Superman

Here's my report on CJ Stroud, based on watching of a couple dozen cut-ups of his games and highlights, plus a few games I've seen in real time. Please share your thoughts on him also. I didn't take great notes this time, so I won't have a lot of specific references. Maybe as draft season continues I'll be able to add some in later posts. Getting my thoughts down now so I can move on to a couple other guys. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cj-stroud-1.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._J._Stroud Basic info: Born in October 2001 (yeesh), he'll be 21 years old at the start of the 2023 season. Full name is Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV, he was born and raised in southern California (Rancho Cucamonga, about 40 miles inland east from LA). A standout HS athlete, he participated in Elite 11 (with Bryce Young), and had multiple offers, including Georgia and Michigan, but chose OSU, where he redshirted behind Justin Fields in 2020. He started 12 games in 2021, 13 in 2022, threw 85 TDs and 12 INTs, and was a Heisman finalist both years. Size/body: Listed at 6'3", 215 pounds, he has a good frame and is solidly built. Not a figure model or anything, but he could easily carry more muscle and size without risking his ability to move around. Does well with contact in the pocket, and is smart enough to avoid big hits whenever he scrambles. He maintains balance and stands tall when the pocket gets crowded. 7/10 Movement/athleticism: Not totally deficient, he can actually run a little bit when he has to. I wouldn't call him quick sudden, he's not great at change of direction, but he's also not stuck in the mud. This is not a strength of his game, I don't think I'd gameplan for him to be a runner very often, but he can make plays with his legs here and there if he has to. (His only play in 2020 is actually a 48 yard QB keeper for a TD.) He shocked everyone in the CFP against Georgia by scrambling and running, which is more of a testament to his heart than to his legs, IMO; most of his escapes and runs in that game were inelegant and probably don't translate to Sundays, but at least he opened up on the biggest stage. Overall, he's more Matt Ryan than Andrew Luck, as a runner. 5/10 Throwing ability: I think he can make every throw, especially from the pocket. His arm is big enough to push the ball 60 yards downfield, with accuracy, and he doesn't have to double hop and launch to get it there. He's a smooth thrower, even when he needs to use his entire arm. On boundary throws, he can zip it 20+ yards for a deep out, opposite hash, on a line. Intermediate over the middle, his ball has plenty of speed, but he also can take a bit off and make a catchable touch throw when needed. As for the crazy "wow" throws, not a lot to talk about; he's not a super creative and adventurous passer, not usually going to drop arm angle or try to make a throw while he's being tackled, but he can deliver nicely on bootlegs and scrambles as long as he has enough space and time to get his hip and shoulder lined up. While he has more than enough arm for the NFL, he's not really going to blow anyone's mind with amazing bombs like other guys might be able to. 7/10 Accuracy: Maybe the most impressive element of his game, he generally puts the ball right where he wants to, assuming his footwork is right. Typical overhead thrower who follows through to the target, throws a catchable ball, and tends to use the proper amount of firepower so his receivers can adjust and finish the play. On crossers, he leads receivers well, and he throws into zone coverage without putting his receivers in unnecessary danger. On corners and outs, he can throw a flat bullet, or loft it with great touch for an over the shoulder throw. Sometimes has a tendency to lead receivers out of bounds, maybe in an effort to avoid potential turnovers. Seems like a reasonable time to acknowledge the level of support he has from his receivers. In 2021 he was throwing to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave (who went 10th and 11th respectively in the 2022 draft), as well as sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who had 1,606 yards and 9 TDs, and then sat out most of 2022). The odd man out was true freshman Marvin Harrison Jr., who in 2022 was the best WR in college football. Stroud has benefitted from as good a group of pass catchers as any other QB prospect in the last few seasons. I bring that up because there are probably some throws that get completed with the help of these outstanding WRs that maybe make his accuracy (and completion percentage) look better than they really are. Not a knock on him, but he's had an outstanding supporting cast both years he's been the starter. Like most QBs, his accuracy suffers when he's under pressure, his throwing motion can get rushed, etc. But in general, he's consistent and reliable in his ability to deliver the ball accurately. 