Tony Grossi is around the bend on Carson Wentz. I heard him on the radio. He said he'd paid little attention to the Senior Bowl practices, and ignored the game completely.
Tony's problem with Wentz is the small school he attended.
For most position players, level of competition means a lot. I would guess that in any year, small school players other than quarterbacks in the NFL are under 10%.
But at no other position does the level of competition mean less, which is why starting quarterbacks from small colleges sometimes top 25% in the NFL.
The most famous small college quarterbacks include two from our very own Division in Joe Flacco and Ben Roethsenberger. Historically, they include Rich Gannon, Phil Simms, Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw, Ron Jaworski, Ken O'Brien, Dave Krieg, Neil Lomax, Steve McNair, and Doug Williams.
This isn't the first time Tony has been full of beans about quarterbacks. He also says that AFC North quarterbacks have to be big and strong to cut through the wind. Frank Ryan Bill Nelson Brian Sipe. I might as well mention Doug Flutie, Jim McMahon, and Teddy Bridgewater while we're in the frozen north.
I like Tony, but he's like the majority of Head Coaches and General Managers. Once they've got some notion in their heads, no amount of contrary evidence will turn them.
If Tony read this blog entry today, he'd be blurting out yabuts. I don't know what exactly he'd say; just that it would start with "Yeah but".
At the risk of redundancy here, quarterback is a different position. All the other players except running backs are physically confronting their counterparts. A quarterback faces an entire defense. The level of competition is higher or lower on both sides of the ball. He still has to read blitzes, track and hit receivers, scramble, and everything else.
His team is overmatched often, and he has to overcome superior defenses.
The important thing is that he is the eye of the hurricane. So what if it's a tornado instead?
Tony's first yabut would probably refer to the speed of the game, and tighter passing windows. He's right about that, since NFL passrushers will tend to reach him faster, and NFL cornerbacks cover tighter.
Carson Wentz won two National Championships. Tony would say big deal, look who he beat. It can't just mean less for Tony. Like Senior Bowl week, it has to mean nothing.
I've seen limited highlights on Wentz, and as I've pointed out before, on at least four out of five of those throws, his receivers were covered, and his window was microscopic.
These were NFL throws that take guts and accuracy. The nature of these completions tell NFL scouts a lot. A lot more than Tony Grossi has decided not to consider.
This is why all those NFL scouts were at the Senior Bowl. This is why Carson Wentz is Mike Mayock's top quarterback.
But Tony says "please stop it! We're talking about a division 1aa quarterback here!"
Well, live and learn nothing.
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