Screw you Todd McShay

[droop10]

If the argument is about the spread hindering them, it seems pretty moot to me since Harrington, Smith, Fife and the crew never played in the spread. Dixon and Clemens were the only ones to have played in the spread at Oregon and the jury is out on both (though Clemens is very close to a conviction). I am an insider but it doesn't seem to be working right now for me at work, so I can't read in what context he is mentioning Oregon. Whether it's the spread offense or just the school that doesn't prep them.

[alabamaduck]

What's not said in the article is that basically every starting QB we've had in the MB era has made it to the NFL. How many other schools can say that?

[duckgrad99]

What's not said in the article is that basically every starting QB we've had in the MB era has made it to the NFL. How many other schools can say that?

That's exactly right. Plus, I would rather have an Oregon qb make it to the NFL and not be great than not go to the NFL at all.

[OreDucks01284]

atleast NFL still give them chance to be backup or starter.

Clemens - New York Jets

Dixon - Pittsburgh Steelers

Joey Harrington - Still unsigned. last team is New Orleans Saints

Jason Fife- Last team he was in is New Orleans Saints in 2006

AJ Feely - Philadelphia Eagles

[Hoagduck]

In the abominable run that Detroit has been on in the Matt Millen era, Joey was the most successful of all the quarterbacks, and unfortunately for him, he was the most high-profile, and came at the beginning of the end so to speak. He then got traded to the Dolphins as the floor gave out on them, then to the Petrino-led Falcons, who were coached right into the gutter. Joey never had half of a fair shot.

[EggbertSouse]

How many nfl qb's were first or second round picks?

I don't follow the pros (or college for that matter) but it may be relevant to this discussion.

[woundedknees]

Even if Joey spends the rest of his career holding a clipboard, he will be a success as a human being even if not on the field.


On top of that, how many of us will make what he receives for holding that clipboard 1 season, in our next 15 years of employment?

[duck58]

Joey recently said he has learned more from Drew Brees this last year than the rest of his pro career. The Detroit Kittens are probably still blaming Joey for this last year. I don't follow pros that much, but I believe there is 30 teams. Competition would be difficult. Doesn't QBs hang around a little longer than some other positions.

When I was in NY, I met a number of Pitt. fans and they are definitely in love with Dixon. But he is behind a very strong QB.

He will have some growing pains, but I believe KC will be OK. At least UO QBs have been given the shot. If they don't pan out, that's their problem. Other than Carson Palmer, how many USC QBs are doing great.

[woundedknees]

If they don't pan out, they will just have to take their millions to the bank, and try to figure out how to eke out a meager existence with the nice little degree and the business contacts left over from their happy days at the U of O... Dang. Every college grad should have that kind of problem!

[DuckedonQuack]

i think todd mcshay was probably talking about guys like akili smith and joey harrington.

These two guys didnt play the spread...

[wheaton4prez]

In his defense, what quarterback from Oregon has actually done something in the pros in the last ten years? Smith, Joey, Fife, Feeley, Clemens, Dixon... None of them has been a successful starter. Maybe Clemens or Dixon will be, but that's a pretty awful record, especially considering three of those QB's were first day draft picks and two were top five overall.

I don't think this is a very good defense of what he wrote. Those are a wide variety of players that had different skill-sets, different coaches and played in different systems. There isn't anything consistent about their experiences at Oregon that would demonstrate that a specific thing going on at Oregon caused all of them to fail.

I think there's a fear from some sports fans (and media folk consequently) over new offenses. If I'm being entirely honest, I would probably be down on them too if Oregon had always run a pro system. It's easy to call something gimmicky if it's not what your favorite team runs. But, when you experience it first hand as the fan of a spread-option team, you never want to go back. Fans are so hooked on the spread option that Oregon runs that they get pissed off about Quarterbacks like Roper that don't appear to be spread option enough.

As far as success in the NFL goes, it's only a matter of time before a team really embraces it there. The quantity of quality spread option QB's has increased noticeably, imo. It wasn't that long ago that recruiting companies didn't even have a "Dual Threat" category for QB's. It just has to trickle up to the point where an NFL team can realistically establish depth at the needed positions for the spread option and other, newer variations.

[Tray Dub]

In his defense, what quarterback from Oregon has actually done something in the pros in the last ten years? Smith, Joey, Fife, Feeley, Clemens, Dixon... None of them has been a successful starter. Maybe Clemens or Dixon will be, but that's a pretty awful record, especially considering three of those QB's were first day draft picks and two were top five overall.

I don't think this is a very good defense of what he wrote. Those are a wide variety of players that had different skill-sets, different coaches and played in different systems. There isn't anything consistent about their experiences at Oregon that would demonstrate that a specific thing going on at Oregon caused all of them to fail.

I think there's a fear from some sports fans (and media folk consequently) over new offenses. If I'm being entirely honest, I would probably be down on them too if Oregon had always run a pro system. It's easy to call something gimmicky if it's not what your favorite team runs. But, when you experience it first hand as the fan of a spread-option team, you never want to go back. Fans are so hooked on the spread option that Oregon runs that they get pissed off about Quarterbacks like Roper that don't appear to be spread option enough.

As far as success in the NFL goes, it's only a matter of time before a team really embraces it there. The quantity of quality spread option QB's has increased noticeably, imo. It wasn't that long ago that recruiting companies didn't even have a "Dual Threat" category for QB's. It just has to trickle up to the point where an NFL team can realistically establish depth at the needed positions for the spread option and other, newer variations.

