Cavs officially sign Seth Curry to a 10-day contract
March 21, 2014Animated: Dayton is dancing after defeating Syracuse
March 23, 2014Hope you’re all having a nice weekend. Here’s a dose of what I’ve been looking at and reading this weekend.
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It’s a good thing they actually play the games on the field, otherwise the baseball season might be totally demoralizing. Baseball Prospectus simulated the season 50,000 times to figure out their projections and it’s not going to be a fun summer in Tribe town if they’re right. In the end, the Tribe has a 23.3% chance at the playoffs and a mere 1.7% chance at winning the World Series. The good news? That’s still second in the A.L. Central.
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As I was reading Terry Pluto’s latest at Cleveland.com, he pointed out just how bad the options are on the free agent market at backup quarterback. We’re talking about Brady Quinn, Seneca Wallace, Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, Matt Flynn, Josh Freeman, Jimmy Clausen and Rex Grossman. It made me want to rank them based purely on who you’d want as a backup quarterback. So here’s how I think my list would be from worst to first. Go ahead and rank them yourself in the comments.
Brady Quinn
Seneca Wallace
Jimmy Clausen
Rex Grossman
Colt McCoy
Mark Sanchez
Josh Freeman
Matt Flynn
Yep. I don’t particularly like Matt Flynn as a starter, but for whatever reason out of all remaining options he gives me the most confidence as a backup. This list also makes me consider the Browns drafting two quarterbacks to fill up that QB depth chart for the season.
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I hate that Omar Vizquel is associated with the Detroit Tigers. At least as a coach the Indians won’t have to face the defensive genius, right? It turns out the Tigers at least had a conversation about the possibility of a comeback.
The manager laughed. And you would have thought that was the end of this discussion. Except Ausmus then picked it up again, musing out loud that Vizquel “could probably handle it. I don’t know if he could play 150 games. But he could probably be a platoon shortstop if he got himself in shape. He certainly still has the hands.”
On second though, maybe a 46 year-old Vizquel would finally give the Tribe an advantage if he played against them. Nobody maintains their athletic ability forever, right?
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So, you’re welcome to do what you want as a spectator at a hockey game within reason. Still, you have to think about your own self-preservation at all times. This fan found out that the glass protecting him from the action could only go so far.
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Wayne Rooney is good at soccer. He can even score from just under a half field away from the goal.
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A friend of mine texted me out of the blue to talk music on Friday and to my surprise it was to talk about Scottish band Biffy Clyro. I discovered them for myself on Spotify sometime last year and listened to a couple songs. It sounded good to me, but not so good that I was going to come back and listen to more. Upon further inspection, I think I like it even more than that. Upon listening again, I found a band that plays a pretty intricate form of rock music in a very user-friendly manner. I found guitar runs that really impressed me when I really listened more closely. So, I’m giving them another try and figured I would share with you.
19 Comments
Just *under* half a field away from goal. ManU’s still underachieving.
#1. Tim Tebow
#2. All the rest.
Pluto’s piece was a horrifically poor effort and I want to scream with every additional Teddy Bridgewater ball-washing I read.
Fact: Bridgewater did not throw at combine, thus placing greater importance on his pro-day throwing performance.
Fact: Bridgewater did not run at combine, this placing greater importance on his pro-day 40.
Fact: Bridgewater threw poorly on his own field with his own receivers on his pro-day.
Fact: Bridgewater ran slowly (~4.8) in perfect indoor conditions.
Fact: Bridgewater allowed his measurements to be taken at the combine which revealed him as skinny with small hands.
Fact: Bridgewater showed up even skinny-er at his pro-day.
Net: Bridgewater is an average QB prospect.
Pluto won’t let them there facts bug him: “So Teddy Bridgewater had a bad Pro Day. I really don’t care. … he’s the one quarterback at the top of draft that intrigues me the most.”
Congratulations on your bold indifference to facts, Terry.
Is it the small hands or the slow speed or the poor acuracy or lack of arm strength or non-spiral passing that intrigue you most Terry? Impressed by his lack of interceptions against… Temple? Ohio? Eastern Kentucky? Might want to take note that Bridgewater’s 350 lb OT lines up against 250 lb DEs and maybe that had something to do with his performance.
Pluto even resorts to citing nfldraftgeek.com –i kid you not, terry pluto is citing nfldraftgeek.com as a reference– to prove(?!) that pro days don’t matter.
But if you actually read the nfldraftgeek article they say Cam Newton had a bad pro day (but damn, he’s still over 6-5 with 10″ hands and ran sub 4.6 and threw at the combine). The other big example is Nick Foles (gosh largest hands at the combine, threw 57 mph at the combine, and was still over 6-5 with 34″ arms). If we accept that he had a bad pro day and then note that he was drafted in the 3rd round then wouldn’t we say that pro days do matter?
Cutting through the fog of obfuscation: try to find a guy who’s rated as a top 3 QB and who didn’t throw or run at the combine and see if his pro day wasn’t important.
Why are you so angry? lol
I disagree with Pluto’s conclusion too. I’m not all that intrigued. Still, I tend to agree with some of Pluto’s points that combines and pro days don’t speak louder than game tape in all cases.
Also, Pluto did say he was concerned with some of those size measurables gained from the combine / pro day, so he’s kind of agreeing with you. His intrigue isn’t an overwhelming endorsement for the Browns to draft him I don’t think. At least that’s not how I read it.
