My wife and I have always talked about how tragic it is that the NFL is filled with young players, mostly QBs, that are thrown into the deep end when they enter the NFL and burn out and disappear...
My wife and I have always talked about how tragic it is that the NFL is filled with young players, mostly QBs, that are thrown into the deep end when they enter the NFL and burn out and disappear within a few years. I had a hard time finding an explanation why, but thankfully Brett Kollman decided to be there to answer some of this question. Thanks Brett! Looks like he was trying to explain the reason why some of these "early busts" like Darnold and Mayfield are thriving in their late career on different teams and, in the process, explaining why being a young QB in the NFL is hard. It doesn't answer everything, but it's a damn good place to start.
As a Canadian I know very little about, nor am I particularly interested in watching American Football games (although I usually do watch the Superbowl), but I still found this video pretty...
As a Canadian I know very little about, nor am I particularly interested in watching American Football games (although I usually do watch the Superbowl), but I still found this video pretty interesting. So thanks for sharing it. :)
Like @Narry, I also had no idea there were so many differences between the sport at the college and pro level. No wonder so many Quarterbacks struggle to adapt! My only comparison to it would be if there were Hockey players who exclusively played on the larger IIHF/Olympic sized rinks, using IIHF/Olympic rules, suddenly being expected to play NHL hockey, which would be similarly difficult to adapt quickly to as well. But Hockey doesn't rely on one player, or even one line of players, for generating the team's offense nearly as much as a Football team does on the Quarterback, so it's not a great comparison. And Goaltending in Hockey is more or less the same no matter the size of the rink.
I introduced my Canadian wife to the NFL after I moved north of the border. Like you, she would never watch the sport on her own but she uses it as a way to interact with one of my interests. It's...
I introduced my Canadian wife to the NFL after I moved north of the border. Like you, she would never watch the sport on her own but she uses it as a way to interact with one of my interests. It's been interesting watching her understanding and opinions of the sport as a relative outsider (slowly growing in through osmosis)
Hah, that's cute. When I lived in the UK I did similar for foot ball Football since EVERYONE I met there were fans of the sport. I actually did enjoy going to the games, since the stadium...
Hah, that's cute. When I lived in the UK I did similar for foot ball Football since EVERYONE I met there were fans of the sport. I actually did enjoy going to the games, since the stadium experience was great with all the chanting and whatnot, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't force myself to enjoy watching games on TV. It's waaaaaay too slow of a sport for me, especially compared to Hockey, and the players constant diving/faking injuries genuinely pissed me off. :P
I'm not that big into football, but honestly this was fascinating. I didn't realize the differences were so big between Collegiate versus the NFL in terms of how the game is played at such a...
I'm not that big into football, but honestly this was fascinating. I didn't realize the differences were so big between Collegiate versus the NFL in terms of how the game is played at such a fundamental level. I guess that's probably because I've seen NFL games and played NFL video games, but I've never seen a college game or played a college football video game, and the only football I've played in real life has been flag and touch and I haven't played those since I was a teenager.
I think they could build a league between college and the NFL, where they take the time to rebuild these young talents and develop them further. Honestly I might actually watch that league, if the games were televised, simply because I think it would be interesting to make predictions about who is going to make it from the middle league to the big league based on how they're playing. Maybe even throw some older, slower pros down there to give them an off-ramp.
I think the problem is that a middle/minor league deplete your number other players, the ones that get TBIs and both major and repetitive injuries. So you train a QB but burn out how many linemen...
I think the problem is that a middle/minor league deplete your number other players, the ones that get TBIs and both major and repetitive injuries. So you train a QB but burn out how many linemen all for less pay than the NFL (where at least someone might decide it's worth it?). So many football players' careers are limited by the number of hits, how many more would a minor league give to how many people?
I do grasp your point, which makes me wonder if they could play a modified non-tackle style football. People have spoken for years about a flag or touch football league, maybe this would be the...
I do grasp your point, which makes me wonder if they could play a modified non-tackle style football. People have spoken for years about a flag or touch football league, maybe this would be the happy medium?
