To the draft, or not to the draft? One thing my friend Brendan and I were talking about last night with regard to Young's throwing motion and its potential to impede his success in the NFL that I think I think is right: Vince Young is 6'5" and some change. That makes him taller than plenty of quarterbacks—not all, but many—so I'd like to see what his motion actually amounts to in terms of height and arc at release. It certainly looks worrisome, but Young's passing style has not amounted to cringeworthy performances this year. The scouts may be wrong about his NFL prospects, but it's hard to say without taking his height into consideration.
No doubt his passing accuracy still needs development, even if his style is acceptable, but that's something he's going to get through an NFL team whether he takes another college year or not. The same is true for Matt Leinart and every other quarterback who makes the pro-ball transition.
So, draft? I'm completely happy to see Vince Young stick around and rack up trophies for my alma mater, but he ought to go in, especially if he thinks that Houston is now reconsidering their options. And Houston should reconsider their options. They have a great prospect in Reggie Bush, but they have a great prospect and homegrown hero in Vince Young. Houston must not only develop its loser team but also could use to invest in its relationship with its fans. The day after the Rose Bowl, calls poured into local sports radio affiliates from Houston fans voicing their support for a Young-helmed offense. It's a win-win decision with the first pick, sure, but Young brings intangibles to the team that Bush doesn't offer.
Posted by Kriston at January 6, 2006 1:35 PMI would suggest that homegrown heros are not a good idea, particularly for bad teams struggling for respectability. The expectations are crushing, and first-year quarterbacks simply do not come in and perform at a high level in the NFL right away, especially on teams that aren't very good. I think the Texans and Young would both be better off if their fortunes weren't yoked together.
Posted by: Sean at January 6, 2006 2:24 PMFor your point to obtain, there must be some possibility for failure on Young's behalf. Does not compute.
Posted by: Kriston at January 6, 2006 2:34 PMHmm, hight of QB, point of release, arc of ball, seems I remember someone saying something about that...
Don't forget Bernie Kosar and Brett Favre
Posted by: Brendan at January 6, 2006 4:03 PMYeah, edited, you deserve credit for the Spiderhouse bullshit session. But I'm not sure I buy it. It sounds good, but then it turns out lots of the QBs that get drafted early are also very tall, and those are the ones that do well in the NFL, so I'm not sure that the height differential works in Young's favor. It sounds good to me, and I'd want a scout to walk me through the videos and explain how that's wrong.
Posted by: Kriston at January 6, 2006 4:23 PMtop QB efficiency rating in the nation going into the rose bowl. if you look at the stats, he only had like 1 pick throughout the entire latter part of the season (his ratio was about as good as, oh, say.... matt leinart's). 75% completion rate on *forty* passes in the rose bowl. 3000 yards passing on the year, and that's even with 1000 yards rushing. (which is, incidentally, a NCAA record, and not by a small amount). some people have made the argument that his completion rate is the result of short passes, which strikes me as ridiculous considering that he also led the nation in yards per completion.
the numbers speak for themselves.
the reason that a sidearm release is generally considered bad is that it means that the ball is released lower and is thus easier to pick off. however, young is so tall that it generally offsets this problem. also, he has a ridiculously strong arm and tends to throw darts at short range, which helps offset the problem.
if you look at his picks throughout the year, most of them were due to bad route running and drops by our not-yet-veteran WR corps. i can't even remember the last time he's had a ball tipped or batted down at the line of scrimmage.
something else to keep in mind is that any NFL team should be able to coach him out of bad habits should they become a problem -- this year proves that he can learn, and they're good at that sort of thing. look at where chris simms is mentally now compared to how he played under texas, for example.
ultimately, the facts indicate that vince young would be an excellent quarterback even if he never ran. the fact that he could also be a running back independently of his throwing, and that he brings a whole host of intangibles to the game as far as field vision, backfield evasion, ability to throw on the run, on-the-fly decisionmaking, confidence, and leadership makes him an absolute no-brainer as a draft pick.
Posted by: seth at January 6, 2006 8:02 PMtop QB efficiency rating in the nation going into the rose bowl. if you look at the stats, he only had like 1 pick throughout the entire latter part of the season (his ratio was about as good as, oh, say.... matt leinart's). 75% completion rate on *forty* passes in the rose bowl. 3000 yards passing on the year, and that's even with 1000 yards rushing. (which is, incidentally, a NCAA record, and not by a small amount). some people have made the argument that his completion rate is the result of short passes, which strikes me as ridiculous considering that he also led the nation in yards per completion.
the numbers speak for themselves.
the reason that a sidearm release is generally considered bad is that it means that the ball is released lower and is thus easier to pick off. however, young is so tall that it generally offsets this problem. also, he has a ridiculously strong arm and tends to throw darts at short range.
if you look at his picks throughout the year, most of them were due to bad route running and drops by our not-yet-veteran WR corps. i can't even remember the last time he's had a ball tipped or batted down at the line of scrimmage.
something else to keep in mind is that any NFL team should be able to coach him out of bad habits should they become a problem -- this year proves that he can learn, and they're good at that sort of thing. look at where chris simms is mentally now compared to how he played under texas, for example.
ultimately, the facts indicate that vince young would be an excellent quarterback even if he never ran. the fact that he could also be a running back independently of his throwing, and that he brings a whole host of intangibles to the game as far as field vision, backfield evasion, ability to throw on the run, on-the-fly decisionmaking, confidence, and leadership makes him an absolute no-brainer as a draft pick.
Posted by: seth at January 6, 2006 8:03 PMoops. sorry for the double post. MT gave an error the first time through.
Posted by: seth at January 6, 2006 8:11 PM