I just can't agree that McCall is the guy. He runs in a triple option/RPO offense that makes it much easier for the QB to make decisions, even in his highlights you see he's not really going through progressions, most likely due the offense he's running. Can he do it at the professional level? I don't know, but there's not a lot of film that will show that trait due to how how is offense is structured.
He completes over 73% of his passes so his lack of going through progressions may be a result of identifying the winning route earlier. He takes what is given to him and exploits it. I see lots of tight window throws and pocket navigation that I don't see in other prospects. I agree that option offenses can mask deficiencies but I'm not seeing inaccuracy or poor decision making that restricts development of many quarterbacks in the NFL. He does the things that are hard to teach and the progressions will be easier without dodging rushers in the backfield. Watch the condensed games rather that the highlights and it may reveal consistency in his play that would explain the optimism people have about him. Lots of option QB in college football and not many as efficient as him. Evidence of elite arm strength could be in question due to the tape but hard to find a better decision maker in college football. No prospect is perfect but I would ask who is better suited to come in and make a positive impact in comparison to other prospect available or quarterbacks available in the league to the Seahawks? If not McCall than who is a guy that moves the needle? His skill set may not mesh with every team but if he can showcase plus arm strength, it matches what is demanded in the Seahawks current offensive scheme perfectly.
You pose some fair questions about McCall that I hope will help him slide down the draft board. My fear is that he will be the next riser at the Senior Bowl and play himself out of reach from the Seahawks.
I’m surprised how personally deflated and defensive the major analysts behave when teams don’t pick the players they think they should.
This year the folks getting paid to make roster decisions for the Hawks chose a RB instead of an over-mocked and rated QB list and few of the analysts that I read even attempted to understand why.
Looking forward to hearing more about McCall this year. Maybe we’ll need a QB next season and he might be the one.
Spencer Rattler will be interesting to watch. He may be Johnny Manziel but he's very talented if he gets his head right. Durability might have been Russ' greatest strength. College durability doesn't always translate but it's a start. Which of the list QBs do you think has the best chance to survive the NFL's endurance test?
My take is that Carroll won’t be pressured into drafting a player he doesn’t like no matter what position the guy plays. That’s fine it means that he won’t pass on Vita Vea or Minkah Fitzpatrick to draft Josh Rosen.
You brought McCall to my attention, and he plays literally across the state from where I live. I've been following as much of him as I can since; though it's hard to see Sun Belt games even when they're played in your backyard. Still, if scouts and the Walter Footballs of the world aren't paying attention, that's just laziness on their part. Yes, it's the Sun Belt, but he looks like Josh Allen playing against my high school JV team. He just wins, and doesn't throw picks. He runs over and around defenders when he needs to, but it's not his first instinct. Grayson McCall is a joy to watch. I've already informed my better half that we're going to see him play on that bright field this season, it's just a matter of choosing which game.
You have won me over with your predictions, in particular with the Hawks. The draft was a fun ride. I enjoyed how the QB's ended up. It was very interesting thinking back to the projections by the various prognosticators. You did quite well, so I'm with ya for next years QB evaluations. Looking forward to reading more thanks again!
Great write up. Am looking forward to monitoring next year's draft class of QBs. McCall truly doesn't seem to be getting a lotta love nationally. What holds him back? Is it just because he doesn't play for a big school? Do they feel he plays against inferior competition? Perhaps just lazy scouting by national sports media. In any event, I agree that McCall looks far better than he has thus far been projected.
My intention with all these posts will always be to be as real as possible, and I do not think that's what most readers get from their analysts. They apologize for the QBs who they favor. They try to spin all of their negatives into a positive, and that's only the ones who don't simply ignore all the negatives. It's gross that anyone would write about some of these prospects with such rose colored glasses. No reputable analyst should talk about Will Levis, for example, without first mentioning how awful his college career has been, for the most part. I see the arm strength. I see the size. I see the athleticism. I see the potential for a great deep ball. But Levis looks like he's got the potential to play the part of Malik Willis this year/next year, because people will only mention those things without giving proper time to how long of a road it was even for him to become a mediocre college quarterback. People let themselves get far too salivated over "tools" and fantasize about a QB's "best case scenario" without mentioning how unlikely it is for a player to put it all together in his mid-20s, if ever.
