FanPost

Executive Producer of NFL Matchup says RG3 is better than Luck



I know this has been done to death, but with Merril Hoge probably correctly being considered kind of an idiot, here's very respected analyst who happens to agree with him. Take it for what it's worth, but at the least let's dispel the notion that Luck is unquestionably the best prospect yada yada yada. This guy watches a serious amount of film and has come to the same conclusion that some fans are seeing, namely that RG3 is supremely gifted as a passer, at a level even higher than Luck. Fact is, if the Colts go with Luck we really might be getting the superior prospect. But will the Colts definitely go with Luck given the tide of favorable RG3 analysis coming from such respected sources? I for one sure hope they do.

Greg Cosell on Luck, Griffin and Tebow By TONI MONKOVIC

Greg Cosell, the executive producer of ESPN’s “N.F.L. Matchup,” is widely respected as a film evaluator. When he speaks, people around the league listen.

He has spoken.

In a blog post at the NFL Films Web site, Cosell relayed his thoughts after watching five-game stretches of tape of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III from last season.

Cosell said he was impressed with Luck’s game management, his ability “to call plays and make adjustments based on defensive fronts and coverages.” But he was not nearly as taken with his arm. A few excerpts:

“Luck was not a special passer based on film study.”

“Luck had a tendency to lift his back foot off the ground before releasing the ball. That prevented him from driving through his throws and at times negatively impacted his velocity and accuracy.”

“Overall, Luck was not asked to make many tough throws at the intermediate and deeper levels.”

“Luck was an economical player who was at his best as a timing and rhythm, short to intermediate passer.”

In contrast, Cosell wrote glowingly about Griffin’s arm strength:

“He had a very compact and easy delivery with natural velocity. There was a snap to his throws. Many disagree, but in more than 20 years of watching NFL game film, I am a firm believer that arm strength, or put another way, the ability to make tight throws into small windows down the field, is critical.”

“Griffin threw an excellent deep ball, with trajectory, touch and accuracy.”

“He threw effectively out of what we call a ‘muddied” pocket.’ He did not need much functional space to deliver the ball with velocity and distance. Surprisingly, in my 5 game breakdown of Luck, he exhibited a tendency to move too quickly, to leave the pocket too early.”

“The bottom line in my 5 game film evaluation: Griffin is a superior arm talent and natural passer than Luck.”