Sam Bradford: After reviewing some vids

[Ingtar33]

well, i looked over Sam Bradford and came to some conclusions

1) Doesn't throw a particularly tight spiral, unless he has time to step into his pass

2) Played behind a freaking Berlin Wall of an offensive line. The line impressed me greatly. However, he made his line look far better then it already was. Had a great feel for pressure. kept his eyes down field, moved well to avoid the rush and buy himself time. Would stand in the pocket and take a hit.

3) had some of the fastest coverage recognition i've seen in a college player... never seemed to miss the open guy.

4) Anticipated his WRs getting open at a pro level, often times would throw well before they broke free.

5) Pure gunslinger. He attacked defenses relentlessly, attacked seams in zones, went after safeties all the time. Pure killer instinct.

6) fast release (not amazingly fast, but it didn't take him long to get the ball out of his hand)

7) great clock in his head, never held the ball too long, even with the amazing line blocking, he wouldn't wait for his WRs to get open, but attacked, and got the ball out of his hand (this is necessary for a pro qb, something most college QBs don't do)

8) throws mostly with his arm, has very little lower body motion in his throwing technique. He plays much taller then he is, with a very high release point for his throws. Has very little motion in his body when he throws the ball.

9) mediocre footwork. Unlike Clausen, who i could tell where he was going to throw based purely on watching his feet, Bradford's footwork is a bit sloppier. this results in some inaccuracy. Despite his great eyes, and mind, and good arm, he hurts his accuracy (and arm strength) with his footwork.

10) lives off seam routs and crossing patterns. Throws a beautiful skinny post. Throws great rolling left, rarely throws when rolling right (usually just tucks and runs) but when he does the ball lacks a tight spiral and flutters. Strange since throwing to his right while on the run is the easier pass for most QBs. either way he's pretty accurate on the run. When he throws an out (not a pass he threw much) it's very well thrown.


Bradford runs into a problem with his own aggressiveness... like most gunslingers he is far more confident in his arm then he probably should be and will try to fit it in some pretty tight windows, compounded with his slight accuracy problems and sometimes the ball just doesn't go where he wants it. If Bradfords arm was just a little stronger, or he was on the whole more accurate i would say he was a surefire can't miss pro prospect. As it stands i wonder if his gunslinger mentality and questionable arm will help or hurt him in the pros. In the end it will probably come down to if he can eliminate some of his accuracy issues...

He actually reminds me quite a bit of Drew Brees when Brees came out of college (only a little taller and a lot better at reading defenses)... the type of passes he preferred were Kurt Warner like... with a lot of seam routs, skinny posts and crossing routs. He worked the middle of the field relentlessly.

His eyes and head are pro-ready... the question is "is his arm?" Either way he's the safest QB in the draft i think.

[Dicknoze69]

He's the guy I like the most. How much will his injury history hurt him on draft day? If he can't throw pre-draft, it would take a ballsy front office to draft him top-5.

I feel like him and Clausen will end up being the two competent QBs to come out of this draft purely because of their ability to successfully and quickly read defenses and make the right decision.

[Ingtar33]

How much will his injury history hurt him on draft day? If he can't throw pre-draft, it would take a ballsy front office to draft him top-5.

depends. if he's able to throw and throws well before the draft i think he's a surefire lock for top 5 (not that he's really a top 5 prospect, but bad teams need QBs and he'd probably be the no.1 or no.2 guy on the list).

If he can't throw before the draft he'll probably fall a bit... how far depends on what other QBs in the draft do in their workouts. There are a few seniors, with a great senior bowl week and some good workouts could push themselves into the talk for best QB in the draft (guys like Tim Hiller).

[we are]

I will say, you're the first person I've seen not love Bradford's footwork.

[Demon]

^^ I have also only heard priase to his footwork. I'm starting to think if we do pick a QB in the first round it has to be Sam Bradford. Only risk is injury worries, as he doesn't get hit often in college and you know he'll get rocked more then a few times with the Bills. Almost all prospects are projects, so if we do decide to go offense, Bradford would be my pick.

As for the offensive line, the same "concern" was said about Adrian Peterson coming out. People wondered if he could run crazy with weaker lines and APete has been one of the best backs since entering the NFL.

[Ingtar33]

I will say, you're the first person I've seen not love Bradford's footwork.


He's very under control when he throws. Which is usually a sign of good footwork. But when i focused on his feet it was pretty inconsistent. A sign of solid footwork is by watching his feet you should be able to tell where the ball is going. Bradford was wildly inconsistent with his footwork.

