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With the recent thread on Walterfootball's assessment of Bradford vs. Clausen, I thought it would be a good time to ask what everyone values in a QB. Obviously different people have different qualities they rate higher than others, for instance Walterfootball values arm strength, and I value accuracy. I have put together a list of what I deem important traits in a QB. Note that not all of these are things I believe you can measure from an armchair, and it is not exhaustive, just a top 8.
1. Decision Making - No matter what your physical tool set is, accurate, gun for an arm, speed demon, all of the above, if you make poor decisions, you will be a poor QB, end of story. This includes everything from not throwing into too much coverage, to knowing when to cut losses and throw the ball away.
2. Accuracy - The most important physical attribute to me. Not to take away from others which are still important, but if you can't get the ball on target, then what good is everything else? This does not mean you need elite accuracy, but enough to hit your targets. If your throws are always high or wide by too much, you'll never be a success.
3. Intangibles - Successful QBs don't roll in at noon and leave at 2. First in, first out, or close to. You need a guy who not only loves the game and cares about being the best (Or trying to be) but who has his head on straight outside the game as well. You will crash and burn at QB with no work ethic. I initially had this lower, but then I thought about QBs like LeaF and Russell who just don't care. They had the skill sets, but their loafer attitude made them bad QBs.
4. Release - I value this higher than arm strength because a quick release can make up for a certain amount of lack of arm strength on short and intermediate routes. A quick release gives D-linemen less time to put their hands up, and coverage backs less time to read and react. Angle of release is also important in terms of how well the ball travels, and how likely it is to get batted down at the line.
5. Arm strength - Although I believe you can get away with just adequate arm strength, I will readily admit that if you have to float balls because you can't throw hard enough, you are going to have a bad time. Floating balls are easy to pick off, or at least get a hand on. You want to be accurate, but you don't want to give too much time for the defense to get in front of it. Also helpful for stretching the field when you need a desperation play, or have a speed receiver who finds himself with a mismatch.
6. Footwork - I am not good at identifying good footwork, I admit that. However I will also admit that it is important. Bad footwork can lead to falling down, missed handoffs, failed play action, and an assortment of other problems with throwing a good ball and hiding it from the defense as long as possible.
7. Football I.Q. - Good QBs can beat you with their skills. Great QBs beat you with their brain. Manning and Brees are the best not only because they have great accuracy, releases, and all that good stuff, but because they study hard. They can read defenses and adjust like no one else. Ryan Leaf is proof that you can't just rely on talent to win in the NFL, you have to be intelligent and constantly adjust your game plan. Knowing the defense is a must, as well as knowing your own players and what they are capable of.
8. Mobility - The last item on my list. Some guys love love LOVE a running QB. I do not. I want one who is willing to stand there and risk a hit in order to make a play. Why? Because they in general move the ball better. I find good rushing QBs take off too early and don't let the play develop, and they don't gain as many yards as they could have. I remember watching Vick highlights, and there are times when it was clear he was not looking at a pass but reading the linebackers and looking for a lane to run in. You can be as mobile as a telephone pole and be successful if you have the above. However, you can run as fast as you want, if you can't make the pass, you aren't going to be a good QB. I recognize that ability to escape the pocket is a plus. However from my viewpoint, you should look at the above first, and if they have all that AND can run, consider it a bonus. It will make a good QB better, but you must have the above attributes first. That is why this comes in last.
That is all for my list. What does everyone think? Anything I missed? Anything you disagree with? Please, post your own, I like to know what others think about these things too.
1. Decision Making - No matter what your physical tool set is, accurate, gun for an arm, speed demon, all of the above, if you make poor decisions, you will be a poor QB, end of story. This includes everything from not throwing into too much coverage, to knowing when to cut losses and throw the ball away.
2. Accuracy - The most important physical attribute to me. Not to take away from others which are still important, but if you can't get the ball on target, then what good is everything else? This does not mean you need elite accuracy, but enough to hit your targets. If your throws are always high or wide by too much, you'll never be a success.
3. Intangibles - Successful QBs don't roll in at noon and leave at 2. First in, first out, or close to. You need a guy who not only loves the game and cares about being the best (Or trying to be) but who has his head on straight outside the game as well. You will crash and burn at QB with no work ethic. I initially had this lower, but then I thought about QBs like LeaF and Russell who just don't care. They had the skill sets, but their loafer attitude made them bad QBs.
4. Release - I value this higher than arm strength because a quick release can make up for a certain amount of lack of arm strength on short and intermediate routes. A quick release gives D-linemen less time to put their hands up, and coverage backs less time to read and react. Angle of release is also important in terms of how well the ball travels, and how likely it is to get batted down at the line.
5. Arm strength - Although I believe you can get away with just adequate arm strength, I will readily admit that if you have to float balls because you can't throw hard enough, you are going to have a bad time. Floating balls are easy to pick off, or at least get a hand on. You want to be accurate, but you don't want to give too much time for the defense to get in front of it. Also helpful for stretching the field when you need a desperation play, or have a speed receiver who finds himself with a mismatch.
6. Footwork - I am not good at identifying good footwork, I admit that. However I will also admit that it is important. Bad footwork can lead to falling down, missed handoffs, failed play action, and an assortment of other problems with throwing a good ball and hiding it from the defense as long as possible.
7. Football I.Q. - Good QBs can beat you with their skills. Great QBs beat you with their brain. Manning and Brees are the best not only because they have great accuracy, releases, and all that good stuff, but because they study hard. They can read defenses and adjust like no one else. Ryan Leaf is proof that you can't just rely on talent to win in the NFL, you have to be intelligent and constantly adjust your game plan. Knowing the defense is a must, as well as knowing your own players and what they are capable of.
8. Mobility - The last item on my list. Some guys love love LOVE a running QB. I do not. I want one who is willing to stand there and risk a hit in order to make a play. Why? Because they in general move the ball better. I find good rushing QBs take off too early and don't let the play develop, and they don't gain as many yards as they could have. I remember watching Vick highlights, and there are times when it was clear he was not looking at a pass but reading the linebackers and looking for a lane to run in. You can be as mobile as a telephone pole and be successful if you have the above. However, you can run as fast as you want, if you can't make the pass, you aren't going to be a good QB. I recognize that ability to escape the pocket is a plus. However from my viewpoint, you should look at the above first, and if they have all that AND can run, consider it a bonus. It will make a good QB better, but you must have the above attributes first. That is why this comes in last.
That is all for my list. What does everyone think? Anything I missed? Anything you disagree with? Please, post your own, I like to know what others think about these things too.
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