8/10 Mechanics/footwork: His drop and his stance are textbook -- feet shoulder width apart, consistent height, not bouncy (he'll start to pump his feet when he's anticipating a throw, but usually he's under control and not compromising his eye level). Typically plants and transfers weight front to back with no problems, leading to a textbook delivery. He's usually in shotgun, but will get under center at times, usually for play action, and on fakes he does a good job of playing out the fake handoff, but is quick to get his head, shoulders, and hips around so he can make the throw. When the pocket gets crowded, he might fade off of a throw rather than stepping through, and when he does he sacrifices some power, and sometimes the ball can die on him, even on shorter throws. Outside the pocket, his deliver can get sloppy, especially under pressure, which isn't unusual, but he has an established ability to get lined up for moving throws and place the ball well. 8/10 Processing/anticipation/vision: Working in a modern day pro style offense, mostly from the pocket, he's effective at making quick reads and getting the ball to the target. He identifies the coverage and fires. His drop is typically pre-determined based on his primary read, so he's lined up to throw. This leads to nice anticipation passes to open receivers. When his primary is covered, he can be slow to move on, his feet can get stuck, and he'll get into trouble. That said, there are plenty of examples of him identifying, moving the safety with his eyes, and then coming back to the other side of the field to make a throw. There are also some instances of full field progressions leading to check down throws, but I think the more common tendency is quick read + throw, or first read + check down. Usually keeps his eyes downfield, not being overwhelmed by the pass rush. Don't want to overlook the fact that he can really struggle coming off his first read, leading to pressured throws, scrambles, and sacks. At the same time, he does a good job of not trying to force a throw when the play is obviously over. Again I'll mention that he has fantastic WRs that make his reads a lot easier. 7/10 Pocket presence: Most comfortable in the pocket, and very confident in his ability to stand tall and make throws. His pocket movement is usually really good, he feels the pressure and can navigate well to buy time, while still maintaining good footwork and balance. Just like he has good WRs, he usually has good protection. This was put to the test against Georgia in the CFP, but Stroud seemed ready for it, he knew when to take off and run, and he still made good throws with pressure coming. He even shook a couple of rushers in that game, and although he was sacked four times, it easily could have been 14 if not for his play. Again I don't think he looked like Michael Vick in that game or anything, but it was strong evidence that he could use his legs to extend plays if he had to. At other times he'll hang in the pocket too long. Connected to processing, he will need to speed up his clock and decision making in the NFL. 7/10 Intangibles: He didn't really have too many tough opponents in college, but he showed a lot against Georgia: fight, determination, leadership, etc. I think he wanted to return for another season -- he never beat Michigan, he kept coming up short in the Heisman race, and he never played in the CFP championship game, and I think those things made him seriously consider not declaring this year, which speaks to his competitive drive. This is noteworthy to me because his usual demeanor is kind of subdued, he comes across a little quiet to me, so anything that shows some fire stands out to me. He's the youngest of four kids, and his teenage years were troubled, with his father struggling with drugs, then getting sent to prison when CJ was 13, and he's still there. His mother didn't have a lot of money, and he didn't come from a situation where he was groomed to be a QB from a young age -- no 7-7 camps, no private QB coach, etc. He's recently talked about some of his past, and it's obvious that he's tried to keep himself focused so he can reach his goals. His attitude and approach seem excellent, and I think teams are going to be impressed with him in interviews. 9/10 Projection: The playing style/ability comparison is Jared Goff. Prefers to deal from the pocket, not a huge threat to run, but don't sleep on him, doesn't have a powerhouse arm but he's not struggling to make NFL throws, good size and strength, and has the ability to get stronger without sacrificing his play style. Some questions about how high his ceiling is in today's NFL, because he doesn't threaten with his legs, but I don't think he's so deficient in this area that he'll hold your offense back. My big question is how he'll handle not having All American receivers across the field, and whether he can perform every week without top notch pass protection. His ceiling is probably pretty high, but his biggest areas of development, especially if he's going try to thrive from the pocket, are going to be speeding up his decision making and not hanging in the pocket when everyone is covered. If he lands in a bad situation and keeps holding the ball, we're probably comparing him to rookie Jared Goff. Remaining QB prospects: Anthony Richardson, Hendon Hooker https://forums.colts.com/topic/74880-will-levis-qb-kentucky/ https://forums.colts.com/topic/74915-bryce-young-qb-alabama/

