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As of Thursday, Feb. 12, this little blog has relocated to a new home on AJC.com. It’s the same newspaper, the same Web site and the same writer (feel free to groan) — there’s just a new URL.
New features: Bigger type, more graphics, comments that load 10 times faster and a larger and more recent photo that makes me look pretty doggone old. I think you’ll like it (the blog, not the photo). But I am, as we know too well, often wrong.
Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2009 > January > 15
Thursday, January 15, 2009
How good a pro will Stafford be?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sam Bradford’s decision to stay at Oklahoma means Matthew Stafford should be the first quarterback drafted in April and makes him the favorite to go No. 1 overall. (His chief competition: Offensive tackles Andre Smith of Alabama and Michael Oher of Ole Miss.) And here, from someone who covered Stafford’s first and last collegiate games — on Sept. 2, 2006, he entered as Georgia’s third quarterback against Western Kentucky and led a late touchdown drive, and on Jan. 1, 2009, he was named MVP of the Capital One Bowl — is a scouting report:
Strengths: Pro-type body, although the feeling persists he could stand to shed a few pounds; exceptional arm, an Elway-type arm; more elusive than you’d think; played in a pro-style offense at Georgia and proved he could deliver the ball to any and all receivers; played very well against tough teams on the road (see Auburn 2006, Alabama 2007 and LSU 2008); can shrug off a bad half (see Michigan State, New Year’s Day); completed a higher percentage of his passes every year.
Weaknesses: Given his arm, should have completed even a higher percentage; still given to the strange and deflating interception (see Florida and Georgia Tech 2008); can throw the deep ball with ease but doesn’t complete many deep throws; was never the best quarterback in the SEC East and never won a championship of any kind.
Intangibles: Likes playing and seems to be liked by his teammates; never played behind a strong offensive line but never complained; didn’t make excuses when Georgia struggled in 2006; works hard at saying little to the media; shows leadership in an understated way; seems to have had his career path mapped since high school.
Prognosis: Will start in the NFL very soon but must overcome his ingrained diffidence to become a winning NFL quarterback; might not be the guy around whom a franchise can rebuild.
Obvious point of reference: Is a better prospect physically than Matt Ryan but a greater risk overall.
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