Article: Wilson affecting QB evaluations

The fact that Russell Wilson is hanging out with guys like Matt Hasselbeck, and Golden Tate in his leisure time, tells me that he's a junkie for anything and everything related to football.
It's like he has an insatible appetite for finding and locking down information to better understand the intricacies of what makes other quarterbacks succeed, or fail, as well as to what bad habits to avoid like, locking onto a Receiver with his eyes, not working on his footwork Etc.
I believe that his best is yet to come, and with continuety as the leader, he's going to astonish even people that are his most ardent detractors.
When he says that he wants to be "The Best", it's not just a phrase that he's just throwing out there, this kid really means it.

Russell Wislon is so special you won't find a guy like him for a long long time.

and Tebow can't find a job?

I am starting to wonder if I am smarter than most NFL GMs, and truthfully I am not that smart. Good for them for not overlooking intangibles, but intangibles aren't the reason Wilson proved his height didn't matter. Wilson has short QB skills. So if you want a short QB that can play, check to see if he has those short QB skills or not. Can he navigate passing lanes? Does he have a high release point? Did he succeed behind a tall offensive line? Did he avoid injury despite his stature?

Really NFL GMs, it's not that hard to figure this stuff out.

Of course, there isn't a Russell Wilson out there this year. How many years passed between Tom Brady and Russell Wilson being drafted? A lot. I think you are looking at a situation that might occur once a decade, at most.

But the next time there truly is another Russell Wilson, I'll tell you right now how it is that you find him. Look for the QB that is obviously great but is being completely disregarded for just one reason, then thoroughly investigate that reason to see if it holds up. Small-mindedness and a fear of breaking with conventional wisdom by evaluators is what made Wilson and Brady late round steals. So always be looking for that guy that deserves more credit than he deserves, and you'll eventually find him. You might have to wait awhile, though.

I have to say though, it is pretty badass how our coach/GM/QB have already had such a profound impact on the league. Everyone in the know is in awe of the Seahawks right now. Everyone not in the know, too.

kearly":107ptsdh said:

I have to say though, it is pretty badass how our coach/GM/QB have already had such a profound impact on the league. Everyone in the know is in awe of the Seahawks right now.

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Nobody wants Egypt to best the rest of the league, the coach who couldn't win at the Professional level has raised the bar with a new defensive approach, has taken a QB that others were looking at as a career back up and gave him a chance and is a budding Superstar, taken cast offs such as Lynch and Clemons and Brock Branch and Jones and turned them into leaders or impact players.

We have shaken the foundations of the NFL powers by beating N.E., G.B, Dallas. They don't want Blue and Green being the team that sets a precedence or that others have to play catch up to.

We have been recognised and our front office and coaches hired in promenent positions hoping to replicate what we done.

The one thing that they can't do is motivate and have the vision and ability to see something in players that John and Pete do together.

Honestly, I think a lot of the media bias against us is really just a biproduct of having never won a Superbowl. I think outside of just a few special seasons, we've always been in the same category as the Cardinals, Browns, Lions, etc. In terms of national perception.

If Seattle wins a couple of championships and establishes a legacy, I think the treatment in the media will be a lot different. The reason that the Packers, Steelers, Cowboys, and 49ers are all so beloved is because in the past they were among the biggest winners in the history of the sport. If Wilson gets us 3-4 championships, I think we become part of that club. Maybe the president of that club, considering how much of a darling the team is at the moment.

kearly":380p56lu said:

I am starting to wonder if I am smarter than most NFL GMs, and truthfully I am not that smart. Good for them for not overlooking intangibles, but intangibles aren't the reason Wilson proved his height didn't matter. Wilson has short QB skills. So if you want a short QB that can play, check to see if he has those short QB skills or not. Can he navigate passing lanes? Does he have a high release point? Did he succeed behind a tall offensive line? Did he avoid injury despite his stature?

Really NFL GMs, it's not that hard to figure this stuff out.

Of course, there isn't a Russell Wilson out there this year. How many years passed between Tom Brady and Russell Wilson being drafted? A lot. I think you are looking at a situation that might occur once a decade, at most.

But the next time there truly is another Russell Wilson, I'll tell you right now how it is that you find him. Look for the QB that is obviously great but is being completely disregarded for just one reason, then thoroughly investigate that reason to see if it holds up. Small-mindedness and a fear of breaking with conventional wisdom by evaluators is what made Wilson and Brady late round steals. So always be looking for that guy that deserves more credit than he deserves, and you'll eventually find him. You might have to wait awhile, though.

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Interesting that it is impossible to find any video on Tom Brady's rookie season.

5.2 40 in combine. Impressive! :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqpx2SVx0vA

Well, don't think there will even be a Tannehill caliber in this draft actually.

I get what you're saying English, but I think the point of the post is that intangibles can overcome *some* physical defeciencies. The only physical issue with Wilson was his height.

I've been saying it for years, but I think intangibles are the most important single attribute for QBs. Look at all the physical specimens that have washed out (guys like Jamarcus Russell, Vince Young, etc.). Off the charts athleticism and good production in college, but no work ethic. Michael Vick admitted he had a terrible work ethic earlier in his career...probably why he never broke 55% completion percentage for so long.

Now look at all the guys that had, say, weak arms. We had one here in Hasselbeck. Montana was another big one. Guys didn't have a cannon, and weren't physical specimens (Montana was also short) but they had work ethic, leadership, intelligence and a will to win. If you're off the charts on your intangibles you know how to work around a weak arm. Or slow feet (Fouts, Marino, Peyton Manning, Brady etc). Or being short (Brees, Wilson and to an extent Flutie). A guy is humble enough to know his flaws, smart enough to address them, and will grind it out until it gets done. Along the way they find other ways to improve their game to shore up their flaws.

I like what I read about PC and JS. People get hypercritical at this time of year about prospects; everyone wants the perfect guy with the least downside and a high floor that won't bust, so we pick them apart. One recent draft analysis of PC and JS was that they look for what guys CAN do, in their system...instead of what they CAN'T do according to prevalent wisdom. I think in a round about way, that's what this article is saying.

kearly":241r7f0o said:

Honestly, I think a lot of the media bias against us is really just a biproduct of having never won a Superbowl. I think outside of just a few special seasons, we've always been in the same category as the Cardinals, Browns, Lions, etc. In terms of national perception.

If Seattle wins a couple of championships and establishes a legacy, I think the treatment in the media will be a lot different. The reason that the Packers, Steelers, Cowboys, and 49ers are all so beloved is because in the past they were among the biggest winners in the history of the sport. If Wilson gets us 3-4 championships, I think we become part of that club. Maybe the president of that club, considering how much of a darling the team is at the moment.

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Yeah, much like the Stealers getting ALL benefit of the doubt in XL, wink, wink. :16:

Hawks46: "Montana was also short"

Sorry, but Joe Montana is 6'2" and on numerous occasions, it was reported that he could dunk a basketball from a standing start under the basket. He was also a basketball player and was a much better athlete than a lot of people realize.

But, having pointed that out, I totally agree with your basic point. It is the intangibles that usually make a QB great. Montana wasn't great primarily because of his athleticism. He was a player. It was his brain. And Wilson's greatest asset, IMO, is his brain.

I would love for inept FO's to massively overcorrect after Russell Wilson shook the foundations of conventional thought. Let them start taking bigger risks at QB and perhaps defying conventional wisdom for the sake of defying conventional wisdom, it'll blow up in their faces more often than not. Wilson is a great example of why you shouldn't allow conventional wisdom to be absolute, not why you should abandon conventional thinking. Wilson is just far too special for 'looking for the next' version of him to be a reliable practice.

pinksheets":yvbm0u8p said:

I would love for inept FO's to massively overcorrect after Russell Wilson shook the foundations of conventional thought. Let them start taking bigger risks at QB and perhaps defying conventional wisdom for the sake of defying conventional wisdom, it'll blow up in their faces more often than not. Wilson is a great example of why you shouldn't allow conventional wisdom to be absolute, not why you should abandon conventional thinking. Wilson is just far too special for 'looking for the next' version of him to be a reliable practice.

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Next thing ya know Russell Wilson look-alikes will start showing up on American Idol... :lol:

rideaducati":1q1c64sc said:

Maybe teams should use the Lewin forecast for future reference. Russell Wilson scored higher than any QB by their measures. Little did they know that their "projection model" would prove to be correct. Russell Wilson's "absurdly high" forecast will only be dwarfed by Russell Wilson's actual career. They put an asterisk by him only because he was too short and not expected to be drafted in the first three rounds of the draft.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/nfl-dr ... ecast-2012

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It is actually kind of funny when you misrepresent the article that you are linking too

The first and foremost reason for the article was that Russell changed teams. He changed from one offense to a different offense and that led to the huge jump between his junior and senior year which is the basis for their rankings. It was a valid concern based on this.

Then he also had the asterik because he wasn't exepcted to be drafted in the first three rounds because of his height.

We are Trendsetting MoFo's and everyone else is in our wake.