Bryce Young isn't even as good a runner as any of those guys you named (maybe Burrow). And of course, they all had much better arms. I don't agree that he's a better prospect than those guys, maybe with the exception of Allen, who was a tools/traits prospect with significant question marks. I think to a certain extent I'd agree that he has a higher floor than some of those guys -- Mahomes, Watson, Allen... I also agree that he's shown some ability to get better as the stakes get higher, the 2021 SEC championship vs Georgia is a good example of that. But if you watch that game, what really stands out is just how freaking good Jameson Williams was. This is where the questions about supporting cast start to matter, IMO. Based on the QB specific traits that can be seen on tape, he's a really good prospect. I think there's a valid question about his arm strength, but he still looks good enough. The real issue is his size, and there's no point ignoring it or pretending that it doesn't matter. It wouldn't surprise me to see him have some success, but durability and injury are major questions. I also think he gets away from some tackles in college that he wouldn't be able to get away from in the pros, so his ability to make plays while scrambling could be diminished. You mentioned him as a Shanahan QB, but he's never under center, which would be a problem. He does run some pistol play action, so he can turn his back to the defense and still find his receivers. But taking a traditional drop, especially with a play action fake, is something that's just not on tape. It's definitely possible that he can do it, but we don't have proof so far.

I think he's a better athlete than Tua/Baker, but he's definitely no Kyler or early RW. He doesn't run a lot because he simply doesn't have to; when you have Jameson Williams, John Metchie, and Brian Robinson, just get them the ball. When he does run, the speed and quickness are there, but he's not blowing past DBs or anything. Great athlete, no. But his athleticism can be a tool, if not a weapon. It's not about diving around and playing recklessly to get a couple extra yards. It's about him breaking contain, and then just kind of sauntering his way out of bounds, or jogging in the open field and getting caught from behind. Sometimes, toying around and sliding late/awkwardly. Just get your yardage, then get down or out of bounds. Utah State, 3:40 -- gets caught from behind (he does a version of this five more times in this game, and I hate it)

