Tag: Jake Locker (Page 3 of 4)

      Cam Newton a “selfish,” “me-first” player?

      February 21, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton warms up for the Tigers game against the Oregon Ducks at the BCS Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, January 10,2011. UPI/Art Foxall

      If I were one of the top quarterback candidates in this year’s NFL draft, I wouldn’t want to read the latest article from Wes Bunting of the National Football Post.

      Apparently one scout has dirt on Ryan Mallett that nobody else does and therefore no team should “trust the guy as a person off the field.”

      The good news for Blaine Gabbert is that he’s squeaky-clean off the field. The bad news is that he apparently doesn’t have what it takes to lead on the field.

      Jake Locker has a clean reputation off the field too, but his questionable feel in the pocket and “inability to consistently quickly decipher information in the pass game” is an issue. (Whatever “consistently quickly decipher information” means.)

      Oh, and Cam Newton? Well this is what Bunting had to say about the defending Heisman Trophy winner:

      As for Newton and his off the field character, as I stated last week, some scouts I have spoken with say he comes off as a mature and well-spoken kid in the media, but it’s all an act. In reality, he’s a selfish, “me first” guy who eventually would have worn out his welcome at Auburn. On the other side, a lesser number of scout’s have told me they think he’s a smart, well-spoken kid who loves to compete and should not be lumped into the same categories as quarterbacks like JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young.

      Is it just me or is everyone trying to predict the next Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell? I’ve read a handful of articles that suggest Gabbert, Newton, Locker and Mallett would be better off working as mall security than operating NFL-caliber offenses.

      I’m not saying I don’t have my own reservations about these four quarterbacks but I wonder if these so-called scouts aren’t full of it. Sam Bradford played in the spread, so he’s no good. Matt Ryan didn’t have the arm strength. Joe Flacco played at a small school so he wouldn’t be able to handle top competition.

      And on, and on, and on. If you look hard enough, you can find something negative to say about every prospect in the draft. But two of those players will win the Rookie of the Year award and countless others will wind up going to the Pro Bowl. The point is that the draft has, and always will be the ultimate crapshoot. (Especially when it comes to quarterbacks.)

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Is Jake Locker’s draft stock falling?

      January 29, 2011 /

      Depending on what slot he was taken at, Washington quarterback Jake Locker passed on anywhere from $36-72 million when he decided to stay in school for his senior season. Still, if he played well in 2010, that money would have been waiting for him in the 2011 NFL Draft.

      The problem is that he didn’t play well. After completing 230 of 395 pass attempts for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a junior, he struggled while completing just 184 of 332 attempts for 2,265 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine picks as a senior. Now, according to recent projections, it looks like he may fall into the second or third round.

      From FOX Sports’ Adam Caplan:

      What I liked: You can clearly see his outstanding athleticism. Locker, like many of the quarterbacks here this week, throws fairly well on the run. He is better passing outside of the pocket. He also has pretty good arm strength.

      What needs improvement: His release point is going to need to be adjusted in the NFL. Locker rarely made two solid or accurate throws in a row, which is a troubling sign. Too many of his passes sailed high or away from his intended receiver. The ball simply does not come out of his throwing hand well — which is alarming.

      Round projection: Third.

      While ESPN’s Todd McShay continues to be high on Locker, some have referred to his accuracy as “terrible” while others believe that he’ll never be a starting quarterback at the pro level.

      That said, isn’t it a little premature to say whether or not he’ll struggle in the NFL? After all, he hasn’t had his Pro Day yet and the scouting combine is still a couple of weeks away. In fact, the Senior Bowl hasn’t even been played yet, so if Locker impresses over these next couple of months he could improve his draft stock greatly.

      If most pundits thought that he was a top-5 pick last year, then obviously he has the tools to be a first-rounder (unless of course those pundits off about him last year, which wouldn’t be surprising). Let’s hold off before we deem this kid the next Brian Brohm.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Andrew Luck, Ryan Mallett have chance to make big impressions today

      September 25, 2010 /
      PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 11: Andrew Luck of Stanford passes in the pocket against UCLA during the game at the Rose Bowl on September 11, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

      Perhaps the only thing worse for Jake Locker than his atrocious performance against Nebraska last week, is the fact that he has an off week to think about said performance and so does everyone else.

