Blue 42: All quarterbacks are picked apart
Apr 1, 2011, 11:50 AM | Updated: Apr 4, 2011, 7:52 pm
MyNorthwest.com staff
Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon alleged earlier this week that “blatant racism” is fueling criticism of former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.
In Friday’s Blue 42, Brock Huard noted that all quarterback prospects are scrutinized and offered a few examples.
“The one thing I don’t want to do is touch the racial element, because I am in no place whatsoever, and Warren Moon is. He went through it and he knows very specifically how that feels. Some of the other elements — and Warren and I have chatted about this before — I’d like to pick apart a little bit. …
“I would contend that Tim Tebow last year was blasted relentlessly about being a spread quarterback with a horrible release and some of his convictions he has off the field. His level of persecution was incredibly strong.
“I would contend that Jimmy Clausen was attacked for being a bad guy, a bad teammate, a bad human being, a bad person, not a leader of men, and every other way you want to characterize what he went through a season ago.
“Colt McCoy, one of the reasons he fell to the third round was not just his size, but him playing in a spread system. And when I look at Cam Newton and I compare him to Sam Bradford — because that was the other name that Warren really threw out when no one was talking about Sam Bradford, he was in a spread system — Sam Bradford threw it 483 times, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Cam Newton a season ago threw it 265 times and ran it 280; that is the difference.
“Very much spread systems; the one focused on accuracy and passing and precision and throwing the ball, which is exactly what Sam Bradford has done at the NFL level. Cam Newton, this year, the running outweighing the throwing, that does not translate. We have seen that into the NFL. That’s where some of the concerns like Tim Tebow come from — his background in the spread system.”
Brock also discussed how the additions at tight end will change the Huskies’ offense and what Seahawks GM John Schneider said about Jake Locker’s hands. You can listen to Blue 42 here.