Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Podcasts
    • Optimist Overtime
    • Top of the Key
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Sports / Columnists / College stars scrambling for their NFL lives

College stars scrambling for their NFL lives

January 13, 2015 by Collin Wieder

Dual-threat quarterbacks are everywhere in the NCAA. The trend has spilled over into the NFL, causing mass chaos on how to prepare spread, no-huddle quarterbacks for the pro-style game.

Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick and Johnny Manziel are learning the hard way that their throwing-outside-of-the-pocket days are numbered.

Offensive coordinators are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole by forcing them to stay in the pocket. In reality, they should embrace the differences of these players and change their system to fit the quarterback.

Griffin’s arm talent and playmaking ability had fans glued to their TVs during his first year in the NFL, but an injury and a change in head coach caused him to fall apart just two years later. Redskins head coach Jay Gruden has forced Griffin to play from the pocket, hampering his most deadly asset on the field – his legs.

Kaepernick seems to be headed for the same doom after an inconsistent season, and Manziel had a disappointing, incomplete rookie season.

The key to these young quarterbacks’ futures is a change of offense.

Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles head coach, has already shown that the no-huddle, hurry-up offense can work in the NFL. Kelly has put up huge numbers the past two seasons with mediocre-to-above-average play at the quarterback position.

It just takes a commitment to tailoring the offense to the quarterback with a running game and playmakers on the outside. The offense would allow quarterbacks like Griffin, Kaepernick and Manziel to throw outside of the pocket and throw short, high-percentage throws to the offenses’ key players.

Similar offenses like Seattle and Carolina have proven the zone-read concept of college offenses works as well.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson led all quarterbacks this season with 849 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Wilson has also added an impressive 20 touchdowns to only seven interceptions with a so-called college offense.

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has rushed for 33 touchdowns in his four-year career with a zone-read, quarterback friendly offense.

Critics continue to try and find holes in these players’ ability when really it’s the coaches that need to fix their one-track mind ways.

The NFL continues to try to eliminate the progressive movement of dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL when they should be embracing it. Colleges are not going to change their offensive game, so why not accept it and move on to a new offensive style in the pro game?

Filed Under: Columnists, Sports Tagged With: NFL

Other Sports:

  • Softball seeks to rebound from shortened 2020 season

  • ACU track & field competes in first indoor meet at Corky Classic

  • ACU wins nail-biter at home against Southeastern Louisiana

Avatar

About Collin Wieder

You are here: Home / Sports / Columnists / College stars scrambling for their NFL lives

Other Sports:

  • Softball seeks to rebound from shortened 2020 season

  • ACU track & field competes in first indoor meet at Corky Classic

  • ACU wins nail-biter at home against Southeastern Louisiana

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
20h

"Lack of interaction — whether online or in-person — leads to lack of connections between professors and students." Read more from Guest Columnist Morgen Maltby below:
https://acuoptimist.com/2021/01/quality-online-education-requires-lecturing-and-better-communication/

Reply on Twitter 1351590244966150146Retweet on Twitter 1351590244966150146Like on Twitter 13515902449661501462Twitter 1351590244966150146
acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
16 Jan

Active COVID-19 cases dropped for the fifth-consecutive day at ACU Friday. There are currently 30 active cases and 86 quarantines.

Reply on Twitter 1350232273191395336Retweet on Twitter 1350232273191395336Like on Twitter 135023227319139533610Twitter 1350232273191395336

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

20 hours ago

The Optimist
"Lack of interaction — whether online or in-person — leads to lack of connections between professors and students." Read more from Guest Columnist Morgen Maltby below: ...

Quality online education requires lecturing and better communication - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

With the university handling new forms of teaching in light of COVID-19, many classes have been moved to an online format due to safety for the professors and students. Because of this unexpected transition, fewer guidelines were placed on class procedures. Some professors chose to have weekly Zoom....
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

5 days ago

The Optimist
Active COVID-19 cases dropped for the fifth- consecutive day at ACU Friday. There are currently 30 active cases and 86 quarantines. Taylor County continues to see increased numbers with over 2500 active cases. ...

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Praise Day Fridays return to campus

Video by Allie Jones. https://youtu.be/4F0D1oNzGjM   ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast – Nov. 5, 2020
  • ACUTV, Optimist preparing for live election show
  • Earliest snowfall recorded in Abilene

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Weekly Ads
  • Classifieds

© 2021 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved