10/20/09- The Golden Boy

Scott Wright · 10-20-2009, 07:55 PM

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The Golden Boy
http://www.draftcountdown.com/blog/a...2009.php#oct20

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SuperKevin · 10-20-2009, 08:14 PM

I agree. I wasn't a big Clausen fan coming into the year but watching him extensively this year has made me see how pro ready he really is. He appears to be one of the few Quarterbacks who will have a minimal learning curve at the next level

DeepThreat · 10-20-2009, 08:19 PM

I'm honestly not sure about him. I just don't have a strong opinion. I need to watch more.

VoodooMonkey · 10-20-2009, 08:43 PM

Who's a good pro comparison for him? Eli Manning?

JFLO · 10-20-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VoodooMonkey

Who's a good pro comparison for him? Eli Manning?

I've mainly heard Manning and Aaron Rodgers.

I think Clausen is the closest thing to a "franchise quarterback" in this class. He is my #1 overall pick right now.

bored of education · 10-20-2009, 09:23 PM

The Ewok will be a beast. I still think it's to early to tell. Will scouts see how Charlie Weis helped Quinn. I was never sold on Quinn and never will be and I don't think Clausen as Quinn. Clausen has accuracy and zip in the intermediate throws that Quinn never showed. I like Clausen at this sstage in his career much more than I did Quinn. The Rodgers comparison is interesting. I will to thhik about that one.

SeanTaylorRIP · 10-20-2009, 09:50 PM

Matt Ryan minus the brain.

ElectricEye · 10-20-2009, 10:24 PM

Aaron Rogers is the best comparison for him going forward. Similar mechanics, except he doesn't hold the ball as high as Rogers did when he was coming out. Similar accuracy and arm strength. Throws a really good deep ball as well. The one main thing you can knock on him is that he's not that fast and doesn't move around within the pocket well either. He'll probably sacked quite a bit if he doesn't have good protection.

Job · 10-20-2009, 11:04 PM

I've been in love with Clausen since the first time I've seen him play two years ago. I expect nothing short of great out of him.

BigBanger · 10-21-2009, 01:51 AM

Scott, what do you make of his deep ball?

He gets an extraordinary amount of air under it (especially when he had Floyd). The only college player that I've seen throw the ball as high as he does was JaMarcus Russell.

I disagree about him going through progressions. He's always staring down his receivers, unless he has all day and his receiver is covered, then I'll see him go to option 2 or 3. I just haven't seen enough of those tight window throws to even call him a first rounder. Those are the two bigs I just haven't seen, which is why I think he should stay for his senior year.

Body language... now he seems more cocky and arrogant.

mqtirishfan · 10-21-2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBanger

Scott, what do you make of his deep ball?

He gets an extraordinary amount of air under it (especially when he had Floyd). The only college player that I've seen throw the ball as high as he does was JaMarcus Russell.

I disagree about him going through progressions. He's always staring down his receivers, unless he has all day and his receiver is covered, then I'll see him go to option 2 or 3. I just haven't seen enough of those tight window throws to even call him a first rounder. Those are the two bigs I just haven't seen, which is why I think he should stay for his senior year.

Body language... now he seems more cocky and arrogant.

So his deep ball floats too much, he stares down his receiver, he never makes a tight throw and he's cocky. Based on your analysis, he's damn near undraftable.

Scott Wright · 10-21-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBanger

Scott, what do you make of his deep ball?

He gets an extraordinary amount of air under it (especially when he had Floyd). The only college player that I've seen throw the ball as high as he does was JaMarcus Russell.

I disagree about him going through progressions. He's always staring down his receivers, unless he has all day and his receiver is covered, then I'll see him go to option 2 or 3. I just haven't seen enough of those tight window throws to even call him a first rounder. Those are the two bigs I just haven't seen, which is why I think he should stay for his senior year.

Body language... now he seems more cocky and arrogant.

I don't see a problem with his deep ball. He's doing what he's asked and when you have wideouts like Michael Floyd and Golden Tate the goal is to just give them a chance to go up and make a play. I think that is probably the way Charlie Weis coaches him to throw the deep ball because Brady Quinn did the same thing.

