A small dose of positivity

When I evaluate quarterbacks coming out of college, the very first thing I look for is if that player can check through progressions, and if he can, how quickly does he do it. Do those progressions turn into completions? As basic and as easy as it sounds, most quarterbacks coming out of college cannot check through progressions and are pure 1-read quarterbacks. It's actually a very uncommon skill, heck there probably aren't even 32 NFL quarterbacks that show this skill at a polished level.

One of the things I loved about Russell Wilson before the 2012 draft was how he looked comfortable and natural checking through progressions, the same way that guys like Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees do. Though Wilson showed some stiffness checking progressions very early on last season, overall I thought he did a great job in this area, and it's a reason I've been extremely high on him for a long time (I think he will, in the very near future, be the consensus #1 QB in the NFL).

So this caught my interest. (per Brady Henderson on Brock and Danny's site):

This time last year, Russell Wilson was a rookie quarterback trying to learn a new offense while splitting reps with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson.

A year later, teammate Richard Sherman says his development is particularly evident in one area.

"He's grown miles and miles from where he was last year in terms of how confident he is in his reads, how quickly he makes his reads, how quickly he moves from No. 1 to No. 2 to No. 3," Sherman told "Brock and Danny" Thursday.

"His decision making is much quicker than it was last year, and I think that comes from all the work he puts in. He stays in the film room as much as, shoot, as much as the clickers do. He's in the film room like it's his second home, and I think it's showing."

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While Peyton Manning is largely a 1st read kind of quarterback, part of what makes him perhaps the greatest QB of all time is how quickly he can process and unload the football. Part of that is great footwork and part of that is making ultra quick progressions. Aaron Rodgers is another guy that makes very quick reads, and he's been maybe the NFL's best quarterback over the last 4 seasons.

Just making multiple reads with ease is enough to enable a quarterback to achieve his pro-bowl potential, but it's the ultra quick, ultra polished read makers that become the elite among the elite.

I have little doubt that Wilson's extra work this offseason both in the film room and in California with his receivers had a big impact here. It's good to see that work is turning into real results.

Sorry in advance if this veers off your intended direction of discussion, but I've been really curious what your take is on Krappernick on this very subject. Obviously it's wishful thinking on my part (and all the Seahawks fans that keep bringing it up), but does he really look like a one-read QB (in the T-Jack fashion), or is it just too soon to say?

Kaepernick showed some ability to check through reads in college, but on a scale of 1 to 10 I'd probably grade him a 3 or so. I'd say he's progressed very slightly since then. He needs to grow in that area or he'll basically be a faster, more durable version of Jake Locker.

I could live with that.

Definitely doesn't put the fear of God into me .

.......and sort of lends credence to the thought that the wishful thinking might be more on the Niner fan's side.

That evaluation makes the niners loss of Crabtree even more devastating than I thought. A clutch receiver makes a one read qb look good.

I have finished viewing the first half of last season over again and some of my thoughts regarding RW during this stretch:

he has a good arm and a good release, but holds on to the ball for what looks like forever
progressions look good
he is fantastic at putting the ball where receiver or nobody will catch it. His level here is elite
It feels like he runs the ball out of frustration, like he knows he is the best athlete in the field and that he can win the game by himself if nobody else will help.

The former NC State staff has taken a lot of heat for pushing Russell aside but they do deserve some credit for helping make him the complete player that he is. His sophomore season QB coach Dana Bible told Russell that he was not to run the ball unless he had read through all of his progressions first. It cost NC state a few games but helped make Russell a better QB in the long run.

brimsalabim":5qxvvc3a said:

The former NC State staff has taken a lot of heat for pushing Russell aside but they do deserve some credit for helping make him the complete player that he is. His sophomore season QB coach Dana Bible told Russell that he was not to run the ball unless he had read through all of his progressions first. It cost NC state a few games but helped make Russell a better QB in the long run.

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A classic example of coaches that force players to do what they want rather than put the player in a position to succeed no matter the circumstances.