Here's my report on Bryce Young. Having watched him plenty at Bama, I'm sharing my thoughts. Looking forward to some of you sharing your thoughts also. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/bryce-young-1.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryce_Young Basic info: Born in July 2001, he'll be 22 years old at the start of the 2023 season. Born in PA, but raised in CA, and he decommitted from USC to go to Alabama (which is a testament to how far USC had fallen). He backed up Mac Jones for a year, became the starter in 2021 and won the Heisman, lost to Georgia in the championship. In 2022, he hurt his throwing shoulder during the season. Bama also lost a lot of great offensive players to the NFL, but Young had a very productive season. Size/body: Listings vary, but the team listed him at 6'0", 194 pounds, which is not close to ideal. He's one of the lower BMI NFL prospects of all time, especially for a first round QB. Without belaboring the point, he's very undersized for the position in the NFL. He appears to have good strength and balance, and does a good job avoiding big contact, but this is a major consideration. Reports say he's working to get up to 210 pounds, but until we see him play at that weight, and maintain it, I'm not putting a lot of stock into it. I absolute think size is important in the NFL, including at this position. 2/10 Movement/athleticism: Smooth operator in the pocket and in the open field, can make a defender miss while on the run. Good change of direction and wiggle. He has enough speed to escape the pocket, turn the corner and go. Not Kyler Murray fast or elusive, but his athleticism will work in the NFL. What I don't like is his lack of urgency on scrambles, he tends to play with his food, sliding late, not running full steam at times, leaving some yardage out on the field. I'd like to see him really finish the play with zeal, rather than in his casual manner. More in mechanics/footwork... 8/10 Throwing ability: His arm is good enough. I had to go back to 2021 to see some big boy throws -- not just the bombs downfield (and he underthrew Jameson Williams a few times, but also dropped quite a few in the bucket), but the far hash, deep out type throws to covered receivers (Auburn 2021). Not an elite arm, and doesn't wow with velocity on tight window throws. At his best when he's comfortable and can really anchor and torque into a throw, but there are some plays where he has a blocker in his lap and he still muscles it 45+ yards in the air. At times some of his throws to the outside would come up short, especially under pressure (LSU 2022, lots of underthrows from a crowded pocket, but that was after the shoulder injury; Texas 2022 was before the injury, and I saw several shallow/underthrown passes with unimpressive velocity. He's at his best throwing timing routes, not sure how much he can rely on his arm to beat tight coverage. 6/10 Accuracy: When his footwork is right and he has time, he's consistently accurate, with a few exceptions (the LSU 2022 game was bad). Touch throws, second level throws to moving and settling receivers are mostly on the money, leads receivers when appropriate. Wheel routes and go routes usually are right on target, throws a solid deep over route while giving his receiver the opportunity to adjust to the ball. He has some darts to the back/corner of the end zone. There are some plays when he's on the move or on a scramble drill where his placement is not great, a lot still result in completions but would probably not work against good defenders. His accuracy on all throws suffers tremendously when he's under pressure. 7/10 Mechanics/footwork: He's generally sound, again a smooth operator with fluid footwork. Big caveat, he's literally NEVER under center, always in shotgun (I seriously don't think I've seen a single snap under center), so can't speak to his drop back. I really don't like his shotgun drop, it's lackadaisical with no urgency, and I think that his timing in the pocket can be thrown off because he doesn't reach the height of his drop as quickly as he should. There are plays where he winds up getting pressured because of the timing of his drop. I don't think this is a significant issue because it's a simple fix, and it's not a habit that would be likely to pop back up in pressure situations, but it sure is annoying, and it relates back to his lack of urgency when running. He can get toes-y on throws, and he gets bouncy, which undermines delivery and accuracy; this is more concerning than the shotgun drop. You can see his progression-based passing by watching his feet, his reset is smooth, he generally sets and transfers weight appropriately, flips hips, and follows through consistently. Throwing motion is solid, and he has the ability to change his arm angle and deliver accurately. No big technical issues here, but I'm withholding a little because he's never under center. 7/10 Processing/anticipation/vision: Appears to be his biggest strength, and it helps he's been with Saban and O'Brien for two years. He makes good, quick reads, can go full field in order, and makes good decisions. It's important to acknowledge that he plays with top notch receiving talent so someone is always open, but he's finding them. And when teams commit to coverage, he gets to his underneath options; against blitzing teams, he gets to his hot routes. He throws with excellent anticipation, against zone or man, appears to have a good pre-snap understanding coupled with good post-snap adjustments, and a great command for the offense. While I dislike his shotgun drop, his footwork gets more aggressive on RPOs, showing that he knows what he intends to do with the ball and is committed to getting himself ready to make a quick throw, and he does so accurately. Nicely demonstrated ability to react to coverage breakdowns and make defenses pay, to all areas of the field. He can linger behind the OL longer than I think he should at times, but that's probably a product of the talent around him; he knows if he waits a little longer someone will come open, and he prefers to find a receiver rather than scramble. 9/10 Pocket presence: He moves well within the pocket, sensing pressure and adjusting, but he also has the luxury of a really good OL on most days, which gives him a ton of time on a consistent basis. Teams that blitzed a lot (TN 2022) seemed to fluster him and throw off his rhythm in the pocket. Covered a lot above in mechanics/footwork. I'm not certain how he'll handle NFL pass rush, given his size. He played some big opponents (especially Georgia 2021) and handled them reasonably well, but this is still an unknown due to his height. He also slips defenders in college, and I don't think he'll survive contact in the NFL the way he could at Bama. 8/10 Intangibles: Everyone speaks highly of him, he has a clean sheet as far as I know. One nitpick for me is just the lack of finishing on some of his run plays, coupled with his non-urgent drop backs, makes me wonder about the 'eye of the tiger' type stuff, maybe he comes across as too cool...? But scouts and interviewers will dig in on that, it's just my observation from very far away on the Internet. Bama didn't make the CFP but he still played in the bowl game, and said all the right things (contrast with Levis). He's not eligible for the Senior Bowl because he's an underclassman. I'd like to see more toughness on tape, especially given his lack of size, but he plays smart, which will absolutely be necessary for him to survive in the NFL. 8/10 Projection: The size comparisons pop up immediately, and I try to resist Drew Brees, but I think it's appropriate. He's obviously more athletic, but he's not going to take defenses apart with his legs, and he's not going to throw 60 yards downfield off his back foot. He has to make teams pay from the pocket, decisively, and what he does outside of structure will be a bonus, but should be done sparingly, because I question his ability to hold up physically. Tua is another comparison in terms of play style and ability, but Tua is 20 pounds heavier, and Young is quicker/faster and has more elusiveness. Remaining QB prospects: CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Hendon Hooker. (A couple other names have been offered up, not sure if they'll happen though. I definitely want to get through the five before the Combine.) Will Levis

