re: Mariota: "eating it up pretty quickly"

quote:

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I would weight the mental side over arm strength, which I would say is more a threshold attribute. If two have the requisite arm strength and one is better on the mental side and the other has A+ arm strength, I would personally take the former.

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You just said it, if both QBs have requisite arm strength. That's what you need first.

No scout starts out evaluating a QB by evaluating his intelligence. They evaluate his physical tools, most specifically his arm strength. He either has it there or he doesn't. If he doesn't, intelligence doesn't matter and scouts don't waste their time.

You don't need to be very intelligent to play in the NFL. However you do need an arm strength skill level that is uncommon even at the college level. That makes it the more coveted attribute.

Of course if two QBs are in the same tier in terms of arm strength then you begin to evaluate other attributes, but it starts with arm strength. There have been borderline idiots that have made it in the NFL because of their arm strength primarily.