Obviously there are different strength levels of QB arms. I do not think that it is as big of a factor as you make it to be though. Of players that have failed at the QB position, how often do you hear analysts say, "He just did not have the arm strength to cut it in the NFL"? I never hear it.

 

I have heard them say though that there are 2-3 throws a game where you have to have the arm, or else you will check down to the next route. Dalton could easily become a Pennington game manager QB. Will he ever out duel Brady or Rogers, i'd have to say no.

I have heard them say though that there are 2-3 throws a game where you have to have the arm, or else you will check down to the next route. Dalton could easily become a Pennington game manager QB. Will he ever out duel Brady or Rogers, i'd have to say no.

 

Exactly my point.

^ Nobody ever thought he would. We all knew that.

^ Nobody ever thought he would. We all knew that.

 

So he doesn't have a good enough arm to do that?

So he doesn't have a good enough arm to do that?

No, he does not have the game to do outduel Brady, Manning, etc. It has nothing (or at least VERY little) to do with arm strength. The Al Davis way of finding a QB just does not cut it any more. A successful QB has so many intangible qualities these days.... I am more interested to see if Dalton displays those attributes as opposed to if he can throw the ball through the endzone on one knee at the 50 yard line.

No, he does not have the game to do outduel Brady, Manning, etc. It has nothing (or at least VERY little) to do with arm strength. The Al Davis way of finding a QB just does not cut it any more. A successful QB has so many intangible qualities these days.... I am more interested to see if Dalton displays those attributes as opposed to if he can throw the ball through the endzone on one knee at the 50 yard line.

 

I'm interested to see if he can throw the ball to the sidelines accurately and far better than he did the last two months of the season. I feel pretty confident he can be a leader and his teammates respect him.

So he doesn't have a good enough arm to do that?

 

So going along with the "Big Arm Theory" which QB left in the AFC playoffs, has the cannon to beat Brady?

I'm interested to see if he can throw the ball to the sidelines accurately and far better than he did the last two months of the season. I feel pretty confident he can be a leader and his teammates respect him.

That is a HUGE plus if true. Ask John Fox. If that is the case I believe he is worth giving a shot.

Can't believe the have the AFC West again. Of course you'd think Oakland will be awesome next year.

 

Based on the NFL Schedule rotation, they only get the AFC West every three years.

 

Besides their division opponents played home and away, here is their schedule:

 

Away - Jacksonville, Kansas City, San Diego, Philadelphia, and Washington

Home - Miami, Denver, Oakland, Dallas, and New York Giants

That is a HUGE plus if true. Ask John Fox. If that is the case I believe he is worth giving a shot.

 

Absolutely. I'm not saying he's terrible and they need to trade up to get another QB. Just that I don't think he's going to win a lot of shootouts and with the way the rules are that's what's going to be needed to win in the playoffs.

So going along with the "Big Arm Theory" which QB left in the AFC playoffs, has the cannon to beat Brady?

 

Only Flacco has a good enough arm, but he's not that good IMO. I personally will be surprised if NE doesn't win the AFC. Baltimore also has Ray Rice which gives them a fighters chance and allows Flacco to use play action to open up some parts of the field that his arm being dangerous alone may not have opened up. NE is very happy that Ben isn't waiting for him this week.

Couldn't have said anything better than this. My gut feeling is they know he can't hurt them with certain throws and that's why he struggled late. I hope I'm wrong in the end.

 

Yeah but FC and some others fail to see that Dalton's (and all quarterback's numbers) are inflated with the current rule system. The rookies should be doing better than ever before.

Yeah but FC and some others fail to see that Dalton's (and all quarterback's numbers) are inflated with the current rule system. The rookies should be doing better than ever before.