      Locker was many expert’s favorite to be the top pick, or at least the top quarterback, in the 2011 NFL Draft because of his arm strength and mobility. The 4-for-20 stinker against Nebraska changed a lot of those minds, however, including Locker’s stalker biggest fan, ESPN’s Todd McShay.

      So who steps up in his place? We may find out today. The other top QB prospects this year — Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Stanford’s Andrew Luck — each have a big chance to showcase their talents this afternoon on a big stage.

      Mallett gets a chance to prove he can do what Locker couldn’t a week ago: Have a big game against an elite defense. The Razorbacks play host to top-ranked Alabama, and while it’s a relatively inexperienced secondary that he’ll be facing, carving up a Nick Saban-coached defense can do wonders for one’s draft stock. A win could vault Mallett to the top of draft boards, but he could also get there in a loss. Arkansas’ defense has never been looked at as a strength, so if Mallett has a strong game in a shootout, he should still get a lot of credit.

      Luck isn’t facing a defense near as good as the one Mallett will see today, but he is playing on a big stage. Stanford heads to Notre Dame, which — like it or not — is going to get him a lot of attention. The Irish secondary is nowhere near elite, but if Luck puts up huge numbers, he wouldn’t be the first quarterback to be elevated for it (see: Russell, Jamarcus).

      Stanford and Luck should have more success today, but it’s probably Mallett who has more to gain. Either way, all Locker can do is sit and watch.

      College Football, External Sports

      Stoops, Arizona look for big-time program win

      September 18, 2010 /

      Under the direction of Mike Stoops, Arizona has won some very big games. The Wildcats knocked off a top 10 team three years in a row from 2005-07, with UCLA, California and Oregon all being their victims. This past year, Arizona even knocked off the Pac 10’s Goliath in USC.

      But those wins all came late in the season, when Arizona had already piled up a handful of losses. One thing the Wildcats — who seem to perennially be thought of as a sleeper team — have not done, is capitalize on any preseason hype with a big-time early-season win.

      They have the chance to do that tonight, though, when they play host to No. 9 Iowa. A win moves the Wildcats to 3-0 and gives them some serious national respect. It would also be a huge victory for the Pac 10, which is trying to assert itself as a top conference, even with a lethargic, and penalized, USC.

      Can Stoops and Arizona pull it off? Click through for that prediction, and more from today’s games. Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

      2010 College Football Predictions

      August 30, 2010 /
      Jan 1, 2010; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes players huddle before the 2010 Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks. Photo via Newscom

      Conference winners, sleepers, power rankings and one big, fat national championship prediction.

      Enjoy.

      Big Ten

      Champion: Ohio State
      Yes, it’s true – the Buckeyes need Terrelle Pryor to be more consistent in the passing game this year if they expect to win a national championship. But stop acting like that’s the difference between OSU winning the Big Ten and them turning into Vanderbilt. Choke on this for a second: The Buckeyes return all three leading rushers from 2009 in Pryor, Brandon Saine and Dan Herron, the secondary features three senior NFL prospects, and they own the best defensive end in the nation in Cameron Heyward. Pryor is also coming off a dominating performance against Oregon in the Rose Bowl and reports state that he has committed himself this offseason to being a better teammate. Sorry Buckeye-haters, but the gap between them and Alabama is closer than you think.

      Conference Champion Sleeper: Michigan Slate
      My biggest concern with the Spartans is that despite pulling off an upset nearly every year, they also manage to lose a game they shouldn’t. But they have a slew of playmakers and plenty of depth on both sides of the ball, plus feature a ton of offensive firepower in Larry Caper, Edwin Baker, Keith Nicol and Mark Dell. Oh, and linebacker Greg Jones is the best defender in the nation. If this team can avoid being tripped up by an inferior opponent, they could easily surprise this season.

      Conference Power Ranking: #1 Ohio State, #2 Iowa, #3 Wisconsin, # 4 Penn State, #5 Michigan State, #6 Northwestern, #7 Michigan, #8 Purdue, #9 Illinois, #10 Indiana, #11 Minnesota.

      I admit that I had Michigan rated too high when I did my Big Ten preview last week. Having any sort of trust in Rich Rodriguez right now is a dangerous proposition for obvious reasons. Just when you think he’s going to figure things out in Ann Arbor, he makes a decision to muck everything up. Penn State might be ranked a little high given their quarterback concerns. Wisconsin is going to give teams trouble this year and Northwestern is going to be a tough opponent every week as well.

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

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