We need to draft Clausen

[Raptor]

I bet you never thought in the past month that Notre Dame junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen is one of the most underappreciated quarterback prospects in the history of the NFL Draft. But after reading this blog entry, you just might change your mind.

First, I am going to tell you why you might not like Clausen, and let's be real here, there is a lot of bias against him. Some criticism is warranted, but a lot isn't.

Notre Dame is the most hated football program in America, period. They are the Duke of the gridiron. Automatically, you hate Clausen because he went to Notre Dame, just like you hated J.J. Reddick because he went to Duke. If you want to make an analysis as objective and professional as possible, then you need to cut the crap and get over the Notre Dame hate if you have it - and a lot of that is out there. Think about it: if you put Sanchez on Notre Dame and Jimmy Clausen at USC, then Sanchez is the hated prospect and Clausen is the beloved underclassman.

Maybe you don't like Clausen because of the blond, spiky hair, or the limo appearance he had when he was a senior in high school to declare for Notre Dame. These aren't "low profile" characteristics and automatically, you might have disliked him.

For whatever reasons you're down on Clausen, please put them in the back seat and have an open mind when reading this blog entry.

Clausen just amassed one of the most impressive junior seasons among pro-style quarterbacks in the past 10-20 years.

Let's remember that Clausen had a very bad offensive line this year for Notre Dame. Sure, he had good weapons, but the running game was poor and receivers Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph missed significant action (eight games missed total between them).

When Floyd went out, Clausen stepped up. With a bum turf toe, he didn't play at all in the second half and led the team to a game-winning drive to beat Purdue. The following week, he posted 422 passing yards against Washington. Over the next three games (USC, Boston College, Washinton State), Clausen threw for 774 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Clausen is a huge reason for Golden Tate's big season as well. While Tate is a talented player, he couldn't have done it without Clausen's extremely high level of accuracy.

Numerous times, Clausen played through pain this season. He led his team in games in crunch time, and was without a doubt the most clutch quarterback in the nation this year.

Criticizing Clausen because he had talent around him is a very poor argument. It isn't like Clausen was putting up just above average statistics - he dominated opponents. He showed a very high football IQ and rarely forced the ball in coverage. Did he throw some balls up for grabs? Sure, but Peyton Manning does the same thing occasionally to Reggie Wayne. Drew Brees lofts the ball up for Marques Colston in the red zone. Philip Rivers relies on Vincent Jackson. Quarterbacks can't do it all by themselves.

One statistic that can't be discussed enough is Clausen's 7:1 touchdown-intercpetion ratio, which is absolutely unheard of among junior quarterbacks in pro-style offenses. This is just ridiculous. It doesn't happen and it isn't supposed to happen. Give the man some credit where credit is due.

The bottom line is Clausen certainly needs to be looked at as one of, if not the most polished junior quarterback prospect in the history of the NFL Draft. I didn't say the BEST junior quarterback prospects because he doesn't have the physical skill, but he is certainly one of the most NFL-ready.

Analyze the statistics of a select group of quarterbacks in the spreadsheet below; all of these stats were taken from each quarterback's junior season. Aside from Matthew Stafford (I'm including him because I had him No. 1 overall on my big board), these highly thought-of quarterbacks that have gone on to outstanding success in the NFL.

Clausen simply blows everyone out of the water. His touchdown-interception ratio puts Peyton Manning's 1996 season to shame. His completion percentage is a good five points ahead of Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. Clausen threw six less interceptions than EVERYONE.

Clausen's ranks across the board: 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st.

I just don't understand how someone like Todd McShay can say Clausen is a second-round talent when you consider how his statistics compare to some of the NFL's current greats.

I'm not a fan of just analyzing statistics, and my evaluation of Clausen really doesn't have very much to do with them. All I am doing is putting his season into perspective.

The perspective proves that Clausen is worthy of much more respect than I feel like he is getting at the moment. We will probably never see a better junior season ever again. Charlie Weis leaving the college game means that there is one less West Coast offense in the NCAA.

Over the next 10 years, I fear that nearly all snaps are going to be taken out of shotgun and NFL front offices are going to be throwing darts and evaluating prospects based on physical tools only since the schemes are so easy to execute.

Clausen isn't executing an easy scheme - he is executing the toughest scheme on the national stage. Every week the camera is on him, and every week he delivered. If Notre Dame's defense was just above average, this team would have won 10 games.

