A few weeks ago, you saw people saying he was a generational talent, that they would pick him (as a prospect coming out of college) over Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, John Elway, comparing his game to Patrick Mahomes. He has lost a few games this year but Jesus, his defense gives up 33 PPG, 420 yards of offense per game and they let people score 94% of the time in the redzone.

He has 119 total touchdowns over 3 years with only 13 ints. This year he is completing almost 70% of his passes. Are you guys genuinely concerned about his ability to play at the next level or is it just nit picking at this point?

  • MiddleNameIsJoe@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Fields was not known for holding the ball too long in college. His scouting reports did ding him for slow operation, but that’s not the same thing.

    Actually, go look at the weaknesses on fields’ pre-draft scouting reports, it’s uncanny how accurate they are to what his problems have been in the pros:

    https://www.nfl.com/prospects/justin-fields/32004649-4576-9504-963d-c33127e80752

    Fields, however, did have superlative college results his senior year. Like you said, we need to look past numbers when looking at college QBs. College results do not tell you anything about how a QB is going to play in the NFL.

    A college qb who did have a reputation for holding the ball too long had this under his weaknesses pre-draft:

    “Too eager to go big game hunting Ravenous appetite for the explosive play can also bring unwanted trouble”

    His name was Patrick Mahomes and he turned out alright.

    Diva? Meh, most elite athletes are. As long as he channels it into work ethic, which by all reports he has, I don’t care.

    The only legit criticism here is his height. He’s not Bryce Young levels of short but it would be nice if he were a smidge taller. He’s taller than Russ Wilson or Drew Brees, so I don’t think it’s disqualifying. He’s an inch shorter than Aaron Rodgers.

    But he does have a tendency to think he can stand up through hits and shrug them off, and he’s nowhere near big enough to do that against NFL defensive lineman, so he will need to remove that from his habits.

    • Bacchus1976@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I’m betting that when the Combine comes around Williams measures closer to 6’ flat than 6’1”. Will be interesting to watch.

      Are a lot of NFL players divas? Absolutely. Are many of them rookie QBs? No. Diva QBs tend to have serious issues in locker rooms. It’s one thing to be a diva WR. QB is different, especially if you come in with this much hype and the first overall pick.

      The Fields weaknesses were spot on.

      Here’s some of the weaknesses poached from a few sites for Caleb.

      SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES

      • Doesn’t have the prototypical size for the position standing just 6-1 and weighing in at 215 lbs - may be an injury risk going forward especially considering his play style
      • At USC Williams plays in a simplistic offense mainly consisting of one-read concepts. He would perform in a traditional pro offense is uncertain
      • Has played exclusively in the shotgun - at the moment he would be a work in progress as a dropback passer
      • His mechanics are hit-or-miss and his footwork needs cleaning up - although most of these issues are hidden by his arm talent
      • Williams tends to hold the ball loosely and away from his body, putting him at risk for strip sacks.

      Weaknesses

      • Struggled to play within the offense’s timing, sometimes due to poor blocking and other times because he wanted to extend the play for bigger opportunities. Williams must find a better balance when the game flow calls for it.
      • Prone to getting happy feet and breaking out of the pocket before it’s necessary.
      • Can find a better balance between being a playmaker and taking the easier throw to extend drives. This can become a bigger weakness due to a lack of anticipation or pre-snap understanding of coverages.
      • His size is not ideal, lacking height and a fuller frame than his peers.

      Where he needs to improve: Williams takes unnecessary sacks at times. It’s hard to blame him for not giving up on plays, because he’s so incredibly creative and productive in those situations. However, there are examples when throwing the ball away is the best option at his disposal. He’s a gifted passer on underneath touch throws, drive throws to all three levels and deep throws over the top. The one throw that gives him some trouble is the layer throw. He can be too flat at times on throws where he needs to place the ball over the linebacker and under the safety. I think we’ll see him improve in both areas with added reps.

      So if that holds up as accurately as the Fields criticism does it could be a real problem. He will not survive in the NFL turning every play into a scramble drill. And he needs to play under center and one read concepts are not a thing in the pros.

      • MiddleNameIsJoe@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Show me a college qb prospect who doesn’t need to adjust to the complexities and speed of pro offense

        • Bacchus1976@alien.topBEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          That’s a bit reductive. Some college offenses will present a steeper learning curve than others. The USC offense is particularly far afield from what tends to work in the NFL.

          Also the defenses in the PAC-12 are so far away from what QBs face in the SEC or B1G (until next year, lol).

          I hope he’s the next Mahomes and that the Bears land him. That would be amazing. But my main issue is with the constant talk in this sub from people who think all criticism of Caleb (or Fields) is completely unfounded and can be blamed on someone else.