Every time the NFL Draft comes there seems to be never-ending talk about a few quarterback prospects. This year it seems almost impossible to find draft coverage that doesn't mention the names Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, which made me think a little more about quarterbacks in general.
The quarterback position is becoming like a revolving door in the NFL. The assessment of most quarterbacks across the league is that the player can either be upgraded and/or easily replaced. Aside from maybe... ten teams (and even that number seems a bit generous), everyone in the NFL is looking for a replacement at that position. This is a phenomenon that has become more apparent the past few years. Prior to this, more teams were content with who they had at the helm.
Now, why is this the case? In my opinion, there are multiple factors to mull over when trying to find the answer to this question.
1. Are QBs just not as competent as they used to be?
This is probably the first answer that pops into the public's head, and while that may be the case, I think the other explanations I offer in this article play a bigger role.
2. Is the college level and style of play far too different than what is accomplished at the pro level? Aside from the talent disparities from the college and pro levels, the play styles are vastly different. In college games more teams are fans of being run dominant or using a spread/pistol offense. On the other hand, the NFL is becoming more and more reliant on the passing game in a more traditional system. It is commonly referred to as a passing league and that's the case now more than ever. The possibility of college quarterbacks being developed in such a contrasting manner can stunt their growth, which can lead to another possibility...
3. Are coaching philosophies too hard for young players to grasp? Maybe because things are so different for them, the players just cannot understand what their NFL coach is telling them. Implementing a new offense is always hard and bending to fit what your coaches want can be even more difficult, especially if they ask you to do something that you don't specialize in.
4. Is too much being asked of young quarterbacks? Before it was standard for young quarterbacks to sit on the bench and learn from an experienced veteran. When the time came, they would then step on the field much better prepared and loaded with more knowledge. This is the way Aaron Rodgers was brought into the league and I attribute a lot of his success to that. Sitting behind a legend like Brett Favre carries its nice share of benefits. Now we see bad teams draft quarterbacks and then throw them on the field. This experiment usually ends poorly and everyone starts looking in a new direction in a very short time span.
5. What if we are all just too impatient? I think this is the biggest reason for the depletion of quarterbacks in the league. Impatience can stem from so many locations: the fans, front offices, coaching staffs. Fans never like having to go through a process of rebuilding a team. Winning is all that matters to them (as it should). If a lackluster quarterback is not producing, it's easy for fans to demand a new one. This pressure from fans actually affects the front office in a way too. Teams rotate management often if they find themselves in a losing culture. Just look at the Browns, who complete the following cycle every few years.
The quarterback position is becoming like a revolving door in the NFL. The assessment of most quarterbacks across the league is that the player can either be upgraded and/or easily replaced. Aside from maybe... ten teams (and even that number seems a bit generous), everyone in the NFL is looking for a replacement at that position. This is a phenomenon that has become more apparent the past few years. Prior to this, more teams were content with who they had at the helm.
Now, why is this the case? In my opinion, there are multiple factors to mull over when trying to find the answer to this question.
1. Are QBs just not as competent as they used to be?
This is probably the first answer that pops into the public's head, and while that may be the case, I think the other explanations I offer in this article play a bigger role.
2. Is the college level and style of play far too different than what is accomplished at the pro level? Aside from the talent disparities from the college and pro levels, the play styles are vastly different. In college games more teams are fans of being run dominant or using a spread/pistol offense. On the other hand, the NFL is becoming more and more reliant on the passing game in a more traditional system. It is commonly referred to as a passing league and that's the case now more than ever. The possibility of college quarterbacks being developed in such a contrasting manner can stunt their growth, which can lead to another possibility...
3. Are coaching philosophies too hard for young players to grasp? Maybe because things are so different for them, the players just cannot understand what their NFL coach is telling them. Implementing a new offense is always hard and bending to fit what your coaches want can be even more difficult, especially if they ask you to do something that you don't specialize in.
4. Is too much being asked of young quarterbacks? Before it was standard for young quarterbacks to sit on the bench and learn from an experienced veteran. When the time came, they would then step on the field much better prepared and loaded with more knowledge. This is the way Aaron Rodgers was brought into the league and I attribute a lot of his success to that. Sitting behind a legend like Brett Favre carries its nice share of benefits. Now we see bad teams draft quarterbacks and then throw them on the field. This experiment usually ends poorly and everyone starts looking in a new direction in a very short time span.
5. What if we are all just too impatient? I think this is the biggest reason for the depletion of quarterbacks in the league. Impatience can stem from so many locations: the fans, front offices, coaching staffs. Fans never like having to go through a process of rebuilding a team. Winning is all that matters to them (as it should). If a lackluster quarterback is not producing, it's easy for fans to demand a new one. This pressure from fans actually affects the front office in a way too. Teams rotate management often if they find themselves in a losing culture. Just look at the Browns, who complete the following cycle every few years.
I feel as if there are a lot of competent quarterbacks in the league who are simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and because they do not immediately make a positive impact on their team, they get booted out.
Now all this is only speculation and something I thought of while driving. Maybe quarterbacks are simply not what they used to be. Maybe other factors are affecting the crop available.
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