That being said, I love the hell out of Grayson McCall for so many reasons and that still can't shield him from the "noodle arm" comments. He lacks velocity and so the ball doesn't look as pretty coming out of his hand as it does someone like Levis or even maybe an above-average QB. This hasn't robbed him of accuracy or distance really, but you won't see any fastballs like you do the Greats. It's not as though Tom Brady has a fastball, but it takes a lot of everything else to go right to become Brady.
The competition doesn't worry me that much, because McCall also doesn't have a good supporting cast (good for that level, not NFL good) and he absolutely dominates everyone he faces. Unlike Willis, who was bad against bad competition. The competition thing just really hasn't seemed to matter all that much. Great QBs have come from literally every walk of college football--Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Josh Allen, Carson Wentz, the list of QBs who made it is much longer than that. Competition matters a little, but I don't see how a person can't simply watch football and see the difference, regardless of who the opponent is. If a person is complaining about competition, it tells me that they don't watch football, they just look at box scores.
McCall has also only ever played in a triple option offense. An NFL team will need to play to his strengths, adjust their offense, and hope that he's able to adjust to whatever offense they already run. I think McCall is the type to go somewhere and play football unlike a lot of his peers and still be successful, similar to Kyler Murray.
Love McCall. My favorite to come in and win a starting job for the Hawks. All others seem like reaches. McCall could actually come in and transform the offensive efficiency. He seems to be very aware of his capabilities and limitations and is crafty and precise. The efficiency in spite of having players in the backfield nearly every play make me excited about him developing much faster. His pocket presence and anticipation is crazy. It looks like someone playing NCAA Football with an impotent team and making every right play on offense to pull off a win. Hopefully he remains under the radar because I want him to get to the hawks without trading up. Happy for him to stay overlooked.
That, is exactly the type of unbiased, in-depth analysis, I value as a fan. One of the things I find most fascinating (and yet barely measurable) is a QBs football IQ and desire to succeed. As much as he gets panned for it, Wilson has it, and I think a starting QB nowadays has to have it. Seen too many athletically gifted QBs who are just a flash in the pan.
I just can't agree that McCall is the guy. He runs in a triple option/RPO offense that makes it much easier for the QB to make decisions, even in his highlights you see he's not really going through progressions, most likely due the offense he's running. Can he do it at the professional level? I don't know, but there's not a lot of film that will show that trait due to how how is offense is structured.
He completes over 73% of his passes so his lack of going through progressions may be a result of identifying the winning route earlier. He takes what is given to him and exploits it. I see lots of tight window throws and pocket navigation that I don't see in other prospects. I agree that option offenses can mask deficiencies but I'm not seeing inaccuracy or poor decision making that restricts development of many quarterbacks in the NFL. He does the things that are hard to teach and the progressions will be easier without dodging rushers in the backfield. Watch the condensed games rather that the highlights and it may reveal consistency in his play that would explain the optimism people have about him. Lots of option QB in college football and not many as efficient as him. Evidence of elite arm strength could be in question due to the tape but hard to find a better decision maker in college football. No prospect is perfect but I would ask who is better suited to come in and make a positive impact in comparison to other prospect available or quarterbacks available in the league to the Seahawks? If not McCall than who is a guy that moves the needle? His skill set may not mesh with every team but if he can showcase plus arm strength, it matches what is demanded in the Seahawks current offensive scheme perfectly.
You pose some fair questions about McCall that I hope will help him slide down the draft board. My fear is that he will be the next riser at the Senior Bowl and play himself out of reach from the Seahawks.
Young is 6’0”/194 dripping wet. Can he withstand the inevitable pounding? (Drew Brees is 6’1”/210).
Very interesting, I'll be signing up and following the QB journeys. Just curious, do you have some quick impressions of the Seahawks UDFA Levi Lewis?
I’m surprised how personally deflated and defensive the major analysts behave when teams don’t pick the players they think they should.
This year the folks getting paid to make roster decisions for the Hawks chose a RB instead of an over-mocked and rated QB list and few of the analysts that I read even attempted to understand why.
Looking forward to hearing more about McCall this year. Maybe we’ll need a QB next season and he might be the one.
Spencer Rattler will be interesting to watch. He may be Johnny Manziel but he's very talented if he gets his head right. Durability might have been Russ' greatest strength. College durability doesn't always translate but it's a start. Which of the list QBs do you think has the best chance to survive the NFL's endurance test?
I know John Schneider LOVES scouting QBs, but I am still not convinced he can talk Pete into using an earlyish first round pick on one.
