I'm officially on the Jake Locker bandwagon.

Discussion in 'NFL Draft' started by HeadOnASwivel, Apr 27, 2011.

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  1. HeadOnASwivel

    HeadOnASwivel Pro Bowler

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    Great post, and I agree with everything you've said about JL. By the way, welcome to the Titans, we can use all the fans we can get. :) The thing I really love about Locker is that if he does fail and just can't become a franchise QB, it won't be for a lack of trying. If he's just not good enough, then I can accept that because I know full well that he will have put in all the effort and time needed to be great, he just fell short. I have a great feeling about him however, I feel he'll be the next great NFL franchise QB. Probably my all time favorite draft pick and I've been a fan of the Oilers/Titans since the mid 80's.
     
  2. seafandawghawk

    seafandawghawk Starter

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    Thanks for the welcome, and I'm glad to have another team to watch and root for on Sundays now.

    And you're right, JL is going to give the Titans everything that he's got. He's the kind of guy who will make it his year-round job to be a successful pro QB. If he doesn't become a franchise caliber QB it will not be from lack of effort. He's got that natural competitive streak and loves the game itself.

    I'll add one more thing to this conversation, tho' it's not about statistics or mechanics etc. As a UW fan it was always exciting to get to the next game, however overmatched the team might have seemed going into it. It was always "what can Locker do today, what will he do in this game?" kind of anticipation about it. We knew that every snap could potentially result in something to cheer about, a pass of any length for a TD whether in the pocket or on the run, or JL taking off and running for any length of yards for a first down or TD. And we knew he was going to leave it all on the field too. He's one of those guys who does have that 'will his team to victory' mentality. That's why I'm such a big fan of JL, and why I'm following him to the Titans now. It was too good looking forward to watching him play every Saturday at UW, to just let that go now that he's moved on.

    He probably does need to refine some mechanical tweaks and make this part of his goals. But you can count on him doing this; and I just can't see it as a big issue. The mental part is what the guy needs to master. I want to see the JL that has had the chance and has put in the work to be on top of that part of the game. That's the only part of his game that I haven't gotten to see yet, and you better believe that I'm looking forward to that!

    Thanks again for the welcome, and what else to say but yeah, GO TITANS!
     
  3. Soxcat

    Soxcat Pro Bowler

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    The main problem I have with Locker is his consistency. Not all of that can be laid at the feet of the team he played on. There are times he makes real bad decisions and times he is simply inaccurate. He shines when he is flushed from the pocket and has room to roll right or left and pass to a WR breaking open. Washington also ran a fair share of bubble screens which should have improved his passing %. Even on some fo those plays he wasn't getting the ball out on time in the best spot for the WR to gain yardage after the catch. Then there are times he sets up and delivers a strike. He has the mechanics to potentially improve but I think he has to greatly improve his vision and decision making along with his accuracy.
     
  4. jessestylex

    jessestylex DeadGirlsCantSayNo

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    You cant blame Locker alone for those losses in college, the whole teams was garbage. if Locker still stinks with talent around him like CJ,Britt and Cook, then you can start pointing the finger at him. He cant be worse than VY, at least we know he will be dependable health and mental wise.
     
  5. EdRomeo

    EdRomeo Football Fan

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    o I agree all QBs need to improve on their consistency

    but it is very important to realize that a QB in his situation i.e. on a team w/ 0-12 talent is gonna be a more inconsistent then his counterparts that play on teams w/ NFL talent and great pass protection
    If Locker played for any other team then UW he would have a completely different perception.

    o Every QB at times makes some real bad decisions and is inaccurate

    o People don't realize that Locker played from under center more then any top QB in the draft, therefore Locker is actually in a traditional 'pocket' more often then the other QBs especialy the spread QBs; Locker has made far more plays from within the pocket in the traditional drop back game then he gets credit for(because he's done more of it); He's also done it under duress as compared to spread QBs who have almost never drop backed from under center in the pocket and were almost never under duress,

    o Most college QBs have essentially been playing pitch and catch and the NFL most certainly isn't pitch and catch. Locker has been playing pro-style football under duress.

    o Most college offenses run a lot of 'qiuick game' meaning 1-step/3-step drop passing which includes WR/RB bubble screens, quick hitches, swing passes. These passes are the staple of spread passing offenses. Washington's offense ran far less quick game then a spread offense and the Washington offense is not nearly as conducive to a high comp % as compared to a spread.

    o I think the majority of Locker's improvement will come simply from playing with more evenly matched team.
     
  6. seafandawghawk

    seafandawghawk Starter

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    Can't agree that UW ran many bubble screens, although I guess it depends on how 'fair share' might be defined. It always seemed to me that UW opponents ran more bubble screens and quick hitters against them, then UW ever ran against their opponents. They didn't have stand-out athletes to throw them to-- and at the same time, DBs tended to line up tight against UW receivers. So those kinds of plays rarely achieved much success, and weren't worth too much emphasis in the offense. Even the 'getting it out on time' kind of makes the point: it doesn't take much time to make that throw, and yet time and again the DBs were right there to disrupt or stuff the play. Put it this way: if you were a defensive coordinator scheming against UW, what would you do?

    Line the DBs tight and jam the WRs close to the line of scrimmage, assign your best athlete at LB or S to spy on Locker, and maybe (or not) send an additional blitzer on the pass rush.