As for starting down his targets, I agree that is a problem at times and I saw it first-hand last weekend when he was trying to force things to Golden Tate in the first half. However, going through progressions and starting down targets are two different things. For example, in the spread you look at one option (which is often predetermined before the snap) and if it's not open they run. Sure Clausen will bird dog guys at times but you also see him drop back and go to other options, check down, etc. The point is Clausen can do it and he knows how.

Oh, and Clausen is definitely cocky, confident or whatever you want to call it. But so are Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, etc. Michael Jordan may have been the cockiest athlete of all time and was always rubbing people the wrong way and fighting with teammates. Guys like that are good and they know it. I'd rather see a quarterback with an edge than be a passive wallflower.

bhaarat316 · 10-21-2009, 02:32 PM

I always felt Clausen to be a douche bag, and with all that hype he wouldn't amount to ****, to be NFL ready.

But he is proving me wrong he is showing it, though him being on ND makes me kind of bias toward him and hoping he fails. And the fact that ND sucks as well, doesn't help.

Kind of like good Qb on a bad team, like Jay Cutler on Vandy.

He might as well come out, this years draft at Qb sucks. How many of them are coming from a pro system? He automatically becomes top 15 material, when he enters.

He also has a better chance than Locker, having 3 to Locker's1 years in a pro system.

scar988 · 10-21-2009, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanTaylorRIP

Matt Ryan minus the brain.

and intangibles. I agree.

ElectricEye · 10-21-2009, 03:20 PM

I don't see the Matt Ryan comparisons. Matt Ryan had all world NFL acumen. That was his defining characteristic. He was born to play quarterback in the NFL. Clausen doesn't have that. Clausen probably has a bit of arm strength on Ryan and is probably dead on even in terms of accuracy. Ryan had a poor completion percentage, but his receivers absolutely sucked ass. Just doesn't make much sense in terms of a physical or mental standpoint. Not even similar in a size perspective either, Clausen is about 6'2.

bhaarat316 · 10-21-2009, 03:27 PM

Wat 6'2 qb with an above average arm, accurate, and pro system qb do we know?

Scott Wright · 10-21-2009, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhaarat316

though him being on ND makes me kind of bias toward him and hoping he fails.

I think that is a common theme that could hurt Clausen as the draft nears.

Babylon · 10-21-2009, 03:56 PM

I like Clausen and would put him in a Mark Sanchez class as far as what he brings to the table. Both guys having spent time in pro style offenses run by former NFL guys.

I thought he played pretty well against SC, hung in there and made plays, left some out there too because of the SC rush but that's to be expected. He really benefits from great receivers (especially when Floyd is in the lineup) and an OL that has held up pretty well. I will say the defenses he's faced in Nevada, Washington, Purdue and MSU are pretty abysmal so i need to see how the year plays out but count me in as pretty impressed.

Scott Wright · 10-21-2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babylon

I will say the defenses he's faced in Nevada, Washington, Purdue and MSU are pretty abysmal so i need to see how the year plays out but count me in as pretty impressed.

USC hadn't given up a passing touchdown all year and Clausen carved them up.

Babylon · 10-21-2009, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Wright

USC hadn't given up a passing touchdown all year and Clausen carved them up.

I'm a fan so i dont disagree, i was actually a little more impressed with Barkley in that game.

Scott Wright · 10-21-2009, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babylon

I'm a fan so i dont disagree, i was actually a little more impressed with Barkley in that game.

Not to take anything away from Barkley, who is a great player and is going to be a top pro prospect, but I was there and he was throwing to WIDE open receivers all day. I am talking double-digit yardage between his targets and defenders at times.

wicket · 10-22-2009, 03:17 AM

barkley made two or three very impressive throws on third and long situations but other than that he just had to throw dumpoffs that turned into big gainers by awful tackling and even worse coverage by ND DB's

With USC only rushing 3-4 and still getting pressure Jimmy had to make his throws against a high quality secondary with his favourite target missing and his second favourite target always (and rightfully so) double covered.

If kamara hadnt slipped ND would have taken that game to overtime, he would still be a heisman contender and nobody would be worried. And its not really his faulst that kamara slipped, the ball was in the right spot

ElectricEye · 10-22-2009, 10:11 AM

He has any easy road the rest of the way. Bunch of Big East teams plus Navy and Standford. If they can keep it together, Clausen could finish the season really strong.