Vikings Message Board.Com

Boon wrote: I think so too, I expect a jump over cleveland. From what i'm gathering they didn't take any of the other pro day QB's out to dinner, I could be wrong though. With spielman that usually means "come here"

They took Derek Carr out to dinner too. I'm not sure if they had dinner with Bortles and Bridgewater but it was reported that they had private meetings with those two QBs.

I am surprised that Johnny's stock has taken off so much due to his Pro Day. My surprise comes from: 1) folks saw something that they didn't already know about him? Watch his games! Look at his numbers! He was crazy accurate with defenders trying to take his head off, of course he'd be accurate in a pro day context! He has a strong arm? No kidding? Watch his games! He had plenty of bombs… and no, they aren't all jump balls to Evans.

2) I'm surprised that folks put much stock in these highly artificial exercises: enough to make a guy go from possibly sliding out of round 1 to being almost certainly gone by pick 8? I guess it reflects just how polarizing JFB is and how important franchise QB is to a team and how hard it is to make determinations about QB prospects.

Texas Vike wrote:I am surprised that Johnny's stock has taken off so much due to his Pro Day. My surprise comes from: 1) folks saw something that they didn't already know about him? Watch his games! Look at his numbers! He was crazy accurate with defenders trying to take his head off, of course he'd be accurate in a pro day context! He has a strong arm? No kidding? Watch his games! He had plenty of bombs… and no, they aren't all jump balls to Evans.

2) I'm surprised that folks put much stock in these highly artificial exercises: enough to make a guy go from possibly sliding out of round 1 to being almost certainly gone by pick 8? I guess it reflects just how polarizing JFB is and how important franchise QB is to a team and how hard it is to make determinations about QB prospects.

Yes, but I think it also reflects how much media coverage of the draft and related events has grown and how much some of the people who cover the draft allow the hype to affect them, not just their audience. I have a very hard time believing JFB's pro day dramatically altered the way any team perceived him. It undoubtedly provided some more information to add to their files (after all, they attend pro days for a reason) but it probably didn't change his actual draft stock much. As you said, the things he does well were already evident on film and the pro day workouts are highly artificial exercises.

In a way, JFB's pro day (and Bridgewater's too) has provided more information about the people who cover the draft than about JFB himself.

Jim

Mothman wrote:
In a way, JFB's pro day (and Bridgewater's too) has provided more information about the people who cover the draft than about JFB himself.

Jim

Agreed. Pro days also provide information about fans' perceptions.

Manziel is who I have wanted us to draft from the beginning, not just after a pro day media circus. The only thing I really took from his pro day is that he will be well suited to handle the media. I also don't think that a sub par pro day by Teddy Bridgewater should ruin his draft status, you really need to look at what both of these guys did during the season to get the true feeling of what we hope these guys can accomplish as NFL quarterbacks. My biggest concern with Manziel is whether he will be able to be coached without drama and how he will handle both critics and praise . I'd be happy if we could land either of these guys.

Husker Vike wrote:Manziel is who I have wanted us to draft from the beginning, not just after a pro day media circus.

Yeah, that's the thing, I've had him as the guy I've wanted at #8 for a long long while and think he's a top 5 pick at the same time. His incredible pro day isn't bumping him from like a mid 2nd rounder to #4, it's going from #5 to #4 on my board. On the flip side, Teddy has never been that impressive to me and I have a lot of concerns about him. So when he comes out and stinks it up at his pro day, it's another tiny bit of information pointing towards an opinion I've already been forming. So he goes from #9 on my board to #11, is that a big drop? I dunno, I guess, but it has to do with questions and how the prospects answer them throughout this process and for me, Teddy just hasn't answered enough.

Now of course on the flip side, if Teddy goes and nails his pro day, zero balls hit the ground and he just looks awesome would that change my opinion much? Probably not! But he'd likely have gone from that #9 to #8 or so for me. I'd still have concerns but I could check off X thing that bothered me before.

All in all it's just another small piece to the puzzle, not sure why that's so alarming to you guys that people put value in that.

mondry wrote: Yeah, that's the thing, I've had him as the guy I've wanted at #8 for a long long while and think he's a top 5 pick at the same time. His incredible pro day isn't bumping him from like a mid 2nd rounder to #4, it's going from #5 to #4 on my board. On the flip side, Teddy has never been that impressive to me and I have a lot of concerns about him. So when he comes out and stinks it up at his pro day, it's another tiny bit of information pointing towards an opinion I've already been forming. So he goes from #9 on my board to #11, is that a big drop? I dunno, I guess, but it has to do with questions and how the prospects answer them throughout this process and for me, Teddy just hasn't answered enough.