:141847_bnono:

The Radish":2p72cvfr said:

brimsalabim":2p72cvfr said:

The former NC State staff has taken a lot of heat for pushing Russell aside but they do deserve some credit for helping make him the complete player that he is. His sophomore season QB coach Dana Bible told Russell that he was not to run the ball unless he had read through all of his progressions first. It cost NC state a few games but helped make Russell a better QB in the long run.

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A classic example of coaches that force players to do what they want rather than put the player in a position to succeed no matter the circumstances.

:141847_bnono:

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It's also great coaching. A QB guru with Seahawk ties had the same philosophy - some guy named Mike Holmgren.

Russell Wilson's mobility is no doubt a valuable asset, but he's downright deadly when he's moving around to THROW .. as he showed against the Redskins and Falcons in the playoffs.

Reports keep coming out of the VMAC that Russell is "like a million times better than last year" from Pete Carroll et al. A million? Wow! I would take him with no improvement. An even better more improved Russell Wilson. Woo hoo! Can't wait.

He must have had a new processor or chip implanted. I love our robot QB

tacomahawk":2u7pl02j said:

He must have had a new processor or chip implanted. I love our robot QB

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Actually, we are just waiting for the software (playbook/coaches) to catch up w/ the hardware.

It stands to reason it would take a little time to get used to the increased speed of the pro game, thus Wilson's early struggles to get through his reads. One of his other great assets seems his ability to learn. He seldom repeated "mistakes" from early in the season. Partly, I'm sure that is tape study. In game, I'm sure it's hard sometimes to identify exactly what went wrong on a given play, but the eye in the sky don't lie.

And in the coaches' defense re forcing Wilson, et al, to rein in their style, if a player breaks out of the called play too soon, the coach can't tell if it worked or not. Improvisation, while important, can often lead to problems scouting the other team's tendencies. Some plays called by coaches have more in mind than simply churning out yards or points. Some calls are more......exploratory.

Hey I understand all this but he is just too short to be an effective QB at this level. :sarcasm_off:

Good stuff again Kearly. And I really like what Sherm had to say about this subject.

It's like I'd observed before with Wilson, his ability to speed read, is what landed him the starters job, but there's way more to it than reading through progressions, because at game time, everything speeds up, so you have to be able to tie the read progressions to the Defensive sets, and their tendencies, disruptions, and the skillsets of each of your own players + all this has to be done in a matter of seconds.
I believe that Wilson is working hard to make most all of his mechanics, and footwork, 'automatic'.
After watching another mile or two of game film on Harvin, Wilson will undoubtedly work Percy into his thought processor.
My only question is, with Wilsons insatiability, can there ever be too much, heaped onto his plate?

Peyton Manning is an obsessive preparer and film watcher. I've heard game analysts comment that sometimes he'll change things up at the LoS after recognizing something he saw on film or in a previous game years before. Computer-like, you might say.

Russell has already shown that same type of commitment. He's more athletic than Peyton. If he can retain/recall info the same way Peyton can, we will likely have a very special QB indeed.

The most positive aspect from RW last year IMO is that, as the season progressed RW's growing confidence grew to the extent that by seasons end he was not only just dynamite as a QB - but more importantly, that confidence exhibited by RW started rubbing off on the rest of the team. Having that effect on 53+ players is what will make RW the most elite of the elite QB's. Hang on, we are in for one hell of a ride.

a non-improving kaepernick --> "a faster, more durable version of Jake Locker."

Bravo !!
The Doom Brothers :3: at the thought.

The Radish":2hah0ps7 said:

brimsalabim":2hah0ps7 said:

The former NC State staff has taken a lot of heat for pushing Russell aside but they do deserve some credit for helping make him the complete player that he is. His sophomore season QB coach Dana Bible told Russell that he was not to run the ball unless he had read through all of his progressions first. It cost NC state a few games but helped make Russell a better QB in the long run.

Click to expand...

A classic example of coaches that force players to do what they want rather than put the player in a position to succeed no matter the circumstances.

:141847_bnono:

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WTF? Did you hit the wanking finger instead of the sarcasm sign?