I noticed the quality of his spiral and the accuracy of his passes was directly related to what he was doing with his feet.

Clausen on the other hand was almost robotic with his footwork. He looked the same every time he threw... Maybe Bradford stood out a bit more and I'm exaggerating the issue just a little because i just watched Clausen. He's not bad with his feet.

Just inconsistent.

[yordad]

I'm convinced.

[X-Era]

well, i looked over Sam Bradford and came to some conclusions

1) Doesn't throw a particularly tight spiral, unless he has time to step into his pass

2) Played behind a freaking Berlin Wall of an offensive line. The line impressed me greatly. However, he made his line look far better then it already was. Had a great feel for pressure. kept his eyes down field, moved well to avoid the rush and buy himself time. Would stand in the pocket and take a hit.

3) had some of the fastest coverage recognition i've seen in a college player... never seemed to miss the open guy.

4) Anticipated his WRs getting open at a pro level, often times would throw well before they broke free.

5) Pure gunslinger. He attacked defenses relentlessly, attacked seams in zones, went after safeties all the time. Pure killer instinct.

6) fast release (not amazingly fast, but it didn't take him long to get the ball out of his hand)

7) great clock in his head, never held the ball too long, even with the amazing line blocking, he wouldn't wait for his WRs to get open, but attacked, and got the ball out of his hand (this is necessary for a pro qb, something most college QBs don't do)

8) throws mostly with his arm, has very little lower body motion in his throwing technique. He plays much taller then he is, with a very high release point for his throws. Has very little motion in his body when he throws the ball.

9) mediocre footwork. Unlike Clausen, who i could tell where he was going to throw based purely on watching his feet, Bradford's footwork is a bit sloppier. this results in some inaccuracy. Despite his great eyes, and mind, and good arm, he hurts his accuracy (and arm strength) with his footwork.

10) lives off seam routs and crossing patterns. Throws a beautiful skinny post. Throws great rolling left, rarely throws when rolling right (usually just tucks and runs) but when he does the ball lacks a tight spiral and flutters. Strange since throwing to his right while on the run is the easier pass for most QBs. either way he's pretty accurate on the run. When he throws an out (not a pass he threw much) it's very well thrown.


Bradford runs into a problem with his own aggressiveness... like most gunslingers he is far more confident in his arm then he probably should be and will try to fit it in some pretty tight windows, compounded with his slight accuracy problems and sometimes the ball just doesn't go where he wants it. If Bradfords arm was just a little stronger, or he was on the whole more accurate i would say he was a surefire can't miss pro prospect. As it stands i wonder if his gunslinger mentality and questionable arm will help or hurt him in the pros. In the end it will probably come down to if he can eliminate some of his accuracy issues...

He actually reminds me quite a bit of Drew Brees when Brees came out of college (only a little taller and a lot better at reading defenses)... the type of passes he preferred were Kurt Warner like... with a lot of seam routs, skinny posts and crossing routs. He worked the middle of the field relentlessly.

His eyes and head are pro-ready... the question is "is his arm?" Either way he's the safest QB in the draft i think.

Added your comments to the profile!

:up:

[DraftBoy]

So you'd rank him as a Top 20 prospect?

[Ingtar33]

So you'd rank him as a Top 20 prospect?

oi... i don't know... i'd rank him as a top 2 QB.

I need to see more of the draft class before coming to that type of conclusion.

[DraftBoy]

oi... i don't know... i'd rank him as a top 2 QB.

I need to see more of the draft class before coming to that type of conclusion.

Understandable. Id be interested to see a Big Board from you eventually if you have the time. Understandably its a busy time for you though.

[Ingtar33]

Understandable. Id be interested to see a Big Board from you eventually if you have the time. Understandably its a busy time for you though.


yep. i'm mostly doing HS recruitment right now. but you'd be amazed how much time i have at the moment.

As for Bradford... I'd list him as the best prospect in the draft at QB based on what i've seen all things being equal. Unfortunately his injury was to his throwing shoulder. As long as he's unable to work out well he'll be at best the 2nd best QB prospect in this draft.

[psubills62]

^^ I have also only heard priase to his footwork. I'm starting to think if we do pick a QB in the first round it has to be Sam Bradford. Only risk is injury worries, as he doesn't get hit often in college and you know he'll get rocked more then a few times with the Bills. Almost all prospects are projects, so if we do decide to go offense, Bradford would be my pick.