If you don't like Clausen because he is ****y, then that is fine. I just hope you are consistent and also say Rivers is a bad NFL quarterback because he is ****y - because a slightly confident leader can't win games in the NFL, right?

Maybe if Philip Rivers went to Notre Dame...

http://walterfootball.com/mattblog091229.php

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

This is the best QB class since 2004, although 2008 was a very solid class too. I'm not sure why many people are ragging on Bradford and Clausen so much but both of them are worthy going #1 overall, IMO.

[tampabay25690]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

This is the best QB class since 2004, although 2008 was a very solid class too. I'm not sure why many people are ragging on Bradford and Clausen so much but both of them are worthy going #1 overall, IMO.

Best QB class since 2004 what am I missing?
Please help me find what I don't see.

[casdhf]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

Worst QB class since 1992.

[OpIv37]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

I'm a huge ND fan and I really liked Claussen, but I just can't see him translating to the NFL.

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

Worst QB class since 1992.

Oh come on, Bradford would have likely been the first overall pick in the 2009 draft over Sanchez, Stafford and Freeman. While Clausen is looking like a potential #1 overall prospect in his own right.. Then you got a bunch of solid 2nd round projects like Tebow, McCoy and Pike, how exactly is this a bad draft for a QB? If Mallett declares, that makes the draft even more incredible.

[tampabay25690]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

Oh come on, Bradford would have likely been the first overall pick in the 2009 draft over Sanchez, Stafford and Freeman. While Clausen is looking like a potential #1 overall prospect in his own right.. Then you got a bunch of solid 2nd round projects like Tebow, McCoy and Pike, how exactly is this a bad draft for a QB? If Mallett declares, that makes the draft even more incredible.

WOW Ok whatever u say.....
I know u luv Mallet and all but he needs a while to be a NFL QB

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

WOW Ok whatever u say.....
I know u luv Mallet and all but he needs a while to be a NFL QB

Even you have a hard on for Tebow!! This is a good class for QB.

[tampabay25690]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

Even you have a hard on for Tebow!! This is a good class for QB.

Tebow broke records in College football...

[tampabay25690]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

Even you have a hard on for Tebow!! This is a good class for QB.

This is a terrible class for QB'S by the way...How many times have you seen Mallet play anyway?

[DraftBoy]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

That article is poorly written and is fascinated strictly on stats, but that guys arguments then Josh Johnson out of San Diego should of been the number one pick since he had a 42:1 TD to INT ratio.

He completely glosses over how often Jimmy throws the ball up and how he continously does it when under duress. When Clausen had a pocket he is a very good QB, he can set up and deliver the ball. He throws an amazingly good seam route to the TE or slot WR. However Clausen does not handle pressure well and that's my huge gripe with him. Having watched every snap he has taken for the past three seasons, I dont need stats to prove it. No matter how glorious his TD:INT ratio is.

[Mahdi]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

That article is poorly written and is fascinated strictly on stats, but that guys arguments then Josh Johnson out of San Diego should of been the number one pick since he had a 42:1 TD to INT ratio.

He completely glosses over how often Jimmy throws the ball up and how he continously does it when under duress. When Clausen had a pocket he is a very good QB, he can set up and deliver the ball. He throws an amazingly good seam route to the TE or slot WR. However Clausen does not handle pressure well and that's my huge gripe with him. Having watched every snap he has taken for the past three seasons, I dont need stats to prove it. No matter how glorious his TD:INT ratio is.

I think every QB has his faults coming out of college. If Clausen has a solid arm, makes good reads, can make the tough throws and has played in a pro-style offense then that is 4 things that will help him become a good pro.

The rest can be coached. At least he has the tools that a coach can use unlike Edwards, JP, Fitz etc.

[Ingtar33]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

that article was hyper biased and really ignored some glaring issues clausen has. i wrote up a review of his play...now understand this is not all the games he's played, i only watched 3 games and a total of 119 passes.

http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=183869

so i looked over a few highlights of Clausen's this year and have come to a few conclusions.

1) he has a long throwing motion, almost as long as Leftwich. It's deliberate and slow, it takes a very long time for the ball to leave his hand from the moment he makes up his mind to throw.

2) he throws with a 3/4 motion. He got away with it because he's in college, the big problem for Clausen will be he's just 6'2" or so. he's not tall like Philip Rivers or Drew Bledsoe. The result is he'll have passes batted back into his face.

