-the-rise/?module=HP11_content_stream
With the ability to fine focus, I was more impressed now than I was during the season. I can say, without any qualification, that Stafford, who just finished his third NFL season and first in which he started 16 games, and Newton, the 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year, are the best young quarterbacks in the league. Fittingly, both were No. 1 overall picks in their respective drafts, Stafford in 2009 and Newton in 2011.
It may seem ridiculously obvious, but in a league driven by the passing game, quarterbacks reach high-level status based on how they throw the ball from the pocket. I’ve written before about the attributes necessary to play the position consistently well in the NFL. Those traits are identifiable and measurable through extensive film study. There’s no question that different players possess these characteristics in varying and distinct degrees. But the relevant point is that elite play at the game’s most important position demands a tangible skill set that can be quantified.
read more
http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2012/05/17/cosell-talks-newton-stafford-on-the-rise/?module=HP11_content_stream