Now of course on the flip side, if Teddy goes and nails his pro day, zero balls hit the ground and he just looks awesome would that change my opinion much? Probably not! But he'd likely have gone from that #9 to #8 or so for me. I'd still have concerns but I could check off X thing that bothered me before.

All in all it's just another small piece to the puzzle, not sure why that's so alarming to you guys that people put value in that.

It's not alarming when it's treated as a small piece of the puzzle.

mondry wrote: Yeah, that's the thing, I've had him as the guy I've wanted at #8 for a long long while and think he's a top 5 pick at the same time. His incredible pro day isn't bumping him from like a mid 2nd rounder to #4, it's going from #5 to #4 on my board. On the flip side, Teddy has never been that impressive to me and I have a lot of concerns about him. So when he comes out and stinks it up at his pro day, it's another tiny bit of information pointing towards an opinion I've already been forming. So he goes from #9 on my board to #11, is that a big drop? I dunno, I guess, but it has to do with questions and how the prospects answer them throughout this process and for me, Teddy just hasn't answered enough.

Now of course on the flip side, if Teddy goes and nails his pro day, zero balls hit the ground and he just looks awesome would that change my opinion much? Probably not! But he'd likely have gone from that #9 to #8 or so for me. I'd still have concerns but I could check off X thing that bothered me before.

All in all it's just another small piece to the puzzle, not sure why that's so alarming to you guys that people put value in that.

Probably wasn't directed at you, but rather the folks whose opinion of JFB just swung from mid-2nd to top 5.

anyone who thought manziel was a second rounder before or after his pro day needs their head examined. i wouldn't be surprised to see him go to the texans.

Saw Manziel's Pro Day at A & M. Then the Gruden interview. I hope we get this guy. Good throws, good answers and a blessing from Chucky. Francis was 6 ft 190lbs. Manziel is 5' 11 3/4", 203 lbs. If we don't get him, I hope the Texans get the kid. If he goes to Cleveland or Jax, he won't survive those penal colonies.

Webbfann wrote:
I was serious. He runs like a wounded chicken and just looked like an NFL disaster waiting to happen. Those passes he completes on his wild turkey trots around the backfield will be intercepted in the NFL. Thats just my first impression from watching what are supposed to be his impressive plays; doesn't mean I've seen everything or know everything. I just didn't see much that impressed me. He was exciting I suppose but I didn't see any highlights showing off composure.

lol says the guy with the name "Webbfann".

J. Kapp 11 wrote:I'm on the fence.

On one hand, the trendy thing in the NFL is the mobile quarterback, throwing on the run and running the read-option. The problem is that those guys tend to get hurt, and they don't tend to lead their teams to Super Bowls. Russell Wilson is the notable exception, but even he basically stopped running the read-option in 2013. He throws on the run a lot, and he's dangerous doing it, so if Manziel can play as well as Russell Wilson, I'm good with it. Big "if."

Didn't Kaepernick take his team to the SB and has also started every game since taking over for Alex Smith? Newton has also never missed a game. RGIII got hurt because he never protected himself.

I really do think Russell Wilson is the most comparable to Manziel's game and they're even a similar size. He's not going to run like an RG3 or Kaep, and he's not as big as Newton. I think he can stay in the pocket and make a throw, or if it breaks down he can buy time with his feet to make a throw or make a positive play with his legs, much like Wilson. Being accurate on the move is a big deal too. How many times have we seen Wilson outside the pocket, on the move, and throws a dart 20 yards down the field? It's a lot, and it's not a negative on their pocket passing ability, it's just a plus, a bonus skill they can do imo.

I don't care how much you can run around and throw the ball. If a QB cannot throw from the pocket he will not make it in the NFL. The ability to be mobile and throw is great, but if he can't make the passes standing in the pocket he is worthless.

Raptorman wrote:I don't care how much you can run around and throw the ball. If a QB cannot throw from the pocket he will not make it in the NFL. The ability to be mobile and throw is great, but if he can't make the passes standing in the pocket he is worthless.

Lucky for the JFB fans, like me, he can throw from the pocket and he seems to be one hell of a leader and an inspiration to his teamates (gets them fired up). The Vikes need a big "change" at QB and he can bring it.