Anyway, how would you rank the backup QBs left?
hah. this is actually the nice post! but i really don’t get how you can be presented with so much information and simply ignore it and call yourself a journo. i guess that’s what makes me angry.. guys who do it for free like you and me take it more seriously and are more credible than even pluto. “i dont care about pro day,” he sniffs. it’s like he’s not just missing it, he’s proudly arrogant about his willful missing of it.
and re game tape: who is he playing against and who’s doing the analysis? for instance, i like krupka and his contributions at DBN. but he posted vines of his film review on manziel and in at least three cases krupka graded JFF with a plus saying something like his receiver didnt fight for the ball when all i saw was a red zone jump ball thrown under pressure. like… film review is super subjective. that’s yet another reason that empirical data from combine and pro days are useful.
anyhoozles… backup qbs. dont want sanchez (or freeman) because let’s not invite drama to camp. let hoyer be starter, let pettine not have to fend off daily MKC ‘when you gonna name a starter’ questions. i want a guy who knows his role. 41 yr old john kitna? ok. dan orlovsky? sure, why not, ive seen him look good. want to inquire with the packers about scott tolzien? big hands.. sure, ok fine.
i’m on the:
1. hoyer;
2. dont care what journeyman just please god not seneca;
3. garropolo;
4. wenning for practice squad;
train.
Hoyer
Matt Flynn
McCarron (3rd round)
Matt Flynn’s wife
I want that hockey video as my .gif loved it!
100% agree
Hoyer
Flynn
Throwalicious
Aaron Murray
All throwing to Gordon, Cameron and SAMMY. đ
United are old and didn’t make a move in the transfer market this year other than Fellaini, who has been injured most of the season. To underachieve after 20 years of sheer BRILLIANCE is fine. they weren’t expected to win the title this year.
Frankly, with how bad they’ve been it’s quite miraculous that they’re within 11 points of a CL berth. Normally, i would say that’s insurmountable at this point, but the team holding that last berth just got blown away – obliterated and absolutely eviscerated – yesterday.
I’m reserving my judgement on the Reds until next season, when Moyes will have had a chance to make his own moves and mold his own team.
I was joking about Craig’s post originally saying “over a half field away,” when it’s clearly under. Ie, ManU underachieves again.
Agree with your overall assessment. Hope they give Moyes time (although I’m speaking as a Gooner).
Why is no one in support of drafting 2 QBs, and letting them be the backups? I don’t understand what is wrong with this plan. How is a Rex Grossman more valuable than taking a chance on a kid in the 5th round of the draft to be the third stringer behind Hoyer and whoever we draft in the first round? Hell, the 5th rounder might even beat out the higher draft pick and be 2nd string. Why would that be so terrible? Is there something a Jimmy Clausen can teach a rookie that Hoyer and QB coach couldnt? At the very least, you have a young, tradable asset for the future (think Mallet or Cousins). At best, you find a rare gem that turns out to be better than the other QB pick and ends up saving this franchise from its QB drought. The McCoys, Clausens, and Grossmans of the NFL are known commodities that are worth next to nothing. They’re not worth a roster spot.
Did you really just diss Omar? Omar at 46yo would merely win the Gold Glove rather than it be unanimous*
*I think I’m joking, but, honestly, if he played enough games, I’m not sure that I am. The guy’s range would likely be diminished, but I have no doubt his anticipation and hands are as good as ever.
I am going to take out the facts that you listed that actually matter IMO:
(1) Hand size and overall size – agreed. He isn’t the biggest guy and will have to make sure that he watches how Brees & Wilson play to get the lanes and also how to not take the hit unless necessary.
(2) Bad pro day – agreed it is a red flag, but disagree on how much. He had some consistency issues in film study and I could see a team using the pro-day to validate those concerns further. It could be true. But, in my opinion, he makes the correct reads and placed the ball in good spots a vast majority of the time in games.
It is going to come down to a 2nd look at the tape by teams (really millionth, but you get the point). If they don’t like what they see, then Teddy will drop, but Bortles had some really poor footwork too. and Johnny Football doesn’t worry about footwork.
if we try to put Wenning on the PS, then I think someone would steal him. there’s gotta be a team out there that would be willing to make him the QB3 instead of a Seneca, etc.
ClevTA makes some good points on bridgewater that i hadn’t noticed or considered,
“My personal favorite QB in this draft. Outside of Andrew Luck, Iâve never seen a college QB consistently call plays at the line and audible on his own. He completed a spectacular 71% of his throws with a supporting cast that rivaled Temple. …”
[this is from his write-up for the jags pick which is going up tomorrow.]
He hasn’t played a ton of innings there since his days with San Francisco, but he was getting to be in the below-average to bad area.
And I would LOL so hard if Detroit got him to play shortstop. That would be a HUGE boon to the Indians’ playoff chances, assuming Detroit started Vizquel most days.
not sure I agree with the last part (his OL was a fantastic pass-blocking OL, which definitely helps), but yes, he is one of the few guys who audible constantly. Foles did as well (one of the reasons I liked him so much).
and, definitely an annoyance of games like the Orange Bowl (where Boyd and Miller would stop the play and stare at their sideline for the audible. smart for the coaches, but brutal to watch IMO).
Colt McCoy should already be the starter here. Why in the world they let him go for Weeden, who everyone pretty much knew would be a failure, still doesn’t make sense. So here we are yet again……another draft, another bust QB headed your way, Cleveland!!!