3) he's far more comfortable throwing to his right. About 70% of his passes went to the right. The only time i saw him throw left was when the play was a designed screen to the left, or that was where his dump-off man was stationed... or he made a pre-snap read that demanded he exploit a match-up to the left. I never once saw him look left in the standard progression and throw to a 2nd or third option that way. that said, he threw a far better deep ball to the left, his deep passes to the right were largely ugly jump balls, with only a few exceptions.

4) he threw most of his jump balls when he was scrambling, he threw pretty poorly on the run as a whole. Never saw him scramble left, never saw him throw on the run to the left.

5) did a great job looking off safeties

6) very accurate when he could step into his passes. probably the most accurate QB in the draft when he had a pocket

7) excellent pre-snap coverage recognition.

8) Slow in his progression, locked onto the primary receiver too long

9) saw him throw only 2 or 3 slant routs. was far more comfortable throwing outs streaks or posts. Occasionally would find a 3rd option on a drag.

10) about 35% of his passes were some sort of WR, TE or RB screen or dump-off pass.

I continue with the evaluation in a reply at the end of the thread... here is what i said in summation.

he'll probably be the first QB off the board unless Bradford can throw at a really high level before the draft. His height and low release point, and rather slow delivery are all big knocks against him.

His inability to look to the left side of the field during his progression scares me to death, that was what undid Rick Mirer's career. Unlike Mirer, he can actually throw the ball to that side... so maybe it's just the design of the Notre Dame offense.

Either way, it only took me 5 passes to notice that, and so i watched for it, through 119 passes 84 went right, 9 went left on a dump-off or designed screen to that side, and 6 went left because of a pre-snap read. Not one pass went left as a result of the standard progression of the play. And that really bothered me. Hell, only 20 passes were between the hash-marks (which bugged me too).

Clausen scares me when i watch him. I see his deliberate delivery, and predictable progression and i think "if i was a defensive coordinator it would be really easy to shut him down, and figure out where the play is going". Just 30 plays in and i could tell where every one of his passes was going before he made up his own mind.

On one hand that's a compliment, because he was throwing to open men. On the other hand its a big negative because i was using visual clues that every safety and CB and most LBers in the league will be able to key off. 119 pass and not one pump fake. No kidding. he didn't try once to pump fake. 119 passes and the only time he looked off a safety was during his drop back and he had already decided during the pre-snap read where he was going with the ball (he feet, hips and shoulders gave it away).. that said he did a great job looking off the safeties... even if he was giving signs where the ball was going. This was largely because he made countless excellent pre-snap reads.

He was very well coached, he's like a robot, if you've seen him throw a 10 yard out, it looked the same on every game tape. he threw it on the same moment in every one. He looked identical throwing every one. That's a big compliment to Coach Weis... he clearly coached and developed Clausen well.

Will he succeed at the pro level? Maybe. he has a lot to overcome and develop. any team taking him in round one would be advised to keep him on the bench for a few weeks. He might even see some success early if he starts right away. but the QB i saw in those 3 games wouldn't have to play long (just 2 or 3 games) before defensive coordinators started to prey on his bad habits.


Probably first QB off the board. astronomically high bust potential.

[Raptor]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

1) he has a long throwing motion, almost as long as Leftwich. It's deliberate and slow, it takes a very long time for the ball to leave his hand from the moment he makes up his mind to throw.

2) he throws with a 3/4 motion. He got away with it because he's in college, the big problem for Clausen will be he's just 6'2" or so. he's not tall like Philip Rivers or Drew Bledsoe. The result is he'll have passes batted back into his face.

Dont agree with either of those, Especially the slow release. I really dont know how you came to that conclusion

[Ingtar33]

Re: We need to draft Clausen

Dont agree with either of those, Especially the slow release. I really dont know how you came to that conclusion

wow... um. watch him play. it takes forever for the ball to leave his hand. he has a big slow step into the pass... and a deliberate windup (Leftwitch has a longer windup, but it's pretty comparable).

Basically from the moment he decides to throw until the moment the ball leaves his hand it's a long time as far as QBs are considered...

And you're debating his throwing motion? It's a classic 3/4 delivery... he doesn't come over the top when he throws, he slings it from the side. it's really obvious if you watch him play. Sometimes it's a full sidearm... though that's only sometimes... mostly it's a 3/4 delivery.