I like Hooker's tools. There are a lot of question marks though, mostly because of the scheme at TN. That will be a fun one to write up...

I thought about making that comparison. I think young Ben was less dynamic athletically, and more mature Ben had a higher level of ability to make plays with his arm. But the "rough and tumble" style of playing and the gunslinger mentality fits. I think Bortles got compared to Roethlisberger also...

I think it's a waste of time trying to predict what happens at 1-3. I think if we have a guy we really like, above the others, we should secure the #1 pick. I think it's unlikely that we'd view the top three guys the same way, given how different they are. So if we love one of them, we probably need to consider them worth the #1 pick and whatever it takes to get there. If not, draft Hendon Hooker later in the draft, and keep your powder dry for Caleb Williams. (I might do a write-up for CW just for the heck of it.)

You might have a point here. I think prototypical is basically 6'4"-6'5", 225-235, and he's only off of that by an inch. I think he could drop his BMI a little. Josh Allen has gotten a little doughy this year, and seems less explosive, I wouldn't be surprised if he's more like 250 now. But my 8 for Levis might be kind of withholding.

Noticeably higher. I think the 2021 film gives the impression of a guy for whom the sky is the limit, and the 2022 games make me wonder if he's already hit a ceiling. I don't think he has, for a variety of factors, but some of his bad plays make me cringe. Especially after watching Carson Wentz for a season...

I think there's a world of difference between Levis and Richardson. I'll be revisiting Richardson soon. I think we're on the same page on him. Will he last to #4? I think you'd be fine with drafting him there, right?

