It's breathing on other teams, like the Jets, where Brad Smith is deadly with it. The Colts coaches said they had to spend an entire day of practice on Brad Smith's Wildcat. The Wildcat is currently what many of us always said it would be, a specialty running package that could create extra spacing and angles if it's something that fits your personnel, and especially if the other team isn't practiced at defending it. It's best near the goal line and in short yardage, IMO. It's like a 3rd & 2 or 3rd & 3 type package, to me. The NFL is still looking for that ultra-elusive "Wildcat v2.0" player. If any players have a shot at being that kind of player, they're Cam Newton and Jake Locker. But Newton has the potential to be more than that, a real NFL passer. Locker doesn't.
I honestly have not watched him play at all this year. However, it is really shocking how he was projected #1 overall last year, and now (not sure what the experts say) 5th round (per Chris)!? Not to be rude, but why the difference? Did his play really drop off that far this year? Or was he just really poorly analyzed before last year's draft?
Yes. You really have to take those rankings with a grain of salt. A couple years ago the #1 prospect for a future Draft was "set" to be Michael Johnson. Then he ended up in the 3rd round or something like that. Bottom line? It's too easy to label a guy this or that for a future draft and so people do it, and then there's sort of a bird flocking mentality. Jake Locker NEVER would have been the #1 pick in the draft if he'd gone through an entire pre-draft process complete with Combine, Pro Day, interviews, medical checks, all the scrutiny, etc. You just have to learn to take that kind of thing with a grain of salt. People don't want to think that though. They want to think, this is where a guy was before, and this is where he is now. Everything concrete, everything known. Fact of the matter is it's all anything but concrete and anything but known.
You mentioned all of Locker's flaws but you can not deny that he has the physical tools, arm strength, accuracy, solid throwing motion, touch, can make all the throws. you cant teach that. you can teach a QB how to go thru progressions and scan the field, which seems to be the biggest issues with you on Locker. Its not like Locker had amazing coaching at Washington
I disagree with this statement. It's true to a point but some guys are incapable. If you can teach any guy to go through his progressions and scan the field, how come after four years of starting, two in a pro style system where he was coached to try and do exactly what you're talking about, he's still as raw as a first year starter? He has arm strength and he shows touch at times. He does absolutely nothing consistently, and that includes his accuracy which is bordering on scattershot. He throws short passes that are uncatchable, that's how inaccurate he can be. The guy has had four years to show some, any improvement as a passer. He's shown none.