As for the offensive line, the same "concern" was said about Adrian Peterson coming out. People wondered if he could run crazy with weaker lines and APete has been one of the best backs since entering the NFL.

I would have to question if that has really been answered. Minnesota has one of the best running OL's in the country. Chester Taylor was putting up great numbers before Peterson ever showed up.

[PECKERWOOD]

Bradford is a nice prospect, definitely worthy of a top 10 grade, but still.. The line as you mentioned was probably the most dominant line in college football, plus, he plays in the spread offense, not to mention durability is a slight concern with me. Still, if we drafted him, you wouldn't see me complain. You got to love how Bradford hits his receivers in stride, along with his build. His genetics just reak of a pro football QB, 6'4 220lbs with room to add some weight. Accuracy isn't that big of a problem, I do think he throws some of the prettiest and most catchable passes of any QB in the draft. He wouldn't be a bad choice with our 1st pick.

[Ingtar33]

Bradford is a nice prospect, definitely worthy of a top 10 grade, but still.. The line as you mentioned was probably the most dominant line in college football, plus, he plays in the spread offense, not to mention durability is a slight concern with me. Still, if we drafted him, you wouldn't see me complain. You got to love how Bradford hits his receivers in stride, along with his build. His genetics just reak of a pro football QB, 6'4 220lbs with room to add some weight. Accuracy isn't that big of a problem, I do think he throws some of the prettiest and most catchable passes of any QB in the draft. He wouldn't be a bad choice with our 1st pick.

I don't think Bradford is 6'4"... he looks more like 6'2"... we'll see when he's measured at the combine or the Oklahoma pro-day.

You're right, he's quite accurate most of the time

[we are]

Also, what about his leadership skills? This is one of the quietest and softest quarterbacks i've ever seen.

I don't think we will be seeing him getting his team fired up pregame like Brees, butting heads with linemen like Brady, or going head to head with his pro bowl center on the sideline like Manning....I just dont know if i trust him in big NFL games with that shy manner of his.

[cookie G]

6) fast release (not amazingly fast, but it didn't take him long to get the ball out of his hand)
...

8) throws mostly with his arm, has very little lower body motion in his throwing technique. He plays much taller then he is, with a very high release point for his throws. Has very little motion in his body when he throws the ball.


In those respects, (except Bradford's release being higher, he reminds me of someone else (not Terry Bradshaw):

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the first time I saw him throw, I thought to myself "Holy Crap! Son of Fergie!"

Still not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

[DraftBoy]

yep. i'm mostly doing HS recruitment right now. but you'd be amazed how much time i have at the moment.

As for Bradford... I'd list him as the best prospect in the draft at QB based on what i've seen all things being equal. Unfortunately his injury was to his throwing shoulder. As long as he's unable to work out well he'll be at best the 2nd best QB prospect in this draft.

Aren't you about to enter a recuriting quiet period?

[Ingtar33]

Aren't you about to enter a recuriting quiet period?

the quiet period is from August through the end of November... recruits can talk to us and visit us at the school, but we can't contact them.

There are some quiet periods clustered around holidays like for example, there is one from Dec 22 through Jan 1st. (though that one is actually called a dead period and it has slightly different rules) but largely the main quiet period is over.

This is the time of year i do most of my traveling, to the best prospects homes and families. It's not bad. Especially at my level of football, I'm mostly spending my time hunting for diamonds in the rough, guys who can play but might be a little small, or guys who are great athletes but never played ball before. Most of the A+ recruits would never consider playing ball with us, but you can get a lot of talent if you know what to look for.

As for the Fergie comparison, i don't really see it. Bradford is a bit more accurate, and has a faster clock in his head for getting the ball out, though the throwing motion is similar.

[BillsWin]

Ingtar33, that was a pretty great write up. You did your homework. What the tape doesn't show is his attitude, intelligence, personality and leadership. Buffalo as a city would fall in love with this kid. Of course, they would fall in love with any QB who had the potential to bring them to the playoffs. But I really think the kid has what it takes mentally and physically to be a day one starter, and continually make his team a competitor for years to come.

I hope he falls to us. :pray:

I kind of have a standing bet with a Bradford family member that we draft him and he leads us to a 9-10 win season next year.

He says it will be 12-14 wins.

I'll stick with 9-10. :couch:

[yordad]

I just want to know if he has what it takes to bark at a WR who ran the wrong route, or a lineman who jumps off sides. Can he command a huddle like the great ones?

