Slash this talk

An article in this week's Sporting News addresses the trend in the NFL of drafting college QB's and having them play different positions in the NFL. I have not finished the entire article, so it may get better. However, I'm in disagreement with the author on the tone of the piece. The reason teams are looking at players like Reggie McNeal (Texas A&M) at positions other than QB is the same reason Texas A&M pegged him as their stud QB ... McNeal is a freak! He's an incredible athlete and you want to get the ball in his hands. That's why Matt Jones (U of Arkansas and Jacksonville Jaguars) was a QB in college. That's why Antwaan Randle El (Indiana, Pittsburgh, Washington) was a college QB. Brad Smith, Seneca Wallace, Woody Dantzler, etc.

There have been really good athletes who were also really good QB's ... I'll throw Steve Young out as an example. Perhaps, Michael Vick might be able to develop into a really good QB, although I don't think he's there yet. Does Daunte Culpepper qualify? I think Donovan McNabb would qualify if he kept himself in shape because he played basketball at Syracuse. So, the NFL has a place for athletes at the QB position. But, being a terrific athlete is less of an advantage in the NFL than it is in college. The emphasis is on being able to handle the demands of quarterbacking in the NFL ... making good reads and getting the ball into the hands of the playmakers.

College coaches have figured out that top notch athletes are very valuable at QB because they pose a dual threat. The defenders aren't as good, overall, as the guys who play on Sundays. Does anyone remember how amazing Michael Vick was playing against college defenses? Vince Young torched the USC Trojans in the national championship game in January. Does anyone think he'll be doing the same thing for Tennessee next season? College coaches are putting the ball in the hands of their best athletes if they can play QB, rather than putting their best athletes at RB and WR and having a traditional QB. So, Reggie McNeal and Matt Jones played QB in college, despite their shortcomings as QB's. They could have played WR, too, but they probably wouldn't have had the same impact on their teams.

The NFL people are just doing the same thing college coaches have been doing for years ... they are taking great athletes playing QB on one level and transitioning them to different slots at the next level. It's possible that they'll catch on to the current college trend of having great athletes at QB and they'll find ways to take advantage of athleticism within the context of the pro game. The result would be more players in the mold of Michael Vick. The players who can't play QB at the next level don't ... just as a lot of HS QB's move to different positions at college. But, as the game evolves, it seems that there are more opportunities for athletes to succeed at the QB position.

The point is that teams aren't going after athletes who were college QB's because of the success of Randle El. The Seahawks had Seneca Wallace on the team last year. Woody Dantzler was drafted by the Cowboys previously. Matt Jones was on the Jags last year. Kordell Stewart was a "slash." The NFL teams are looking to get the best athletes. The trend in college to put athletes at QB results in tremendous athletes having to transition to new positions at the NFL level. Teams aren't going to draft a college QB who isn't a great athlete just so they can run "gadget" (or trick) plays with him lined up as a WR!

Paul Thompson started last season as the starting QB for the University of Oklahoma. However, after being replaced by redshirt freshman Rhett Bomar, Thompson began playing WR. If you can't cut it at QB but have tools to be used someplace else, or are worth more to your team at a different position, you'll find yourself on the field someplace other than under center. Thompson was still the backup QB, but it was a waste of talent having him on the bench waiting for Bomar to stumble up or get injured.