The NFL Could Have A Quarterback Problem In The Near Future

[BillsImpossible]

Ben Roethlisberger just turned 33 years old in March.

Philip Rivers will turn 34 years old in December.

Eli Manning will turn 35 years old in January 2016.

Peyton Manning just hit 39 years old last month.

Tom Brady turns 38 years old in August.

Drew Brees turns 37 in January 2016.

Tony Romo turns 35 in 4 days.

These are some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and they could all be retired within the next 2 or 3 years.

Take a look at all of the other starting quarterbacks from 2014:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...g_quarterbacks

Rogers and Luck are the only remaining elite quarterbacks left in the NFL if every player above retires soon.

Then you have Flacco, Dalton, Wilson, Ryan, Newton, Stafford, Cutler, and maybe RG3 as the best remaining quarterbacks.

Those guys are good, but they're not in the same category as Brady, Manning, Rogers and Luck.

Did the NFL shoot itself in the foot with the read option style quarterback?

I don't know yet, that's a question that I think will be answered this year.

If an NFL team can find a quarterback that can run like Kaepernick and throw like Brady, they might be on to something, but that kind of player doesn't exist right now, at least not yet.

What's the NFL going to do? Hope that this new style of quarterback takes off in 2015, or hope college teams go back to the more traditional pocket passing quarterback?

Time is ticking towards what when it comes to the quarterback position in the NFL?

[Night Train]

The RB will return to prominence.

Welcome to the term " cyclical "

[BillsImpossible]

The RB will return to prominence.

Welcome to the term " cyclical "

With a quarterback running the ball too?

[YardRat]

The NFL already has a QB problem. People that don't remember or weren't around to watch football prior to Manning and Brady are going to eventually realize how special these guys are.

[jimmifli]

The NFL already has a QB problem. People that don't remember or weren't around to watch football prior to Manning and Brady are going to eventually realize how special these guys are.

I don't see much difference between them and Marino and Montana.

Every generation has greats.

[Strongman]

I don't see much difference between them and Marino and Montana.

Every generation has greats.

Except Marino and Montana did it in a time when QBs were allowed to be hit by defenses.

[HHURRICANE]

Yes I heard they are doing away with the QB position after these guys retire.

Seriously?

[YardRat]

I don't see much difference between them and Marino and Montana.

Every generation has greats.

That's a pretty valid comparison, but Marino and Montana missed the playoffs 11 times compared to six for Manning/Brady (5 really, considering Brady didn't start as a rookie), and neither Marino/Montana could completely carry a team on their shoulders like Manning/Brady have been able to do. I think you'd be hard pressed to find two QB's of the same generation that have virtually dominated the stat sheets, the regular season, and playoff performance over such a long period of time, at the same time.

[YardRat]

Hell, just finding two QB's that have started for 15 years at the same time would be hard enough.

[GreedoII]

The rules will change again you watch....more defense and running...cyclical

[Albany,n.y.]

Tyrod Taylor-his day has come.

[Scumbag College]

The triple option wishbone is coming to the NFL by 2017.

[stuckincincy]

The NFL already has a QB problem. People that don't remember or weren't around to watch football prior to Manning and Brady are going to eventually realize how special these guys are.

I read an opinion a while back that stated that the slew of rules favoring the pass has left the league with only a handful of qbs that have the pocket presence, decent arms, and the ability to scan in an instant for the open receiver among the many that are often on the field.

He went on to opine that the boatloads of defensive pass holds and interference calls last season were really an attempt to give the clubs without one of the above, a chance.

[BillsImpossible]

Anyone listen to ESPN radio this afternoon at around 3 o'clock?

They were talking about the same subject, and the guy being interviewed (I forgot who) said that high school teams across the nation have abandoned the traditional pocket style quarterback in favor of the spread/read option offense, colleges are doing the same, and the NFL is seeing the results.

My guess is that if this new style of QB does not work out once again in 2015, NFL teams, colleges and high schools will revert back to the more traditional pocket passing quarterback.