[BillsWin]

I just want to know if he has what it takes to bark at a WR who ran the wrong route, or a lineman who jumps off sides. Can he command a huddle like the great ones?


I believe he has the potential to do so. I saw him yell at his offensive linemen and wide receivers before.

[PECKERWOOD]

I believe he has the potential to do so. I saw him yell at his offensive linemen and wide receivers before.

This is the toughest QB in the draft for me to judge, just because of all the talent surrounding him. Seriously, Oklahoma is the collegiate version of the Dallas Cowboys of the mid 90s, they're just loaded. Jermaine Gresham is a target that could probably catch passes from our midget trainer on a regular basis, plus his line as already mentioned a bazillion times is just ridiculous.. I'm having a very hard time grading Bradford thoroughly.

[Ingtar33]

This is the toughest QB in the draft for me to judge, just because of all the talent surrounding him. Seriously, Oklahoma is the collegiate version of the Dallas Cowboys of the mid 90s, they're just loaded. Jermaine Gresham is a target that could probably catch passes from our midget trainer on a regular basis, plus his line as already mentioned a bazillion times is just ridiculous.. I'm having a very hard time grading Bradford thoroughly.


yeah.. he was a little harder then clausen... but i just counted in my head for his passes... to see how long he held the ball before throwing.

he got it out rather fast reguardless of how good the line was protecting him. He also was quite accurate on the whole... hitting his men in stride. when he did get pressure he moved in the pocket as if he had eyes in the back of his head and kept looking down-field.

there was a lot to like about his game.

[TedMock]

yeah.. he was a little harder then clausen... but i just counted in my head for his passes... to see how long he held the ball before throwing.

he got it out rather fast reguardless of how good the line was protecting him. He also was quite accurate on the whole... hitting his men in stride. when he did get pressure he moved in the pocket as if he had eyes in the back of his head and kept looking down-field.

there was a lot to like about his game.

How much does the spread offense concern you? There have been guys who've succeeded in similar offenses and again in the NFL, but it's so easy to rattle off names like David Klingler, etc. I have also e-mailed my cousin the same question. He has been a west coast scout for several years and I am curious what you guys, as professionals feel. I will let you know what he says too. Thabks.

[Ingtar33]

How much does the spread offense concern you? There have been guys who've succeeded in similar offenses and again in the NFL, but it's so easy to rattle off names like David Klingler, etc. I have also e-mailed my cousin the same question. He has been a west coast scout for several years and I am curious what you guys, as professionals feel. I will let you know what he says too. Thabks.

there is a BIG difference between a 1 read spread (like texas runs) and a shotgun offense like Oklahoma runs.

Oklahoma isn't a 1 or 2 read offense. It asks the QB to stand in the pocked and throw. On the whole there isn't a whole lot different from what the Saints run and what the Sooners run, its definitely an offense that could be run in the nfl. What the Texans run... the "so-called" spread is just a glorified "option" offense with one read and typically two passing routs for the QB to throw at.

in short... no, the oklahoma offense doesn't worry me as much as a "spread-option" qb like mccoy or tebow (even with all the amazing talent on the line).

[TedMock]

there is a BIG difference between a 1 read spread (like texas runs) and a shotgun offense like Oklahoma runs.

Oklahoma isn't a 1 or 2 read offense. It asks the QB to stand in the pocked and throw. On the whole there isn't a whole lot different from what the Saints run and what the Sooners run, its definitely an offense that could be run in the nfl. What the Texans run... the "so-called" spread is just a glorified "option" offense with one read and typically two passing routs for the QB to throw at.

in short... no, the oklahoma offense doesn't worry me as much as a "spread-option" qb like mccoy or tebow (even with all the amazing talent on the line).
He said much of the same and I (as a non-pro) agree. He mentioned McCoy being a one-read & dump and I think Tebow stands in a bit longer, but not much & he's still too eager to get out of the pocket. Bradford absolutely keeps his eyes down field and throws well on the run. He's willing to step into the rush as well. His injuries scare me a bit though, but if the doctors clear him I think he should be the first QB to go. He is not a fan of Locker or Mallet. He does concede that they may change his mind with another college season and some good coaching. Both lack technique, accuracy and consistency. Both still have a lot of work to do before being worthy of a high first round grade.

[DMBcrew36]

Bradford would be good if he weren't so fragile. He's made of glass.