My take is that Carroll won’t be pressured into drafting a player he doesn’t like no matter what position the guy plays. That’s fine it means that he won’t pass on Vita Vea or Minkah Fitzpatrick to draft Josh Rosen.
You brought McCall to my attention, and he plays literally across the state from where I live. I've been following as much of him as I can since; though it's hard to see Sun Belt games even when they're played in your backyard. Still, if scouts and the Walter Footballs of the world aren't paying attention, that's just laziness on their part. Yes, it's the Sun Belt, but he looks like Josh Allen playing against my high school JV team. He just wins, and doesn't throw picks. He runs over and around defenders when he needs to, but it's not his first instinct. Grayson McCall is a joy to watch. I've already informed my better half that we're going to see him play on that bright field this season, it's just a matter of choosing which game.
I can't wait for you to watch him person!
You have won me over with your predictions, in particular with the Hawks. The draft was a fun ride. I enjoyed how the QB's ended up. It was very interesting thinking back to the projections by the various prognosticators. You did quite well, so I'm with ya for next years QB evaluations. Looking forward to reading more thanks again!
Thank you!
Great write up. Am looking forward to monitoring next year's draft class of QBs. McCall truly doesn't seem to be getting a lotta love nationally. What holds him back? Is it just because he doesn't play for a big school? Do they feel he plays against inferior competition? Perhaps just lazy scouting by national sports media. In any event, I agree that McCall looks far better than he has thus far been projected.
My intention with all these posts will always be to be as real as possible, and I do not think that's what most readers get from their analysts. They apologize for the QBs who they favor. They try to spin all of their negatives into a positive, and that's only the ones who don't simply ignore all the negatives. It's gross that anyone would write about some of these prospects with such rose colored glasses. No reputable analyst should talk about Will Levis, for example, without first mentioning how awful his college career has been, for the most part. I see the arm strength. I see the size. I see the athleticism. I see the potential for a great deep ball. But Levis looks like he's got the potential to play the part of Malik Willis this year/next year, because people will only mention those things without giving proper time to how long of a road it was even for him to become a mediocre college quarterback. People let themselves get far too salivated over "tools" and fantasize about a QB's "best case scenario" without mentioning how unlikely it is for a player to put it all together in his mid-20s, if ever.
That being said, I love the hell out of Grayson McCall for so many reasons and that still can't shield him from the "noodle arm" comments. He lacks velocity and so the ball doesn't look as pretty coming out of his hand as it does someone like Levis or even maybe an above-average QB. This hasn't robbed him of accuracy or distance really, but you won't see any fastballs like you do the Greats. It's not as though Tom Brady has a fastball, but it takes a lot of everything else to go right to become Brady.
The competition doesn't worry me that much, because McCall also doesn't have a good supporting cast (good for that level, not NFL good) and he absolutely dominates everyone he faces. Unlike Willis, who was bad against bad competition. The competition thing just really hasn't seemed to matter all that much. Great QBs have come from literally every walk of college football--Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Josh Allen, Carson Wentz, the list of QBs who made it is much longer than that. Competition matters a little, but I don't see how a person can't simply watch football and see the difference, regardless of who the opponent is. If a person is complaining about competition, it tells me that they don't watch football, they just look at box scores.
McCall has also only ever played in a triple option offense. An NFL team will need to play to his strengths, adjust their offense, and hope that he's able to adjust to whatever offense they already run. I think McCall is the type to go somewhere and play football unlike a lot of his peers and still be successful, similar to Kyler Murray.
Love McCall. My favorite to come in and win a starting job for the Hawks. All others seem like reaches. McCall could actually come in and transform the offensive efficiency. He seems to be very aware of his capabilities and limitations and is crafty and precise. The efficiency in spite of having players in the backfield nearly every play make me excited about him developing much faster. His pocket presence and anticipation is crazy. It looks like someone playing NCAA Football with an impotent team and making every right play on offense to pull off a win. Hopefully he remains under the radar because I want him to get to the hawks without trading up. Happy for him to stay overlooked.
This is my favorite comment of all time.
That, is exactly the type of unbiased, in-depth analysis, I value as a fan. One of the things I find most fascinating (and yet barely measurable) is a QBs football IQ and desire to succeed. As much as he gets panned for it, Wilson has it, and I think a starting QB nowadays has to have it. Seen too many athletically gifted QBs who are just a flash in the pan.