Here's my report on Will Levis. I've watched a ton of his film cut-ups, saw a couple of his games in real time, and have seen several breakdowns of his play. Before I move on to a new prospect, I want to put my thoughts down. Hopefully some of you have watched him play and can share some thoughts also. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/will-levis-1.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Levis Basic info: Born in June 1999, he'll be 24 years old at the start of the 2023 season. After high school, he had several scholarship offers, including Florida State, North Carolina, plus Ivy League offers from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. He committed to Penn State and attended from 2018 through 2020, mostly backing up Sean Clifford. He graduated in 2021, then transferred to Kentucky, where he started in 2021 and 2022. Size/body: Generally listed at 6'3", 230(ish) pounds, he has prototypical size. He's also well built, with a muscled up frame. Basically central casting for an NFL QB. Not only can he survive contact, he can shrug it off in the pocket and still throw downfield, or escape and run. Well balanced, durable, strong. 8/10 Movement/athleticism: Not necessarily a twitchy blur of a runner, but he can run, and he can make defenders miss. (Vs Louisville, 2021, go to 7:03 mark, and see him juke one defender, then hurdle another. Or watch the whole game, he's using his legs all day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLxOUKJriv8) He ran less in 2022, apparently due an injury, but he still put some nice plays on tape with his legs. Don't know what he'll run at the Combine, I would say he's a 4.75 guy in the forty, with some explosiveness potential in the vertical. His ability to run can be a consistent weapon in the NFL. More in mechanics/footwork... 7/10 Throwing ability: He possesses excellent arm strength, to all parts of the field. He can easily push the ball 60+ yards down field, sometimes coming close to that from crowded pocket and bad platform. Off his back foot and with a wrist flick, he can zip the ball around. On intermediate and sideline throws, he has enough velocity to get to the second level, through defenders, leaving little time to react. Tight windows aren't a problem, deep outs and comebacks aren't a problem. If anything, he trusts his arm too much at times. "Arm talent" is on full display with him. He has as good an arm of any prospect since Josh Allen. 8/10 Accuracy: Inconsistent accuracy on tape, which burns him at times. He can miss long, overthrowing receivers downfield, he'll miss short if he doesn't follow through, and he can miss wide if he's under pressure. There are mechanical problems that pop up at times, and apparently issues with processing, reading defenses, and finishing progressions, which can lead to some rushed throws. Because he trusts his arm, he gets into trouble. However, he's not just spraying the ball all over the field. He shows some impressive accuracy in various situations, clean pocket, under pressure, on the run, between defenders. Good ball placement also, leading receivers, or putting it on the body in traffic, etc. Most of his inconsistencies can be addressed with focus on footwork, but processing and anticipation are bigger question marks. 6/10 Mechanics/footwork: The most concerning area of his game, to me. At times, he doesn't step through and shift weight to his front leg, pressure or not. His platform can get a little too wide, which changes his shoulder/eye level, and creates inconsistencies with his delivery. His drop and stance are generally consistent, no issues there; Kentucky has run a pro-style drop back passing game since he's been there, so he's not just a shotgun/spread QB (like Hendon Hooker). Another area of concern is his abbreviated throwing motion, he tends to be a three quarter thrower, over relying on his elbow and not using his shoulder enough. This is fine for many throws, but when he needs touch across the middle, throws can sail, or get short armed. Bottom line, at times his mechanics cause him problems with accuracy. The most prominent fix is simply focusing on better footwork as he plants to throw, and that's something that many QBs have done in the past, but it's also not a given. 6/10 Processing/anticipation/vision: There are plenty of examples of him working entire field progressions, from shotgun and from under center, so we have demonstrated ability. However, at times he'll get stuck on his first read, wind up late to second options or dump offs, and rush his throws, which often results in inaccuracy. Bigger concern for me is when he commits to his first read and misses a defender underneath who takes a deeper drop than he anticipated, winding up in a tipped ball or an undercut. Many of his interceptions came in these situations, especially high/low reads to the outside that get taken by the underneath defender, or forced passes over the middle that get tipped. Add in his tendency to get sloppy with footwork when under pressure, any confused read or late decision can be a disaster. Again, there's proof of concept here, unlike some QB prospects who do almost no progression based passing. But he needs to drill on these situations. He keeps his eyes downfield, even when under pressure. One area of concern is his unwillingness to give up on a play, which leads to silly mistakes. He's not quite a Carson Wentz, attempting left handed passes while being tackled, but he takes too many risks, both as a runner and as a passer, leading to turnover worthy plays and unnecessary big hits. 6/10 Pocket presence: He generally shows a good feel for the pocket, and has the subtle movement and awareness needed to navigate the pocket. There are plays at times where the protection breaks down quickly, including unblocked rushers, and he's been blown up without even seeing the defender, but that's a protection issue. His ability to sense pressure, move, reset and throw is well demonstrated. He also doesn't hang in the pocket unnecessarily, and will take off and use his legs, either to run or to get outside and throw. He keeps his eyes downfield when he leaves the pocket. 7/10 Intangibles: Almost everything we see from him looks like the prototypical leader and performer that NFL teams like to see. He played through injury in 2022, facing stronger competition with fewer offensive weapons. He rallies his teammates on the sideline and in the huddle. He's great on the podium and in one-on-one interviews, accepting responsibility for problems and deflecting praise for successes. It appears that he takes coaching well. One area I don't feel great about is his decision to skip Kentucky's bowl game this year; this is something many prospects do, but in his case, he had an opportunity to show something against a good opponent, which is a weaker area of his resume. He also hasn't committed to the Senior Bowl yet. Both of these decisions might be related to some of his injuries in 2022, but it's not what I'd prefer to see from a guy who still has question marks. 8/10 Projection: Many people have compared him to Josh Allen, and I think that's fitting, strictly from a play style/tools standpoint. Great size, big arm, mobility, toughness. Thing is, Josh Allen was a long shot to become a high level QB, due to issues with accuracy, mechanics under pressure, and ball security. Same story for Levis. He needs to be on a team with good offensive coaching, and while he can physically handle the pro game right away, he'd be better off having competition early on. Solid OL play and good receiving options will help any young QB, but we saw a significant drop off in his play from 2021 due to poor OL play and inexperienced receivers. If Levis gets drafted by a team that will be patient with him early, if he focuses on his footwork, and drills on coverages and progressions, there's no reason he can't be a long term starter for a good team. He's an older prospect, but it's still unlikely that he's reached his ceiling, and he has a ton of upside. If he lands in a bad situation, we're probably looking at Sam Darnold/Blake Bortles. Remaining QB prospects: CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, Hendon Hooker.

