An analysis of Stephen Morris

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Stephen Morris has been on the field for the University of Miami since his sophomore year as a quarterback. He has had a very solid career at the U, but like many guys, has had some downsides that caused him to slip in the NFL Draft board. Nonetheless, he’s gained significant attention from a handful of teams, more specifically, the Dolphins.

As SI’s Fansided notes in an article about Morris (found here), the Dolphins were “impressed” by his showing at the combine and during his workouts. The Dolphins also have a seemingly close relationship with the U, and they are never afraid of gambling on a collegiate player from their Miami counterpart. The Dolphins organization haven’t been eyeing too many quarterbacks, so it seems like Morris has a pretty good shot with them in the mid to late rounds of the draft in May.

WalterFootball placed Morris at the #16 spot for the QB position in the upcoming draft… not too flattering. Morris has the arm of an all-star NFL quarterback, but sometimes is a little too confident in his abilities. This results in overly ambitious throws and inconsistency in the pocket, and he has the tendency to give up a little too early. However, his weaknesses are counteracted by his tremendous football IQ, and his improved ability in reading the field with his impressive vision. If I were a football coach, I’d draft him.

Take a look at his draft profile, here

Thoughts? Counterarguments? Leave a comment, or tweet @BradyorBust

Video: Connor Shaw

Note a few things while watching this highlight reel:

• He has a spectacular arm, and great downfield accuracy. Perfect for a handful of NFL teams
• The style he plays is very similar to Andrew Luck, he’s got a great arm and he can run the ball if need be – always a good option to have in the quarterback position
• His vision is solid. He can place the ball at a spot where the receiver will be, and can put the ball on a dime

The only thing he needs is to tighten up his decision-making abilities… nothing that being a backup for a few years can’t fix!

Connor Shaw gaining notoriety

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Connor Shaw is a well-known QB from the U. of South Carolina, that basks in the shadows of the limelight behind the likes of Manziel, Bridgewater, and Bortles. He is okay with this too, considering he has met with and worked out with more than 7 NFL teams.

He has the skills of an NFL quarterback, but among the teams that are seriously considering him, only 1 or maybe 2 of them would expect him to be a starting QB if they draft him in the later rounds (Browns, possibly Jaguars). He has traveled to both New England and Atlanta to work out, and if a team like the Pats or the Falcons (who he has both worked out with) draft him in the later rounds, he would be a prime quarterback to have and groom to their liking for future seasons. He could be a Ryan Mallett, and play as backup for a few seasons. This is the best way to go about drafting a guy like Shaw.

Where do you think he’ll end up? Take a look at this rumor article (here) to learn more! Don’t forget to comment and follow @BradyorBust

Brett Smith the Cowboy

It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys are looking for a quarterback. Kyle Orton is looking to retire and Tony Romo is piling up his years, the Cowboys are certainly looking to bring in some fresh legs. It all depends on what they decide to do in the first round. Do they wait until the later rounds to pick up a QB? Or, do they jump on the bandwagon and snag one quickly in the first round?

Romo is still looking like he will be the starting quarterback for the 2014 season, so it seems logical that they would pick up a quarterback in the later rounds to groom him for when Romo leaves or retires. They have been looking at Garrett Gilbert, but Brett Smith seems to have garnered a little more attention and seems a bit more NFL ready. They are looking for an “under the radar” quarterback, and it looks promising for Smith.

Read this article by SB Nation on his possibilities.

Brett who?

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Brett Smith, of the University of Wyoming, has garnered some recognition over the past few weeks. People never hear of players coming out of the U of Wyo., let alone a quarterback. But, Smith may just fit the bill and prove people wrong.

WalterFootball ranks him at the #12 spot for the quarterback position in the upcoming draft ahead of UNC’s Renner, and South Carolina’s Conor Shaw. He is incredibly athletic who can grip-and-rip the ball with flawless mechanics. One could be concerned with the lack of talent he is playing against, but he has kept up with teams like Nebraska and Texas. Take a peek at his highlight reel below

Renner to Vikings?

The Minnesota Vikings have struggled with finding a solid starting quarterback ever since Brett Farve retired a few years ago. Ponder never really impressed anyone, and after experimenting with a few other backups, nothing seemed to work. This means the Vikings are going to be on the prowl for a solid starting QB.

They have a total of 8 picks in the upcoming draft, more than any other team. They can afford to take risks, and it looks like they may even result in drafting two QB’s in the draft. It all depends on what they decide to do for drafting quarterbacks in regards to Bryn Renner. He has raw arm power, but hasn’t been climbing up the draft boards, which could mean he will be an absolute steal. If the Vikings decide to draft a QB in the early rounds, it won’t look good for Renner. But if they decide to hold off until the latter rounds, it seems to look like Bryn will have a pretty good shot according to Fansided’s article, here.

Do you think the Vikings should gamble on Renner? Let’s hear your thoughts below or tweet @BradyorBust

The forgotten Bryn Renner

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Bryn Renner, Quarterback from UNC, is the definition of a forgotten college quarterback. This is rather unfortunate, because he’s a strong, intelligent guy with a bright future in the NFL. He hasn’t been in the news at all recently, and seems to have dropped from a handful of NFL teams’ radar, and he hardly even has a full draft profile. He deserves a second look… after all, he led the ACC in completion percentage (68%) as a sophomore.

Rocket arm, intelligence, leadership, workability… there isn’t much else you want in a quarterback. But “for every brilliant throw, he made just as many head-scratchers.” But, because of his workability, this is nothing that can’t be fixed. He needs to observe a solid QB for a few years to tighten up and get rid of his mistakes, then Renner could be a real winner.

Renner’s draft profile here

Video: Jeff Mathews

Despite playing with receivers who aren’t registering for the draft, Jeff Mathews consistently throws balls with high velocity and with pinpoint accuracy. Note what the critics are talking about with his footwork in the pocket, but it’s nothing that working under a veteran, or skilled, QB (hopefully Andrew Luck, given the teams that are giving Mathews a look).

Let me know what you think! Tweet @BradyorBust or leave a comment below

Jeff Mathews pro-day workout

Cornell quarterback, Jeff Mathews, managed to attract scouts from 4 different NFL teams, and scheduled a separate workout with the Arizona Cardinals. The Jaguars, Raiders, Bills, and (the most fitting) Indianapolis Colts all traveled to Ithaca, NY to watch the huge QB workout.

While most QB’s throw 50-60 balls during a workout, Mathews threw over 90. In the article posted by PressConnects (found here), depicts Mathews exactly how he is as a player: stellar. Mathews has 47 Cornell passing records, and 18 passing records in the Ivy League, despite the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard, Texans QB).

Ivy League sensation: Jeff Mathews

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Jeff Mathews has all of the tools he needs to be successful in the NFL. The Cornell senior who stands 6 feet, 4 inches and has a rocket arm with great accuracy, has been turning heads recently… not to mention he has the brains of an Ivy League student.

If you look at his draft profile (here), the strengths column raves about his arm strength and accuracy (which it should). The weakness section dwells on one main issue, and that is overall mechanic consistency. They say his desire to stay in the pocket is a weakness, but just look at Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Big Ben, etc.

Jeff Mathews could be the next big thing. He is the kind of guy that would significantly benefit by playing behind a player like Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger. NFL style coaching will help him fix his minor mistakes, but working under the best of the best in terms of mechanics and consistency in the pocket will craft a QB that is incredibly dangerous.

@BradyorBust, leave a comment below!