re: A mobile QB is better for RPO

Part of me probably still has Jefferson/Jennings/Harris PTSD… but it just seems like guys who are that athletic tend not to develop as passers.

Guys like Mahomes, Watson, Jackson, Allen are the outliers.

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RPO only works if the QB is a legit passing threat.

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Obviously, but also works better if a running threat as well, as the defense has to commit another defender to stopping the potential run.

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This is like saying “big offensive linemen are better at running zone.” Then when someone says “actually, a zone scheme favors athletic linemen” the response is “yeah but it helps if they’re big too.” No shite. Offensive linemen who are huge AND athletic are good in every scheme.

The same can be said for quarterbacks with great mobility and great passing skills. Obviously a quarterback who is great at both will be great in any scheme. Not exactly going out on a limb there.

It sounds like you meant that a mobile QB is better for RPO than a pure pocket passer. Which is, at best, highly situational and at worst, simply wrong.

The RPO scheme that the top teams in CFB have used in recent years requires, from a QB standpoint:
1. The ability to process information very quickly and effectively - particularly important for RPO’s with multiple layers of reads, but still critical for single-read RPO’s.
2. A fast release, so that defenders don’t have time to adjust once the decision is made to pull the ball.
3. Great accuracy and anticipation, so that the ball is ideally placed somewhere that allows the WR to rack up YAC.

All of these things are more important than mobility.

A credible threat from the RB is also more important than QB mobility. The RPO loses a lot of effectiveness if the defense isn’t afraid of the fake. I’ve seen a lot of discussion around here about whether the RPO is “running to open the pass” or “passing to open the run” - personally I think that’s really a matter of semantics. You have to be proficient at both to really capitalize on the RPO. Then it’s just a matter of taking what the defense gives you.

And yes, there are RPO’s that are designed with a QB run option. But those aren’t nearly as common and they’re also not really what people are talking about when they say that the RPO has changed modern college football.

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2 running type QBs have won the national title since Tim Tebow and you could argue that Watson was much more passer than runner. Championships are won from the pocket. The mobile QB definition is being warped on the rant lately, 99% of all QBs can make plays on the move.

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Correct. But A TON of passing QBs that CAN run effectively have won.

I’m not seeing a NC this year anyway regardless of who the QB is. But Myles will definitely have to do a designed run from time to time. I think he can. I think he’ll get in a little better shape.

If he does win the job, it will be because Kelly thinks he makes better decisions. And possibly leadership. He would have to edge out Nuss in those areas. I think he leads in those right now.

Daniels is a mystery. He has a lot of basic mechanical work to do. No idea how that will work out for him. But if it does, he can be dangerous. This is the best coaching staff he’s ever had, but it is his 4th year. We’ll see. Right now he’s in 3rd place imo.

Daniels has the summer to improve but if you look at his progression as teams have seen more of him his passing numbers have declined while his running numbers have improved which signals that instinctively he’s more likely to bail and run rather than make the next progression in the passing game. That’s why I’d consider him more runner than passer.

Thanks for sharing that thought l, will sleep much better tonight.

He didn’t get a chance at the combine because of Covid, but in an interview Burrow said he would run 4.6. He had like a 60yard run against Georgia in 2018, Burrow can absolutely move, if anything his mobility is understated not over.

Those are great passing QBs who can run very well. (Burrow and TL)

Daniels is a great running QB who can pass ok. But he’s definitely not classified as a great passer.

I think he can improve, but I’m definitely not seeing him get on that level passing. In high school, he was compared to Deshaun Watson on 247. I have definitely not seen that. He has a lot of work to do. But he’ll get his chance.

Burrow and Allen are both extremely mobile. To argue differently is to be wrong, and we are just joking about Lamar Jackson and Tom Brady. Name the top 7 QBs in the NFL, how many are mobile? 5-6?

And I never said they did