[Ingtar33]

listen, the triple option/wishbone with the predominent offense in college up until 1990. there were few college teams with pro-style offenses. The few ones that did, seemed to produce most of the pro-quarterbacks. Even the option offense teams produced pro-products.

Even though the Spread-Option produces junk quarterbacks with inflated numbers and no leadership or even basic QB skills, the league will still find the handful of pro-ready QBs. It just might be a little hard.

This was the same argument that was made in the mid/late-90's with Jimbo retiring, aikmen's concussion issues, joe montana retiring, and elway and marino looking to retire as well, the concern was there was no young QBs except for that young Manning kid, Drew Bledsoe and Brett Farve. The league survived that shortage just fine.

[Mace]

I don't see much difference between them and Marino and Montana.

Every generation has greats.

It's hard to even imagine Marino, Montana, even Kelly in the modern pass happy game, geez, going back farther, Starr, Unitas, Jurgenson, with the modern rules and receiver talent. Every generation does, I remember some past ones sweetly, like Starr, Unitas and Jurgenson, Roman Gabriel, Lamonica, Stabler, Namath...some poor stats passers who won games...

This last generation though belongs to Manning, Brady & Brees and just so...people will bring them up same as Montana and Marino in 15 more years.

I'm glad I had a chance to see Starr, Unitas, Jurgenson and company on crackly tv's....Marino, Kelly, Manning, Brady and Brees !

Been a good life to enjoy greats in the sport last bunch of decades.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Anyone listen to ESPN radio this afternoon at around 3 o'clock?

They were talking about the same subject, and the guy being interviewed (I forgot who) said that high school teams across the nation have abandoned the traditional pocket style quarterback in favor of the spread/read option offense, colleges are doing the same, and the NFL is seeing the results.

My guess is that if this new style of QB does not work out once again in 2015, NFL teams, colleges and high schools will revert back to the more traditional pocket passing quarterback.

Colleges and high schools abandoned the pro style QB because option QBs are so much easier to find. Sitting in the pocket and calmly reading a defense takes a long time to learn, where as option concepts can be drilled in quickly and rely on natural athleticism. Plus, they don't have to worry about injuries as much because the guys are younger and the seasons are shorter. The NFL will just have to figure out a way to train up spread/option guys into pocket passers more consistently.

[YardRat]

Yeah, colleges and high schools care more about winning at their level than they do prepping guys for an infinitesimal chance at getting drafted and subsequently succeeding at the NFL level. Players being plucked certainly helps the recruiting process, but not enough to overcome the #1 priority of winning.

[BillsImpossible]

Yeah, colleges and high schools care more about winning at their level than they do prepping guys for an infinitesimal chance at getting drafted and subsequently succeeding at the NFL level. Players being plucked certainly helps the recruiting process, but not enough to overcome the #1 priority of winning.

That ultimately thins out the potential prospects, there are far fewer options to choose from.

This has got to be driving the scouts nuts! Which type of quarterback should they focus on?

The new school runner who can barely pass or old school passer that can barely run?

The NFL is trying to have it both ways. I think 2015 is going to be a pivotal year for this subject, with Winston and Mariota being the test subjects.

http://www.footballbyfootball.com/co...-new-pro-style

Many of these experts say the difference between the two is that Winston is a “pro-style” quarterback while Marcus is a “spread” quarterback.

[BillsImpossible]

Interesting article here: Spread offense makes evaluating NFL QB prospects harder
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sport...cult/23755821/

By Kent Somers

INDIANAPOLIS – In college football, huddling is heading toward obsolescence. Plays aren't called on the field, but from the sideline via funny hand signals or bizarre signs. There is no snap count, just the quarterback lifting a leg or clapping.
For NFL talent evaluators, the spread of the spread offense has made life simpler and more complicated at the same time, which is true of most innovations.
Many of the receivers and quarterbacks here at the NFL scouting combine have been operating out of the spread since the day they boiled their first mouthpieces.