 

It's not that I fail to see it. What I see is a QB who has done well in his rookie year, and what I see is someone unfairly evaluating him because he heard scouts before the draft worry about his arm. When those scouts have now gone back on that since seeing him play in the NFL. I see someone who can't seem to realize that he is a rookie and should get much better. Some of the passes he missed this year he probably won't miss when he has more experience, some of throws he didn't make and tried to check down instead he probably makes with more experience. As I said before the guy Dalton is most like in the NFL is Drew Brees. They both are around the same size, and both don't have the big rocket arms but both don't have weak arms either. What they are good at is being smart, and being able to anticipate throws and throw them before they come out of their break. If you can anticipate a throw and get it out before they come out of the breaks, it ends up being the same of someone who has a rocket arm who tries to squeeze it in there at the last second. Also just like Brees, Dalton seems to be a leader. Obviously Brees probably is going to end up a hall of famer, so Dalton may not end up as good as him, or maybe he will. However no one in the world could have thought Brees would have been what he is after not just his rookie year but even his 2nd year too. They even drafted Rivers because Brees didn't look good. So this just shows how dumb it is to determine how a QB will be based on their first year or two, which is what he is doing. So many people like to compare young QB's to good QB's in the league, well Dalton is a lot like one of the best ones in the League and has many of the same skills. We will see more how he is after about 3 years, however there is more reason to think he will do really well than not. Especially once he gets his first off season as a pro, since he didn't get it last year.

It's not that I fail to see it. What I see is a QB who has done well in his rookie year, and what I see is someone unfairly evaluating him because he heard scouts before the draft worry about his arm. When those scouts have now gone back on that since seeing him play in the NFL. I see someone who can't seem to realize that he is a rookie and should get much better. Some of the passes he missed this year he probably won't miss when he has more experience, some of throws he didn't make and tried to check down instead he probably makes with more experience. As I said before the guy Dalton is most like in the NFL is Drew Brees. They both are around the same size, and both don't have the big rocket arms but both don't have weak arms either. What they are good at is being smart, and being able to anticipate throws and throw them before they come out of their break. If you can anticipate a throw and get it out before they come out of the breaks, it ends up being the same of someone who has a rocket arm who tries to squeeze it in there at the last second. Also just like Brees, Dalton seems to be a leader. Obviously Brees probably is going to end up a hall of famer, so Dalton may not end up as good as him, or maybe he will. However no one in the world could have thought Brees would have been what he is after not just his rookie year but even his 2nd year too. They even drafted Rivers because Brees didn't look good. So this just shows how dumb it is to determine how a QB will be based on their first year or two, which is what he is doing. So many people like to compare young QB's to good QB's in the league, well Dalton is a lot like one of the best ones in the League and has many of the same skills. We will see more how he is after about 3 years, however there is more reason to think he will do really well than not. Especially once he gets his first off season as a pro, since he didn't get it last year.

 

His first season numbers and build are also very similar to Tim Couch as well. Way to early to say that he is the long term answer or that he has Drew Brees like ability. I can understand some of the concern about the arm strength, very few quarterbacks have the instincts of Brees to make some of the throws that he does. But it was an encouraging first season.

His first season numbers and build are also very similar to Tim Couch as well. Way to early to say that he is the long term answer or that he has Drew Brees like ability. I can understand some of the concern about the arm strength, very few quarterbacks have the instincts of Brees to make some of the throws that he does. But it was an encouraging first season.

 

I am not saying he is a lock to be great. However the guy we been arguing with sure has made it seem like he thinks it is a lock that he won't do well. Which makes no sense, because there is more reason to believe he will do well. He had no offseason, 11 games against top 10 defenses, a rookie WR, and a WR in his first year starting, a 2nd year TE, and a rookie OC. Yet with all that he put up decent numbers for a rookie, 5 4th quarter comebacks, and a trip to the playoffs. He made some really good throws this year, and some bad ones. Some good decisions, and some bad decisions. That stuff is going to happen with a rookie, but as I said before there is more reason at this moment to believe he will do well. Especially with his skill set he has as being known as a smart QB, a leader, a guy who anticipates routes, and being an accurate passer. Those are the things he is known for, and something with his accuracy should go up with the experience, as it does with most guys when they get experience. As long as Gruden stays he will be in his 2nd year in the system, his skill guys will have more experience too, and hopefully the line should be better if they address it. There is more reason to be positive about the future he has than not. This will be something we can have a better read on after his third season.