Merged.

Yeah that's what it seems like. But not only did the ESPN crew report it on TV, other outlets (Spanish, and radio) were saying the same thing. Maybe they're repeating what ESPN said? Or maybe someone on the field was saying 'we have five minutes to warm up' because that's protocol, while the refs and coaches were still figuring out what to do. But if we're taking Troy Vincent at his word, the coaches never discussed resuming play. So it was all likely a miscommunication.

It took a while to make an official statement, but it sounds like the game being postponed was the obvious outcome pretty early on...

Could be some people were saying that on the field, and it made it up to the booth. But we never saw any of the players warming up, right? I think maybe Burrow threw a couple warm up passes, but everyone else was just standing around from what I saw.

The "five minutes" thing is starting to look like a misunderstanding...

I don't even think the refs were 'instructed' to give them five minutes. I that was just their initial 'how do we handle this' reaction -- five minutes after an extended stoppage -- and the coaches immediately said 'that won't work.' Taylor and McDermott talked, and said 'we're going to the locker room,' and at that point there wasn't really any decision to be made. It was done, they weren't playing. The way it was presented on social media was like the NFL was trying to get them to keep playing and the teams had to win an argument to get the game postponed. I mean, it might technically be accurate that the teams made the decision, but that doesn't mean they were opposed in any way.

Yeah, the fact that the statement included the update on Hamlin's condition -- he's in critical condition -- shows that they wanted to provide that information in an official capacity. Had to wait for it, though.

Between ESPN, the Internet, and social media, I'd guess that nothing like this has ever been viewed by such a wide audience, all at the same time, with access to so much real time information yet not getting any real updates on the situation. I don't think this winds up having a harmful effect on the NFL, but I do think the situation is unlike anything we've seen before.

Agreed. There are an unknown number of moving parts that they (rightly, IMO) wanted to button down before saying or doing anything officially. The freak out mob started speculating, pointing fingers, and perpetuating the idea that there was a villain in the picture, when that was totally unnecessary, given the situation. There were comments on Reddit and Twitter during the ordeal, with people at the stadium commenting that concessions were shutting down, etc., well before the official announcement was made. It's my assumption that the coaches knew they weren't playing when they went to the locker rooms, which makes everything else irrelevant.

9-11, they did not play. All games that weekend were cancelled. Edit: "Postponed," not cancelled. https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/tagliabue-and-2001-decision-not-to-play

I don't. I think they buttoned down all the different technicalities and informed all the parties, and then put together a sanitized statement as the first official league response. But when the refs told the coaches 'five minutes,' and the coaches looked at their players standing in shock and said 'nah, we're going to the locker room,' it was obvious the game was not going to continue.

No of course not. But usually after a game like this everyone starts calling for the coach to be fired, and it made me wonder.

You mean the four square pass?

It was a joke. But we don't have good coaching, so...