    I hate being in the position of making excuses for Locker; and I agree that JL does need to improve different things as far as consistency is concerned. But for me there's no way around the 'team' factors either. I'll put it this way: if JL had played at, say, Arizona (a decent team but not exactly a national powerhouse), there's no chance at all that his completion % would have been sub60-65%.

    It may not be fair to put all of JLs 'accuracy issues' on the team, but those factors just can't be dismissed either. What he didn't do his last two years at UW (which he did do his first two years), was overthrow his receivers too regularly. In that sense his consistency showed a marked improvement from where it had started, and for me was the only serious throwing flaw that absolutely needed to be fixed. What I see is a QB still in need of some slight mechanical tweaks (especially just maintaining sound mechanics in a collapsing pocket), but definitely in need of improving field vision and decision-making in the pocket (which I think must come from learning his offense, making quick reads, and efficiency in going through progressions).
     
  7. Soxcat

    Soxcat Pro Bowler

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    We can discuss this for another 20 pages but the fact remains. Locker better play way better in the NFL with way more consistency or he won't be there for long. Comments about him tweaking this or that make it sound like it is no big deal but we have a long line of busted QBs who were as ready to play as Locker coming out and never made it.

    Obviously I hope he makes it.
     
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  8. seafandawghawk

    seafandawghawk Starter

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    Agreed that he has to show it on the field. It sounds like you might be more skeptical than I am about the prospect of it happening (which if true is fair enough); but I definitely want the guy to succeed too, and have pointed to what I can see as by far the most important part of that. But as you're saying, time is going to tell with JL, and probably won't wait too long with its basic verdict.
     
  9. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Um...

    Another time I'll detail all the passing plays in this video but for now we'll just pick out a few to show his problem areas.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tvpK86rpTM

    Time.....Description
    1:42.....This is where Locker has regressed as a Senior and will need to make BIG strides in learning the NFL game. It is also where I will show this myth he never has anyone open is just that - a myth. Here he has an outside WR playside running a square in. After he squares in he is open for a TD. But Locker doesn't see him somehow even though he's looking in that direction. JL has slid from out of the pocket and has NO PRESSURE. But he is staring down the wheel route playside. He was expecting 1v1 on the wheel and he got it...but because he's been staring down receivers, the deep defender to that side actually gave the WR room for the TD and played back on him watching the QB's eyes. So when he threw the wheel route, there were 2 defenders instead of one. Now we're not even talking about the throw...but no pressure, staring down the receiver and missing an open TD to the playside. Not good. And since the D lost contain, he could have easily scrambled for 8 yds if not a TD. Staring down receivers and either not making proper progression reads or reading the defense is a major problem. And by the way, leaving someone open was a theme of this game.

    3:00 Makes an ok short outside throw under pressure. But again, the slot was wide open down the seam. I don't understand how locker didn't anticipate this nor see it once the play started if he read the defense. The next play is almost identical...slot wide open down the seam in this defense but he didn't see it or couldn't pull the trigger. Too busy moving away from pressure. Sometime you just have to pull the trigger.

    He needs to read defenses better, anticipate who could/should be open, and pull the trigger. On most of the plays on this vid someone is open.

    4:43 Incomplete screen pass? Tried to do a backside (left) screen after lookin to his right at the flaring rb. What he should have seen is half the field with his guy vs 1 defender with a ton of real estate. Bad decision. But even knowing there would be pressure he still made a bad throw under duress. This is why his completion % was NOT 60% or better.

    9:51 Good accuracy on a short throw to his right, but a poor stride into the throw. On too many of these his feet are moving when he's throwing when they don't need to be. His heels are up throwing this ball. Why? While he can still get some accurate balls, this is how QB's miss easy throws sometimes.

    10:18 Again he makes a decent throw to his short right, but his ball placement is actually a bit behind the receiver. But again, he had both WR's open on square in's (though the playside was a bad route). Weird thing is, he looked at the backside WR while he was breaking wide open and didn't throw him the ball. Has to read it, trust it, and pull the trigger. Again, 2 more guys open.

    10:48 A nice play by Locker. Under a lot of pressure, he threw a nice curl route standing tall in the pocket.

    11:16 Missed the RB angle route out of the backfield on a short crossing throw. Under pressure he misses him - badly and it was a VERY short throw. Not only an incompletion but could have been a big play. I run a very similar play in Madden. Feet keep moving while he throws. Poor base, footwork = inaccurate.

    11:43 Made a very nice throw to the outside hook. But should have again seen and anticipate the slot would be open in the curl. Throwing to the outside got them 2nd and short. If he'd thrown it to the slot you have a first down or more because he would have caught it and 10yds.

    13:36 FB goes in motion to the sideline. S kicks out to match him but S backs up giving him a 12 yd cushion. Does not have much pressure again, but chooses to fire it at the slot (man v man) who he anticipates uncovering. At the time of his throw, he had the FB at 5 yds with 7yds of cusion more, and his RB open at the LOS.

    1418 Bad footwork. Overthrown and front foot actually stepped side ways?

    As you can see, he needs work reading defenses, changing strategy
     
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  10. 24

    24 Starter

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    ^Nice write up, I'll go through everything later. Just one thing, I think that video is from his junior year. I don't know if you mentioned that.
     
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