That's not the point. Whether or not they are facsimiles of each other really doesn't matter. My point was that no matter the circumstances, we haven't produced a starting NFL QB in a long time. Sure, we've changed our offensive system, but it's been a change away from what NFL teams pretty much uniformly run, so that's a pretty bad way to argue that Joey/Akili/Fife/Feeley/Clemens don't matter for Oregon's track record. It's a well known fact that NFL teams don't like spread QBs as much as traditional offense QBs, and we haven't proven them wrong yet. With Ludwig, Crowton, Kelly, or with the spread or our old offense, or with any of our QBs skill sets.

I'm not saying we should go back from the spread. I loooooove the spread. And I think it's very possible to produce a great NFL QB with it (although it probly won't be Masoli because of his height unfortunately). But I don't think we should jump on a writer who writes that QB recruits should beware of Oregon, because when you look at the record it's hard not to come to that conclusion.

NFL teams might switch to the spread or some hybrid form of it, they might not. Some say defenses are too fast, but whatevs. It's possible. But until that happens, when a good number of NFL teams are running something similar to our offense, our style is going to be a liability with recruits.

[duckgrad99]

That's not the point. Whether or not they are facsimiles of each other really doesn't matter. My point was that no matter the circumstances, we haven't produced a starting NFL QB in a long time. Sure, we've changed our offensive system, but it's been a change away from what NFL teams pretty much uniformly run, so that's a pretty bad way to argue that Joey/Akili/Fife/Feeley/Clemens don't matter for Oregon's track record. It's a well known fact that NFL teams don't like spread QBs as much as traditional offense QBs, and we haven't proven them wrong yet. With Ludwig, Crowton, Kelly, or with the spread or our old offense, or with any of our QBs skill sets.


But there are several top colleges that haven't produced a starting NFL QB in a long time, spread or no spread.

[wheaton4prez]

In his defense, what quarterback from Oregon has actually done something in the pros in the last ten years? Smith, Joey, Fife, Feeley, Clemens, Dixon... None of them has been a successful starter. Maybe Clemens or Dixon will be, but that's a pretty awful record, especially considering three of those QB's were first day draft picks and two were top five overall.

I don't think this is a very good defense of what he wrote. Those are a wide variety of players that had different skill-sets, different coaches and played in different systems. There isn't anything consistent about their experiences at Oregon that would demonstrate that a specific thing going on at Oregon caused all of them to fail.

I think there's a fear from some sports fans (and media folk consequently) over new offenses. If I'm being entirely honest, I would probably be down on them too if Oregon had always run a pro system. It's easy to call something gimmicky if it's not what your favorite team runs. But, when you experience it first hand as the fan of a spread-option team, you never want to go back. Fans are so hooked on the spread option that Oregon runs that they get pissed off about Quarterbacks like Roper that don't appear to be spread option enough.

As far as success in the NFL goes, it's only a matter of time before a team really embraces it there. The quantity of quality spread option QB's has increased noticeably, imo. It wasn't that long ago that recruiting companies didn't even have a "Dual Threat" category for QB's. It just has to trickle up to the point where an NFL team can realistically establish depth at the needed positions for the spread option and other, newer variations.

That's not the point. Whether or not they are facsimiles of each other really doesn't matter. My point was that no matter the circumstances, we haven't produced a starting NFL QB in a long time. Sure, we've changed our offensive system, but it's been a change away from what NFL teams pretty much uniformly run, so that's a pretty bad way to argue that Joey/Akili/Fife/Feeley/Clemens don't matter for Oregon's track record. It's a well known fact that NFL teams don't like spread QBs as much as traditional offense QBs, and we haven't proven them wrong yet. With Ludwig, Crowton, Kelly, or with the spread or our old offense, or with any of our QBs skill sets.

I'm not saying we should go back from the spread. I loooooove the spread. And I think it's very possible to produce a great NFL QB with it (although it probly won't be Masoli because of his height unfortunately). But I don't think we should jump on a writer who writes that QB recruits should beware of Oregon, because when you look at the record it's hard not to come to that conclusion.

NFL teams might switch to the spread or some hybrid form of it, they might not. Some say defenses are too fast, but whatevs. It's possible. But until that happens, when a good number of NFL teams are running something similar to our offense, our style is going to be a liability with recruits.

I disagree, I think that what I wrote addresses the point. That Oregon has had a number of QB's go to the NFL and not become Peyton Mannings does not logically demonstrate that something about Oregon caused those players to not become Peyton Mannings. In order to blame it on Oregon, at least most Tennessee quarterbacks should have similar success to Peyton Manning. And that isn't the case.

To put it another way, the failures of various Oregon QBs from various circumstances does not demonstrate that, if Oregon were to have signed Brett Favre, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, they would not have become great NFL QBs. Any NFL scout that would over-look Peyton Manning, because he played for Oregon would be pretty dumb, imo.

NFL teams already run the spread. NFL teams are already running schemes that they haven't before and have similarities to the read option Oregon runs (Wild Hog). The number of recruits aiming to be dual threat QBs has noticeably increased. Love him or hate him, I think that we can thank Michael Vick for that. Although he did not perform to expectations, he was also one of the biggest franchise players in the history of the NFL. A lot of young players want to be that kind of star athlete. NFL team owners, business people, will bring someone like that on board again and will try to make it work for the profit if nothing else. The pay-off would be huge to have a super-bowl run with an exciting new offense and a Michael Jordan recognizable star at the helm (Tebow?).

I think that what this writer demonstrates is personal bias against a change in the game. I think it's dumb and I will continue to jump on him or any other writer that does it. Otherwise, imo, I'm just letting a falsehood persist. A falsehood that is slowing the game of football from progressing into something more exciting and innovative. I'm pretty sure that there were sports writers that were down on the forward pass at one time too.