I do believe that it could still be useful training. From the original video, what I gathered was the real issue was things like pass zones, windows, and being able to read the field in an...
I do believe that it could still be useful training. From the original video, what I gathered was the real issue was things like pass zones, windows, and being able to read the field in an instant. I don’t know that tackling, or full contact really changes those particular dynamics enough that it’s not still valuable skills for the QB to learn. Or we cut out the middleman and just have colleges play by NFL rules directly.
Yeah maybe, or maybe some active sort of training process that doesn't "waste" the cheap contract time (the irony of the expensive QB and the cheap QB both being played heavily so they aren't wasted)
Yeah maybe, or maybe some active sort of training process that doesn't "waste" the cheap contract time (the irony of the expensive QB and the cheap QB both being played heavily so they aren't wasted)
I think it’s interesting that the drop in under center snaps in the NFL lines up with the “draft’em and start’em” draft years in the early 2010s for - generally - mobile QBs: Griffin (2012), Cam...
I think it’s interesting that the drop in under center snaps in the NFL lines up with the “draft’em and start’em” draft years in the early 2010s for - generally - mobile QBs: Griffin (2012), Cam Newton (2011), Tebow (2010), Bradford (2010).
That has a big thing to do with the way they changed the rookie pay scale. Bradford came in and was making more money than vets meaning the team HAD to play this QB otherwise they were throwing...
That has a big thing to do with the way they changed the rookie pay scale. Bradford came in and was making more money than vets meaning the team HAD to play this QB otherwise they were throwing massive amounts of money away. In 2011, they changed this and now players were coming in on (relatively) pre-defined rookie deals that were significantly more affordable. That means if you got a young QB, you have to start them for the completely opposite reason of "Lets see how far we can get on a cheap deal." If they're good (like Mahomes or Allen) they get a dump truck of money and suddenly you can't field talent around them as easy (See: Chiefs struggles this year)
But because over that time period college football has diverged so much from NFL, it means if you are rushing this person in, like Brett said, you have to at least cater somewhat to their talent. Watching the Cam years in Carolina, I can attest that his first two years were full of college style offenses and, as time went on, he was getting more comfortable. I'm also watching the same thing with Bryce and while I was getting a little anxious about his progress lately, this video has calmed my opinion and now I feel way more patient, though at 448 yard 3TD win will also help with that.
One more reason that quarterbacks are being thrown into the fire is the rookie wage scale. If a young quarterback does pan out, you've got him under contract for way below market rate for three to...
One more reason that quarterbacks are being thrown into the fire is the rookie wage scale. If a young quarterback does pan out, you've got him under contract for way below market rate for three to five years. You can use the money you save to retain or acquire better players around him. The scale took effect with the 2011 CBA, and it has been considered wasteful to make a guy sit and learn for one of those years ever since.
My wife and I have always talked about how tragic it is that the NFL is filled with young players, mostly QBs, that are thrown into the deep end when they enter the NFL and burn out and disappear within a few years. I had a hard time finding an explanation why, but thankfully Brett Kollman decided to be there to answer some of this question. Thanks Brett! Looks like he was trying to explain the reason why some of these "early busts" like Darnold and Mayfield are thriving in their late career on different teams and, in the process, explaining why being a young QB in the NFL is hard. It doesn't answer everything, but it's a damn good place to start.
As a Canadian I know very little about, nor am I particularly interested in watching American Football games (although I usually do watch the Superbowl), but I still found this video pretty interesting. So thanks for sharing it. :)
Like @Narry, I also had no idea there were so many differences between the sport at the college and pro level. No wonder so many Quarterbacks struggle to adapt! My only comparison to it would be if there were Hockey players who exclusively played on the larger IIHF/Olympic sized rinks, using IIHF/Olympic rules, suddenly being expected to play NHL hockey, which would be similarly difficult to adapt quickly to as well. But Hockey doesn't rely on one player, or even one line of players, for generating the team's offense nearly as much as a Football team does on the Quarterback, so it's not a great comparison. And Goaltending in Hockey is more or less the same no matter the size of the rink.
I introduced my Canadian wife to the NFL after I moved north of the border. Like you, she would never watch the sport on her own but she uses it as a way to interact with one of my interests. It's been interesting watching her understanding and opinions of the sport as a relative outsider (slowly growing in through osmosis)
Hah, that's cute. When I lived in the UK I did similar for foot ball Football since EVERYONE I met there were fans of the sport. I actually did enjoy going to the games, since the stadium experience was great with all the chanting and whatnot, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't force myself to enjoy watching games on TV. It's waaaaaay too slow of a sport for me, especially compared to Hockey, and the players constant diving/faking injuries genuinely pissed me off. :P
Also, welcome to Canada! :)
Haha thanks. I got here just before the pandemic and have been enjoying my time. I have zero desire to go back, especially now.
I'm not that big into football, but honestly this was fascinating. I didn't realize the differences were so big between Collegiate versus the NFL in terms of how the game is played at such a fundamental level. I guess that's probably because I've seen NFL games and played NFL video games, but I've never seen a college game or played a college football video game, and the only football I've played in real life has been flag and touch and I haven't played those since I was a teenager.
I think they could build a league between college and the NFL, where they take the time to rebuild these young talents and develop them further. Honestly I might actually watch that league, if the games were televised, simply because I think it would be interesting to make predictions about who is going to make it from the middle league to the big league based on how they're playing. Maybe even throw some older, slower pros down there to give them an off-ramp.
I think the problem is that a middle/minor league deplete your number other players, the ones that get TBIs and both major and repetitive injuries. So you train a QB but burn out how many linemen all for less pay than the NFL (where at least someone might decide it's worth it?). So many football players' careers are limited by the number of hits, how many more would a minor league give to how many people?
I do grasp your point, which makes me wonder if they could play a modified non-tackle style football. People have spoken for years about a flag or touch football league, maybe this would be the happy medium?
I mean it would definitely be safer but would it train up QBs? Idk
But flag football is more popular now, just not at a college or professional level
I do believe that it could still be useful training. From the original video, what I gathered was the real issue was things like pass zones, windows, and being able to read the field in an instant. I don’t know that tackling, or full contact really changes those particular dynamics enough that it’s not still valuable skills for the QB to learn. Or we cut out the middleman and just have colleges play by NFL rules directly.
Yeah maybe, or maybe some active sort of training process that doesn't "waste" the cheap contract time (the irony of the expensive QB and the cheap QB both being played heavily so they aren't wasted)
I think it’s interesting that the drop in under center snaps in the NFL lines up with the “draft’em and start’em” draft years in the early 2010s for - generally - mobile QBs: Griffin (2012), Cam Newton (2011), Tebow (2010), Bradford (2010).
That has a big thing to do with the way they changed the rookie pay scale. Bradford came in and was making more money than vets meaning the team HAD to play this QB otherwise they were throwing massive amounts of money away. In 2011, they changed this and now players were coming in on (relatively) pre-defined rookie deals that were significantly more affordable. That means if you got a young QB, you have to start them for the completely opposite reason of "Lets see how far we can get on a cheap deal." If they're good (like Mahomes or Allen) they get a dump truck of money and suddenly you can't field talent around them as easy (See: Chiefs struggles this year)
But because over that time period college football has diverged so much from NFL, it means if you are rushing this person in, like Brett said, you have to at least cater somewhat to their talent. Watching the Cam years in Carolina, I can attest that his first two years were full of college style offenses and, as time went on, he was getting more comfortable. I'm also watching the same thing with Bryce and while I was getting a little anxious about his progress lately, this video has calmed my opinion and now I feel way more patient, though at 448 yard 3TD win will also help with that.
One more reason that quarterbacks are being thrown into the fire is the rookie wage scale. If a young quarterback does pan out, you've got him under contract for way below market rate for three to five years. You can use the money you save to retain or acquire better players around him. The scale took effect with the 2011 CBA, and it has been considered wasteful to make a guy sit and learn for one of those years ever since.